Exporting

Why Export?

Export your manuscript to Word when you need to:

• Send it to a professional editor
• Share it with beta readers
• Keep a personal backup outside StorytellerOS
• Open it in Google Docs, LibreOffice, or Pages

What You Get

The writing view currently exports one format: a Word document (.docx). There is no format picker and no options dialog — clicking Export always produces the same clean, ready-to-share manuscript file.

• Industry standard for sharing with editors and formatters
• Opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice, and Pages
• Track-changes compatible
• Chapter headings included, with a page break before each new chapter

Front and Back Matter

The Word file includes every front and back matter section you have filled in on the book's Front/Back tab, in the same order Publishing Studio uses for your ebook and print files:

• Before the story: the title (with subtitle, series, and author name), your copyright page, dedication, epigraph, foreword, preface, and any extra sections you added to the front of the book
• After the story: any extra sections you added to the back of the book, your acknowledgements, About the Author, an “Also by” list, and your custom back matter

Sections you leave empty are left out. A few pieces fill themselves in, just as they do in Publishing Studio:

• If you have not written a copyright page, a standard one is added for you
• If the book has no About the Author text, your pen name's bio is used
• The “Also by” list shows your other published books under the same pen name

Line breaks you type, such as separate lines on a copyright page, are kept. Links in your custom back matter show their web address in parentheses, since a manuscript file is meant to be read on paper as well as on screen. Embedded items such as sign-up forms or images do not carry over into the Word file.

Chapters print the way you set them under In the published book in each chapter's Chapter Detail panel in the Writing Studio (or under Chapters in the book in the Publishing Studio Front & back matter step, or by your AI assistant): a prologue or epilogue has no number and the chapters after it keep theirs, and a chapter you set to front or back matter prints there instead of as a numbered chapter. Chapter numbers use your own chapter word, such as “Part”.

How to Export

1. Open your book in the writing view
2. Click the Export button
3. Wait a moment while your manuscript is prepared
4. Your browser downloads the Word file automatically

Exporting for Professional Editors

The exported file already uses chapter headings and page breaks between chapters, so it is ready to send as-is. A couple of tips:

• Ask your editor which format they prefer before sending — most accept .docx
• Name the file clearly (for example, AuthorName_BookTitle_Draft.docx)
• Rename the downloaded file before attaching it to an email, since it downloads with a generic name

Exporting for Beta Readers

Beta readers can open the same Word file in Word, Google Docs, or any free document reader. If a beta reader would rather read on a Kindle or e-reader app, Publishing Studio can generate an ebook file for that instead — see Publishing Studio.

Creating Backups

Export regularly for your own offline backups:

• Export a fresh Word copy after finishing a draft or a big round of edits
• Store it on an external drive or in your own cloud storage
• Include the date in the filename so you can tell copies apart

StorytellerOS keeps your manuscript safe, and you can also connect optional backups (Airtable, GitHub, Drive, or a zip file) — but it is still smart to keep your own Word copies as you go.

Troubleshooting Exports

Export button is disabled or spinning

• Wait a few seconds — larger manuscripts take a little longer to prepare
• Refresh the page and try again if it seems stuck

Missing content in the exported file

• Check that all your chapters and scenes are saved in the writing view
• Confirm scenes are in the order you expect before exporting
• Front or back matter missing? Check that the section is filled in and saved on the book's Front/Back tab. Empty sections are skipped.
• If the export says it could not read part of your book, or names a chapter it couldn't read, nothing was downloaded: a file is never made with a chapter missing or blank. Your words are safe. Try again in a moment, and contact support if it keeps happening.

A note says a chapter has a tag saved without its name

An older version of Writing Studio could save a character, location or lore tag as a marker such as “[characterMention]” instead of the name. Your file still downloads, and the marker prints as written. The note names the chapter: open it in Writing Studio, find the marker and type the name in its place. History in the right-hand panel may have an earlier version with the name.

Formatting looks off in Word

• Content pasted in from another app can carry hidden formatting — retype or use “paste as plain text” in the editor
• Chapter headings and page breaks are applied automatically and cannot currently be customized

Best Practices

• Export before major edits — Keep a backup of your current draft before big changes.
• Use descriptive filenames — Include the book name, date, and version when you rename the downloaded file.
• Keep master copies — Store your Word exports as your archival format.
• Export a final version — After all edits are in, export one clean final copy for your own records.