Export Guide

Complete documentation for exporting manuscripts from Storytellr.

Table of Contents

Overview

Storytellr exports manuscripts in four formats, each serving different purposes:

Format Purpose Best For
TXT Plain text Backup, universal compatibility
DOCX Microsoft Word Editing, track changes, submissions
PDF Camera-ready Print, agent submissions, archival
EPUB E-reader Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Send to Kindle

All exports respect your manuscript settings for consistent professional formatting.

Document Structure Tags

Storytellr uses a small set of structural elements to define how your document is organised. These map directly to formatting in every export format — getting them right is the most important step before exporting.

Editor Element Button Purpose Maps To
H2 Part Top-level division (Part I, Act One, etc.) Part heading in all formats
H3 Chapter Chapter heading Chapter heading in all formats
Blockquote Q Quoted passage, epigraph, letter within narrative Indented block in all formats
HR — Scene break between paragraphs Centred break symbol or rule
H1 (automatic) Title page title Generated from Story settings

How to Apply Tags

  1. Click into the line you want to format (or select text)
  2. The floating toolbar appears — click Part, Chapter, Q, or the divider button
  3. Tags are visible as styled elements in the editor and carry through to all exports

Tips

Export Formats

TXT (Plain Text)

What It Includes:

What It Excludes:

Use Cases:

DOCX (Microsoft Word)

What It Includes:

Special Features:

Manuscript Standards Applied:

Opening in Word:

PDF (Portable Document Format)

What It Includes:

Manuscript Standards Applied:

Use Cases:

EPUB (E-Reader Format)

What It Includes:

EPUB-Specific Options (configured in the EPUB export modal):

Option Description
Cover Image JPG or PNG, ideal 2:3 ratio. Also set in Story settings.
Language Used for EPUB metadata and reader language detection.
Description Back-cover synopsis, stored in EPUB metadata.
Chapter Style Centered (novel), Bold (non-fiction), or Minimal
Scene Breaks · · · (dots), * * * (asterism), or horizontal rule
Table of Contents Toggle EPUB TOC page on or off

Send to Kindle:

How Structure Maps to EPUB Chapters:

Editor Element EPUB Result
H2 (Part) New EPUB chapter entry (part divider)
H3 (Chapter) New EPUB chapter entry
Content before first heading Front matter
HR scene break Centred ornament (· · · or * * *) or rule
Blockquote Indented italic passage

Note: EPUB readers (Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books) apply their own typography. Font choices in Manuscript Settings do not affect EPUB — the reader’s font and size preferences take precedence.

Compatible Readers:

Manuscript Formatting

How Storytellr Tags Map to Each Format

Editor Element DOCX PDF EPUB
H2 (Part) Heading 2 style, centred Centred, proper spacing New chapter entry
H3 (Chapter) Heading 3 style, positioned 1/3 or 1/2 page Same positioning New chapter entry
HR (Scene break) Centred “#” text Centred “#” text Ornament or rule
Blockquote 0.5” left indent 0.5” left indent Indented italic
Paragraph Double-spaced, 0.5” first-line indent Same Reader-controlled
Paragraph after H2/H3 No first-line indent No first-line indent No indent
Bold / Italic / Underline Preserved Preserved Preserved

Standard Manuscript Format

Storytellr follows William Shunn’s manuscript format for DOCX and PDF exports:

EPUB is exempt from manuscript format rules — e-reader typography is controlled by the reading device.

Headers & Page Numbers

Applies to DOCX and PDF exports only.

Configuring Headers

In Manuscript Settings:

  1. Enable Headers: Toggle on/off
  2. Author Name: Your last name (appears in header)
  3. Manuscript Title: Short title (appears in header)
  4. First Page Different: Skip header on first page (recommended for submissions)

Header Format

LastName / TITLE / 1

Page Numbering

Title Pages

Toggle Show title page in Manuscript Settings. The title page is generated automatically from your Story settings (title, author name).

Standard layout:

[1/3 down page]

MANUSCRIPT TITLE
by
Author Name

Approximately 85,000 words

Include for: Agent submissions, publisher submissions, contest entries
Omit for: Drafts, beta reader copies, revision tracking

Export Workflow

Pre-Export Checklist

  1. Check your tags:
    • Part headings use H2 (Part button)?
    • Chapter headings use H3 (Chapter button)?
    • Scene breaks use HR (divider button)?
    • Quoted passages use Blockquote (Q button)?
  2. Review Manuscript Settings:
    • Font, chapter spacing, headers configured?
    • Title page desired?
  3. For EPUB:
    • Title, author, language, and description set in Story settings?
    • Cover image uploaded?

Exporting for Submission

Recommended settings:

Exporting for E-Readers

Send to Kindle

Finding Your Kindle Email

Each Kindle device and app has its own unique email address (e.g. yourname@kindle.com).

Via Amazon website:

  1. Log into your Amazon account
  2. Go to Accounts & Lists → Manage Your Content and Devices
  3. Click the Devices tab
  4. Select the Kindle device you want to send to
  5. Your Kindle email is shown under the device info

Via your Kindle device:

  1. From the home screen, tap the menu icon or settings gear
  2. Go to Device Options or My Account
  3. Look for Send-to-Kindle Email or Personalize Your Kindle

Each device has its own address — pick the one for the Kindle you read on most.

Approving Storytellr as a Sender

Amazon only delivers documents from approved senders. You only need to do this once.

  1. Go to Manage Your Content and Devices → Settings
  2. Scroll to Personal Document Settings
  3. Under Approved Personal Document E-mail List, click Add a new approved e-mail address
  4. Enter kindle@storytellr.app and save

After approving, documents sent from Storytellr will deliver to your Kindle automatically.

Troubleshooting

Headers Not Appearing

Chapter Spacing Incorrect

EPUB Chapters Not Splitting Correctly

Send to Kindle Not Delivering

DOCX Navigation Pane Empty

Additional Resources