Every author has a preferred process when it comes to writing a book. Some develop outlines and follow them closely. Some ideate and edit as they write. Some authors even write free-form and edit later. 

However, one thing many writers have in common is that they overlook the importance of formatting.

Unless you have a book deal with a publisher, you’ll have to format your book as a self-publishing author. Luckily, there are various book templates available in Microsoft Word that can help you choose your format.

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‌Writing a Book in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is user-friendly and comes with many features that cater to an author’s needs. Some of these features include:

• A variety of font options
• Headings to help you structure chapters and sections 
• A bookmark tool that allows you to revisit sections
• A find-and-replace tool that allows you to change words or phrases throughout the manuscript
• Editing tools that help you fine-tune your manuscript

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Reasons to Use a Book Template

Using a book layout template during the writing process has many benefits. For example, it can help you set the tone of your book and keep it consistent. It can also help you:

• Organize — Most book templates have sections for all of your research and notes. 
• Outline — Incorporate your book outline to make plot holes easily identifiable and preventable. 
• Rearrange — Easily organize chapters and restructure your book if necessary.
• Publish — Most book templates connect to software that allows you to easily export your book for self-publishing.  

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Does Word Have a Book Template?

Yes, there are various pre-made book templates in Word that can be used for different types of projects. In addition, all of Microsoft Word’s book templates are customizable. 

If you don’t find the perfect one for your work, choose one that’s close to what you want and customize it to fit your needs. You can then save the customized template and use it again in the future. 

If you have multiple projects that each require different formatting, you can customize and save as many templates as you need. 

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How Do I Make a Book Template in Word?

‌If you don’t want to customize an existing book layout, you can create your own from scratch. Follow these steps to create a book template on Word:

1. Create a new Word document
2. Go to the page layout tab and click the dialog icon
3. Change the multiple pages setting to “Book fold”
4. Increase the gutter value
5. Change the paper size to one-half width
6. Click “OK”

To learn more about how to create a book template in Microsoft Word, you can visit Microsoft’s support page. In addition, they will provide you with pictures to help you modify the settings. 

For more interior book design options, contact Palmetto Publishing. Our experts can help you find the perfect format for your book. We can also convert your book into files that are compatible with many platforms and devices. Contact us today for more information. 

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