Steps before compiling Part one

1. Clean up your text

Use the Menu command Edit > Text Tidying for several essential aids.

1. Replace Multiple Spaces with Single Spaces is one that can be a cause for spirited discussion among writers. Accidental double spaces definitely need removing and this feature can do that, however some writers subscribe to the double space after end punctuation philosophy. It is a hangover from typewriter and mono-spacing days and while modern computer fonts may make it superfluous, some find reading easier with double spaces after punctuation.

2. Remove Empty Lines Between paragraphs strips out any additional blank lines between paragraphs to make spacing uniform.

3. Strip Leading Tabs removes manual tabs entered so that formatting is uniform.

2. Decide your output format and practice.

It is important to decide how you want to export your project and practice as you are writing to get the look you desire by the time you have finished your novel or project.

First, start with a preset default format. Try different options and, if not satisfactory, then chose the one closest to what you want, and then tweak to modify a copy of this to obtain the look you want.

Use a smaller version of the project to practice on. For example, with a novel in Ebook format-You will need a cover image, front and back matter (often are formatted As-Is to preserve the special needs for those sections), and pages representing (Acts/Parts-if use) Chapter Headings (do you want them numbered in order or titled?) and Scenes (where you will set the base text and font settings for your novel). This will allow you to see a abbreviated version of your output which contains all the functional elements of your project. This version can be compiled quickly so you can easily make multiple adjustments to get the look you want.

I will discuss the Layout panel of the Compiler later. Here is where you choose how each type of book part (Section Type) will appear. This Layout Section of the Compile Panel will show you a rough preview of your output after you assign Section Layouts to each Section Type in your Project you are using.

2 A. Check your metadata settings in the third panel of Compile for completeness and errors.

Metadata is a crucially important step, because the slightest typo can easily mean that your book’s name is spelled wrong across every page of your print book, for example. This starts with the default Title being your project name. However, this can be changed to any title you want to Compile with, without affecting the Project Title.

Note: the metadata is not the same as the Title Page of your book, which you should have setup in the initial manuscript. Instead, the metadata here is what Scrivener uses to fill in the information displayed in the headers or footers of your book.

2 B. Make Sure you are including what you want in your novel and it has the correct Compile Status and Section Type.

1. In the lower right footer, the small file icon will have a check mark if included in the compiling process, or you can check this in Inspector metadata settings.

2. A quicker/more efficient way to check on the Compile status of documents is to view your whole manuscript in the Outliner View and add the column Include in Compile. (see below) This Column has a check in the checkbox if it is included to be compiled. In this view, click inside the outliner view and collapse all files by using the collapse icon in the toolbar (if added), Menu command View > Outline > Collapse All, or keyboard shortcuts. Now expand all the files to fully open the Outliner View with the toolbar icon (if added), Menu command, or keyboard shortcut. Now you can review the Include in Compile column and look for any unchecked items. If a document is unchecked, is that what you want or an error? This becomes a quick way to make sure all of your novel documents you intend to Compile will be compiled.

3. While in this view, also add the column for Section Type. This way you can view this information next to the Include in Compile status and make sure all items in the Manuscript have the correct Section type (see below) and will be compiled. This becomes a quick way to ensure the Section Types in your project are assigned to the correct files/folders. Ie Acts have the same heading (ex Part Heading/Acts), Chapters all have the same heading (ex. Chapter heading), Scenes all have the same setting (Scene), Front and Back Matter all have the same setting (Front Matter- or another unique Section Type name for these folders). Note: The last sections often use the (As Is) Section Layout type to preserve the formatting for these sections.

In the Picture below, it becomes easy to rearrange Outliner columns to make sure these two columns are visible and adjacent to each other. This arrangement allows you to quickly check the Compile Status and Section Type of every file/folder in the novel to ensure a consistent approach.

Clicking the Section Type column allows you to change the order of documents from Binder order to Section Type order. In this view it is easy to see if you have assigned the correct Section Types and if all documents in the Draft (Manuscript) are set to be compiled.

