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How to Do MLA Format on Google Docs

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What Is MLA Format?

• Step-by-Step: Use an MLA Format Template in Docs
• Extra: How to Do MLA Format on Docs

How to Set MLA Works Cited in Google Docs

How to create a hanging indent in google docs.

If you use your Google Drive for schoolwork, you should know how to do MLA format on Google Docs . There is a Google Docs template you can use, but it helps to know how to set up MLA format manually as well.

Instructions in this article apply to the web version of Google Docs. The steps are the same for all web browsers and operating systems .

While your instructor may have specific requirements, the general guidelines for MLA format are as follows:

• Size 12 Times New Roman font
• Double-spaced text with no extra spaces between paragraphs
• One-inch page margins on all sides
• A header with your last name and a page number in the top-right of every page
• Your full name, the instructor's name, the course name, and the due date in the top-left of the first page
• A centered title above the body text
• Body paragraphs begin with a 1/2 inch indent
• A Works Cited page at the end of the paper

How to Use an MLA Format Template in Google Docs

Google Docs has some templates available that can help users get a jump on formatting documents. The Google Docs Report MLA add-on is one such template. To set up MLA in Google Docs using this template:

Open a new document and select File > New > From template .

The template gallery will open in a separate browser tab. Scroll down to the Education section and select Report MLA Add-on .

There are also templates for other academic styles such as APA.

A new document will open with dummy text that you can replace with your own. The formatting for the document will already be in place. You won't need to change anything but the words.

How to Do MLA Format on Docs

If you don't trust using a template, or if you have an altered version of MLA format you must stick to, then you can also set up MLA format in Google Docs manually. Once you've set it up, you can also save it as your own, customized template so you don't have to do it again the next time you need the format.

Change the font to Times New Roman and the font size to 12 .

Google Docs uses 1-inch margins on all sides by default, so there is no need to adjust the margins.

Select Insert > Headers & footers > Header .

If you want to remove the headers from your Google Doc later, it's a simple process if you're using Google Docs in a web browser. A little harder if you're using Google Docs on an iOS and Android mobile device

Note that the font for the header changes back to the default. Change it to 12 point Times New Roman , then select Right Align .

Type your last name followed by a space, then select Insert > Page numbers .

Adjust your Page numbers options as needed and then select Apply .

Click or tap anywhere below the header, then select Format > Line Spacing > Double .

Alternatively, you can click the Line spacing icon in the toolbar at the top of the page and choose Double .

Type your name , the instructor's name , the course name , and the due date on separate lines.

Press Enter to go to the next line, then select Center Align and type the title of your paper .

Capitalize the first letter of every major word. Do not use bold, italics, or other text formatting options.

Press Enter to go to the next line, then select Left Align .

Press the Tab key to indent, then start typing your first paragraph. Begin every new paragraph with an indent.

After you finish the body of your paper, select Insert > Break > Page Break to create a blank page for the Works Cited page.

The last page of your paper should begin with the words “Works Cited” (without quotation marks) centered below the heading. The format for each works cited entry is different depending on the format of the source. For example, use this format for articles found on the web:

• Author name (last, first). "Title." Publication, Date (day, month, year). URL. Accessed date.

Therefore, an entry for an online news article may appear as follows:

• Kelion, Leo. "Coronavirus: UK contact-tracing app is ready for Isle of Wight downloads." BBC News, 4, May, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52532435 . Accessed 8 May 2020.

Sources should be alphabetized by the author's last name. All works cited entries should have a hanging indent , which means that each line after the first is indented.

For specific examples of how to put different types of sources in MLA format, visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) website .

To get a hanging indent in Google Docs for your Works Cited page:

Highlight all of the text on your Works Cited page and select Format > Align & Indent > Indentation options .

In the Indention options dialog box select Hanging from the Special indent dropdown box and then select Apply .

The default ident of 0.5 inches is acceptable for MLA style.

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So Many Papers, so Little Time

A blog about scientific publishing and academic productivity

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6 Tips for Writing Your Thesis in Google Docs

The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing, which means it’s officially spring time. This is good news for just about everyone… except those with a looming thesis deadline.

