How to Make a Book Template in Google Docs (2026 Step-by-Step)
Google Docs has no book template, so here is how to build your own: page size, margins, fonts, page numbers, contents, and the 6x9 print settings that matter.
Google Docs does not ship a book template, so you build one. Open a blank document, set the page size and margins in File then Page setup, pick a serif font like Times New Roman or Garamond, style your chapter titles as Headings, add page numbers and a header, then insert a table of contents. Save it with File then Make a copy and reuse it for every book.
Every "best book templates" list buries the one fact that matters: Google Docs does not have a book template.
Open the gallery and you get resumes, letters, meeting notes. No book, no novel, no manuscript. Nothing.
I have set these up for my own writing and for clients, and the honest fix is not to hunt for a template that does not exist. You build one yourself in about ten minutes, then save it and reuse it forever.
That is better anyway. A real template means your trim size and your margins, not someone else's guesses. Here is exactly how I build one, with the page settings that actually matter for a manuscript versus a print book.
Does Google Docs have a book template?
No. There is no book, novel, manuscript or booklet template in the built-in gallery, and there never has been.
What you can do is make your own. Set the page up once, style the headings, add page numbers and a contents page, then use File then Make a copy every time you start a new book. That copy is your template.
If you would rather not build it, free third-party manuscript templates exist, and tools like the Reedsy Book Editor format and export a book for free. But the build-your-own route is faster than it sounds, and you only do it once.
Decide this before you start: manuscript or print book?
A manuscript for submission stays on Letter (8.5 x 11) with 1-inch margins and double spacing; a print paperback uses a custom 6 x 9 inch page with a bigger inside margin. Where the book is going changes every setting below, so decide this first or you will redo the layout.
- A manuscript for an agent, editor or class stays on Letter (8.5 x 11), 1-inch margins, double-spaced. Plain and standard is the point.
- A print paperback uses a custom 6 x 9 inch page, the most common trim size, with tighter margins and a larger inside margin so text does not vanish into the spine.
Pick one before you touch a single setting. The steps are the same either way, only the numbers change.
How do you build a book template in Google Docs?
Six steps, about ten minutes: set the page size and margins in Page setup, pick a serif font, style chapter titles as Headings, add a header and page numbers, insert the table of contents, then save the file as your master copy. Here is each step.
Open a blank document and set the page up
Go to docs.google.com and open a Blank document (skip the gallery, there is nothing there for books). Then open File then Page setup, the dialog that holds page size, orientation and margins.
Set the orientation to Portrait, choose your paper size (Letter for a manuscript, or set a custom 6 x 9 for print), and enter your margins. This is the foundation, so get it right before you type a word.
Choose a readable serif font
Books are set in serif type because it is easier to read in long passages. Click the font dropdown and pick Times New Roman, Garamond or Georgia, then set the size to 12 pt (11 pt for a tighter print page).
Set your line spacing from the toolbar: double for a manuscript, 1.15 to 1.5 for a print book.
Style chapter titles as Headings
This is the step most people skip, and it is the one that makes everything else work. Do not just make your chapter titles big and bold. Highlight each one and apply Heading 1 from the styles dropdown.
Headings feed the navigation outline and the table of contents automatically. Bold text does neither. Use Title for the book name on the cover page and Heading 1 for each chapter.
Add a header and page numbers
Open Insert then Headers & footers then Header for a running header (your title or author name). Then Insert then Page numbers to number the pages.
In the header or footer options, tick Different first page so your title page does not carry a header or a number.
Insert the table of contents
Put your cursor on a blank page after the title page, then go to Insert then Table of contents.
Pick the style with page numbers. Because you styled your chapters as Headings, the contents page fills in by itself, and you can refresh it any time you add a chapter.
Save it as your reusable template
Name the document something like "Book template", then use File then Make a copy whenever you start a new book. The copy keeps every setting, so you never set this up twice.
What about a booklet in Google Docs?
A lot of people search for a "booklet" template, which is a different job. A booklet is a printing job, not a page setting. It is folded and stapled, so the pages have to be imposed (page 1 next to the last page, and so on).
Google Docs cannot do that imposition on its own. Format your content normally, then export to PDF and use your printer's booklet setting or a free imposition tool to arrange the pages. For a small-format look without folding, a custom 5.5 x 8.5 inch page works inside Docs.
What inside margin does a print book need?
More than you expect, and it grows with page count: from 0.375 inch for a short paperback up to 0.875 inch for the longest books. That inside edge is the gutter, the part that disappears into the binding. If you are heading to print, it is the one margin to get right.
For a paperback on Amazon KDP, the minimum inside margin grows with your page count: 0.375 inch up to 150 pages, 0.5 inch up to 300, and on up to 0.875 inch for the longest books. The outside margins only need 0.25 inch, but I give them 0.5 inch so the text does not sit on the edge.
Set a slightly larger left margin in Page setup to act as that gutter. Docs has no true mirrored-margin feature, so for a long book that you will print double-sided, many writers do the final layout in dedicated software and use Docs purely for writing.
Final take
Stop looking for a Google Docs book template, because there isn't one. Build it once: page size and margins in Page setup, a serif font, chapter titles styled as Headings, page numbers, and an auto table of contents. Then Make a copy and you have a template for life.
Match the settings to where the book is going, and you build it once. A plain Letter manuscript for submissions, or a 6 x 9 layout for print, and you will not have to redo it. While you are formatting, two related ones come up a lot: wrapping text around an image and getting images back out of a doc. And if the book is an ebook you plan to sell yourself, I compared the best platforms to sell digital products separately.
Common questions
Does Google Docs have a book template?
No. The Google Docs template gallery has resumes, letters and reports, but no book or manuscript template. You either build your own once and reuse it, or import a free third-party template. Building it yourself takes about ten minutes and gives you exactly the page size and margins you need.
How do you format a book in Google Docs?
Set the trim size and margins in File then Page setup, choose a serif font at 11 to 12 pt, style chapter titles with the Heading styles so they feed a table of contents, add page numbers and a running header, then insert the table of contents. Save the empty version as your template.
What page size should a book be in Google Docs?
For a manuscript you are submitting, keep Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) with 1-inch margins and double spacing. For a print paperback, set a custom 6 x 9 inch page, the most common trim size, with smaller margins and a larger inside (gutter) margin that grows with your page count.
Is there a free book template for Google Docs?
The built-in gallery has none, but free options exist. The fastest is to build and save your own. You can also import a free manuscript template from a writing site, or draft in a free tool like the Reedsy Book Editor and export, then bring the file into Docs if you prefer to edit there.
How do you make a booklet in Google Docs?
Google Docs cannot impose pages into booklet (fold-and-staple) order on its own. You format the content normally, then either export to PDF and use a print dialog or a free imposition tool to arrange it as a booklet, or use a 5.5 x 8.5 inch page if you only need a small-format layout.
How do I add Roman numeral page numbers to the front matter?
Insert a section break (Insert then Break then Section break) after the front matter, then set page numbering separately for each section. Docs lets you restart numbering per section, though its Roman-numeral support is limited, so many writers number the front matter by hand or skip it for a submission draft.
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