Getting started

Import your manuscript

Bring in a Word document, Markdown or plain-text file and check how it splits into chapters and scenes before anything is saved.

Open Manuscript and click Import chapters under the chapter list (on a tablet, click Chapters first). In a new series with nothing written yet, Import a manuscript is also on your series home.
Under Manuscript file, choose a .docx, .md or .txt file of up to 4 MB, then click Read file.
Check the chapters it found. Untick Import this chapter to leave one out, use Merge into the chapter above to join a chapter that was split in two, and change any title.
Under Where it goes, choose the Book and check Starting at chapter, or choose A new book… and type its New book title.
Click Import with the number of chapters, for example Import 24 chapters.
Click the button that opens the first chapter you imported, for example Open Chapter 1. If AI is on, you can click Start the first read of Book 1 instead to have AI suggest entries.

Good to know

Chapters start at headings (Word heading styles, or # in Markdown) or at lines such as “Chapter Twelve”, “CHAPTER 12: The Ferry”, “XII” or “12.”. If none are found, the whole file becomes one chapter: add a heading such as “Chapter 2” where each one starts and import again.
A new scene starts at a line on its own with ⁂, * * *, ---, # or ~, and at a smaller heading inside a chapter. Italics in Word and Markdown files are kept.
For a half-written book: empty chapter headings keep their place so the numbers stay right, an import never replaces text you already have, and it starts after your last written chapter. A contents list and back matter such as acknowledgements are left out to begin with; tick them if you want them.