How to Make a Book Template + 6 Freebies Online

There are many reasons why learning how to make a book template is a worthwhile way to spend your time. The structuring of a book is often what takes authors the most time. It’s not that you don’t know what you want to include, but more so how you’ll put it together in an order you like.

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, a book template can not only help you put your a framework around what you want to write, but in doing so, you’ll learn more about how your own mind prefers to write books. Every author will have a slightly different method of doing this.

Which means if you use a free book template (discussed below), you’re at the mercy of someone else’s structure. Sometimes, that’s a good thing—like if an organization has experience in book structure that work. But other times, you may want to break away from what’s already been done and create your own.

Here’s how to make a book template yourself:

1. Pick a platform
2. Choose book type
3. Structure it
4. Create instructions
5. Highlight changes
6. Save it
7. Create a copy
8. Tweak as needed

How to Make Your Own Book Template

Most of the steps to learn how to make a book template will be the same no matter if you write fiction novels, are writing a memoir, or are writing a business book. The structure will be altered, but the rest is the same.

1. Choose a platform

Where will you write your book? There are plenty of different book writing softwares out there, but some word processors work just the same, and are easier to build templates into.

Before you start creating your book template, decide which platform you’ll use. You can use word processing software like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or specialized writing software like Scrivener or NovelPad. Choose a platform that you’re comfortable with and that meets your formatting needs.

Obviously, using a word processor will give you the most customization for making a book template, but others work well too.

Here are some pros and cons of each platform recommended.

Google Docs:

Not only is it well known and regarded, but it’s also accessible no matter where you are so long as you have an internet connection (but offline mode also exists).

We find this platform to be highly reliable, and often recommend our authors use it to outline theirs books and write them.

So much so, that our own book outline template is hosted on Google Docs. You can get it here to see an example for yourself:

Here are more pros:

• Accessibility: Google Docs can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, making it convenient for writers who need to work on their book template from different locations.
• Collaboration: Google Docs allows for real-time collaboration, making it easy to work with co-authors, editors, or designers on your book template.
• Version History: Google Docs automatically saves versions of your document, allowing you to track changes and revert to previous versions if needed.
• Integration: Google Docs integrates with other Google services, such as Google Drive and Google Sheets, making it easy to organize and manage your book template files.
• Templates: Google Docs offers a variety of templates, including book templates, that you can use as a starting point for your own book template.
• Sharing Options: Google Docs allows you to easily share your book template with others, either for viewing or editing, using shareable links or email invitations.

These are some cons that may make you rethink using Google docs to learn how to make a book template:

• Limited Formatting Options: Google Docs has more limited formatting options compared to other word processing software, which may be a drawback for complex book layouts.
• Offline Access: While Google Docs can be used offline with some limitations, full functionality requires an internet connection, which may be a disadvantage for writers in areas with unreliable internet access.
• Document Size Limits: Google Docs has a document size limit of 1.02 million characters, which may be restrictive for longer books or projects with extensive formatting.
• Privacy Concerns: Since Google Docs is a cloud-based service, there may be privacy concerns related to storing sensitive or proprietary information on Google’s servers.
• Customization: While Google Docs offers basic customization options, it may not be as flexible as other software for creating highly customized book templates.
• Compatibility: Compatibility with other software, particularly for exporting your book template for printing or publishing, may be a concern, as some formatting may be lost during the export process.

Microsoft Word:

It’s been around for a long time, and for that reason, you may be experienced and comfortable using this processor.

Here are the pros:

• Familiarity: Microsoft Word is widely used and familiar to many writers, making it easy to use for creating a book template.
• Advanced Formatting Options: Microsoft Word offers more advanced formatting options compared to Google Docs, allowing for more complex and customized book layouts.
• Integration with Other Microsoft Office Tools: Microsoft Word integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft Office tools, such as Excel and PowerPoint, making it easy to incorporate data or visuals from these programs into your book template.
• Track Changes and Comments: Microsoft Word includes features for tracking changes and adding comments, which can be useful for collaborating with editors or receiving feedback on your book template.
• Offline Access: Unlike Google Docs, Microsoft Word can be used offline with full functionality, which may be advantageous for writers in areas with unreliable internet access.
• Document Size: Microsoft Word has a much higher document size limit compared to Google Docs, allowing for longer books or projects with extensive formatting.

Cons to consider when choosing to learn how to make a book template:

• Cost: Microsoft Word is not free and requires a subscription to Microsoft 365, which may be a drawback for writers on a tight budget.
• Compatibility: Compatibility with other software, particularly for exporting your book template for printing or publishing, may be a concern, as some formatting may be lost during the export process.
• Steep Learning Curve: While Microsoft Word is familiar to many users, it also has a steep learning curve for more advanced features, which may be challenging for novice users.
• Versioning: While Microsoft Word has versioning features, they may not be as robust or user-friendly as Google Docs’ version history.
• Limited Collaboration Features: While Microsoft Word offers collaboration features, they may not be as seamless or real-time as Google Docs, which may be a drawback for co-authoring or working with editors.
• Privacy Concerns: Like Google Docs, Microsoft Word stores documents in the cloud, which may raise privacy concerns for writers working with sensitive or proprietary information.