If you’re pursuing a Bachelors, Masters, or PhD, you’re either feeling very good or very not-so-good right about now. For some of you, no words have yet made it onto the page. That’s okay! We’re not here to judge. We’re here to help.

One thing you may or may not have considered yet is where you’re going to be writing your thesis. Sure, Microsoft Word is the obvious choice. But is it the best one? There are a lot of problem with Words including feature bloat, incompatibilities between versions and operating systems and   plain old crashes . If you’ve ever considered Word to be the bane of your existence (and who hasn’t?), you may want to consider a simple cloud-based alternative like Google Docs. You’ll be able to work from anywhere, including offline, and barring circumstances of an apocalyptic proportion, you’ll never lose your work. Sounds like a win-win.

If you decide to make the Google Docs plunge for something as important as your thesis, arguably your magnum opus , here are a few tips for making the transition a success.

1. Enable Offline Access

If you chose Google Docs as your go-tool for your thesis you likely to belong to a generation who is online all time. But there are occasionally moments when you are cut off from the internet and want to work on your thesis. You can enable offline access to your Google Docs simply by checking a box in your Google Drive settings . To make all other files in your Google Drive available offline you can   set up desktop sync . Got a long flight coming up? Work on your thesis. Internet’s down at the local coffee shop? Work on your thesis. Commute by train? Work on your thesis. You get the drift. Don’t set up barriers to keep you from getting work done - take action to bring them down.

2. Decide on an Organizational Structure Ahead of Time

Lets face it: your thesis is going to be a big, unruly document. So big in fact, that it probably makes more sense to break it down in manageable chunks while you’re in the development phase. That means setting up different folders and documents based on how your thesis will be organized.

The way you do this can, and should, vary based on the needs of your project and the way that you like to write. One simple way to do it is to break up your document by section of your thesis, so that you have a Google Doc for each of the following: Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results, and Conclusion. Alternatively, you may also choose to keep all of your sections in one document, and take advantage of Google Doc’s new outline feature to move from place to place.

Another way to organize your documents is by theme. If you have topics that cross over sections, this may be the most sensible option. You take the big ideas out of your thesis and write about them one by one. For example, for my thesis in Education, I cover topics like Community of Inquiry, Online Learning, Personality, etc., and I make a document for each of those. When the time comes to pull them all together, I know where to find each of my arguments.

Whatever you do, it’s important to make a decision ahead of time and stick to it . This allows you to keep the same organizational structure across all of your apps. Just like you have the same days of the week across all of your calendars, having your citation management system in the same format as your Google Docs makes life infinitely simpler. Which brings me to my next point…

3. Decide on a Citation Management System

Have you kept track of your sources manually up until now? It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee. Your thesis will be the biggest document you’ve ever managed, and quite possibly the biggest document you ever will manage. No sane person keeps track of hundreds of sources by hand . There’s no need to make more work for yourself, and it’s just plain ludicrous if you have a looming deadline.

You have a ton of options to choose from in this arena. Whatever system you decide to work with, whether it’s a simple add-on to Google Docs or a comprehensive PDF management system, make sure it integrates with your workflow . If it’s a pain to enter data, you won’t do it, and you’ll be left with glaring gaps of information at the end of your project. Keep it simple, and keep it smart.

4. Clean up Your Digital Workspace

One of the many benefits to using Google Docs to write a thesis is that you don’t have to constantly move between windows to get things done. Most of your research is done in-browser, and your writing belongs right next to it. But with great power comes great responsibility. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed and distracted by the magic of the Internet. This is why you should make every effort to keep your digital workspace as tidy as your physical one.

What does this mean? For starters, it means making an assessment of the apps and websites you regularly use to do your research, take notes, and write your thesis. Now jot down a list of these. Go into Chrome (or your preferred browser) and pin them . Pinning a tab keeps it open, neatly organized in the left of your browser window, and unclosable. So everything you need is always handy.

