If you’ve written a nonfiction book that is a devotional, inspirational, theological, or other type of Christian living manuscript, please use the following guidelines to apply the final formatting touches to your book. Please read each guideline carefully to be sure your book complies.
Journal Lines: Fill-in-the-blank or journaling lines must be removed from manuscript. Replace with a note to layout in the manuscript with brackets included that reads: [Note to Layout: insert 4 blank lines]. Please be sure to adjust the number to reflect your needs.
Incorrect:
How do you feel about Jesus dying on the cross for your sins?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Correct:
How do you feel about Jesus dying on the cross for your sins?
[Note to Layout: Insert 4 blank lines.]
Table of Contents: The Table of Contents should be a list of your chapter names only. Chapters should not be numbered. Please do not include page numbers (since these will change) or Xs to hold the place of future page numbers. Page numbers will be added in Layout.
Incorrect:
Table of Contents
The Beginning……………………………….………XX
The Judgment………………………………….…….XX
The New Covenant………………………………….XX
Christ’s Birth………………………………………….XX
Crucifixion………………………………..……………XX
Resurrection…………………………………………..XX
Revelation…………………………….………………..XX
Correct:
Table of Contents
The Beginning
The Judgment
The New Covenant
Christ’s Birth
Crucifixion
Resurrection
Revelation
Endnotes: If your book needs an endnotes section, endnote references will be located at the end of the text, but the numbering should begin afresh each chapter.
To insert endnotes into your text using Microsoft Word, select the Insert pull-down menu, followed by Reference, followed by Footnote. When you select Footnote, a small dialog box will appear for footnote/endnote formatting. Under Location select Endnotes and “end of document” from the adjacent pull down menu. Under Format: Numbering, select “restart each section” from the adjacent pull-down menu.
We do not use footnotes. All footnotes must be converted to endnotes. To convert existing footnotes to endnotes, select the Insert pull-down menu, followed by Reference, followed by Footnote. When you select Footnote, a small dialog box will appear. At the bottom right of the section titled Location, click the box that says Convert. Once converted, be sure your endnotes are formatted according to the above paragraph’s specifications.
Scripture: If your book contains Scripture verses longer than three lines, insert five Zs (ZZZZZ) above to designate the beginning of the verse or quote. Insert 5 Zs, dash “end” (ZZZZZ-end) below to designate the end of the verse or quote. Our graphic designers will search the manuscript specifically for five Zs and will separate it from the text as a block quote. The scripture reference and Bible version from which the scripture was drawn should be on their own line. Do not include quotation marks in block quotes. Below is an example of how a block Scripture quote should be formatted.
In the first chapter of Genesis, God creates the world. He first creates light:
ZZZZZ
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
Genesis 1:1–5 (NIV)
ZZZZZ-end
The regular text of your book should pick up as normal here.
If you have multiple Scripture verses to show in succession, regardless of their length, please format them in block-quote format, one right after the other, as follows:
There are multiple verses to support the theory that God loves us:
ZZZZZ
The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…
Exodus 34:6 (NIV)
However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you.
Deuteronomy 23:5 (NIV)
By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me…
Psalm 42:8 (NIV)
I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
Jonah 4:2 (NIV)
ZZZZZ-end
The regular text of your book should pick up as normal here.
Block Quotes: If you have block quotes from sources other than Scripture, please format them the same way except with the proper citation and page number of your source. (If your book has endnotes, you’ll put your endnote number at the end of your block quote.) Below is an example of a non-biblical block quote in a book without endnotes.
Merman’s commentary on Genesis has the following to say about Genesis 1:1–5:
ZZZZZ
It is a logical progression of events for God to have created light first. The earth is described in Genesis as being formless and void, so the creation of light is the first thing that provides form and non-void to the world. He purposely separates the night from the day so that there will be a distinct difference between the two.
Merman, 58
ZZZZZ-end
Scripture Reference: Each Scripture quotation or paraphrase needs a reference. If you use more than one Bible translation in your book, you will need to choose one translation to identify every time it’s used. For instance, if you use both the NIV and NAS translations in your book, choose either NIV or NAS to identify every time you quote it. The reference and translation should be included in parentheses after the quote. The reference should appear after the ending quotation mark but before the period. See the below example for the proper way to quote and reference Scripture in-text (rather than a block quote). Please note that if you only use one translation of Scripture in your entire book, no identification after the reference will be necessary.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NIV).
Index: If your book has an index, include only a list of the words. Remove any reference(s) to page numbers at this stage. Later in the process, when the page count is finalized, you will be asked to go through the manuscript and provide the appropriate page numbers.
Lists: If your book includes any type of list, please include a note to layout above the list which specifies what kind of list you want it to be (numerical, bulleted, alphabetical, Roman numeral, etc.), and five Zs, dash “end” (ZZZZZ-end) underneath the last bullet point as an indication of where the list ends. An example is provided below.
The Bible is useful for:
[Note to Layout: Numerical List]
1. Teaching
2. Personal Study
3. Preaching
4. Witnessing
5. Group Study
6. Literary Study
7. Historical Study
ZZZZZ-end
The regular text of your book should pick up as normal here.
BACKMATTER
The term backmatter refers to the text that will appear on the back cover of your book. This always includes a short teaser about the book and an author bio about yourself. Sometimes this can include endorsements, but endorsements are never necessary. Please be aware that because of limited space available on the back cover, backmatter must adhere to specific word count limits depending on the length of the manuscript. Typically, these are what those limits are:
Manuscript length: 0–20,000 words → Backmatter length: 200-250 words
Manuscript length: 20,001–80,000 words → Backmatter length: 225–275 words
Manuscript length: 80,001–up → Backmatter length: 300–325 words
Teaser: Your teaser should be a short paragraph that immediately hooks the reader by providing a small amount of information about what can be found in the book. A teaser should include the name of the book at least once and may or may not include the author’s name. In the editing phase of production, your editor will work with you, using the teaser you provide, to revise and refine it. Your editor may only use elements of the teaser you submit to make the back cover as marketable and intriguing as possible while adhering to the word count limit.
Sample Teaser:
Do you believe in God, but you’re just not sure? Or do you think Christians are nuts? Do you want to explain God to your children or to non-believers, but you aren’t sure how? If so, In Lumine Tuo: Why Believe in God? is for you. Author Robert Bitler shows that it actually makes far more sense to believe in God than not to. Join Robert on an excursion into the common questions of life as they relate to God and Christianity. After reading In Lumine Tuo, you’ll never think about God the same way.
Author Bio: Your author bio should be a short paragraph that provides information about yourself as the author. This can include but is not limited to: work experience, field experience that pertains to the subject matter of the book, education experience and achievements, current place of residence, and family information. Your editor may also work with you to revise the author bio to make it relevant and interesting and, again, adhere to the backmatter word count limits.
Sample Bio:
Dr. Louis Hill has two master’s degrees and a doctorate in ministry. He is the founding president and CEO of Reformed Discipleship Ministries. Dr. Hill has traveled extensively around the world and has had the opportunity of preaching and teaching in Switzerland, England, Russia, Japan, the Philippines, and Germany. He married his high school sweetheart, Kay, and they have two married children, Kim and Mike. They have four grandchildren and one great-grandson and currently reside in Colorado Springs.
ENDORSEMENTS
Endorsements are never necessary, but if you have one or two to include, please click the Endorsements link and follow the guidelines provided there. If your endorsement(s) cannot meet the criteria set forth in the guidelines, please revise it or omit it.
Congratulations! You’ve finished the last formatting step! Please proceed by clicking the Submit Your Manuscript link at the top of the page.