Galley as a Word & Google Docs alternative
Last reviewed July 2026
The facts first: Word (with Microsoft 365) and Google Docs (free) are general document editors. They're great for text and working with other people, but they don't know about trim sizes, mirrored margins, gutters or EPUB. To make a book from them, you set up the pages by hand or use a conversion tool. Galley (€199 once) is made for books, so all of that is set up by default, and it exports the print PDF and EPUB itself.
Most writers start in Word or Google Docs. There, a novel is one long document with no real chapters, nowhere to keep track of your characters, and find-and-replace as the only revision tool. When you publish, print-on-demand needs mirrored margins, a gutter that gets wider with the page count, front matter set up properly, and an EPUB. A document editor can't do those without a lot of manual work or plugins.
In Galley, chapters are separate, and your characters and places are saved in the story bible. You write on a page at your trim size in a book typeface, and the export menu gives you files a printer or store will accept. Your editor still gets a .docx, exported from Galley.
| Feature | Galley | Word / Google Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | €199 once | Docs free · Word via Microsoft 365 subscription |
| Built for books | Yes, chapters, trims, front/back matter | No, general documents |
| True book page while drafting | Yes | No |
| Print-interior PDF & EPUB | Yes, with KDP preflight included | Manual setup or converters |
| Story bible | Built in | A second document you stop updating |
| Revision analytics | Overused words, name consistency, pacing | No |
| Real-time co-editing | No | Yes, and it's great |
| Version history | Daily per-chapter snapshots | Document history |
| Works everywhere | Web (desk-sized screens) | Everywhere, including phones |
Formatting a book in Word or Docs
Writing a novel in a word processor is fine until you format it. For print-on-demand, you set mirrored margins and a gutter by hand, and check them again whenever the page count changes. Running heads and page numbers don't work well with section breaks. You have to know the front matter conventions yourself, like which pages start on the right. And there's no EPUB export, so you use a converter and then fix whatever it got wrong.
Galley doesn't have those problems, because your manuscript is laid out as a book from the start. The trim and gutter are set for the whole book, front and back matter follow the conventions, and it exports a valid print PDF and EPUB. Your editor still gets a clean .docx for tracked changes.
The story bible helps too. In Word, notes like "who has grey eyes" end up in a separate document that's easy to forget about. In Galley, characters, places and the timeline are saved with the book, and you can open them from the page you're writing on.
Stay with Word or Docs if…
- You edit live with other people, which Google Docs is great at
- You often write on a phone
- Someone else does all the formatting and publishing for you
Choose Galley if…
- You're writing a novel you want to publish yourself
- You don't want a separate formatting step, or to pay someone to do it
- You want your characters and notes saved with the book
Common questions
Can’t I just write my book in Word or Google Docs?
You can, and lots of people do. They’re fine for drafting. The problems come at the end, when you have to set mirrored margins and gutters by hand, get page numbers and running heads working with section breaks, and use a converter for the EPUB. Galley doesn’t have those problems, because the manuscript is laid out as a book from the first sentence.
My editor works in Word. Does Galley handle that?
Yes. Galley exports a clean .docx for your editor, and when they send it back, it imports their changes and comments. Your book stays in Galley, and you only use Word to send it back and forth.
Is Galley a subscription like Microsoft 365?
No. Galley is €199 once, with updates included. Google Docs is free, and Word usually comes with a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Details checked in July 2026. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace pricing depends on the plan and where you are, so check their sites. If I've got something wrong, email me and I'll fix it.