5. Make Use of Add-ons

A few years ago, Google Docs might have seemed like a poor-man’s Microsoft Word. But the platform has become increasingly sophisticated over the years, to the point that some now say it surpasses traditional desktop tools. What takes it to the next level? Add-ons, of course. The Google Docs add-on store is full of helpful apps for students, with more being added every day.

Some particular ones to take note of include AutoLaTeX for statistical equations and Thesaurus for when you’ve used the word “nuance” too many times. Paperpile also offers a free citation generator for Google Docs that makes it a breeze to find, cite, and style academic sources within your document.

6. Leave Time to Make it Pretty

One thing Google Docs cannot do is make a truly visually striking document. It suffers from the same limitations that all WYSIWYG editors do - it can’t be both easy to use and complicated to produce. Ever notice how the paper you converted into PDF from Microsoft Word looks nothing like the journal article you downloaded? The spacing, the balance, all the small details that go into putting together a visually appealing document are lost with WYSIWYG authoring. Google Docs is no different, and it isn’t intended to be. It’s an amazing collaborative and drafting tool. But when it comes to the final product, you can and should go the extra mile into making it look good. This is your magnum opus, remember?

There are many ways to go about this. Many scientists use the programming language LaTeX to create elegant research papers. If the idea of coding seems intimidating, look into a publishing program like Adobe InDesign . Whatever you choose, get comfortable with it before your project is done. And give yourself a solid week to turn the final product into one you’ll be proud of. Will it turn a satisfactory grade into an exemplary one? No. But will it be enough to push a “good” to a “very good”? Possibly. And that makes it worth the effort.

Are you currently writing a thesis in Google Docs? Tell us the good, the bad, and the ugly in the comments.

Brought to you by the folks at Paperpile.

We love papers so we blog about it.

Building the Essay Draft

Building a strong essay draft requires going through a logical progression of stages:, explanation.

Development options

Linking paragraphs

Introductions

Conclusions.

Revising and proofreading the draft

Hints for revising and proofreading

Tip: After you have completed the body of your paper, you can decide what you want to say in your introduction and in your conclusion.

Once you know what you want to talk about and you have written your thesis statement, you are ready to build the body of your essay.

The thesis statement will usually be followed by

• the body of the paper
• the paragraphs that develop the thesis by explaining your ideas by backing them up 
• examples or evidence

Tip: The "examples or evidence" stage is the most important part of the paper, because you are giving your reader a clear idea of what you think and why you think it.

Development Options

• For each reason you have to support your thesis, remember to state your point clearly and explain it.

Tip: Read your thesis sentence over and ask yourself what questions a reader might ask about it. Then answer those questions, explaining and giving examples or evidence.

Show how one thing is similar to another, and then how the two are different, emphasizing the side that seems more important to you. For example, if your thesis states, "Jazz is a serious art form," you might compare and contrast a jazz composition to a classical one.

Show your reader what the opposition thinks (reasons why some people do not agree with your thesis), and then refute those reasons (show why they are wrong).  On the other hand, if you feel that the opposition isn't entirely wrong, you may say so, (concede), but then explain why your thesis is still the right opinion.

• Think about the order in which you have made your points. Why have you presented a certain reason that develops your thesis first, another second? If you can't see any particular value in presenting your points in the order you have, reconsider it until you either decide why the order you have is best, or change it to one that makes more sense to you.
• Does each paragraph develop my thesis?
• Have I done all the development I wish had been done?
• Am I still satisfied with my working thesis, or have I developed my body in ways that mean I must adjust my thesis to fit what I have learned, what I believe, and what I have actually discussed?

Linking Paragraphs

It is important to link your paragraphs together, giving your readers cues so that they see the relationship between one idea and the next, and how these ideas develop your thesis.

Your goal is a smooth transition from paragraph A to paragraph B, which explains why cue words that link paragraphs are often called "transitions."

Tip: Your link between paragraphs may not be one word, but several, or even a whole sentence.