Google Sheets:

Sometimes, it’s easier to learn how to make a book template in a more structured place like Google Sheets, and then you can write the draft in Google Docs.

This is the method I use for my fiction novels, because I prefer a varied structure than what’s often common. Three-act structure is well used and well liked for a reason, as are the 5 milestones we teach about here. But I found for my stories, I like 4 parts, with specific details in each.

It ends up looking a bit like this, with 4 tabs that help me manage the book’s information, and one of them is responsible for the full structure of the book—the template. This goes through to part 4, which is the resolution.

Google sheets might be for you! Here’s how you can tell.

Pros:

• Organizational Structure: Google Sheets can be used to create a structured outline for your book, with rows for chapters, scenes, or sections, and columns for key details or notes.
• Collaboration: Like Google Docs, Google Sheets allows for real-time collaboration, making it easy to work with co-authors, editors, or designers on your book template.
• Customization: Google Sheets offers a high level of customization, allowing you to create a book template that meets your specific needs and formatting requirements.
• Integration: Google Sheets integrates with other Google services, such as Google Docs and Google Drive, making it easy to transfer data between different documents and tools.
• Accessibility: Google Sheets can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, making it convenient for writers who need to work on their book template from different locations.
• Version History: Google Sheets automatically saves versions of your document, allowing you to track changes and revert to previous versions if needed.

Cons of using Google Sheets to make a book template:

• Limited Formatting Options: Google Sheets has more limited formatting options compared to word processing software like Microsoft Word, which may be a drawback for complex book layouts.
• Difficulty with Text: Google Sheets is primarily designed for numerical data, so working with large amounts of text, such as book content, can be challenging and less intuitive. It’s still doable. But, for example, if you want to create a new line or a space between paragraphs in a single block, you will have to click Command + Return (on Apple products) to do that. Otherwise, it will just move your text to the next box.
• Document Size Limits: Like Google Docs, Google Sheets has a document size limit, which may be restrictive for longer books or projects with extensive formatting. But that’s why it’s better for outlining a book than writing it.
• Complexity: Google Sheets can be complex, especially for users who are not familiar with spreadsheet software, which may be a drawback for novice users.
• Compatibility: Compatibility with other software, particularly for exporting your book template for printing or publishing, may be a concern, as some formatting may be lost during the export process.
• Privacy Concerns: Since Google Sheets is a cloud-based service, there may be privacy concerns related to storing sensitive or proprietary information on Google’s servers.

Scrivener:

Scrivener has a specific place where you can learn how to make a book template, and a certain folder you have to use to do so. Essentially you can create your own template in a new document, and save it as a template instead of simply saving it as another name. These will be retrievable in the Templates folder.

But is Scrivener right for you when looking to learn how to make a book template?

Here are some pros to decide:

• Organizational Tools: Scrivener offers powerful organizational tools, such as the ability to create folders, subfolders, and index cards, making it easy to outline and structure your book template.
• Writing Environment: Scrivener provides a distraction-free writing environment, with customizable layouts and full-screen mode, allowing you to focus on your writing.
• Research Integration: Scrivener allows you to import research materials, such as images, PDFs, and web pages, directly into your project, making it easy to reference and incorporate them into your book template.
• Customization: Scrivener offers a high level of customization, allowing you to create a book template that meets your specific needs and formatting requirements.
• Export Options: Scrivener provides a variety of export options, allowing you to export your book template to different file formats, such as PDF, Word, or ebook formats, for printing or publishing.
• Version Control: Scrivener automatically saves versions of your project, allowing you to track changes and revert to previous versions if needed.

And these are the cons to think about:

• Learning Curve: Scrivener has a steep learning curve, especially for users who are not familiar with its features and interface, which may be a drawback for novice users.
• Complexity: Scrivener is a complex tool with many features, which may be overwhelming for users looking for a simple solution for creating a book template.
• Compatibility: Scrivener files are not easily compatible with other software, which may be a concern if you need to share or collaborate on your book template with others who do not use Scrivener.
• Cost: Scrivener is not free and requires a one-time purchase, which may be a drawback for writers on a tight budget.
• Technical Issues: Some users report experiencing technical issues or bugs with Scrivener, which may impact your ability to create or work on your book template.
• Limited Formatting Options: While Scrivener offers some formatting options, it may not be as flexible or comprehensive as dedicated word processing software like Microsoft Word for creating complex book layouts.

2. Determine the type of book

Choosing the processor or platform is probably the most time consuming part of learning how to make a book template, especially if you don’t have a tried-and-true you love already. But now that that part’s past, it’s time to determine which type of book you’ll write.

It’s not just fiction or nonfiction, either.

Even within these options are the various book genres to choose from. And as you may be guessing, different genres have different structures. So first, determine the genre of your book before moving to the next step.

