How to Prepare a Manuscript for Ebook Production

A clean manuscript shortens production time and protects your voice through formatting. Before you submit, settle chapter structure, heading hierarchy, and spelling conventions.

Use consistent styles for chapter titles, body text, and block quotes. Avoid manual tab spacing and decorative characters that break in reflowable formats. If your book includes images, gather high-resolution files and write alt text early.

Front matter deserves the same attention as the chapters that follow. Title page, copyright, dedication, and contents should be complete before design begins. When in doubt, send a short note with your intentions rather than leaving placeholders buried in the file.

Northfield Books reviews submissions with this checklist in mind so editorial and design can start from a stable foundation.