Here are some ways of linking paragraphs:

• To show simply that another idea is coming, use words such as "also," "moreover," or "in addition."
• To show that the next idea is the logical result of the previous one, use words such as "therefore," "consequently," "thus," or "as a result."
• To show that the next idea seems to go against the previous one, or is not its logical result, use words such as "however," "nevertheless," or "still."
• To show you've come to your strongest point, use words such as "most importantly."
• To show you've come to a change in topic, use words such as "on the other hand."
• To show you've come to your final point, use words such as "finally."

After you have come up with a thesis and developed it in the body of your paper, you can decide how to introduce your ideas to your reader.

The goals of an introduction are to

• Get your reader's attention/arouse your reader's curiosity.
• Provide any necessary background information before you state your thesis (often the last sentence of the introductory paragraph).
• Establish why you are writing the paper.

Tip: You already know why you are writing, and who your reader is; now present that reason for writing to that reader.

Hints for writing your introduction:

• Use the Ws of journalism (who, what, when, where, why) to decide what information to give. (Remember that a history teacher doesn't need to be told "George Washington was the first president of the United States." Keep your reader in mind.)
• Add another "W": Why (why is this paper worth reading)? The answer could be that your topic is new, controversial, or very important.
• Catch your reader by surprise by starting with a description or narrative that doesn't hint at what your thesis will be. For example, a paper could start, "It is less than a 32nd of an inch long, but it can kill an adult human," to begin a paper about eliminating malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

There can be many different conclusions to the same paper (just as there can be many introductions), depending on who your readers are and where you want to direct them (follow-up you expect of them after they finish your paper). Therefore, restating your thesis and summarizing the main points of your body should not be all that your conclusion does. In fact, most weak conclusions are merely restatements of the thesis and summaries of the body without guiding the reader toward thinking about the implications of the thesis.

Here are some options for writing a strong conclusion:

Make a prediction about the future. You convinced the reader that thermal energy is terrific, but do you think it will become the standard energy source? When?

Give specific advice. If your readers now understand that multicultural education has great advantages, or disadvantages, or both, whatever your opinion might be, what should they do? Whom should they contact?

Put your topic in a larger context. Once you have proven that physical education should be part of every school's curriculum, perhaps readers  should consider other "frill" courses which are actually essential.

Tip: Just as a conclusion should not be just a restatement of your thesis and summary of your body, it also should not be an entirely new topic, a door opened that you barely lead your reader through and leave them there lost. Just as in finding your topic and in forming your thesis, the safe and sane rule in writing a conclusion is this:  neither too little nor too much.

Revising and Proofreading the Draft

Writing is only half the job of writing..

The writing process begins even before you put pen to paper, when you think about your topic. And, once you finish actually writing, the process continues. What you have written is not the finished essay, but a first draft, and you must go over many times to improve it--a second draft, a third draft, and so on until you have as many as necessary to do the job right. Your final draft, edited and proofread, is your essay, ready for your reader's eyes.

A revision is a "re-vision" of your essay--how you see things now, deciding whether your introduction, thesis, body, and conclusion really express your own vision. Revision is global, taking another look at what ideas you have included in your paper and how they are arranged.

Proofreading

Proofreading is checking over a draft to make sure that everything is complete and correct as far as spelling, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and other such matters go. It's a necessary, if somewhat tedious and tricky, job one that a friend or computer Spellcheck can help you perform. Proofreading is polishing, one spot at a time.

Tip: Revision should come before proofreading: why polish what you might be changing anyway?

Hints for revising and proofreading:

• Leave some time--an hour, a day, several day--between writing and revising. You need some distance to switch from writer to editor, some distance between your initial vision and your re-vision.
• Double-check your writing assignment to be sure you haven't gone off course . It is all right if you've shifted from your original plan, if you know why and are happier with this direction.  Make sure that you are actually following your mentor's assignment.
• Read aloud slowly . You need to get your eye and your ear to work together. At any point that something seems awkward, read it over again. If you're not sure what's wrong--or even if something is wrong--make a notation in the margin and come back to it later. Watch out for "padding;" tighten your sentences to eliminate excess words that dilute your ideas.
• Be on the lookout for points that seem vague or incomplete ; these could present opportunities for rethinking, clarifying, and further developing an idea.
• Get to know what your particular quirks are as a writer. Do you give examples without explaining them, or forget links between paragraphs? Leave time for an extra rereading to look for any weak points.
• Get someone else into the act. Have others read your draft, or read it to them. Invite questions and ask questions yourself, to see if your points are clear and well-developed. Remember, though, that some well-meaning readers can be too easy (or too hard) on a piece of writing.

