(And How to Avoid Them Without Losing Your Mind)
Formatting is one of those things that seems simple… until you actually try to do it. Then suddenly, your chapter titles are misaligned, your margins are unpredictable, and your manuscript looks more like a Word doc from 2003 than a professional book.
Let’s go over some of the most common formatting mistakes authors make and how to fix them without having to Google “how to throw your laptop gently out a window.”
1. Using the Tab Key to Indent Paragraphs
It’s instinctual. You want to start a paragraph, so you press “Tab.” Unfortunately, that doesn’t work well in book formatting, especially in eBooks, where tabs can cause irregular spacing or simply disappear.
Use the program’s built-in paragraph settings instead. Most formatting tools allow you to set a standard first-line indent. Once it’s set, you can stop worrying about it.
2. Double Spaces After Periods
This one’s a holdover from typewriter days. In modern formatting, single spacing is the norm. Using two spaces after a period can make your book look dated or uneven.
Search your manuscript for double spaces and replace them with single spaces before exporting.
3. Inconsistent Chapter Titles
One chapter is bold and centered, the next is left-aligned and lowercase, and by the third, the heading has disappeared entirely. It happens more often than you’d think, especially if you copied and pasted from different documents.
Choose a style for your chapter titles—same font, same size, same alignment—and apply it consistently throughout the manuscript.
4. Missing Scene Break Indicators
When a scene ends and another begins within the same chapter, readers need a visual cue. Simply adding a few line breaks isn’t enough, especially in eBooks, where screen size and font settings vary from reader to reader.
Use a visible scene break, such as three asterisks (***) or a centered tilde pattern (like ~ ~ ~). Add spacing above and below it to ensure clarity.
5. Centering Everything
It might feel creative to center a particularly emotional sentence or dramatic line, but if half your manuscript is centered, it starts to look more like a poem than a novel.
Center chapter headings or ornamental quotes if you like, but keep your main body text left-aligned. Readers expect it, and it’s far easier to read.
6. Not Inserting Page Breaks Between Chapters
If you’re manually formatting your book, hitting the “Enter” key a bunch of times until the next chapter drops to a new page is not reliable. This is especially true for eBook formats.
Use “Insert Page Break” instead. It ensures each new chapter starts on a fresh page, no matter what device your reader is using.
7. Forgetting Front and Back Matter
Your story is the star, but don’t forget about the important pages that come before and after it.
Front matter includes your title page, copyright page, dedication (if any), and optional quotes. Back matter might include an author bio, a note to readers, acknowledgments, a teaser for your next book, or links to join your newsletter or leave a review.
Skipping these pieces makes your book feel unfinished, even if the story is complete.
8. Using Unreadable Fonts
That quirky, curly font might look fun in your Word doc, but it will quickly wear out your readers’ eyes. Stick to clean, professional fonts that are easy to read.
For print, consider fonts like Garamond, Georgia, or Baskerville. For eBooks, make sure your formatting tool uses a font that works well with device settings. (Many eReaders override font choices anyway.)
Use stylized fonts sparingly—maybe for chapter headers or section titles—and only if they fit your book’s tone.
9. Not Testing the Final File
You formatted your book, exported your files, and uploaded them. Done, right?
Not quite.
Before you hit “publish,” test your file—especially for eBooks. Use Kindle Previewer or a similar tool to check how your book looks on different devices. Scroll through carefully and watch for misplaced breaks, weird spacing, or missing content.
Print copies should also be proofed before launch. Always review a printed proof before approving distribution. And while you’re catching formatting glitches, it’s the perfect time to catch sentence-level hiccups too. Self-Editing Tips (Before You Pay for a Pro) walks you through the same idea on the word side: fixing the little things before they trip you up later.
Final Thoughts
Formatting isn’t just a technical step. It’s what makes your book readable, professional, and polished. Even small mistakes can pull readers out of your story or make them question your credibility as an author.
The good news is that most of these issues are easy to fix once you know what to look for.
Your book deserves to look as good as it reads. And with the right formatting approach, it will.
You might also enjoy:
What does “formatting” even mean? (For real.)
How to format your book for Kindle or print