How to Insert Page Numbers

When you are using different types of numbering schemes (e.g., Roman numerals for the frontmatter and Arabic numerals for the body), you need to insert a section break between those sections.

Here’s how to insert a section break:

1. Go to the Page Layout tab.
2. Place your cursor where you want the break to occur (e.g., at the end of the Table of Contents but before Chapter 1).
3. Click on the “Breaks” button.
4. Choose “Section Breaks>Next Page.”

Once you have your section breaks in place, you can insert page numbers into each section. Here’s how:

1. Double-click in the header or footer where you will place the page number.
2. Select the Page Number button.
3.  Choose the location (Top of Page or Bottom of Page) for the page number and the  proper alignment.

The number should appear in the header and footer in the format you selected. However, the number might not be right. If it needs to be changed, do the following:

1. Choose the Page Number button again.
2. Go to Format Page Numbers.
3. Choose the number format in the drop-down box at the top of the dialog box. This is where you’ll choose if you want Roman or Arabic numerals.
4. Select the radio button that corresponds to your numbering scheme. You will either “Continue from previous section” (choose this if you want the numbering to carry over from section to section) or “Start at” and select the page number to start with (choose this if you are switching numbering between sections).
5. Click OK once you’ve made your selections, and your page numbers will be properly formatted.

• Page numbers: Make sure your page numbers adhere to the guidelines set forth by your client. Should they go on the bottom center of the page or top right? Does the title page include a page number? Does the frontmatter require Roman or Arabic numerals? Do your page numbers flow from chapter to chapter, rather than starting over at “1″ in every chapter? Page numbers can be tricky to get right in Word, so check and double check them.
• Location of figures and tables: If you have a lengthy table that spans more than one page, some guidelines want you to repeat the table header on the second page or include the table title followed by “continued.” Guidelines often also address where to place figures and tables relative to the text. Generally, you should place the figure or table as close as possible to the text that mentions it. Also, make sure that your table title or figure caption is on the same page as the table or figure.
• Margins: Word has 1-inch margins as a default, but that is far from standard. In fact, there really isn’t a standard when it comes to margins. Often, the left margin is a little wider for printed materials to make room for binding. Some schools and publishers like a wider top margin. Make sure your margins follow the guidelines set forth by your client.

You don’t want to risk having your document rejected simply because you made some formatting errors. That’s why Carpenter Doc offers formatting services. We can format your document while we edit it, or if you don’t have time for a full edit, we can just focus on the formatting. Contact us today!

These schools often require that students submit a letter to the graduate school that verifies their work with an editor. We are happy to submit a signed, dated letter on our letterhead with details about editing your paper. So, please don’t hesitate to ask for a letter — we provide them all of the time!

It takes a bit of effort. If you don’t have time to format your tables into APA, we can help! Here are a couple of options for formatting your document:

• Let us create the tables. If you already have built your tables in the traditional Word format, we can change them to APA for you as we edit it — or as a separate project; it’s your choice.
• Ask us for a template. If you’re just starting to build the tables, we can create an easy-to-use template for all of the tables in your document. Simply copy and paste the blank table into your document, and fill in the rows and columns.

If you need help with your tables, contact us today!

That’s where Carpenter Doc can help! We’re very experienced in creating TOCs with many heading levels, and we can format your TOC to meet your school- or publisher-specific formatting guidelines. Building an effective Table of Contents starts with establishing heading styles in your document as you write. If you aren’t sure how to do that, leave it to us. We can create and apply heading levels throughout your document and then build the TOC from there.

When you get your document back, you’ll notice that the TOC is highlighted gray. That’s because you can automatically update it. Simply right-click within the TOC and choose “Update field” to update the page numbers, content, or both. Forget about manually entering all of your page numbers — those will inevitably change as you revise, anyway. A Carpenter-Doc-created TOC is the easiest way to build the frontmatter for your document.

If you’re sending us work soon, think about using Dropbox. Waiting for large documents to attach to an email can be a hassle. Dropbox allows you to share your information more efficiently. If you have any questions about using Dropbox, shoot Barbie an email: barbie@carpenterdoc.com.

• Informational articles. Want to add some interesting content to your website? Let me write it for you. I can research the topic and produce a high-quality article for your site.
• Website text. Not sure how to handle that “About” page on your website? Send me your credentials, and I will write your website text. Your website is the first impression that potential clients and customers have of your business, so it is important that your text is professional, well-written, and easy to comprehend.
• Blog posts. Do you have a blog for your business? I can create posts for your blog that will increase traffic and expand your reach on the web.
• Marketing collateral. Are you creating a brochure, for example, for your business? Let me write the text for you!
• Job search documents. Have a resume that needs updating or a cover letter that needs to fit a specific job? I can help.
• Social media content. Do you have a Facebook page or Twitter feed for your business but you aren’t sure how to use it? I can manage the site to maximize its effectiveness.

Note that we do not write academic papers. Most of our editing work comes from students, but I do not write papers for them. I enjoy editing academic papers for grammar, spelling, punctuation, flow, consistency, cohesion, and style, but I do not rewrite content. I will make suggestions if a sentence is structured awkwardly or is difficult to follow, but I leave the content to the expert: the student.

Stay tuned for some writing samples in an upcoming blog post!

• Consider your method of publication. If your school publishes theses and dissertations electronically, active hyperlinks in your document will be useful to web readers. Alternatively, if your document is going to be printed and bound, blue, underlined text isn’t going to do any good, so you might as well remove the links.
• Be consistent. Since APA doesn’t have a hard-and-fast rule on this subject, consistency is key. Don’t hyperlink text in the body of your paper but then remove the links from URLs in your list of references. Whatever format you choose, apply it consistently.
• Double-check your links. I always copy and paste (or click, if they’re active links) the hyperlinks in a document I’m editing. Often, I find that the URL is not longer valid. Doctoral students often spend years researching, so a link might change or a page might be deleted by the time their dissertation is written and published. Make sure your URLs are accurate whether they are hyperlinked or not.

Happy hyperlinking!

When life sent us to Lexington, Kentucky in 2009, I decided to give full-time freelance editing a try. Thanks to a few partnerships with colleges and a committed and reliable client base that continues to refer us to colleagues and friends, Carpenter Doc has blossomed. Every year, we have broadened our services and our reach, and we aim to expand even further in the coming year. The need for an editor extends beyond the traditional book or journal article. Students, web designers, and business professionals creating a presentation or marketing brochure can improve their work with an editor’s help. It is our goal at Carpenter Doc to show our potential clients that benefit and encourage them to work with us. A diverse project base established by clients from different academic and professional backgrounds results in rewarding and satisfying work.

Although editing is our focus, I’ve found a niche in freelance web writing as well. I produce articles for a number of websites, including AOL and The Huffington Post family of websites. I look forward to exploring these opportunities further in the new year and continuing to add high-quality content to the web. Finally, I plan to dedicate more time to this blog; I have a list of topics that come to mind as I write and edit, and I look forward to sharing more writing and editing tips with you this year.

Welcome to 2012!