The Manuscript
Distraction-free editor for writing chapters
The Manuscript is the editor you write your novel in. Work in chapters and sub-chapters, clear the screen when you want only the page, write by voice, and keep notes and old copies of every chapter beside the text.
- $45 once, no subscription
- Windows and macOS
- Phone app included
- Works offline
Windows
macOS
Mobile
Part of the 25 minute walkthrough. Watch the full tour from the start Watch on YouTube
Write your novel in chapters and sub-chapters
Your chapters sit in a table of contents on the left. Add one, split it into parts, and drag to reorder. Every export uses that order.
Write in chapters
The Manuscript is where the book is written. Chapters are listed on the left, and the characters and places you mention are highlighted in the text.
Three focus modes: Zen, Typewriter and Vanishing
Zen mode hides the chapter list and the menus. Typewriter mode keeps the line you are typing in the middle of the screen. Vanishing mode fades the lines behind you as you type, so you keep moving forward. Nothing is deleted.
Zen mode
Zen mode clears the chapter list and the menus away and leaves you with the page.
Write by voice New
Press Dictate and speak. Your words appear at the cursor with punctuation. It runs on your own device, in English projects.
Comment on the exact words you select New
Leave a note on a word or a sentence, or bookmark a paragraph to come back to. The Notes list gathers every one in reading order.
Comment on the exact words
Select a few words and leave yourself a note on them. The words stay highlighted so you can find the note again.
Search that forgives typos
Search every chapter at once, by title or by text. Save a search to open it again later.
Word count, reading time and text size under the page
The bar under the page counts words, sentences, paragraphs and reading time for the open chapter. Change the text size and line spacing there too.
Status bar
Change the text size and the line spacing from the status bar while you write. The counts, Dictate and Read mode are in the same bar.
Also in the Manuscript
- Snapshots Each chapter keeps old copies of itself to compare and restore.
- Read aloud Hear the chapter read back, with each word lit as it is spoken.
- Smart Import Bring in a draft from Word, EPUB, Markdown, plain text or PDF.
- Mentions that link. Type @ to link a character, a place or a piece of lore. Hover the name to see who it is.
- Subtitles. A chapter can carry a subtitle, and it is exported with the title.
- Bionic Reading. In Read mode, bolds the start of each word for a faster read-through.
Related features
Finished chapters go to Publish in the order of your table of contents.
- Scenes and the timeline
Plan each scene, link it to its chapter, and read the whole story in order on a timeline arranged by chapter.
- The Alchemist, line edits
Select the words you want polished and get suggested rewrites, each with its reason, to accept or ignore. Optional AI.
- Publish and export
Export to Word, EPUB, PDF, HTML, Markdown, RTF and plain text. The PDF follows your trim size, margins and font.
- Book Preview
See your book as printed pages at your trim size while you are still writing it.
Common questions
How do I handle a 40 chapter book?
Chapters and sub-chapters sit in a table of contents you can search, reorder, rename and fold.
What are the focus modes?
Four. Zen hides the chapter list and the menus. Typewriter keeps the line you are typing in the middle of the screen. Vanishing Mode fades the lines behind you. Bionic Reading bolds the start of each word for a faster read-through.
Can NovelOS read my writing back to me?
Yes, in English projects. Open Read mode and press play. The voice is made on your own device, with 28 voices to choose from.
Can I leave notes for myself or an editor?
Yes. Comment on a word or a sentence, or bookmark a paragraph. Comments appear as Word comments in DOCX exports.
Can characters and places be referenced inside the prose?
Yes. Type @ to link a character, a place or a piece of lore. The entry then lists the chapters where it appears.
Can I send it to an agent?
Yes. Export to DOCX, RTF, TXT, Markdown, EPUB, HTML or PDF.
Am I locked in?
No. The project is stored on your own device, and you can export it in seven formats or as one .novelos file at any time.
Is it included in the $45?
Yes. The manuscript editor is the core of NovelOS, on Windows, macOS and the phone app.
Guides for drafting
Exposition in Motion: Give Readers the Right Fact at the Right Moment
Place exposition where readers need it by testing what each fact helps them follow, judge, or reinterpret in the current scene.
Read article
Book Blurb vs Synopsis: Build Promise and Proof
Compare a book blurb with a synopsis, then use a promise-to-payoff ledger to write reader-facing copy and a spoiler-complete submission document.
Read article
A Clarity Test for Every Dialogue Tag
Test dialogue tags by speaker clarity, reset points, placement, action, and rhythm so readers never need to reconstruct who spoke.
Read articleWriting Tips & First Edition Access.
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One payment and it is yours. No subscription, no account, no telemetry. Watch the full walkthrough before you buy.