I usually set mine to 0.3” but you may prefer something else. Next to that is “By:” This is where you set how much Word automatically indents the first line of each paragraph. On the Indents and Spacing Tab under Indentation, click the down arrow under Special and select First line. This is where you can format how your paragraph appears. Open a document in Word and click on the tiny down arrow in the bottom right corner of the section marked Paragraph. Next is a picture of the Home Tab on the Formatting Tool Bar. (Here’s a YouTube video if you use Word 2003)

Now that you know what this indent looks like, here’s how to format/create it using Word 2007. This is the ruler Word can display at the top of your document and the black arrow is pointing to where the indent is set–note the tiny blue triangle pointing down that sits at the top of the ruler. That line was created using a first line indent. On the second line are a bunch of dots leading up to “How.” Those are space marks and the worst way to indent your paragraphs (or any line). That’s the symbol Word displays for the TAB. On the first line you see a small arrow pointing right. In the picture below you’ll see three different ways to create an indent. Here’s how to create the “first line indent.” A Visual of the First Line Indent If you self-publish, this indent is a formatting essential. It is the formatting the publisher will eventually use in preparing your manuscript for publication. The first line indent is formatting that removes the need for the TAB KEY at the beginning of every paragraph.

While I can’t unequivocally say that publishers prefer writers use the first line indent, I can say you’ll look like a savvy writer if you do. With all the manuscripts I edit or proofread I’ve learned many writers don’t know how to create a proper indent to their paragraphs.

How to do first line indent in word