Part 1

him.
It was then that I discovered Bean.
I liked it so much that I now use it almost
exclusively.
This book was written with Bean.
I do use Microsoft Word to create basic
databases because for that it is relatively simple.
I turn off all the “features” though.
OK, so whatever word processor you use, here
are some basic rules of manuscript preparation
that will help you when it comes time to design
your book.
The standard convention is to set 1-inch
margins all around — top, bottom, left, right —
and to set your first line indent to half an inch.
This is fine and commonly the default of word
processors, but it doesn’t really matter what
margins or indents you set because you will
need to set them differently in your desktop
publishing (DTP) application later.
Set your font to a very standard serif-type
font. That means use Times, Times New Roman,
Georgia or Palatino for your manuscript.
Don’t use fancy fonts or sans serif fonts for
the body of your text because they are difficult
to read, especially over the long haul of a full
book. So no Arial, Helvetica or Lucida Grande
or any other sans serif.
Shawn M. Tomlinson • Page 10