What This Lesson Covers

Save your manuscript, establish the page layout, modify Word styles, organize the opening pages, and set up alternating headers and outside page numbers. The lesson also demonstrates moving plain text from ChatGPT into Word for a nonfiction audiobook project.

1. Save the Document

1. Open your manuscript in Microsoft Word.
2. Use Save As to name and save the document before making layout changes.
3. Choose a name that matches the project. In the recording, the project begins as “Math Monthly Podcast” and is renamed Math Monthly Audiobooks.
4. Save your progress as you continue formatting.

2. Set the Page Size and Print Margins

1. Open Word’s Layout settings.
2. Set the paper size to 8.5 × 11 inches for the textbook format demonstrated.
3. Open the margin settings and select Mirror margins so facing pages have inside and outside margins.
4. Allow room at the binding edge using the inside margin and gutter settings required for your book.
5. Review the facing-page layout before adding the rest of the manuscript.

Print setup note: The spoken transcript does not specify exact margin or gutter measurements. Use your printer’s requirements for the selected trim size, binding, and final page count.

3. Format the Title and Subtitle

1. Open the Styles controls.
2. Find the Title style and select Modify.
3. Choose Palatino Linotype, or the Palatino font available on your computer.
4. Begin with a title size of approximately 41 points and adjust it to fit the title page.
5. Center the subtitle and set it to approximately 17 points.
6. Add the project title and any author or production credits.

4. Set the Normal Style for Body Text

1. Find the Normal style and select Modify.
2. Set the font to Palatino Linotype.
3. Use 13-point body text for the final setup shown. Jonathan initially tries 11 points, then increases the size for readability.
4. Remove unwanted automatic spacing before and after paragraphs so you can control the layout.
5. Check a sample page to confirm that the text and paragraph spacing look consistent.

5. Organize the Opening Pages

1. Create the title page.
2. Add a copyright and production information page.
3. Add the preface, explaining the purpose of the book.
4. Place the table of contents after the preface, following the arrangement discussed in the lesson.
5. Use page breaks to start these sections on separate pages.

For this particular project, the production credits identify ChatGPT as generating the text under Jonathan David’s guidance and Google Digital Voice as providing the narration. Use credits that accurately describe your own production process.

6. Modify the Heading Styles

Use Word’s heading styles to keep book titles and chapter titles consistent. The formatting changes during the demonstration; the final settings described are:

1. Modify each heading style rather than manually formatting every heading.
2. Adjust paragraph spacing and indentation within the style settings.
3. Apply Heading 1 to the book or major topic title.
4. Apply Heading 2 to the chapter titles.

7. Enable Different Odd and Even Headers

1. Double-click the header area to open the header and footer controls.
2. Enable Different Odd & Even Pages.
3. Enable Different First Page so the opening page can have its own header and footer treatment.
4. Align the header text toward the outside edge: right aligned on right-hand pages and left aligned on left-hand pages.
5. Add the author name, book or series title, and relevant website information.
6. Reduce the font size and use gray text for a less prominent appearance.

The demonstration uses author, series, website, and publishing information across the alternating headers and footers. For the Math Monthly project, the series website is MathMonthly.com.

8. Add Outside Page Numbers

1. Open Insert → Page Number.
2. Place the page numbers at the bottom of the page.
3. Position them on the outside edges of facing pages.
4. Keep the first page free of a visible page number, as demonstrated.
5. Review both odd and even pages to confirm that the numbers alternate correctly.

9. Prepare Plain Text for Copying into Word

The lesson uses ChatGPT to generate material for a personal nonfiction listening project. Jonathan requests a plain-text code box so he can copy the text into Word without carrying over web formatting.

1. Request plain text in a code box.
2. Ask for a chapter title followed by ordinary paragraphs.
3. Request no bold text, decorative formatting, embedded links, or extra subheadings.
4. Request one blank line between paragraphs.
5. Copy the text into Word using Keep Text Only or the equivalent paste option.
6. Apply the document’s Normal and heading styles after pasting.
7. Check the paragraph spacing. If the pasted text creates excessive gaps, remove extra empty paragraphs or adjust the paragraph settings.

10. Define the Audiobook Project

For the example manuscript, Jonathan outlines a repeatable structure for topic-based nonfiction books:

• Subject area: Mathematics, physics, engineering, chemistry, or another STEM topic.
• Structure: Nine chapters covering one topic from introduction to conclusion.
• Target length: Approximately 2,000 words per chapter, or 18,000 words overall.
• First topic: The history of quantum mechanics leading to the present day.
• Delivery: One chapter at a time for copying into the manuscript.
• References: A compiled reference list requested after the ninth chapter.
• Narration: Google Digital Voice for the planned audiobook.

The project’s stated purpose is to create material Jonathan can listen to at night while exploring scientific topics and identifying subjects for further research.

11. Review the Information and Finish the Manuscript

1. Request information supported by relevant academic, government, and research publications.
2. Check claims and references rather than assuming generated text is accurate.
3. Continue adding chapters and applying the established styles.
4. Review the completed manuscript for consistent fonts, spacing, headings, headers, and page numbers.
5. Check the final layout against your printer’s requirements before submitting it for physical publication.

The recording ends after the document setup and the beginning of the chapter workflow. Audiobook conversion and publication are planned next steps and are not demonstrated in this lesson.

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