Google Docs eBook Template

Book purists might scoff, but the eBook has many advantages. Most of which you already know. That’s why you’re here! Its accessibility and its portability are only a few of these. That makes eBooks a valuable commodity. But writing and formatting an eBook can be daunting. That said, designing and formatting your eBook doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Enter… Google Docs.

There are various advantages to using Google Docs to create your eBook online. Not the least of these is that it’s free. No subscriptions, no free trials, all you need is a Google Workspace account, and you’re ready to go. Additionally, the Google Docs interface mimics the ubiquitous Microsoft Word, making it easy to navigate for even the most technologically averse. There’s also a lot you can do with a Google Doc, something not everyone realizes. If you’re designing and formatting an eBook, Google Docs is the ideal platform because its range of features allows you to complete the entire process, from writing to cover design to page numbers. Google Docs lets you:

• Create an eye-catching cover and cover page
• Create a distinctive title page
• Create and format a table of contents
• Number pages
• Include end/footnotes and bibliography
• Integrate charts and tables

In other words, Google Docs allows you to make your eBook as complex as you need it to be. We’ll talk you through everything from the cover design to exportation, ensuring the process is as uncomplicated as possible.

1. Inserting a Cover Page

We’re told not to, but everyone uses the cover to judge whether they want to invest in a book. That makes having a title page crucial to the success of your eBook. Not only that, it’s got to look fantastic. But first things first. You can worry about the art later. To add a cover page to your eBook, find the Insert menu. From Insert, find and select Drawing. Drawing will give you another dropdown menu. You want to click New. From here, you can choose from:

• Text boxes
• Shapes
• Images
• Lines

You can muck about with the design until you have a cover you’re happy with. The important thing is that you come away with a cover page.

2. Creating a Title Page

Cover page complete. You now need a title page. On a blank page, type your title. Then find the Styles section on the menu tab. This gives you a dropdown list of various font formats. The one you want is marked Title. To center your title:

• Use the Centre Align in the alignment menu
• Hit Control+Shift+E on a Windows computer
• Use Mac keyboard shortcut Comand+E

3. Adjusting the Page Setup

Your Google Doc’s default margins are 2.54cm. You can adjust these in the Page Setup menu. To do this, go to File. From File, click on Page Set Up. This also allows you to customize the alignment of your page text. Whatever adjustments you make, ensure the margins are balanced to stop your text from looking off-balance or lopsided.

4. Adding Page Numbers

To add page numbers to your Google Doc, click on Insert. Then, click on Page Numbers. This gives you various placement options for your page numbers. Choose the one you want, and your pages will number themselves.

5. Creating a Table of Contents

Stay on that Insert menu to add a table of contents to your Google Doc. From the Insert tab, select Table of Contents. You will have a few options. Option one features a table of contents that is plain text and lists your chapters with corresponding page numbers. Option two doesn’t utilize page numbers. Instead, it creates clickable hyperlinks that allow the reader to jump to the section they’re searching for. While both options have merit, the second option works best with the eBook format. Note that tables of contents automatically interpret any Heading 1s in your document as chapter titles, so keep that in mind when formatting your chapters. To adjust your table of contents to match your updated headings, find and locate the Update Table of Contents button. This resembles the refresh button and will reflect any recent changes you’ve made to the document headings. And if you decide you don’t need the table of contents, left-click on the table and choose Delete Table of Contents.

5. Tables and Charts

As with other inserted text and illustrations, the place to start for tables and charts is the Insert tab. To insert a table, follow the dropdown list from the Insert menu to Table. This will show you various sizes of tables. Select the one you need, and it will appear in the document. To add a chart, move from Insert to Charts. This takes you to a range of charts from which to choose. Options include:

• Bar
• Column
• Pie chart

Once you’ve selected the chart you want, the program will take you to Google Sheets for further customization.

6. Adding a Bibliography

Finally, Google Docs allows you to cite your sources easily in your eBook. It even lets you pick from a variety of styles, including:

• APA
• MLA
• Chicago

To add your bibliography, go to the Tools menu. Then, choose the style you require. Once you’ve done that, specify the type of source you’re citing, for instance:

• Book
• Website
• Newspaper

The next step is to fill in the relevant bibliography details. These may include:

• Author
• Copyright date
• Place of Publication

When you’ve filled in the required fields, click Add Citation Source. For an extensive bibliography, you will need to complete this step more than once.

7. Checking Your Word Count

You can check your eBook’s word count by navigating to the Tools menu. There, select Word Count. This will open up a window that displays:

• The Google Doc’s word count
• Characters with Spaces
• Characters without spaces

8. Exporting Your eBook

Once you’ve designed and formatted your eBook to your satisfaction, the next step is to export the file. To do this, click on the File tab. Once there, navigate to the Export as option. From the drop-down list that appears, select ePub Publication (.ePub). Your document is now ready for upload. Before you start uploading your eBook to various publishing services, check that the formatting hasn’t changed during the download process. To do this, find an ePub Validator and run the file through it online. Once it confirms the formatting is ready, you can start sending out that eBook for publication.

With your eBook in ePub format, you’re ready to sell it. You can do this by uploading it, with cover design and copy, through various platforms, such as:

• Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
• Google Play
• iBooks Author
• Lulu

There are others, too, and you can even sell your eBook through a personal website. But these should give you more than enough to get started. Now all you need to do is sit down and write the book.

It’s clear that a strong ebook can be an extremely valuable asset for your business and you’re probably itching to get started. If you want to fast track getting your ebook out into the wild, you’ll love our proven template. Get started immediately with this free Google Docs ebook template.