Tip: Never change anything unless you are convinced that it should be changed .

• Keep tools at hand, such as a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a writing handbook.
• While you're using word processing, remember that computers are wonderful resources for editing and revising.
• When you feel you've done everything you can, first by revising and then by proofreading, and have a nice clean, final draft, put it aside and return later to re-see the whole essay. There may be some last minute fine-tuning that can make all the difference.

Don't forget--if you would like help with at this point in your assignment or any other type of writing assignment, learning coaches are available to assist you.  Please contact Academic Support by emailing [email protected] ; calling 1-800-847-3000, ext 3008; or calling the main number of the location in your region to schedule an appointment. Use this resource to find more information about Academic Support .

Don't forget--if you would like help with at this point in your assignment or any other type of writing assignment, learning coaches are available to assist you.  Please contact Academic Support by emailing [email protected] ; calling 1-800-847-3000, ext 3008; or calling the main number of the location in your region (click  here for more information) to schedule an appointment.

Need Assistance?

If you would like assistance with any type of writing assignment, learning coaches are available to assist you. Please contact Academic Support by emailing [email protected].

Questions or feedback about SUNY Empire's Writing Support?

Contact us at [email protected] .

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• Research Paper Format | APA, MLA, & Chicago Templates

Research Paper Format | APA, MLA, & Chicago Templates

Published on November 19, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on January 20, 2023.

The formatting of a research paper is different depending on which style guide you’re following. In addition to citations , APA, MLA, and Chicago provide format guidelines for things like font choices, page layout, format of headings and the format of the reference page.

Scribbr offers free Microsoft Word templates for the most common formats. Simply download and get started on your paper.

APA |  MLA | Chicago author-date | Chicago notes & bibliography

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• Ensure consistent paragraph formatting
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Table of contents

Formatting an apa paper, formatting an mla paper, formatting a chicago paper, frequently asked questions about research paper formatting.

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in APA Style are as follows:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman or 11 pt Arial.
• Set 1 inch page margins.
• Apply double line spacing.
• If submitting for publication, insert a APA running head on every page.
• Indent every new paragraph ½ inch.

Watch the video below for a quick guide to setting up the format in Google Docs.

The image below shows how to format an APA Style title page for a student paper.

Running head

If you are submitting a paper for publication, APA requires you to include a running head on each page. The image below shows you how this should be formatted.

For student papers, no running head is required unless you have been instructed to include one.

APA provides guidelines for formatting up to five levels of heading within your paper. Level 1 headings are the most general, level 5 the most specific.

Reference page

APA Style citation requires (author-date) APA in-text citations throughout the text and an APA Style reference page at the end. The image below shows how the reference page should be formatted.

Note that the format of reference entries is different depending on the source type. You can easily create your citations and reference list using the free APA Citation Generator.

Generate APA citations for free

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The main guidelines for writing an MLA style paper are as follows:

• Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman.
• Use title case capitalization for headings .

Check out the video below to see how to set up the format in Google Docs.

On the first page of an MLA paper, a heading appears above your title, featuring some key information:

• Your full name
• Your instructor’s or supervisor’s name
• The course name or number
• The due date of the assignment

Page header

A header appears at the top of each page in your paper, including your surname and the page number.

Works Cited page

MLA in-text citations appear wherever you refer to a source in your text. The MLA Works Cited page appears at the end of your text, listing all the sources used. It is formatted as shown below.

You can easily create your MLA citations and save your Works Cited list with the free MLA Citation Generator.