Here’s a quick list of each:

This is not an exhaustive list, and there are always the subgenres, tropes, and categories to consider.

3. Research or create a structure

Now that you know which genre is yours, start research the structure of the story or nonfiction book.

For example, most nonfiction books include an introduction. Memoirs, however, may not and will be structured more similarly to fiction novels, depending on your goal with writing them. Self-help books will also look a bit differently than memoirs despite carrying similar content.

This can be a challenging part of learning how to make a book template.

It’ll be helpful to research book outline techniques, story structures, and other types of keywords followed by your genre. This can give you a starting point. But remember, you can always make these your own if you want to get creative or feel there’s a better way to go about it.

4. Write out instructions

Depending on where you’ve chosen to learn how to make a book template, the location of your instructions will be different. By “instructions” I mean helpful information that can guide you through the book writing process. A template is not just a structure, but a “how to” document.

For example, in my book template on Google Sheets, I have added “notes” to each of the part sections that look like this:

These remind me what plotting elements should be in these parts when I sit down to think up a new book.

For you, this might look more like creating bullet point lists, creating chapters, or just leaving footnotes so you know what goes where. No matter how you choose to create it, make sure you understand your own instructions.

5. Highlight necessary “change” areas

Learning how to make a book template is different from using it once you’ve done so.

For some book templates, you can include the front and back matter of the book, like with our book outline template. Each book will have mostly the same text for the copyright, for example, but will need to be altered in certain places.

You’ll want to remind yourself, easily, what those are. In this case, using a different font or highlighting the area in the document will help. Here’s how it looks in our template:

6. Save it as “BOOK TEMPLATE”

You don’t want to save this as a random name of the book you’re currently working on. FIRST save this as a template, and make it prominent that it’s a template.

Something like this:

Will make it stand out in your drive or in your folders. Plus, it will be easily searchable as well.

7. Create a copy and rename before use

All too often will people open a book template, only to start editing it directly, which ruins their book template altogether. For this, make sure you’re always duplicating the template or creating a copy.

For me, I keep a bookmarked link to my own book template, that is a Google “Make a Copy” link. What this does is when you click on it, it will not bring you to the document itself, it will prompt a “Make a Copy” option for you. Like this:

In Google, you can create this link by copying the URL of your template, and simply removing anything after the “/” toward the end, and replacing it with “copy”. Like this:

From here, just copy the updated link from your URL and paste create a bookmark with it so you will always be prompted to make a copy to use it. Otherwise, you can just click on the options of the book template in your drive, and click “Make a Copy” that way.

For any documents saved on your computer, you will have to manually make a copy.

8. Adjust as needed for each project

For every new project, you don’t have to relearn how to make a book template. Instead, adjust the one you’ve already created so you can maintain your sanity, as well as book-to-book cohesion.

Just remember to change the structure if needed, and adjust the highlighted text that needs changing. You wouldn’t want to get the whole book published, only to find out that the copyright has the wrong year listed.

6+ Free Pre-Made Book Templates

If you’re not into learning how to make a book template on your own, here are ways to get free ones online:

• Self-Publishing School: We offer a free book template for either fiction or nonfiction. These are created through Google Docs, a highly reliable, auto-saving word processor. You can click here to grab it!
• Microsoft Office Templates: Microsoft offers a variety of free book templates for Microsoft Word, including templates for novels, non-fiction books, and children’s books. You can find them on the Microsoft Office Templates website.
• Canva: Canva offers a range of free book templates that you can customize for your own projects. They have templates for ebooks, novels, and non-fiction books, among others.
• Template.net: Template.net offers a selection of free book templates in various formats, including Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign, and Apple Pages. They have templates for different types of books, such as novels, cookbooks, and photo books.
• BookBaby: BookBaby offers a free book formatting tool called BookBaby’s BookBlock, which allows you to format your manuscript into a professional-looking book layout. They also offer a selection of free book templates for Microsoft Word and Adobe InDesign.
• Lulu: Lulu offers a range of free book templates for Microsoft Word and Adobe InDesign, including templates for novels, cookbooks, and poetry books. They also offer a free online tool called Lulu Jr. Book Creator, which allows you to create and format your book online.

Book Template FAQ

How do you create a book template?

Creating a book template involves choosing a platform like Google Docs or Microsoft Word, determining your book type, researching the structure, and writing out instructions.

Does Microsoft Word have a book template?

Yes, Microsoft Word offers several book templates you can use. These templates provide a starting point, making it easier to format your book properly.

Does Google Docs have a book template?

Google Docs has templates, but they are limited compared to Word. However, Google Docs is great for real-time collaboration and accessibility from any device.

How do I make a printable book in Google Docs?

To make a printable book in Google Docs, format your document to your desired book size, set margins, and organize your chapters. Use Google Docs’ styling tools to format text and headings, and remember to highlight areas that need customization.

What is the best way to design a book?

The best way to design a book depends on your needs. For simplicity and ease of use, Google Docs and Microsoft Word are great choices. For more complex designs, consider using Scrivener or Canva.