DEMO: Layout Part 2: Placing your text

Now that you've formatted your manuscript, made your mock book, and set up your layout document, you're ready to place your text.

Since the current class is using MSWord, that's what I'm demonstrating here, and I'm using the pull-down menus for clarity rather than key commands since some folks are on Windows PCs and the key commands for the Mac I use are different.

Those of you more familiar with MSWord may not need the screenshots, but they're there if you do!

These are the same steps we discussed in Thursday's class.

To complete your layout, you'll need:
* Your formatted manuscript open on your computer desktop
* Your layout document (from the Layout, Part 1 demo) open on your computer desktop
* Your mock book
* A printer
* Tape, paper clips, or a stapler (optional step)

Using Your Mock Book as a Page Plan

Take your mock book apart and arrange the sheets on the table in front of you. Your mock book spreads are your page plan. Spread A of your Mock Book shows you what needs to be on Spread A of your Layout document. Spread B of your mock book tells you what to put on Layout Spread B, and so on.

Using your disassembled mock book as your guide, you'll know exactly where to place each piece of text into the layout document, copying and pasting it from your formatted manuscript.

Copying & Pasting Your Text

Note: In your formatted manuscript, each page = one booklet page. So each layout spread will contain 2 manuscript pages, 1 in each column. These pages do not appear in the manuscript in the order you will be pasting them.

1. Look at Spread A and the notes you've put on each side.


Mock book Spread A with notes.


2. In your formatted manuscript, find and highlight the text you want to place in the left column. Under the Edit menu, select Copy.


Copying text from formatted manuscript.


3. In your layout document, place your cursor at the top of the left column. Under the Edit menu, select Paste.


Pasting copied text into Layout document.

4. In your layout document, hit Return until your cursor appears at the top of the righthand column.


Layout spread with pasted text on left and cursor ready for right side.


5. Go back to your formatted manuscript and Copy the text you want to place on the right side of this spread, as before.

6. Go back to the layout document, and Paste the text in, as before. Compare Mock Book Spread A to Layout Spread A. The content you've pasted should match your mock book notes.


Mock book Spread A with notes (again).


Layout Spread A matching up to Mock Book Spread A. (Except the logo--I'm using a rubber stamp on each finished copy.)

7. In your layout document, under the Insert menu, choose Break/Page Break. This will add another page to your layout, and you're ready to paste in your text for Spread B.


Inserting a page break after the text in the right column.


Cursor at top left of Layout Spread B, ready for next piece pasted text.

8. Repeat the steps above as necessary until you've created a layout spread for each lettered mock book spread. FOR BLANK PAGES, use Insert/Break/Page. Save after each paste and compare your layout spreads to your mock book spreads frequently to make sure they're still matching up.

9. Print your layout spreads. (If you like, label them with their spread letters to help you compare to your mock book one last time, as I've done here.)


Printed layout document, with spreads labeled for matching to mock book.

10. If your layout spreads match your mock book spreads, you're golden. Save your layout. Close your manuscript document; you're through with that. OPTIONAL: If you like, you can make triple sure you've got everything where it should be by making a new mock book with your printed layout spreads: tape (or paper clip or staple) Layout Spread A to Layout Spread B, facing back to back, to mimic a double-sided printed sheet. Do the same for C|D, E|F, etc. Then stack them in order (A, C, E, facing up with A on top, etc.) and fold the stack along the gutter. Like this:


Printed layout document, with spreads attached A|B, C|D, E|F to mimic finished book.

11. Holding your new printed mock book at the spine, read it for order and flow. Do pieces running more than one page appear in the right order? Does the layout contain every element you want in your finished book? Are you happy with the spacing, fonts, etc. Yes? Then you're ready to start printing. (Demo to come.)


Reading your printed mock book.