Generate MLA citations for free

The main guidelines for writing a paper in Chicago style (also known as Turabian style) are:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman.
• Use 1 inch margins or larger.
• Place page numbers in the top right or bottom center.

Chicago doesn’t require a title page , but if you want to include one, Turabian (based on Chicago) presents some guidelines. Lay out the title page as shown below.

Bibliography or reference list

Chicago offers two citation styles : author-date citations plus a reference list, or footnote citations plus a bibliography. Choose one style or the other and use it consistently.

The reference list or bibliography appears at the end of the paper. Both styles present this page similarly in terms of formatting, as shown below.

To format a paper in APA Style , follow these guidelines:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman or 11 pt Arial
• Set 1 inch page margins
• Apply double line spacing
• Include a title page
• If submitting for publication, insert a running head on every page
• Indent every new paragraph ½ inch
• Apply APA heading styles
• Cite your sources with APA in-text citations
• List all sources cited on a reference page at the end

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style are as follows:

• Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman
• Include a four-line MLA heading on the first page
• Center the paper’s title
• Use title case capitalization for headings
• Cite your sources with MLA in-text citations
• List all sources cited on a Works Cited page at the end

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in Chicago style are to:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman
• Use 1 inch margins or larger
• Place page numbers in the top right or bottom center
• Cite your sources with author-date citations or Chicago footnotes
• Include a bibliography or reference list

To automatically generate accurate Chicago references, you can use Scribbr’s free Chicago reference generator .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, January 20). Research Paper Format | APA, MLA, & Chicago Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved September 22, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-paper/research-paper-format/

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How to format your book manuscript in Google Docs

Are you using Google Docs to write a book? Maybe you’re wondering how you should format your manuscript to send to a publisher or agent. If you’re new to writing, maybe you don’t know that there is a right (and a wrong) way to present your manuscript.

Never fear, I’ve got you covered. This post will show you how to set up your book professionally in Google Docs.

Personally I prefer Word for handling large documents, but there’s many reasons you might want to format your book in Google Docs , especially if you’re working across many devices. Also, it’s free!

Standard manuscript format

Firstly, it’s helpful to know the standard settings for manuscripts or short stories. This applies to any formatting regardless of the software.

• Times New Roman or Courier font (I personally prefer Times)
• Double spaced
• 1 inch margins
• First line of each paragraph hanging (indented)
• Left alignment
• Your name/story title/page number in the top right hand corner

The number one tip I can give is to double check requirements for your manuscript with the publisher before submitting – they will include these requirements with their submission guidelines. But they’re likely to be standard manuscript format.

I’m going to use text from my short story ‘Lady Loveday Investigates’ to set up the document. You can do this on an existing manuscript or on a fresh document. If you’re creating a fresh document, I’d recommend saving it as a template before adding your text, so that you can reuse it in the future.

Formatting the manuscript in Google Docs

Open up Google Docs.

Start a blank document

Rename the document. I like to make sure it is labelled with the DRAFT status, so that I know exactly what copy I’m working on.

The title page header should include:

• Address (some places no longer require this)
• Phone number
• Number of words

Double click into the top of the Google Docs page to add this information into the header. Your first page header should be different to the other pages

Centred in the middle of the page in all caps should be the:

• Title of the book

After the title page is complete, you can work on the manuscript itself.

After your title page, headers should be right aligned and include:

• Title of book
• Page numbers

Double click into the top of the Google Docs page to add this information into the header. To add page numbers, click the Options button.

This will bring up a menu where you can specify the page numbers. List the start number at 0, so that it skips the title page and your first page of text is labelled 1.

Font and paragraph styles

Change font and size.

Convert your text to the following by highlighting it and selecting

• Times New Roman
• Left aligned (not full)

Chapter headings

• Times New Roman Italic
• Center aligned

Fix your paragraph styles

To indent your text with the first line hanging, go to: Format > Align & indent > Indentation options.

In the menu, select Special indent > First line

To double space paragraphs select all and go to: Format > Line & Paragraph spacing > Double.

