What You Need to Craft a Book and Quill
A Book and Quill in Minecraft is a writing tool that lets you create and edit text on pages, then sign the book to lock it. To make one, you need three specific items: one book, one ink sac, and one feather. The book itself is made from three pieces of paper and one piece of leather, so if you don't have a book yet, you'll need to gather those materials first.
The easiest way to get these materials is to find them in the world or craft them. Paper comes from sugar cane (three sugar cane in a row on the crafting table makes three paper). Leather drops from cows, horses, llamas, and hoglins when you kill them. Ink sacs come from squids in water, and feathers drop from chickens. Once you have all three items plus a book, you're ready to craft.
Key Takeaways
- A Book and Quill requires one book, one ink sac, and one feather placed in a crafting table in the right pattern.
- Books are made from three paper and one leather, so you may need to gather sugar cane and kill cows or other mobs first.
- Ink sacs come from squids in water, and feathers drop from chickens when killed.
- Once crafted, you can open the Book and Quill, type text on multiple pages, and then sign it to create a permanent written book.
Gathering the Three Materials You Need
Start by finding or killing a squid to get an ink sac. Squids spawn in water at any light level, so head to the nearest ocean, river, or lake. Kill the squid and pick up the ink sac it drops. You only need one.
Next, find a feather by killing chickens. Chickens are common in most biomes during the day and drop feathers when killed. You need just one feather. If you're having trouble finding chickens, you can also find feathers in various loot chests in structures like villages or temples, though hunting chickens is usually faster.
Finally, you need a book. If you don't have one already, craft it by placing three pieces of paper in a row on the top of a crafting table, then place one piece of leather directly below the middle paper. This makes one book. To get paper, find sugar cane growing near water and break it, then place three sugar cane in a horizontal line on your crafting table to make three paper. To get leather, kill cows, horses, llamas, or hoglins.
Placing Items in the Crafting Table
Open your crafting table and place the three items in this exact pattern: put the book in the center square, the ink sac directly to the left of the book, and the feather directly above the book. The empty squares don't matter. When you place them correctly, the Book and Quill will appear in the result box on the right side of the crafting window.
If nothing appears in the result box, check that you have the right items and that they're in the right spots. A common mistake is placing the ink sac or feather in the wrong square. The book must be in the center, the ink sac to its left, and the feather above it.
Using Your Book and Quill to Write
Once you've crafted the Book and Quill, place it in your inventory and right-click it (or use your interact button on console or mobile) to open the writing screen. You'll see a blank page with a text cursor ready for you to type. Type whatever you want on this page — there's no character limit per page, but the text will wrap to fit.
To move to the next page, press Page Down or scroll down in the text box. You can create up to 50 pages in a single Book and Quill. If you want to go back to a previous page, press Page Up or scroll up. You can edit any page at any time while the book is unsigned.
Signing Your Book to Make It Permanent
When you're done writing, look for the "Sign" button at the bottom of the writing screen and click it. A new screen will appear asking you to enter a title for your book and your name as the author. Type the title you want (up to 64 characters) and your name, then click "Sign Book" to finish.
Once you sign a book, you can no longer edit it. If you want to make changes after signing, you'll need to craft a new Book and Quill. However, you can still read the signed book by right-clicking it, and other players can read it too if you're on a multiplayer server. Signed books can also be copied — place a signed book and an unsigned Book and Quill on a crafting table together, and you'll get a copy of the signed book.
What to Do If You Can't Find Materials
If you're in a biome with no water (like a desert or badlands), you won't find squids easily. In that case, travel to the nearest ocean or river to hunt for squids. If you can't find chickens, try exploring different biomes or waiting until daytime, when chickens are more active. You can also breed chickens by feeding them seeds — plant some wheat and harvest the seeds, then feed them to two chickens to make baby chickens.
If you're in the early game and don't have leather yet, focus on finding cows first. Cows are common in plains and forest biomes. Kill at least one cow to get the leather you need for a book. If you're still stuck, check nearby villages — some chests in village structures contain books, ink sacs, or feathers, which can save you time gathering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I copy a Book and Quill before I sign it?
No. You can only copy a book after you sign it. Unsigned Books and Quills cannot be duplicated. If you want multiple copies of your writing, sign the book first, then place the signed book and an unsigned Book and Quill together on a crafting table.
What happens if I lose a signed book?
A signed book is gone for good unless you made a copy before losing it. There's no way to recover a lost book, so if you've written something important, make copies by placing the signed book and blank Books and Quills on a crafting table together.
Can I edit a book after I sign it?
No. Once signed, a book is locked and cannot be edited. You can read it, copy it, and give it to other players, but you cannot change the text. If you need to make changes, you'll have to write a new book.
How many pages can a Book and Quill have?
A Book and Quill can have up to 50 pages. Each page can hold as much text as you want — the text will wrap to fit the page size. Once you reach 50 pages, you cannot add more.
Do I need to be in Creative mode to make a Book and Quill?
No. You can craft a Book and Quill in Survival mode just like any other item, as long as you have the three materials: a book, an ink sac, and a feather. Creative mode is not required.