Quick Start Template Guide for LibreOffice and OpenOffice

Quick Start Template Guide for LibreOffice and OpenOffice

Our book design templates are Microsoft Word (.docx) files, and LibreOffice Writer opens them beautifully, so you can format a professional print and ebook interior using free software. This guide walks you through downloading the template, working with the built-in paragraph styles, pouring in your manuscript chapter by chapter, and exporting a print-ready PDF. OpenOffice works in a similar way, but LibreOffice is the better-maintained choice today, so we recommend it.

Before You Begin

  • Download the free LibreOffice suite from libreoffice.org and install it.
  • Our templates are .docx files, so no special import step is needed. LibreOffice Writer reads them directly.
  • Keep your original manuscript handy in a separate file. You will copy text from it into the template.

Getting Started

  1. Download and Unzip the Template
    • Download the template .zip file from your account or order confirmation
    • Right-click the .zip and choose "Extract All" (Windows) or double-click it (Mac) to unzip
    • Inside you will find the .docx template files, fonts, and any included guides
  2. Open the Template in LibreOffice Writer
    • Right-click the .docx file and choose "Open with" then LibreOffice Writer
    • Keep the file in Word format when prompted (do not convert to .odt) so it stays compatible with print vendors
    • Immediately save a working copy with your project name using File > Save As

Working with Styles

The templates do their work through paragraph styles. Instead of formatting text by hand, you apply a named style and the look is set for you.

  1. Open the Styles Panel
    • Press F11 to open the Styles sidebar (or use Styles > Manage Styles)
    • Make sure the paragraph styles icon is selected at the top of the panel
    • You will see the same named styles the template was built with
  2. Apply a Style
    • Click anywhere in a paragraph, then double-click the style name in the panel
    • Common styles include:
      • Body (for main text)
      • Chapter Title
      • Subheads (A and B levels)
      • Quotations
    • The first paragraph after a chapter title or scene break usually has its own no-indent style, so leave that one as it is

Pouring In Your Manuscript

Work chapter by chapter rather than pasting the whole book at once. This keeps the styles clean and makes problems easy to spot.

  1. Copy One Chapter at a Time
    • In your manuscript, select and copy the text of a single chapter
    • In the template, use Edit > Paste Special > Unformatted Text (Ctrl+Shift+V) so your old formatting does not come along
    • Paste into the body area the template provides for chapter text
  2. Apply the Right Styles
    • Set the chapter heading paragraph to the Chapter Title style
    • Set the running text to the Body style
    • Apply Subhead and Quotation styles where your book uses them
  3. Repeat and Keep the Structure
    • Each new chapter should start on a fresh page, following the pattern already in the template
    • Copy the template's existing chapter break so page breaks and section breaks stay intact

Checking Page Size, Margins, and Fonts

Page Size and Margins

  • Go to Format > Page Style to confirm the trim size and margins carried over from the template
  • The page size should match your chosen trim (for example 6x9), and the margins should be the ones the template set
  • Do not change these values unless you have a specific reason. The template was measured for print.

Fonts

  • If a template font is not installed on your computer, LibreOffice will quietly substitute a different font, which changes the look and the page count
  • To install the included fonts, open the fonts folder from the unzipped template, double-click each font file, and click Install
  • Close and reopen LibreOffice after installing so it sees the new fonts, then reopen your template
  • If a font is missing, install it first rather than picking a lookalike by hand

Exporting a Print-Ready PDF

  1. Open the Export Dialog
    • Choose File > Export As > Export as PDF
  2. Choose the Right Settings
    • On the General tab, keep image quality high (LibreOffice embeds fonts in the PDF by default)
    • On the Security tab, do not set any passwords or restrictions. Print vendors reject secured PDFs.
    • Click Export and choose where to save
  3. eBook Files
    • Many ebook vendors accept the .docx file directly, so a clean, correctly styled template file is often all you need
    • Check your vendor's requirements before creating any other file type

Honest Caveats

  • Minor spacing differences compared with Microsoft Word are normal. LibreOffice renders text a little differently, so a line or a page may fall in a slightly different place.
  • Always proof the exported PDF page by page before you send it to a vendor. Check chapter openings, running heads, page numbers, and any images.
  • OpenOffice can open the same .docx templates, but it is updated less often than LibreOffice, so we recommend LibreOffice for the smoothest results.
  • Keep your original template file untouched as a master, and always work in a saved copy.

Getting Help

Prefer to have it done for you? Our sister service formats your whole book interior, cover, and marketing kit at BookDesigner.ai, with a free preview of your own manuscript.