Word for literary agents on Mac: manuscript format, Track Changes and templates in 2026

Why agents still ask for Word on a Mac

Many literary agents ask for a Word file. Nathan Bransford's October 2026 formatting guide says that when an agent asks for Word, you send a .docx. Do not send a PDF, a Google Docs link or another format instead. The same guide says an agent's own requirements override general advice, so read the submission page first.

Volume explains the strictness. In a May 2020 Darling Axe article, agent Carrie Plitt reports about 200 to 400 submissions a month, which the article totals at roughly 3,000 a year. Agent Carlisle K. Webber reports about 5,000 queries a year, and says he was rounding. These figures are self-reported and come from 2020. The point still holds. A standard file means the agent reads your pages, not your settings.

Set up the manuscript format once in Word for Mac

Start with the standard most agent guides share. Bransford recommends 12-point Times New Roman, double spacing with no extra space before or after paragraphs, and 1-inch margins on all sides. He warns that some programs default to 1.25 inch or 1.5 inch margins, so check yours. He also says Courier is no longer acceptable.

Set this up in a blank document, not in a draft you care about. You will save the blank as a template later. Work through these five steps in order.

1. Font: go to Format > Font. Choose Times New Roman and 12 pt. Click Set As Default, then confirm.
2. Spacing: go to Format > Paragraph > Indents and Spacing. Set Line Spacing to Double, and set Before and After to 0 pt.
3. Indent: on the same tab, set Special to First line, By 0.5 inch. Word now indents each new paragraph automatically.
4. Alignment: on the same tab, set Alignment to Left. Do not choose Justified.
5. Margins: go to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins. Set Top, Bottom, Left and Right to 1 inch.

Test the setup before you trust it. Type two paragraphs and press Return after each. The first line of each should indent by the same amount, and the lines should sit evenly. If you paste text from an older draft, use Edit > Paste Special and choose the unformatted option. Pasted text can carry its old fonts and spacing with it.

Indents, spaces and alignment that stand out

Bransford calls spaces used for indents a red flag. Automatic indents or tabs are fine. To catch stray spaces, press ⌘8 to show formatting marks. Spaces appear as small dots. Delete them, then apply the indent you set up earlier.

Left alignment is the standard Bransford gives, so match it. Select a block that is justified and press ⌘L to align it left. Check the whole file once. Justified paragraphs often hide in pasted text from emails and web pages, so search for them.

Chapter breaks, scene breaks and page numbers

Start each chapter on a new page with a page break. Do not press Return ten times. Put the cursor at the end of the last line of the chapter, then choose Insert > Break and pick Page. Blank returns move when you edit, and the next chapter drifts down the page.

Scene breaks are simpler. Bransford suggests extra space plus a symbol such as three asterisks. You do not need a section break for that. Save section breaks for changing headers or margins partway through the book. The steps are in inserting a section break.

Number every page. Bransford suggests putting the number in the header or footer, ideally with your last name. Use Insert > Page Numbers, then check the first page too. See page numbers and headers for the full steps.

Track Changes and comments before you submit

Track Changes is the Mac trap. A Microsoft Q&A user on Word for Mac version 16.74, running macOS Big Sur, reported that every new blank document opened with Track Changes on. That user could not find a setting under Reviewing to change the default.

The accepted answer says to open the Normal template, turn Track Changes off, then save and close it. A community reply suggests ⌘⇧E toggles Track Changes. A later reply offers a VBA workaround. Skip macros unless you are comfortable running them on your Mac.

Before you send, clear the review layer. Turn Track Changes off first. Then go to Review > Accept and choose Accept All Changes in Document. Remove comments you no longer need with Review > Delete. Stray comment bubbles tell an agent you did not check the file.

To compare two drafts, use Review > Compare, as explained in comparing two documents. Microsoft lists a known issue where files appear grayed out in Compare. The page gives a workaround with no details, so keep a backup copy before you start.

Templates and styles in Word for Mac

Word for Mac has no Manage Styles dialog. A Microsoft MVP says so in a Microsoft Q&A thread on managing styles. A volunteer moderator in the same thread calls style management on the Mac crippled. The only route that thread describes is editing the template's XML, and the moderator recommends Word for Windows for that job.

You do not need the dialog for a manuscript. Set up styles once inside a template and reuse it. The MVP says changes to built-in and custom styles carry over to documents based on a template saved as .dotx or .dotm. Plan your template around that rule.

1. Format one blank document with the settings from earlier in this guide.
2. Apply Heading 1 to a sample chapter title and Heading 2 to a sample section head. See applying heading styles.
3. Go to File > Save As. Choose Word Template (.dotx) as the format, then name it Manuscript Template.
4. Open a copy each time with File > New from Template. Never write in the original. See creating a template.

