Margin Notes
Comments and bookmarks on the exact words
Margin Notes are comments for the second draft of a novel. Comment on exactly the words you select, bookmark a paragraph, and work through every note in the book from one list you tick off.
- $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
Comment on exactly the words you mean
Select a word or a sentence and leave a note on it. The words stay marked in the text, so the note points at what it is about.
Write the note
Type the note and post it. The words it belongs to stay highlighted in the text.
One list of every note in the book New
Click Notes to see every comment and bookmark in reading order. Filter by chapter, search, and click a note to jump to its passage.
Every note in one list
The Notes button lists every comment and bookmark in the book in reading order. Click one to jump to its passage.
Bookmark a paragraph New
Mark a place to come back to without writing anything. Bookmarks sit in the Notes list with your comments.
Tick a note off when it is dealt with
Tick a note and it moves from Open to Done. It is not deleted, so you can still read it.
Also here
- Comments travel to Word. Export to DOCX and your comments appear as Word comments, on the same words.
- Replies. Reply to a note to keep the thinking in one thread.
- Stored in the project. Notes live with the book on your own device and are part of every backup.
Related features
- The manuscript editor
Write the book in chapters and sub-chapters, with Zen, Typewriter and Vanishing modes and search that forgives typos.
- Snapshots
Each chapter keeps old copies of itself. Compare one with the current text and restore it if the rewrite did not work.
- Read aloud and audiobook
Hear a chapter read back with each word lit as it is spoken, and export the book as audio, one track per 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.
Common questions
Can I comment on a single word?
Yes. Select a word or a sentence and the comment is attached to exactly that text.
What is the difference between a comment and a bookmark?
A comment carries a note you write. A bookmark only marks a paragraph so you can come back to it.
Will my editor see the comments?
If you export to Word, yes. Comments appear as Word comments in the DOCX file. Other formats export the text without the notes.
Does it work on the phone?
Yes. The phone app highlights the commented words and has the same Notes list.
Is it included in the $45?
Yes, on Windows, macOS and the phone app, with no AI and no account.
Guides for revision
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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