Troubleshooting
Incorrect line spacing or chapter breaks
How you'd notice this
Lines of text look cramped or unusually loose compared to a typical printed book, or chapters don't consistently start at the top of a new page (some start mid-page, some start on the wrong side for your book's convention).
Why it happens
Line spacing left at a word-processor default (often single or 1.15) reads noticeably tighter than typical book typesetting (roughly 1.2–1.5x depending on font, often expressed as a specific point leading rather than a Word multiple). Chapter breaks going wrong is almost always a plain paragraph break or manual blank lines being used instead of an actual page break, which doesn't reliably force a new page once the surrounding text is edited.
How to fix it
You haven't picked a formatting program yet, so every program's steps are shown below, pick a tab for the one you're using.
- Select all body text and set line spacing via Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing, or Paragraph dialog > Line spacing > "Exactly" with a specific point value for consistent book-style leading rather than "Multiple."
- Never start a chapter with several Enter presses to push it down the page, place the cursor at the true chapter start and use Layout > Breaks > Page Break (or Odd Page, per your convention) instead.
- Select all body text and set spacing via Format > Line & paragraph spacing > Custom spacing, entering a specific point-equivalent value rather than leaving it at the default.
- Use Insert > Break > Page break at each chapter start instead of multiple blank lines, blank-line "breaks" shift position any time earlier text is edited.
- Line spacing is controlled globally in the Formatting panel's Typography section, check that setting rather than trying to adjust individual paragraphs.
- Chapters are created via "Add Chapter" in the outline sidebar, which always starts a true new page automatically, if a chapter isn't starting on a new page, confirm it was actually added as a Chapter block and not typed as plain text inside another chapter.
- Set leading (line spacing) as part of your body Paragraph Style rather than per-paragraph, open the style's Basic Character Formats and set a specific Leading value in points.
- For chapter breaks, use a real page insertion (Pages panel > Insert Pages, or Layout > Numbering & Section Options for odd-page starts) rather than manual blank paragraphs, which don't guarantee a new page once text reflows.
- Line spacing set in Scrivener's editor is for drafting comfort, not necessarily what carries through Compile, set real spacing in whichever program (Word/Atticus) you finish print formatting in.
- For chapter breaks, use separate Binder documents per chapter (see the Chapter Breaks walkthrough on this site) rather than manual blank lines inside one document.
- Select all body text and set line spacing via the Format inspector's Style tab > Spacing controls, using a specific value rather than leaving it at the default.
- Use Insert > Section Break > Page at each chapter start instead of multiple blank lines, blank-line "breaks" shift position any time earlier text is edited.
- Line spacing is set globally by your chosen typesetting theme, check that the correct theme is selected rather than trying to adjust individual paragraphs, Reedsy Studio doesn't expose a manual spacing override.
- Chapters are created via the outline's chapter entries, which always start a true new page automatically, if a chapter isn't starting on a new page, confirm it was added as a real chapter entry, not typed as plain text inside another chapter.
- Line spacing is set globally by your chosen trim size and style, check those settings rather than trying to adjust individual paragraphs, Vellum doesn't expose a manual spacing override.
- Chapters are created via entries in Vellum's chapter list, which always start a true new page automatically, if a chapter isn't starting on a new page, confirm it was added as a real chapter entry, not typed as plain text inside another chapter.
- Select all body text and set line spacing via Format > Paragraph > Indents & Spacing tab, choosing "Fixed" with a specific point value for consistent book-style leading rather than the default "Single."
- Use Insert > More Breaks > Insert Page Break at each chapter start instead of multiple blank lines, blank-line "breaks" shift position any time earlier text is edited.