Be careful with the Normal template. It controls every new blank document on your Mac, not just manuscripts. If you also write nonfiction with other settings, keep a second template for that work. Otherwise each change to Normal affects both kinds of file.

Problems to check on Mac before a deadline

Microsoft's known issues page says that starting July 13, 2026, some Microsoft 365 subscribers on macOS may see apps in reduced functionality mode. In that mode you can open and print files. You cannot edit, save or create new ones. Check this early, not on the day you submit.

The page points to an update article for the fix and gives no steps on the page itself. Check your build with Word > About Microsoft Word. The newest build in Microsoft's release notes is 16.114.3, released October 27, 2026. Then run Help > Check for Updates.

Another known issue: saving to an online location as PDF changes the file to .docx. Save a local copy first, then export the PDF from that copy. For the steps, see saving as a PDF. If a draft disappears after a crash, check recovering an unsaved document before you rewrite anything.

Keyboard shortcuts and ribbon KeyTips in Word for Mac

Word for Mac version 16.89, released September 10, 2024, added ribbon KeyTips in app preferences under Accessibility. If you prefer the keyboard, turn that on. Then follow the letters that appear on the ribbon to reach its commands. This helps when you format many chapters in a row.

Where Lazur fits while you format

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac. It lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ to ask about anything on screen, and Lazur answers out loud. Ask where a setting is, and Lazur draws a circle and a label around it.

Ask how to do something, and Lazur guides you one click at a time. It waits for each click. You do the clicking. Lazur does not click buttons, edit files or operate other apps for you, and it is not a plugin or add-in for Word.

Dictation is a separate job. Hold fn to dictate clean, formatted text at the cursor in any app. Use it for comment replies and cover notes. Snippets, a personal dictionary and clipboard slots handle the repeat parts, such as your name and contact line.

A good first question in Word is short. Try: where is Track Changes? Or: how do I set a 0.5 inch first-line indent? Name the setting you see on screen, so Lazur has something concrete to point at.

What Lazur sees, and what leaves your Mac

A manuscript is private. Lazur listens and looks at the screen only while you hold the shortcut. Audio and the screenshot go to AI providers to answer you, and they are not stored. Content is never used to train AI models.

Build a habit. Hold the key on the menu or dialog you need, not on the whole chapter. Ask about the Review tab instead of asking Lazur to read your book. Lazur keeps a memory of what you asked and did, kept on your Mac.

Pricing and platform

Lazur runs on macOS, on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs. Windows is planned, not available. The Pro trial lasts 3 days, needs no credit card, and starts when you first open the app.

Pro costs $18 a month, or $15 a month billed annually, with 150 AI actions. Power costs $120 a month, or $96 a month billed annually, with 1,000 AI actions. Dictation is unlimited on both plans. Check pricing for the current details, then download the app.

Mistakes that make a manuscript look wrong on arrival

• Leaving the default margins in place. Some programs start at 1.25 inch or 1.5 inch.
• Using Courier, or a font the agent did not ask for.
• Indenting with spaces, or pressing Return to make chapter gaps.
• Sending a manuscript with Track Changes on, or with comments left in.
• Sending a PDF or a Pages file when the agent asked for Word. Pages users can read saving as a Word file in Pages.
• Trusting an old template without checking the agent's current guidelines.
• Skipping a print preview before you attach the file.

Edge cases: old drafts and Pages files

Old drafts bring old problems. A file written in Pages, or in an early Word template, can carry different margins and styles. Open it, select all, then apply your template's styles and check the margins again. Do not trust the look on screen alone.

Watch the file name too. Agents receive many files, and a clear name helps them file yours. Use your last name, the title and the word Manuscript, then the .docx extension. Keep the name short enough to read in an email preview.

How many agents, and why a template pays off

The numbers explain why the work adds up. Alyssa Matesic writes that QueryTracker lists more than 1,700 literary agents, mostly in the US, with some in the UK and elsewhere. She gives 30 to 70 queries as an average range, based on her experience and on what authors report. She also says there is no hard data on the average.

A few dozen queries, each with a formatted file, means repeat work. Build the template once. Each query then needs only a new title page and a new file name. That saves time, and it cuts the chance of a formatting slip in one copy.

A short checklist before you send

1. Read the agent's guidelines. Their rules override the general advice here.
2. Open a new document from your template and compare its settings with the agent's page.
3. Turn Track Changes off, then go to Review > Accept and choose Accept All Changes in Document.
4. Delete stray comments with Review > Delete.
5. Press ⌘8 and scan for spaces used as indents.
6. Go to File > Save As, pick Word Document (.docx), and name the file for the agent's request.
7. Open the saved .docx once to confirm the formatting survived.