If you need to change the compile status, you can click/select multiple Binder items at once and change their Compile status by clicking on the Compile icon in the Editor Footer and changing as a group from not compile to compilewhile in the Editor view.

will NOT be compiled

Check means document will be compiled

The organization of your Binder outline is of crucial importance when compiling your book. A strictly regular structure is best, but Scrivener can deal with exceptions to the rule as well.

These Units of structure can be renamed (Even Default Section Structure names) to make sense to you.

Parts (Acts) -

Used only if your writing contains separate parts (Acts).

Chapters -

A normal folder with a collection of text documents.

Scenes or Sections -

A series of text documents in a folder. If multiple scenes are contained in a chapter, then you will need a separator, be it an empty space, #, ***, or some small image divider that occurs as a transition between files in one folder. You can also give individual Scenes a title to use as the separator between multiple scenes in one chapter.

Note: Only text documents that are outside the Draft or Manuscript folders can be used for front matter or back matter and they are not compiled UNLESS you click the box at bottom of compile in the third pane on the right and choose specific folders to include when you Compile.

2.C Make sure your Section Types are right. (Another Method)

Scrivener allows you to see the default Section Types in your Binder using the Project Settings Panel.

1. Use the Menu command Project > Project Settings > Section Types > Default Types by Structure. First click the Root Folder (or Manuscript in this case). Clicking the Root Folder will highlight the Manuscript folder.

2. Now clicking on a Level Folder or File group will highlight any document on that particular level in the Binder that is visible. (You cannot scroll the Binder once you do this in the Project Settings panel.) To view the entire Manuscript you will create the view below, then check for the correct Section Types, exit, scroll the Binder further down and repeat this process until the entire Manuscript has been viewed and the Front and Back Matter folders have been checked.

3. You may need based on the Novel (Project) structure to click the plus button in the footer to add more levels to see various items in your Novel. (see below)

All my Level 1 folders are Acts. You want every Act (or Part) to be on the same level and also be the same Section Type.

All my Level 2 folders are Chapter(s) and I will view different sections of the Manuscript in the Binder to make sure every Chapter is on the same level.

All my Scenes are at Level 3 or deeper and are files.

Pro Tip- Consider using the built in Windows Snipping tool to capture images of the whole Binder Manuscript. First setup a Search collection based on Section Types and use the Scene Section Type. Now use the Windows Snip Tool (Use the Keyboard Shortcut Windows Key + Shift + S, followed by the Keyboard shortcut for the Clipboard Viewer Windows Key + V. If you open a blank document and then click on the captured image in the Clipboard viewer it will appear in the blank document where your cursor is. You can capture your scene list in a few images within a single document. Open this as Quick Reference Panel to compare as you the Scene Section Types in the Project Settings panel to ensure all your scenes have the correct Section Types as shown in Project Settings. (see above and below)

2.D Understand your Placeholders

Scrivener has an extensive list of Placeholder that can assist with auto-numbering Parts/Acts and Chapters for example. These can also provide word counts and so much more. Review these in Scrivener. These can also be used to insert images into your project and the Compile output as well.

3. Backup your project

Save a copy on an external drive, online storage, or USB key prior to starting in the rare case where this is a problem before playing with the Compile process, changing compile status values, or Section types, especially when you first begin. This strategy should be in place during the whole writing process to prevent losing your work. There are several articles on Project Backup on this Site.

4. Understand your Table of Contents (TOC)

The Table of Contents (Toc) points ONLY to documents with a page or section break.

Documents outside the Manuscript folder are essentially invisible to the compile command and are not included in your compile output unless you make certain choices such as:

Using an <$include> placeholder.

Use the Current Selection choice to Compile the items currently highlighted in the Binder.

Compiling a specific collection. Collections can include files from anywhere in your project depending on your search criteria, or files you added to a static collection.

Note: The Front Matter and Back Matter sections are added to the Compile process separately and are outside the Manuscript.

5. Recheck.

Again, check your Manuscript Structure, Compile Status, and Section Types. Now when you choose a Compile Format you will assign Section Layouts to your Section Types and edit a Custom Compile Format if any additional formatting of Section Layouts is needed. You can only use a Default Scrivener Compile Output if you do not need to edit the Compile Format.

Ask yourself these questions. Have you?

