How do I input page numbers to a book written in two columns on each page?

Probably best to create the text in portrait mode using one column and then when you print, print two pages per sheet.  Then the page numbering will take care of itself.

However, for what you have, for what will be the odd numbered pages, use the following field construction

{ = 2 * { page } - 1 }

and for the even pages, use

{ = 2 * { page } }

You must use Ctrl+F9 to insert each pair of field delimiters { } and you use Alt+F9 to toggle off their display.

I suggest that you take a look at the following article by Daiya Mitchell:

http://daiya.mvps.org/bookword.htm

You don't need to do this. Instead, on the Margins tab of the Page Setup dialog, from the "Multiple pages" dropdown, choose "2 pages per sheet." This will give you two 5.5" x 8.5" pages (portrait) on a landscape 8.5" x 11" page. Word will present the document as single pages, and you can treat them just as you would a full-sheet page, adding page numbers, page borders, and any other formatting you would ordinarily use on a page.

This is different from the "2 pages per sheet" option Doug mentioned, which is in the Print dialog. That option reduces your full-size pages to fit two on a sheet. It works well for A4 and A5 (which Doug uses), as those page sizes have the same aspect ratio. But it doesn't work very well for Letter, because 5.5" x 8.5" does not have the same aspect ratio as 8.5" x 11". It also requires that you always choose a special printing option. If you set the document up as "2 pages per sheet" in Page Setup, they are created at the correct size and will print correctly with normal printing.

thank you so very much.  This simplifies my work significantly.  The book is large.  I appreciate your help.

Warm regards,

Lyn

Thank you for your help.  It was most helpful.  I like having two ways to do something, and Word usually does that.

Warm regards,

Lyn

I have tried both of these  fixes, and neither of them provided me with what I want.  I am using Word 2013, and the dialog is different than you offered, Daiya.  This version of Word offers "mirrored" pages alright, but the pages have no option to number each SIDE of the page.  When I insert page numbers, it only prints ONE number per sheet, and not one number on two of the portrait pages on that lanscape-opriented page.  Everything changed with 2013 version, evidently, and what seems like it would be a simple issue to solve, is becoming quite difficult.

     I even downloaded the Booklet template and tried to add page numbers to that, and it did the same thing:  one page number per SHEET.

     Any other suggestions?

Thanks for your efforts here.  This is frustrating.

Lyn

You want two pages per sheet, right? The "2 pages per sheet" setting in Page Setup allows you to do that. What Word shows you, unless you opt to show two pages, is a single page (which will print on half the sheet). You add a page number to that page. If you want the page numbers on the outside, you must enable "Different Odd and Even" for the header and footer and then place the page numbers as desired in the Odd Page Header/Footer and Even Page Header/Footer. You will see only one page at a time, but when you print, you will get two pages on one sheet.

If you're trying to create a printed booklet, then you should use "Book fold" instead of "2 pages per sheet." What you'll see in Word will be exactly the same, but when you print, the pages will be paired so that they can be folded into a booklet. But 100 pages (25 sheets) or so is about the absolute limit for a folded booklet. Anything longer than that is not suitable for folding because trimming makes the margins too uneven.

FWIW, there is no Daiya in this conversation, but here's the relevant dialog in Word 2013:

The dialog is essentially the same in all versons of Word. The easiest way to access it is by double-clicking at the top of the horizontal ruler, but you can also get there via the dialog launcher in the Page Setup group on the Page Layout tab or via Page Layout | Page Setup | Margins | Custom Margins....