# DIY Book Formats

> Derek Murphy's free book formatting templates for Microsoft Word and InDesign, with an optional paid premium template pack for more designs.

Source: https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/formatting/diy-book-formats
Website: https://diybookformats.com
Category: Formatting & Layout (https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/formatting)
Pricing: freemium — $0–$97
AI-powered: no
Tags: template-pack, free-templates, derek-murphy, creativindie, word-templates, indesign, print-formatting, diy-formatting, budget
Last verified: 2026-07-01
Best For: Budget-conscious first-time authors who want free Word or InDesign templates plus step-by-step guidance to format a print book themselves
Formats Supported: docx, indesign, print-pdf
Platform: windows, mac
Tool Type: template-pack

DIY Book Formats is book-designer and bestselling author Derek Murphy's hub of free, downloadable book interior templates for Microsoft Word and Adobe InDesign. Aimed squarely at budget-conscious and first-time self-publishers, it pairs a free starter pack of genre templates with detailed tutorials, recommended free fonts, and a self-publishing email course — the free counterpart to paid template shops like Book Design Templates.

The free bundle includes sample templates plus five genre-specific designs, each offering several chapter-heading styles. Murphy also sells a larger premium pack for authors who want more designs.

## What You Get

- **Free starter templates:** editable Microsoft Word and InDesign interior templates you download and drop your manuscript into
- **Genre coverage:** designs and guidance for novels, nonfiction/how-to, cookbooks, and children's picture books, commonly at the 6x9" print trim size
- **DIY guidance included:** step-by-step formatting tutorials, a curated list of free fonts, and a free email series on self-publishing on a budget
- **Print-focused:** templates are built for print-on-demand interiors (KDP, IngramSpark) with correct margins and page setup

## Pricing

| Tier | Price |
|---|---|
| Free starter template pack | $0 |
| Premium template pack (more genres/designs) | $97 (often on sale ~$47) |

The free templates are fully usable on their own; the premium pack is an optional upgrade. Both are one-time, not subscriptions.

## Best For

- First-time authors who want to test-drive the template approach before paying for anything
- Budget publishers who are comfortable following a tutorial and editing a Word or InDesign file themselves

## Limitations

- **Not software** — these are template files, not a formatting app; there's no live preview or automated export
- **Free set is intentionally limited** — a starter selection designed to lead toward the paid premium pack
- **Ebook output is secondary** — the templates are print-first; authors needing polished EPUB may prefer a dedicated formatter

## Alternatives

- **Book Design Templates** — the established paid alternative with a wider genre range and four included file formats (Word, Pages, Affinity, InDesign)
- **Reedsy Studio** / **Atticus** — guided formatting apps if you'd rather not hand-edit a template
- **Adobe InDesign** / **Affinity Publisher** — full layout software for authors who outgrow templates