A.) Correctly structured your Project: Make sure the organization in your Binder has a sensible hierarchy—it can be simple, rather complex, or anywhere in the middle.

B.) Correctly applied Section Types: As needed, override Scrivener’s defaults to better match the structure of your project.

C.) Correctly assigned Section Layouts: As needed, override Scrivener’s defaults to determine how Chapter titles display, how the body text appears in your Scenes and whether to include a Scene title, and Front and Back matter often saved As Is.

D.) Do you need to edit the default Section Layouts formatting? If you don’t like the section layout choices available, you can create your own.

After you assign and format Section Layouts, click the Save button to save your changes to the current layout assignment or formatting within the current Compile Format Designer. This will save these changes for future use. When you reopen a Compile Panel the assigned Section Layouts will appear in the order they will appear in the book and give you a preview of what the final Compiled product will look like. (Front Matter, Acts, Chapters, Scenes, Back Matter). Placeholder tags will appear, but not any added images or separators.

E.) Choose a Compile Format, either from a Scrivener premade Format, a Standard Default format or a Custom one you have created or imported.

Available Compile Formats Include:

Default

Meant as a very simple format, its layouts will pass through editor formatting and “glue together” the pieces in your draft folder with little alteration or complexity.

— Folders will still generate page breaks by default, and it comes with a few layout choices for adding additional headings as need be.

— The current page number will be added to the center of the page footer. No other headers or footers will be applied.

— This is a good starting point for your own formats, or as a basic way to export projects that do not require any special compilation options.

— It’s also a good option if you’d rather defer formatting for work in another word processor or desktop publishing program.

The following Compile Formats are for Word processing and Web Outputs

These formats pertain to the print, PDF, RTF, DOC, DOCX, ODT and HTML types.

Enumerated Outline (titles only)

— If you need a basic outline of topics (taken from the binder titles) alone in an indented list, this format is a good starting point.

— Unlike most formats, it will not export any text, only the titles of documents.

— The four section layouts that come with this format provide different spacing and numbering schemes for your outline.

— The placeholders used to generate numbering are set in the “Title Options” tab.

— The amount of indent applied per level can be adjusted with the Add indent per outline level setting, in the Transformations format option pane. (You must assign a Section Layout to create some formatting for EACH Section Type in your Project.)

(Windows Tip: In outline formats you may want to make sure separators you choose for this format are single line and NOT page breaks between folders or files.)

You can use any mix of styles for different types of documents in your project. To create your own numbering schemes, duplicate the format and use one of the existing Section Layouts as a starting point.

Full Indented Outline (Can include BOTH Titles and a Synopsis)

— This format presents an indented, easy to read outline that includes titles and synopses for all binder levels.

— The provided layouts provide a choice between alphanumeric numbering, hierarchical or no numbering at all.

Refer to “Enumerated Outline” in the previous section for tips on adjusting the indent and numbering styles. (As with the above format, you must choose a Section Layout for EACH section type and decide which ones will include a synopsis with the title. Every Section Layout has a number of checkboxes to decide what is added to the layout. One of those checkboxes is for the Synopsis. Notice you also have chosen a numbering scheme as well.) If you do not see an included synopsis with some titles, again check the Section Layouts you have assigned with this output.

(In outline formats you may want to make sure the separator options you choose for this format are single line and NOT page breaks between folders or files.)

Manuscript (Courier)

— Formats your book using standard Courier 12 pt type and a number of common conventions such as scene separators as hash marks, double-spacing, underlined emphasis (instead of italic), page numbers, standard page headers and so forth.

— It has a broad set of section layouts capable of handling a book with parts, chapters, scenes and titled sections.

— It is thus equipped to work with all of our built-in book generating project templates, fiction and non-fiction alike.

Common Alterations include empty lines instead of a hash mark. By default, the stock compile formats considers empty lines that you create in the editor signify minor breaks in the text, such as scene transitions or changes in topic. Some formats, such as submission manuscripts, require a more clear signal of such a break than a mere empty line, and commonly use a single hash mark (#) to do so.

Manuscript (Times)

— Functionally very similar to the Courier manuscript format, only using Times New Roman, another commonly required typeface for submission manuscript.

