“Perfect Pages”–a guide to producing books with Microsoft Word

Perfect Pages by Aaron Shepard is an indispensable aid to someone who wants to produce a fully formatted book manuscript in Microsoft Word. Get it for about $12.60 at Amazon.com and read its 150+ pages, and you will save yourself a lot of grief.

Now you may think, “I’ve used Word forever. I don’t need additional tips.” You may be right, but I doubt it. Book formatting requires different

things than article or report formatting.

Word is a powerful program, and it can also be maddeningly cranky. This book helps you avoid the cranky parts.

The few pages on styles are so lucid that you will get your money’s worth from the book if you just absorb them. Styles are the blessing and the bane of Word, and the five pages Shepard devotes to them are spot on.

Partial contents:

• Managing Word–Options; preferences; workspace; features; safety; memory
• Formatting your document
• Typesetting your text
• Formatting your text
• Perfecting your text
• Handling special text
• Handling graphics
• Enhancing your layout
• Preparing for print
• Creating a cover
• Resources–a good long list of websites

This book will save you time and energy if you write in Word. Highly recommended.