Once you’ve done that, you can use these styles to update the heading and paragraph styles across the board. This will fix any missed formatting, and ensure all your new text is in the right style.

Click on the style you want to update and navigate to Format > Paragraph styles > (the text style you want to update) > Update to match.

Scene breaks

Add a scene break by using a centre aligned hash (#).

Organising chapters

You can start a new chapter or section by inserting a page break. Remember to put your chapter title in Heading 2 format.

It’s really helpful to keep your chapters organised with heading styles, so that they appear in the sidebar here. While it might not seem like much now, when you’ve got 40 chapters, that navigation pane becomes very handy. It’s especially useful if you’re writing a non-fiction book with lots of sections and sub-sections. Heading styles also make it easier to export a correctly formatted e-book.

Exporting your document

From here, you can export it as a Word document (.docx) if you’re sending it to publishers, or even an EPUB format if you’re sending it to e-readers.

Now that you know how to format your manuscript correctly in Google Docs, you can be confident that your work will appear professional to editors, agents, and publishers. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer them.

12 responses to “How to format your book manuscript in Google Docs”

Shame no one offers a free basic 6×9 chapter template for formatting a normal novel in google docs, even google docs don’t offer any good templates just fancy cooured stuff and menus that no one wants, too much confusion and messy websites clogging up the internet full of adverts, no wonder etsy sellers are making a fortune selling basic templates that are impossible to find anywhere, i guess i’ll have to go back to etsy and buy one

This was so helpful. I usually write on the go and I desperately needed some direction to continue my writing. Thank you for taking the effort to post this!

No problem! Glad it could help you out. 😀

Are there folks who i can share my Google Doc book with that will format it for me for a nominal fee ? I need help

Awesome article, I’m currently working on a novel and needed the guidance!

Hi Ken, I don’t have anyone I can recommend specifically but I’m sure there are people out there.

Fab! Glad it could help!

Thank you so much, Kat for doing this. You were SO very helpful. I needed help with formatting. Your video was super easy to listen to and follow. God bless you for this!

My absolute pleasure! Glad it could help 😀

ive been a writer along time since school really and my writings evolved but i only just started using paragraphs like 3 years ago which ik is bad but i was a kid now im writing much better my only question is how do i moniterize my chapters if there 3 acts with parts in each chapter i was attempting to lesson the blow of how massive it is

Well, now I’m even more confused! I have read so many opinions on this, and have been writing My book with 1.15″ line spacing, as I saw elsewhere! I now have 239 pages done, including many pictures, using 12 pt Sans Serif, as was suggested! I am Not starting over! 🙂

It shouldn’t take too much to put it into double spacing, but it depends on your output. This advice is for submitting to publishers and agents, not for something like e-publishing.

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Work with email drafts on Google Docs

• On your computer, open a Google Doc .

• You can also type "@email" in the doc and press Enter .
• To add recipients in the "To" field, type "@" and search your contacts, or type out email addresses.
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Preview and send your email draft in Gmail

• In the pop-up Gmail window, you can make additional changes to your email.
• Important : The email draft will be sent from the account you are logged into.

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I’m using Google Docs to write a novel — steal my tips

Feb 22, 2023

[[read-time]] min read

Meet your goals and tell your story.

Writing a book is on many people’s bucket lists, but it's easier said than done. Storytelling involves a lot more than chewing on the end of a pencil and creating genius one-liners that will be quoted for generations to come. It’s a continuous process of drafting, revising and receiving feedback. As someone working on her first novel, I’m well aware of this (sometimes humbling) fact.

I realized I needed help early on in the first draft of my work in progress. Every day, it seemed like I wasn’t writing quickly enough, often enough, well enough. To make matters worse, I lost all my progress when a writing program I was using crashed. I knew if I was really going to do this, I needed a tool to better support my writing. So I switched to Google Docs.

Docs provided me with the flexibility and resources I needed to power through my first draft, and I’ve discovered even more features while doing revisions and working on a few other stories too. If writing a novel is a goal of yours, too, here are some ways Google Docs can help you make it happen.