— Italics will be rendered as italic text rather than underscored.

Scene separators remain hash marks, double-spacing, page headers and so forth. It provides the same array of layouts as the Courier format.

Modern

— Provides a fresh look, this layout is designed for printing your own copies or generating PDFs for proofing.

It includes a full complement of layout designs, working with all of our book generating project templates.

Outline Document

— This layout is designed for printing full outline information (title and synopsis), but in a standard document layout rather than an indented outline format.

— The page footer contains the title of the work, author’s name, date and page number, separated from the page with a dividing line.

— It also has several layouts to choose from that only export the title. (This could be useful for some projects where larger categorical groupings like parts and chapters may not have any specific synopses of note and just need to insert a sectional break.)

(As with the above formats (Full Indented and Enumerated Outlines) you must choose a Section Layout for EACH section type and decide which ones you want to have a synopsis to be included with the title by clicking the Synopsis checkbox. You can choose Section Layouts with a numbering scheme for this option as well.) If you do not see an included synopsis with some titles, again check the Section Layouts you have assigned with this output.

(In ANY of the outline formats you may want to ensure the separators you choose for this format are single line and NOT page breaks between folders or files.)

Paperback (6′′ x 9′′)

— Functionally similar to the previous, this Format is optimized to work with standard paperback sizes in the U.S.

Paperback (5.06′′ x 7.81′′)

— A format designed to produce a typographically pleasing layout that could be taken into a word processor or desktop publishing program for self-publication with little effort.

As with the other book generating formats, it is designed to provide a full spread of layouts to accommodate many different book styles and structural setups.

(By using logical “Heading 1”, “Heading 2” and so forth styles your document will have an outline which some software may use for navigation aids, as well as facilitating the construction of a dynamic table of contents.)

Proof Copy

— A useful preset for internal proofing. It will reformat your script to double spacing so you can easily take notes and prints a disclaimer after each section heading as well as in the header. Thus making it easy to send out “Not for distribution” copies to your proofing team.

Script or Screenplay

— This format is also available to the Scriptwriting formats and will not be discussed here. (Please refer to the Manual for further information.)

Vellum Export (Mac OS only)

Available only to the DOCX file type, this Format is designed to convey your work to the Vellum book creation tool.

Ebook Publishing (ePub 2 Ebook, ePub 3 Ebook, and Kindle Ebook .mobi)

Since most Ebook readers will handle the majority of the typesetting, choosing a format will be more about getting the basic building blocks together, rather than exerting total control over the appearance.

Ebook

A suitable format for Ebook design.

Electronic books generally require basic and flexible designs in order to be displayed on many devices, from cellular phones to tablet computers to dedicated black & white e-ink displays. This is a good starting point for your own formats when creating Ebook formats. If you have a lot of experience in Ebook design, you may find starting from a simpler default to be easier, as this format is built to be used with very little customization, and thus assumes a lot.

Currently you should use ePub 3 to output your books. This is the format required by Amazon. Kindle books do NOT natively read ePub3, but you can download and use the (free) Kindle Previewer 3 from Amazon to convert the ePub 3 file to a format that can be read on Kindle devices and software. If you publish on Amazon, then they will convert your submitted ePub 3 file for you.

Ebook Screenplay

When publishing a screenplay intended for display on an Ebook device or reader software, you’ll want to use this format, which has a stylesheet designed to print the various scripting elements in a format mimicking a screenplay.

Since the average reader won’t have a screen large enough to truly display a standard screenshots, some of these elements will be estimated, or designed to merely suggest what they would look like on a typical printed page.

Other Options depending on your Compile output include:

(Ebook) Outline Document

And specific Compile Formats for Scripts/Screenplays and Markdown/Pandoc documents.

As you Apply Section Types —-Think about the elements of the last book you read.

The cover was probably followed by various bits of front matter: copyright page, title page, introduction, and table of contents. After the front matter, the book probably had chapters. Back matter may include an afterword, notes, and an index. Each element has a specific formatting. The copyright page may have centered text in a small font size, and chapters may have title pages, or specially formatted chapter titles.

We will continue this in Part Two of the steps before compiling. This will be published in the next several weeks.