1. Make sure the paper size is set for A4 (European paper), not 8½ x 11 “American letter” (which is wider but shorter, and will thus give you odd margins when printing on European paper). 
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2. Use uniform margins about 2.5 cm all the way around for all pages, including tables and figures.
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3. Put numbers on your pages, starting with page 1 on the title page or on the first page of actual text (but probably not actually printed on that page, it’s obvious). To make it so it doesn’t start printing numbers on the title page, do not click “show page numbers on first page”. To make it so it doesn’t start printing numbers on the first page of actual text, make a new “section” at that point and start page-numbering from there (not “continue from previous section”).
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4. Use 12-point font on all text, 10 point on footnotes and table sources and notes.
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5. Use space-and-a half (or double-space) for everything (except tables) – including References, Abstract, and footnotes and notes on tables! (This is for editing purposes; for submission to a publisher you may need to format differently.)
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6. Justify (or align) left for editing (not full-justified, which leaves odd spacing between words, and can thus be distracting when reading carefully). In other words, NOTHING (except tables and figures, of course) should have a straight line on the right side.
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7. Do a search for double spaces and replace with single spaces (when I’m reading carefully, this helps my eye from being distracted by irrelevant “non-information”). Some people (like Deirdre McCloskey) prefer double-spaces after periods at the end of sentences, however, and if you’re consistent in that respect that’s okay too, of course.
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8. Run spell-check (with language set for either American or British English, as you prefer).
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9. Don’t staple the draft that you give to me: It’s easier for me to work on loose pages, printed on one side only (or I can print it; see next).
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10. Especially in a long document, it can also be helpful if you send me the file, which may help me make more consistent suggestions, because I can search back to see if I’ve seen the same “problem” before. I won’t make changes in your file, that’s your job (because you have to decide which suggested changes to actually make). Sometimes I do copy-edit directly in the file, however, and if that’s what you’d like me to do, let me know and we can talk about it.
Some further suggestions:
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11. If you format section headings as well as table and figure titles with appropriate-level Styles (i.e., Heading 1, Heading 2, Table heading, etc.), then use Insert/Index and Tables/Table of Contents to insert a table of contents that picks up all those headings, you can study them for inconsistencies in formatting and style and for organizational improvements. For example, if you have a single subheading under a larger heading, you should probably delete it or add another – after all, what are you separating from what with a single subheading? If you have several tables or figures that are variations of one another, then their titles should be identical except for indicating those variations.
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12. If in doubt about the quality of the writing, try rewriting sentences and reorganizing paragraphs and sections. One simple step is to consider whether each word is necessary: Much of the editing I often do is simply deleting unnecessary words. A contrary test is, would the addition of a word or two eliminate any possible misunderstanding and thus make the meaning clearer? Is there any possible way to misunderstand what I’ve written which I could easily prevent? Another test is, does this word really mean something precise? If not, find a better one. (Lots of other suggestions are available in my Stylebook & Organizational Tips, available on request.)
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13. You also might want to run grammar-check, but take it "with a grain of salt". I find grammar-check most valuable for reminding to break up long and complex sentences when possible. There are a variety of settings here too, which you can experiment with (under Tools/Options/Spelling & Grammar/Writing Style).
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14. Please consider that, even apart from the possibility of pending work for other clients, starting into a new paper for a new author can be slow, as I get used to your style and what I perceive of your personal needs. So please leave me sufficient time to work on your draft. Barring emergencies, and even assuming that I have no other immediate commitments, I usually can only work on a paper 2-3 hours per day – though as I get into a longer paper I can sometimes work more. Depending on the quality of the writing, I usually average 2-3 pages per hour – including tables and figures, etc., not just the main text. (Most papers are at the slower end – or sometimes even slower.)
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15. Finally, read through the pre-editing memo explaining how I work to be sure you understand what you’re getting into! Reviewing my Stylebook: Tips on Organization, Writing, and Formatting and revising your paper in accordance with the suggestions therein would also reduce the amount of work left for me (and thus someone’s expense -- perhaps yours!).