Free Printable Manuscript Checklist: Grammar, Formatting & Print-Ready

26 checks that catch the mistakes readers notice and the problems printers reject. Tick them off as you go. Your ticks are saved on this device, and you can print the list.

What is a manuscript checklist? It's a list of everything to check before you publish your book: spelling and grammar, front matter, page size and margins, fonts, picture quality, the cover file and the ISBN. Going through it once can save you weeks of rejected uploads and reprints.

Writing, grammar and proofreading

Run a spell check on the whole manuscript (and add character names to the dictionary).
Check names, places and dates are spelled the same way every time.
Check its / it's, your / you're, their / there / they're and then / than.
Dialogue: punctuation goes inside the quote marks, and a new speaker gets a new paragraph.
Search for doubled words ("the the") and double spaces.
Read the first and last page of every chapter out loud.
Get at least one other person to read it.

Front and back matter

Title page with title, subtitle and author name.
Copyright page with the year, your name and your ISBN for this format.
Table of contents (if your book needs one) with the right page numbers.
About the author, and a short note on where readers can find you.

Interior file

Page size matches your trim size (or trim plus bleed).
Margins meet your printer's minimum (use the free margin calculator).
Every chapter starts with a page break, not lots of Enter presses.
No page numbers or headers on the title page or chapter openers.
All pictures are 300 DPI at print size, and grayscale in a black and white book.
Saved as a PDF with every font embedded.

Cover file

Cover sized from your final interior page count (spine width depends on it).
Background runs into the bleed on every edge.
Title, author and back text are inside the safe area.
Barcode area on the back is left clear.
The ISBN on the cover matches the ISBN for this exact format.
Spine text only if your book is thick enough (KDP: more than 79 pages).

Before you upload

Same title, subtitle and author name on the cover, the title page and the printer's form.
Interior and cover checked against your printer's rules (preflight).
Order a printed proof copy and read it.

You can work through this list by hand. Or upload your files to SparkPrep and it checks the interior and cover items for you against your printer's own rules, in minutes. Check my files.

Let SparkPrep check the print side for you

The interior and cover checks above are exactly what SparkPrep tests: page size, margins, bleed, spine, safe area, fonts, image resolution, color and ink. It explains every problem in plain English and fixes what it can.

Check my book files Free spell check in Interior Studio

Quick answers

What should I check before self-publishing my manuscript?

Spelling and grammar, consistent names, front matter, page size and margins, embedded fonts, 300 DPI pictures, a cover sized from your final page count, and a matching ISBN. This free checklist covers all of it.

Is there a free grammar checker for my book?

SparkPrep's free Interior Studio has a built-in spell check with red underlines. Its AI grammar and wording help comes with a SparkPrep book.

How do I get my manuscript ready for KDP?

Proofread it, set the page size to your trim size, meet KDP's minimum margins for your page count, make every picture 300 DPI, embed all fonts in the PDF, and size your cover from the final page count. Then order a proof copy.

Can I print this checklist?

Yes. Use the Print button on this page; your ticks are saved in your browser so you can come back.

More free resources

SparkPrep is an independent tool and is not affiliated with Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press or Lulu.

Free Manuscript Checklist for Self-Published Authors