How to fix pagination and header/footer formatting issues within the Word Sample Template download from Kindle Direct Publishing

Amy J Miller 0 Reputation points
2026-05-22T18:45:38.64+00:00

The numbering should begin with #1 on the right-side with Chapter One. In my template it doesn't. The pagination begin on the blank page, right side before the chapter, with #2. The #1 appears on the left-side blank page. Chapter one begins with 3. But, there's no four on the next page, the numbering takes up with #5, the skip, then #7, then skip, then #9, and so forth. This only occurs in Chapter One, the subsequent chapters the page numbering is correct.

As to the Header, if the Odd and Even pages box is checked, what is typed on the left-side repeats on the right side, and throughout the entirety of document, including the front matter - title, copyright, dedication, etc. If the typed word(s) - which should be Author's Name on the left, Book Title on the right - are edited, it appears thusly throughout the rest of the document. If Odd and Even pages is unchecked, there's no even pages.

The formatting was not altered from the original template, except to add in a prologue, which is neither Front Matter Roman numeral numbered, nor a part of the main text body that is numbered with Arabic. It begins on the right side as expected, directly after a section break that ends the Table of Contents, and a blank page.

All the text was copied from another Word document, and pasted into the Word Sample Template, baked in formatting not altered. While pagination was included, as First Line and single spacing, there were no Section breaks or Page breaks formatted within that original text.

As the document now sits, the Word Sample Template document, it is unusable. And over a week of formatting work and worry utterly wasted. I could try again, start again with a blank Sample Template, however, without further guidance, the notion of ending right back here typing my frustration into Help...well, future technology choices going back into committee.

Asking for any assistance with this Word Sample Template formatting fiasco.

Thank you.

AmyJ

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
Answer recommended by moderator
Stefan Blom 353.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2026-05-23T19:38:56.06+00:00

Your screen shot, part of which I reproduce below, indicates that your document contains multiple sections. If both "Different odd and even" and "Different first page" are enabled, you have three headers (and three footers) per section.

You will have to carefully investigate which content is in which type of header (or footer) and which header (footer) is linked to which. The "linkage" applies to a header (footer) of the same type in the preceding section. For more, see http://wordfaqs.ssbarnhill.com/HeaderFooter.htm .

Screen Cap 2026-05-23 at 21.33.45

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  1. Amy J Miller 0 Reputation points
    2026-05-30T18:00:19.8766667+00:00

    Thank you for your reply.

    Yes, I checked the entire manuscript/document in Print Preview, not Print Layout. And without the addition of the Odd Page Break there are two chapters that will begin on an Even page. And after those Breaks the header text switches to the opposite sides.

    Despite long searching I can find no tutorial that explains what precisely should/should not be checked in each section/chapter's header/footer for publishing industry standard formatting in Word. I am sure that the issue is something simple as that.

    Thank you again.

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  2. Amy J Miller 0 Reputation points
    2026-05-29T19:12:50.6333333+00:00

    Thank you to all who have given your advice on my Word Template issue.

    I deleted the first mishigas of a formatting nightmare, and started again, from the beginning. Copy/paste into another Word Sample template, the whole manuscript from the original Word file. Decided to make the prologue/epilogue as separate chapters, and the pagination has remained correct throughout! Victory! However...

    In order for the text follows industry standards of a chapter beginning on the right-side, the insertion of Odd-Page breaks was required for several chapters. And here is the new trouble -

    In the Header, before the first Odd-Page break the Author's Name is on the left, the title is on the right, which is the common placement. After that Odd-Page break, Title is on the left, Author's name on the right. Several chapters later, after the second Odd-Page break, the text reverts to before.

    I can find nothing that differs in the Header of those changed chapters with the exception of the Odd-Page break directly before. If that Odd-Page break is removed, though, if a simple Page Break is instead inserted, the chapter then begins on the left side. (Of course the positioning checked in Print Preview). If the Header text is changed to reverse/correct the order, the text in the headers above changes to the opposite left/right positions.

    No other formatting was altered.

    I truly do not wish to start a third time.

    Thank you!

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  3. Suzanne S Barnhill 279.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-05-23T01:14:24.3766667+00:00

    For each section that you want to start with an odd page, you need an Odd Page section break. You can then enable Different Odd and Even and Different First Page. You will need to put your content in the First Page Header, Even Page Header, and Odd Page Header. Be aware that Word will not display an odd/recto page on the right in Print Layout view; you need to view the document in Print Preview to see true facing pages. This view will also display any blank even page that has been inserted before a new odd page after an Odd Page break.

    For more on formatting books, see http://wordfaqs.ssbarnhill.com/FrontMatterRibbon.htm.

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  4. Stefan Blom 353.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-05-22T19:26:16.1766667+00:00

    Which type of document or template is this? Is it something that you downloaded from Microsoft's templates site?

    If you shared a representative sample, it would be easier to diagnose the issue.

    Note that part of what you said so far is consistent with how headers/footers work in Word. For example, if "Different odd & even pages" is activated, and you then clear the option, the even headers/footers are lost and replaced with the odd page header/footer content.

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