Manuscripts

Track author work-in-progress from initial idea to publication-ready.

What is a Manuscript?

A Manuscript represents a work-in-progress - a book that’s being written but not yet published. It’s where you monitor writing progress, manage file versions, and track when a work is ready for publication.

Manuscripts vs Titles

Manuscript Title
Work-in-progress Published work
Has a working title Has a final title
Tracks word count progress Has page counts
No ISBN needed Has ISBN(s)
Internal tracking Public product

When a manuscript is complete, you can create a corresponding Title for it.

Manuscript Status

Every manuscript moves through stages:

Status Meaning
Idea Concept stage, not yet started
Outline Planning the structure
Drafting Writing the first draft
Revising Author self-editing
Editing Professional editing stage
Ready for Publication Complete, ready to publish
Published Has been published
Abandoned Project discontinued

Not every manuscript follows a linear path. You might skip Outline, or cycle between Revising and Editing multiple times.

Creating a Manuscript

  1. Navigate to Manuscripts in the sidebar
  2. Click New Manuscript
  3. Fill in the basic information:
  4. Working Title - What you’re calling it now (can change later)
  5. Status - Where you are in the process
  6. Optionally set targets:
  7. Target Word Count - How long should it be?
  8. Target Completion Date - When do you need it done?
  9. Add context:
  10. Synopsis - What’s this book about?
  11. Notes - Internal notes and reminders
  12. Save

Tracking Progress

Word Count

Track writing progress:

  • Current Word Count - How many words written so far
  • Target Word Count - Goal for the finished manuscript

Update the current count as writing progresses. A progress percentage is calculated automatically.

Example: - Target: 80,000 words - Current: 45,000 words - Progress: 56% complete

Target Date

Set a target completion date to help with planning editorial schedules and publication dates.

Managing Versions

As manuscripts develop, you can track multiple file versions.

Version Types

Type Purpose
Draft Working drafts (first draft, second draft)
Revision Author’s revised versions
Edited Post-editorial versions
Final Publication-ready version

Adding a Version

  1. Open the manuscript
  2. In the Versions section, click Add Version
  3. Select the version type
  4. Link to a file from your Assets
  5. Enter the word count for this version
  6. Add notes about what changed
  7. Save

Version numbers are automatically incremented within each type (Draft v1, Draft v2, etc.).

Why Track Versions?

  • History - See how the book evolved
  • Comparison - Compare word counts across drafts
  • Audit trail - Know when each version was created

Linking to Contributors

Link a manuscript to a Contributor to track who’s writing it:

  1. Edit the manuscript
  2. Search for or add a contributor in the Author field
  3. Save

This lets you see all manuscripts by one author and contact them easily.

Best Practices

Getting Started

Do: - Create a manuscript as soon as you have a concrete project - Set realistic word count targets - Link to the author from the start - Write a synopsis to help stay focused

Don’t: - Wait until the book is finished to track it - Set impossibly tight deadlines - Leave the author field blank

During Writing

Do: - Update word count regularly (weekly at minimum) - Move through statuses as work progresses - Add versions when you have significant milestones - Keep notes updated with key decisions

Don’t: - Let status get out of sync with reality - Upload every tiny change as a new version

Managing Multiple Manuscripts

Do: - Use status consistently across all manuscripts - Sort by target date to see what’s due - Review your pipeline regularly

Don’t: - Let manuscripts languish with stale statuses - Delete manuscripts (change status to Abandoned instead)