How to Shrink a Microsoft Word Book Manuscript and Save Dozens of Pages

When writing a book, travel guide, memoir, or technical manual, page count matters. More pages mean higher printing costs, larger file sizes, and a longer editing process. Fortunately, many Word documents contain hidden formatting that wastes space without improving readability.

One of the biggest offenders is bullet lists. Lists often contain excessive spacing before and after each item, large indents, and inconsistent line spacing. By tightening bullet formatting across an entire document, authors can often reduce page count by 5–15% without removing a single word.

This guide shows how to use a simple Microsoft Word VBA macro to automatically tighten all bullet lists throughout your document.

Why Bullet Lists Waste Space

A typical Word bullet list often includes:

• Extra spacing above the list
• Extra spacing below the list
• Large left indents
• Large hanging indents
• Expanded line spacing

For example, a list like this:

• Elvis Presley

• Johnny Cash

• Jerry Lee Lewis

• Carl Perkins

• Roy Orbison

• Charlie Rich

• B.B. King

• Howlin’ Wolf

• Ike Turner

• Rufus Thomas

• Junior Parker

can occupy significantly more space than necessary.

When a manuscript contains hundreds of lists, the wasted space adds up quickly.

Method 1: Use a VBA Macro to Tighten Every Bullet List

The easiest solution is to run a VBA macro that automatically adjusts all bullet lists in your document.

Step 1: Open the VBA Editor

In Microsoft Word:

1. Open your document.
2. Press Alt + F11.
3. The Visual Basic Editor will appear.

Step 2: Insert a New Module

Inside the VBA Editor:

1. Click Insert.
2. Select Module.
3. A blank code window will appear.

Step 3: Paste This Code

Copy and paste the following code into the new module:

Sub TightenBulletLists()

    Dim para As Paragraph

    For Each para In ActiveDocument.Paragraphs

        If para.Range.ListFormat.ListType <> wdListNoNumbering Then

            With para.Format
                .SpaceBefore = 0
                .SpaceAfter = 0
                .LineSpacingRule = wdLineSpaceSingle
                .LeftIndent = InchesToPoints(0.15)
                .FirstLineIndent = InchesToPoints(-0.15)
            End With

        End If

    Next para

End Sub

Step 4: Run the Macro

1. Place your cursor anywhere inside the code.
2. Press F5.
3. Or choose Run → Run Sub/UserForm.

Word will scan the entire document and tighten every bulleted list automatically.

What the Macro Does

The macro performs five actions:

• Removes space before bullet items.
• Removes space after bullet items.
• Sets single-line spacing.
• Reduces left indentation.
• Reduces hanging indentation.

The result is a much more compact and professional-looking list.

Method 2: Compress Your Entire Book

If your goal is to reduce the overall page count of a manuscript, use this second macro.

Insert This Code Into a New Module

Sub CompressBookFormatting()

    With ActiveDocument.Styles(wdStyleNormal).ParagraphFormat
        .SpaceBefore = 0
        .SpaceAfter = 3
        .LineSpacingRule = wdLineSpaceSingle
    End With

    Dim p As Paragraph

    For Each p In ActiveDocument.Paragraphs

        With p.Format
            If .SpaceAfter > 6 Then .SpaceAfter = 3
            If .SpaceBefore > 0 Then .SpaceBefore = 0
        End With

    Next p

End Sub

Run the macro using the same steps described above.

This script tightens spacing throughout the document while preserving readability.

The Best Space-Saving Trick of All

The biggest reduction often comes from eliminating unnecessary bullet lists entirely.

Instead of writing:

• Elvis Presley

• Johnny Cash

• Jerry Lee Lewis

• Carl Perkins

• Roy Orbison

• Charlie Rich

• B.B. King

• Howlin’ Wolf

• Ike Turner

• Rufus Thomas

• Junior Parker

Write:

Notable artists included Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Ike Turner, Rufus Thomas, and Junior Parker.

This approach frequently reduces the space used by a list by more than 80 percent.

Additional Ways to Reduce Page Count

For large manuscripts, consider:

• Reducing paragraph spacing after headings.
• Using single spacing instead of 1.15 spacing.
• Replacing multiple blank lines with paragraph styles.
• Reducing oversized margins.
• Combining short bullet lists into sentences.
• Removing unnecessary page breaks.
• Using styles consistently throughout the document.

These changes can often eliminate dozens of pages from a book without removing any content.

Final Thoughts

Before cutting valuable material from your manuscript, optimize the formatting. Many authors are surprised to discover that a well-formatted document can shrink dramatically while actually becoming easier to read. A few minutes spent tightening bullet lists and paragraph spacing can save printing costs, improve appearance, and make your manuscript more professional overall.

• Category: Authors, Unread Page