Word can lay out a book. It won't do it by default: a new document is a Letter or A4 page with one-inch margins and no idea that chapters exist. The fix is to set the book up once, as a template, and pour each manuscript into it.
Here is the setup, in the order Word wants it.
What does a book template in Word need?
| Setting | Where in Word | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Page size | Layout > Size > More Paper Sizes | 6 × 9 in, 5.5 × 8.5 in, or A4 / Letter for workbooks |
| Margins | Layout > Margins > Custom Margins | Mirror margins, with a gutter |
| Body text | Home > Styles > Normal (modify) | A serif at 10 to 12 pt, first-line indent |
| Chapter titles | Heading 1 (modify) | Larger, with space above |
| Chapter starts | Layout > Breaks > Next Page | One section per chapter |
| Page numbers | Insert > Page Number | Bottom or outside corner |
| Running heads | Insert > Header, Different Odd & Even | Author on left pages, title on right |
1. How do you set the page size and margins?
Go to Layout > Size > More Paper Sizes and enter the trim size width and height. If you'll print through a service like KDP Print, use one of its trim sizes; A4, Letter or a trim size explains the choice.
Then Layout > Margins > Custom Margins. Under Pages, choose Mirror margins, so inside and outside margins swap between left and right pages. Add a gutter for the binding: thicker books need more. Print services publish their minimums by page count, so check theirs. Page margins and line length covers what reads well.
2. How do you set up styles?
Styles are what make the template a template. Change them rather than formatting text directly:
- Normal: your body font and size, line spacing around 1.15 to 1.3, a first-line indent, and no space between paragraphs.
- Heading 1: chapter titles. Set it to start on a new page (Paragraph > Line and Page Breaks > Page break before) so every chapter starts fresh.
- Heading 2: section headings, for nonfiction.
- A "First paragraph" style with no indent, for the paragraph after each heading, as books traditionally do.
Using Heading 1 also gives you the Navigation pane and an automatic table of contents (References > Table of Contents). How to choose fonts for a book helps with the body face.
3. How do you add page numbers and running heads?
Insert a Next Page section break before each chapter (Layout > Breaks). Then in the header, tick Different Odd & Even Pages and Different First Page, so chapter openers don't carry a running head. Untick Link to Previous where a section needs its own header.
Add the page number with Insert > Page Number, and set front matter to roman numerals with Format Page Numbers if you use them. Running heads explains what goes on each side.
4. How do you save it as a template?
File > Save As, choose Word Template (.dotx). To start a book, open the template (it opens as a new, untitled document), then paste your manuscript in with Keep Text Only and apply the styles. Pasting with formatting brings the old document's styles along and undoes the template.
What will you still fix by hand?
Word reflows the whole document whenever text changes above a point, so the last pass is always manual: headings stranded at the bottom of a page, a short last line at the top of the next (widows and orphans), images that jump a page. Export to PDF and check every page before you upload.
For a novel at a trade trim size, Word or a dedicated formatter is the right tool. Book formatting software compares the options. bukpress isn't one of them for that job: it exports A4 only.
For a full-page book (a workbook, a guide, a report, a lead magnet) there's another route. Write it in Markdown and let bukpress set the A4 pages: every # chapter heading starts a new page, --- is a page break, tables repeat their header row across pages, and the fonts, margins and page numbers you choose are saved as a Brand Kit on Essentials and up, which works like a Word template for every later book. The Free plan exports up to 40 pages, 20 times a month, without a watermark. See pricing.
What should you do first?
Open a blank document and do steps 1 to 4 before you paste a single chapter in: page size, margins, the three styles, the header settings, then Save As .dotx. Paste one chapter with Keep Text Only, apply the styles, and export a PDF of it. If that chapter prints right, the rest of the book will follow the same rules.
Common questions
Does Word have a book template?
Word has a few built-in book templates (search "book" in File > New), and many free ones online. Check their page size and margins before you trust them for print.
What is the standard book size in Word?
There is no Word default for books. 6 × 9 inches is the most common trade paperback size; 5.5 × 8.5 and 5 × 8 are common for fiction.
How do I make every chapter start on a new page in Word?
Set Heading 1 to Page break before, or insert a Next Page section break before each chapter. Section breaks also let each chapter have its own header.
Can I upload a Word file to KDP?
Yes. KDP accepts DOCX for Kindle ebooks, and for paperbacks a PDF exported from Word at your trim size is the safer upload, since what you see is what prints. What KDP actually wants has the details.