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Workflow for typesetting a novel in Publisher


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One example of typesetting a novel, trade paperback size, three sections: Preamble; Body; & Post Mortem

Here are the specs:

5.06" x 7.81", facing pages, no default master page.

Section 1:  Title, copyright, dedication, preface, TOC.

Section 2:  ~128 pages of linked text frames with chapter titles

Section 3:  Afterword, plug for other novels, author bio

  1. Make new document: w=5.06, h=7.81, DPI=300, facing pages, inches, default master, portrait, Arrange=Horiz, Start On=Right.  (I explored what's under Type:, and it wiped out my dimensions even though I didn't select other than "Presets.")
  2. Right click on the only page and click "Add Pages ...".  Add two pages.
  3. Under document menu, choose Section Manager.  Click lower left page icon to create two more sections.  Clicking on each section, enter a name for the section (I used "Preamble", "Body", and "Post Mortem") First section will only accept one letter at a time, other two ok.  On Body section, choose, "Restart page numbering at "1".  Close Section Manager.
  4. Right click on Master A page to create a second master page. (I name mine PrePost).
  5. Right click on page 1 (Preamble) and click "Apply Master ..."  Choose your new master.
  6. Repeat for page three.  Now you can place page numbers in the body independently of the Preamble and Post Mortem sections.
  7. Double click on Master A to bring it up.
  8. Click the Frame Text Tool and create a text frame wide enough for the novel title, one line high.  Enter novel title, select a font and size.  Press cmd-A to select all, then click the centered paragraph button.  Position this near the top of the left side page near center.
  9. With the text frame selected, copy-paste.  A new text frame appears on top of the first one.  Drag it to the right page and position similarly to the one on the left.  Enter author name.  Note how the alignment lines appear and help you.
  10. Select both frames and copy-paste.  Now drag these down to the bottom to hold the page numbers.  It doesn't matter if they are wide, page number will center.  The vertical alignment lines ensure that the frames that hold the page numbers are centered under the header text.
  11. Now click into each of the lower text frames, one after the other, and select all and hit backspace to delete all text.  Now under Text->Insert->Fields, select Page Number.  A hash sign (#) will appear, indicating that Publisher will substitute the page number there.
  12. Now double click Page 2, and you'll see the header and footer.
  13. Double click on Page 1, and create a text frame there.  Set dimensions thus:  X:0.7, Y:0.6, W:3.75, H:6.6 inches.
  14. You are ready to start pasting in content, but before you do, Save As ... "NovelTemplate".
  15. Now paste in your front matter double click red triangle to autoflow text, clean up, set fonts, right facing pages, etc. until you are happy with it.
  16. On the last page (should be left side) right click to add two more pages as a placeholder for the Table of Contents.
  17. On the single page that is Section Two Body on right side, create a text frame with the above dimensions (except that X:5.79)
  18. Now paste in your content.  Double click red arrow on the right side to autoflow your text.  Set all chapter titles to Heading 1 style, and insert necessary page breaks such that all chapters start on a right page.
  19. Go back to the blank right page you inserted as a placeholder for the TOC and create a frame, ~centered on the page.  Choose Text->Table of Contents->Insert Table of Contents.  Size and position as needed, I inserted another frame to hold the words "Table of Contents"  Format this to your liking.
  20. Now go to Third section and paste in text there.  Clean up, adjust font, spacing, page breaks, etc. and make sure that the last page is a left side page.
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