A style sheet is arguably the least flashy tool a beginner publisher can use, but it will also save many of us from endless correction rounds. It’s not the same as a design sheet, or an editorial report. It’s just a list of choices made while setting up your manuscript,… 

Watch out if you ever see a title like Book_Final_ReallyFinal_Updated2. At that point, it probably means the publishing process has become heavily dependent on your memory. Your manuscript will probably go through multiple rounds of corrections, authorial commentary, copyediting, proofreading, and layout checks. You shouldn’t have to make assumptions about… 

A draft can feel maddening when everything on the page seems like the same kind of issue. There’s a strange word in this sentence. That comma should be there. That heading looks too big. That caption needs more room from its image. And so on. It’s very easy to see… 

A manuscript might appear ready for editing even when the rest of its publishing workflow is anything but. The content may contain the bones of a good subject or story, but the project can quickly descend into chaos if you try to do everything at once. Copyediting, proofreading, layout checking,…