Free MS Word Templates
Formatting a novel for print doesn't have to be painful. I put together these Microsoft Word templates for Amazon 6x9 and 5x8 paperbacks, as well as an ebook version, and I'm making them available here for any writers who want to skip the endless wrestling with section breaks and headers.
What's Included
- Proper title, copyright, and optional front matter (dedication, epigraph, etc.).
- Automatic recto/verso layout: chapters start on the recto (right-hand) page, with alternating headers for author name in the verso header and book/chapter title in the recto header.
- No headers/footers on chapter title pages, just like in professionally printed books.
- First-paragraph no-indent formatting already set.
- Standard Amazon KDP margins for print-ready interiors.
- Plenty of dummy "story text" so you can see how everything flows once filled in.
These templates are ready to use, just replace the place-holder text with your own content.
- In the template and in your document, enable Show Hidden Paragraph Marks. When highlighting the text in the template be sure not to include the section breaks. If you do, you'll lose the template sections. Click undo until you get back to where the section break exists again.
- Copy your first paragraph text: highlight the first paragraph text in the template, and paste your text over the template text.
- Then, copy the rest of your text for the chapter (do not include any breaks if there are any). Go back to the template, highlight the rest of the chapter text (do not include any breaks) and paste it over the rest of the placeholder text in that one chapter. Just be careful to paste using "Paste-Merge Formatting." You want to maintain the formatting of the template, not paste into it your formatting from your draft. As long as you remember to paste Merge Formatting you should have to problems with losing headers/footers.
- At this point, you should have your first chapter pasted into the template and you should have proper headers/footers. You can rename the headers with your name and book/story title
- Repeat that process for each chapter - highlight/copy your chapter first paragraph; highlight the template first paragraph; paste your first paragraph text over the highlighted template first paragraph; highlight the template chapter text; highlight/copy your chapter text; paste over the template highlighted text.
- After you have your first two chapters done, review the template work you have done so far - do the front matter pages have headers/footers? Hopefully, no. Do your chapter 1 and 2 title pages have headers/footers? Hopefully, no. Look at the rest of the chapter pages, do they have your name in the left-side header and the book/story title in the right-side header? Hopefully, yes. Do they have the correct page numbers? Hopefully, yes. All should be good providing you did not accidentally overwrite/remove any section breaks.
- If all is correct, repeat for each chapter. Do not copy multiple chapters and paste them into the template overwriting the section breaks. That breaks the whole book and wastes a lot of time.
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5x8 paperback (160-200 pages)
For a more compact, intimate book size. Margins match professional standards: 0.8" top/bottom, 0.75" outside/inside, and 0.5" gutter. Ideal for memoirs, poetry, or literary fiction.
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5x8 paperback (200-300 pages)
Best for denser works in a smaller trim size. Includes a 0.625" gutter to keep the text readable across thicker spines, while maintaining the same polished formatting and style presets.
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6x9 paperback (160-200 pages)
Perfect for novellas, slim novels, or short story collections. Margins are set at 0.8" top/bottom, 0.75" outside/inside, and 0.5" gutter. Clean, balanced, and ready for print on KDP or other platforms.
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6x9 paperback (200-300 pages)
Built for longer novels and anthologies. Same professional layout as the 160-200 version, but with a 0.625" gutter for extra spine space - ensuring your text won't disappear into the binding.
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eBook (reflowable)
This free Word template is designed for reflowable ebooks (Kindle, EPUB, etc.). Headers, footers, and page numbers are stripped out, margins simplified, and chapter titles are pre-styled to always begin on a new page. Custom styles are included for titles, chapter headings, scene breaks, and back matter, so all you need to do is paste in your manuscript. Built to keep your file clean, KDP-friendly, and ready for smooth conversion.
Below are the downloads, click on the one(s) you're interested in and have a go.
Usage Terms
These templates are free for personal and commercial book projects. You're welcome to adapt and use them in your own work. All I ask is that you don't redistribute or resell the template itself as your own. If you'd like to share it, just link back here - https://author.wiegand.org.
Not sure which template to download? Here's a quick look at how the Print and eBook versions differ, so you can choose the one that fits your project.
| Feature | Print Template | eBook Template |
|---|---|---|
| Trim Size | Fixed (6x9 or 5x8) | Flexible (resizes on devices) |
| Margins & Gutter | Professionally set for 160-300 pages | Simplified; device overrides margins |
| Headers & Footers | Included (book title, author name, page numbers) | None |
| Chapters | Always start on recto (right-hand) page | Start on new page via style (no manual breaks) |
| Page Numbers | Yes | No |
| Fonts | Garamond 11-12 pt recommended | Device-controlled (common fonts only) |
| Scene Breaks | Styled (***, etc.) | Styled (plain text only; no shapes) |
| Images | 300 dpi minimum | Screen-optimized |
| Front & Back Matter | Copyright, dedication, acknowledgments, About the Author | Same sections; TOC auto-generated by device |
| Output | Export to PDF for print/KDP upload | Upload .docx for KDP/EPUB conversion |
