How to Create Book Templates

Publishers can significantly reduce publishing time by leveraging book templates. Templates are most useful when publishers are authoring books that contain the same information and/or structure, such as chapters and pages.

Article Topics

• Methods for Creating Book Templates
• Attributes that Can be Added or Modified in Template Properties
• Attributes that Can be Added or Modified in a Book's Media Properties, Only
• How to Create a Template from an Existing Book
• How to Create a New Book Template

Methods for Creating Books Templates

Parts book templates can be created in two different ways. The first method is to create a template from an existing book, in Publisher > Media Manager > Media Properties, to copy the table of contents structure and pages, as well as any metadata, including thumbnails, tags and comments. The second method is to create a new, blank template in Publisher > Template Manager. Both methods are described below. Book templates are can be created, utilized or managed in Publisher > Template Manager. 

Attributes that Can be Added or Modified in Template Properties

• Tag Names
• Tag Values
• Content within the Table of Contents (Pages, Chapters, etc.)

Attributes that Can be Added or Modified in a Book’s Media Properties, Only

• Access Controls
• Related/Thumbnail
• Comments
• Print Settings
• Offline Options
• Chapter and Page Properties

How to Create a Template from an Existing Book

In order to use this method of template generation, the book that you wish to create the template from must already exist. The table of contents and tag values can be updated once the template has been created. However, it is important to note that access controls, comments, related items, and offline viewable options are not editable within the template properties panel. All content copied from the book into the template (other than tags and the table of contents) is only editable in the ‘Media Properties’ panel after the template has been used to generate a new book.

1. Log in to Documoto.
2. Click on the ‘Admin’ drop-down and select ‘Publisher.’
3. In the ‘Media Manager’ selector panel, use the filter and search options to find the book that you are planning to copy into a template format.
4. Click on the book in the ‘Media Selector’ grid to highlight it.
5. Click the ‘To Template’ button. 
6. In the ‘Create Template from Book’ window, enter a template identifier in the ‘Identifier’ field.
7. Select the ‘Create’ button. 
8. You will be brought to the ‘Template Properties’ for that template in the ‘Template Manager.’
9.  

How to Create a New Book Template

Publishers that want templates that exist as shells with a simply defined structure might find it useful to create new templates.

1. Log in to Documoto.
2. Click on the ‘Admin’ drop-down and select ‘Publisher.’
3. Choose the ‘Template Manager’ from the ‘Management’ section of the left navigation pane.
4. Select the ‘New’ button.
5. 
6. Enter an appropriate template identifier in the ‘Identifier’ field.
7. Add a template name in the ‘Translation’ table.
8. Add tags that will apply to the books that are created from this new template by clicking the ‘Add’ button in the ‘Tags’ table.
9. Click the ‘Create’ button.
10. 
11. Once in the template ‘Template Properties’ panel, click the ‘Table of Contents’ button to open and begin populating the table of contents.
12. 
13. Click ‘More’ to add chapters and pages to the template.
14. For instructions on how to populate chapters and pages in a Table of Contents, refer to: How to Add Chapters and Pages to Books
15. 
16. Once you are done creating your template structure, click ‘Save’ to save your newly populated TOC.
17. Your template will now be available in the ‘Template Manager’ in Publisher to send ‘To Media.'