Many authors know how hard it can be to complete a book. You often have to deal with a lot of things, including writer’s block. It can be a stressful experience. But, using a book template for Google Docs is an excellent way to take some of that stress off your shoulders.
In this article, we will go through how to make a book in Google Docs and provide you with some ready-made book templates in Google Docs.
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Why Write a Book in Google Docs?
Google Docs is increasingly popular, and it is constantly updating to improve the user experience. There are plenty of perks to writing your booklet on Google Docs. They include:
- The automatic save feature saves every change you make in your Google drive so that even if anything goes wrong, you don’t lose your writing and have to start all over again.
- Sharing and permission features that let you share your file with others. It also lets you set restrictions for how much access the person you’re sharing with can have to your file. There are mainly 3 permissions: Viewer, commenter, and editor.
- There are also simultaneous collaborative features that let people view changes made to the file in real time. People can add comments to the file, and you can also edit it, and they can view the changes in real time.
- Google Docs has seamless integrations with plenty of add-ons that make the writing process easier. One of the best apps you can use is Grammarly. This program is an upgraded spelling and grammar checker that does thousands of checks on your writing, including tone checks to make sure you’re sending the right message to your readers.
How to Make a Book Template in Google Docs
Google Docs is a great place to write your book because it has many beneficial features that make it easy for you to save and share your book. Here’s how to make a book in Google Docs:
Step 1: Set Up Your Document
- Go to Google Docs.
- Choose blank to start a new document.
- Go to File > Page setup and set the paper size to Letter 8.5 X 11
- Choose a font from the font drop-down menu and get started.
Step 2: Create the Cover for Your Book
- Find an image for your book cover. Go to Insert >Â Image, then upload the image from your computer or the source.
- To have text on top of the image, click on your image and choose Image options.
- On the image option side menu, click on the drop-down for text wrapping.
- Choose the option ‘behind text.’
- Add the title of the book as well as the author and any other necessary details you may need for your cover page.
- Select the title and go to styles in the toolbar.
- Choose Title format.
- Indent your title in the middle by going to align & Indent and choosing the center alignment.
Step 3: Prepare for Writing Your First Chapter
- Write chapter 1 and the heading of your chapter.
- Select the text and go to styles on the toolbar.
- Choose Heading 1Â or Heading 2Â for your chapters.
Step 4: Add Page Numbers to Your Book
- Go to Insert > Page Number
- Choose the position you want for your page numbers
Step 5: Get Writing
Now if you’ve got your outline ready to go, you can start writing your book. Don’t forget to repeat step 3 to add new chapter headings when the time comes.
Step 6: Edit Your Work
Once you are done making your book, you can share it with your editor or other people, and they can add comments to the file that you can also access.
What Should a Good Book Template Include?
It’s pretty easy making a book in Google Docs, but it’s even easier if you have a template.
A good book template should have the following:
- An attractive cover page containing the title of the book, the author’s name, and relevant graphics.
- A table of contents that has a list of the chapter and their corresponding page numbers.
- An Introduction that provides context for the book and sets the tone for the reader. It’s sometimes called a preface.
- The main body is where the content is presented in an organized and logical manner using chapters and page numbers.
These are the main thing a good book template should have. Other additional things will depend on the kind of book. For example, an academic book must have a bibliography list at the end after the conclusion.
Google Docs Book Templates
Related: Download a Free Certificate of Appreciation Template
Here are some book writing template Google Docs that you can download and edit:
Google Docs Novel Template
Our Google Docs novel template comes with an attractive cover with the book title and author’s name. It has a preface section, table of contents, 8 chapters, and an About the Author page. The pages are numbered as well, so all you need to do is get started on your story right away.
The template is editable, so you can replace the image, font, and anything else you may want to format.
Children’s Book Template for Google Docs
The children’s book template is a simple template in the landscape. It has a cover page with an illustration and the title and author’s name on top. The pages are numbered at the top left, and there are 6 pages in total, each with an illustration. You can replace the illustrations with your own and change the font, font size, and font color.
Google Docs Story Template
The Google Docs story template is. It has a preface section, table of contents, 8 chapters, and an About the Author page. The pages are numbered as well, so all you need to do is get started on your story right away.
The template is editable, so you can replace the image, font, and anything else you may want to format. You can also use it as a Google Docs ebook template.
Google Docs Book Outline Template
Before you start a book, you should always have an outline to help you plan the flow of the book. The Google Docs book outline template should help you with this. It’s a simple template with the title and the chapters for you to summarize. It has a grid layout with the chapter to the left and the summary to the right.
Recipe Book Template
The recipe template is a simple and easy-to-use template with a clean format. It has a title page with an image, an introduction, a table of content, and 8 recipe pages with images for the recipes. The pages are also numbered at the bottom right. You can replace the images and edit the template however you wish to personalize it.
Tips for Writing a Book in Google Docs
Templates are a great way to help speed up your workflow and write efficiently on Google Docs. Here are some other tips for writing a book in Google Docs:
- Before starting any book, you should always have an outline to help you plan the flow of the book. You can use our outline template for Google Docs to plan your book. This will help you stay focused and ensure that your book has a clear structure.
- Use headings and subheadings to break up your text and make it easier to read. This will also help you stay organized and ensure that your book flows smoothly.
- The comment feature in Google Docs can come in pretty handy when you’re sharing your work with your editor or beta readers. They can add comments to the file for specific parts of the book, and you can view them in your Google Docs and make changes according to the feedback.
- Google Docs also has a built-in research tool (Tools > Explore) that will help you search for information and images. This will save you time on researching and looking for images and help you fact-check your work easily.
- The revision history is also a useful tool for keeping track of the edits you make in your book in Google Docs. You can use it to revert to an earlier version or view changes you’ve made.
- Use find and replace to quickly edit repetitive parts like the chapters in the template you’re using instead of editing them one by one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Write a Book in Google Docs?
Yes, you can definitely use Google Docs to write a book, and the best part is that it’s completely free. You can also find a free book format template in Google Docs online or download one of our free templates to get you started on your book.
How Do I Create a Book Format in Google Docs?
Creating a book on Google Docs is pretty easy. You just need to:
- Open a blank document and set up your page size, orientation, and font
- Add a cover page with an image, title, and author’s name.
- Write your chapters in heading 1 or heading 2 format.
- Add page numbers.
- Go to Insert > Table of contents and add a table of content before the first chapter.
You can format your work and share it with your editor or beta readers for feedback.
What Is Book Size in Google Docs?
Google Docs usually uses the default size of 8.5 by 11 inches. You can change the book page size in Google Docs in the Page Setup.
Go to File > Page Setup and click the drop-down for Paper size. You have a number of different size options to choose from.
Wrapping Up
A book template can be a valuable weapon for an author. In this article, we’ve not only shown you how to create a book in Google Docs, but we’ve also given you a book template for Google Docs to use for several different types of books.
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