1. Turn on offline access

One of my favorite places to write is my local park. I’m inspired by the world around me — the hidden trails lined with trees, the hikers sharing stories from their travels, the sun warming my skin — but Wi-Fi’s not always easy to find in the great outdoors. Luckily, I don’t have to be connected to the internet to create, view and edit within Google Docs. Turning on offline access in my Google Drive settings lets me keep working on my draft, no matter where I am.

2. Format your draft with headings

Whether you plot out your novel ahead of time or just go where your muse takes you, a blank page can be intimidating. That’s why I start my stories off with a clean title page, document outline and chapter titles formatted as headings. Rebecca Hsieh, a Product Manager on Docs, is also a fan of headings in Docs.

“As a product manager, I’m writing pretty lengthy Docs all the time,” says Rebecca. “I use headings to help break up the massive wall of text and separate different topics and sub-topics, both for my mental clarity and easier reading for others. I love that with headings, you can customize and save your preferred styles so they become the defaults for new documents.” For the easiest navigation possible, Rebecca also likes to add a table of contents when her documents are more than four pages or so. (As a bonus, all those headings help you get something on the page if you’re nervous to really dive in!)

3. Display word count while typing

The Google Docs “Display word count” feature can be a great tool for short-term writing challenges. Pushing myself to type out 1,000 words in a writing sprint helps me increase my writing speed and combat perfectionism; I’ve also found that it makes writing difficult scenes more exciting. If you also find it motivating to watch that word count climb, select the “Display word count while typing” box when checking your word count in Docs.

Ideal for writing sprints, this feature lets you keep track of the number of words, characters or pages while you type.

4. Try typing with your voice

When I hit a wall, I find that voice typing is an easy way to make my writing more conversational. It also doesn’t hurt that I can give my hands a break. Just be sure to use Docs’ spelling and grammar check to clean up any punctuation before sending your story off to your editor, if you’re working with one.

5. Write across devices

My best ideas seem to come at the least convenient times, like while I’m waiting in line at the DMV, during long bus rides or right after I’ve tucked myself into bed for the night. If I had to race to my laptop every time I thought of new dialogue, I’d probably give up on writing all together. Luckily, Google Docs is cloud-based, making it easy to access drafts on multiple devices. If I come up with a great piece of dialogue in the middle of the night, I can roll over, grab my cell phone and easily jot down my thoughts. In the morning, I can continue working from my laptop.

6. Use Tasks to create a writing to-do list

Writing a novel is admittedly daunting, but like any good hero’s journey, the adventure takes place one step at a time. I find it way less intimidating when I focus on small steps towards my goal, like plotting out a chapter or coming up with character names, than it would be if I just sat down and told myself to write a book. Rebecca recommends using Tasks , located in the Docs sidebar, to break down chapters and edits into actionable chunks.

”If a friend leaves a comment that a paragraph needs to be reworked, you can add a task for yourself and give yourself a deadline,” says Rebecca. “I use Tasks and it saves me a lot of time.”

Tasks created in the Docs sidebar can be viewed in Calendar, Drive, Gmail and other Google Workspace apps.

7. Compare current and previous drafts with version history

There’s a great saying that “the only writing is rewriting.” If you’re anything like me, it’s often more accurate to say, “The only writing is rewriting, then revising just to delete everything and start from scratch again .” Using Docs’ version history allows me to go back and look at things I deleted weeks ago. This can be useful for finding deleted information, but I also find that reading old drafts boosts my confidence and shows how much I’ve improved. I can even restore earlier drafts … or not.

8. Share with beta readers

The most valuable part of the writing process for me is receiving feedback and encouragement from those I trust. Docs’ collaboration features take some pain out of revising, helping me easily collect and review suggestions and comments from beta readers. My writing group also uses Docs to swap scenes. It’s even possible to co-write a story with a friend by giving them edit access.

Writing a novel can be a huge project filled with challenges ranging from correcting spelling errors to overhauling an entire draft. Luckily, if you’ve got big literary dreams, Google Docs is filled with tools to help you along the way.

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