Export Guide
Complete documentation for exporting manuscripts from Storytellr.
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Export Formats
- Manuscript Formatting
- Headers & Page Numbers
- Title Pages
- Format-Specific Details
Overview
Storytellr exports manuscripts in three formats, each serving different purposes:
| Format | Purpose | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| TXT | Plain text | Backup, word processors, universal compatibility |
| DOCX | Microsoft Word | Editing, track changes, Word navigation |
| Camera-ready | Print, submission, reading, archival |
All exports respect your manuscript settings for consistent professional formatting.
Export Formats
TXT (Plain Text)
What It Includes:
- All text content
- Basic paragraph structure
- Line breaks between sections
What It Excludes:
- Formatting (bold, italic, underline)
- Headers and page numbers
- Font styling
- Special spacing
Use Cases:
- Quick backup
- Importing to other word processors
- Plain text submissions
- Format-agnostic archival
How to Export:
- File → Export → Save as TXT
- Choose save location
- File saves with
.txtextension
DOCX (Microsoft Word)
What It Includes:
- All text with formatting preserved
- Bold, italic, underline styling
- Heading styles (H1 = Heading 1, H2 = Heading 2)
- Block quotes with indentation
- Headers and page numbers (if enabled)
- Title page (if enabled)
Special Features:
- Word Navigation Pane: H1 and H2 appear in Word’s navigation sidebar
- Professional Formatting: Industry-standard manuscript spacing
- Editable: Full editing capabilities in Microsoft Word
- Track Changes: Compatible with editorial workflows
Manuscript Standards Applied:
- Font from manuscript settings (Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier New)
- 12pt font size
- Double-spaced lines (24pt spacing)
- 1-inch margins (standard document margins)
- Chapter headings positioned per settings (1/3 or 1/2 page)
- Scene breaks (H2) centered with proper spacing
- Block quotes indented 0.5 inches
- No first-line indent after headings
- Black text color (overrides Word’s default heading colors)
How to Export:
- File → Export → Save as DOCX
- Choose save location
- Open in Microsoft Word to edit or review
Opening in Word:
- Use Navigation Pane (View → Navigation Pane) to see document structure
- H1 headings = Heading 1 style
- H2 headings = Heading 2 style
- Click headings in Navigation Pane to jump to sections
PDF (Portable Document Format)
What It Includes:
- All text with formatting preserved
- Bold, italic, underline styling
- Professional manuscript spacing
- Headers and page numbers (if enabled)
- Title page (if enabled)
- Block quotes with indentation
Manuscript Standards Applied:
- Font from manuscript settings
- 12pt font size
- Precise line spacing for manuscript format
- 1-inch margins
- Chapter headings positioned per settings
- Scene breaks centered
- Block quotes indented 0.5 inches
- Professional page layout
Special Features:
- Camera-Ready: Exactly as it will appear when printed
- Universal: Opens on any device with PDF reader
- Non-Editable: Preserves formatting perfectly
- Print-Ready: Professional submission format
Use Cases:
- Agent/publisher submissions
- Print formatting preview
- Archival copies
- Sharing for reading (not editing)
How to Export:
- File → Export → Save as PDF
- Choose save location
- Open in any PDF reader
Manuscript Formatting
Standard Manuscript Format
Storytellr follows William Shunn’s manuscript format guidelines:
Typography:
- 12pt font size
- Courier New, Times New Roman, or Arial
- Black text on white background
- No extra styling or decorations
Spacing:
- Double-spaced body text
- 1-inch margins on all sides
- Single space after periods
- No extra space between paragraphs
Paragraphs:
- First line indented 0.5 inches
- No indent after chapter headings
- No indent for first paragraph of manuscript
Chapters:
- Begin 1/3 or 1/2 down the page (configurable)
- All caps or title case (your choice)
- Centered or left-aligned (via formatting)
Scene Breaks:
- Centered “#” or “***” (or use H2 for automatic formatting)
- Extra space above and below (H2 handles this)
How Storytellr Elements Map to Format
| Editor Element | DOCX Export | PDF Export |
|---|---|---|
| H1 | Heading 1 style, positioned 1/3 or 1/2 page | Same positioning, proper spacing |
| H2 | Heading 2 style, centered | Centered, proper spacing |
| Paragraph | Double-spaced, 0.5” first-line indent | Same |
| Paragraph after H1/H2 | No first-line indent | Same |
| Block Quote | 0.5” left indent, single paragraph | Same |
| Bold | Bold formatting preserved | Same |
| Italic | Italic formatting preserved | Same |
| Underline | Underline formatting preserved | Same |
Chapter Spacing
1/3 Page Option:
- Chapter heading begins 3847 twips from top (about 1/3 of page)
- Followed by blank paragraph with page break
1/2 Page Option:
- Chapter heading begins 6480 twips from top (exactly 1/2 of page)
- Followed by blank paragraph with page break
Why This Matters:
- Traditional manuscript format
- Creates dramatic chapter openings
- Professional appearance
- Helps agents/editors navigate manuscript
Scene Break Formatting
H2 Elements:
- Centered automatically
- No extra spacing before or after
- Flows naturally with surrounding paragraphs
- Can contain symbols (#, ***, etc.) or text
Best Practices:
- Use simple symbols (#) for clean breaks
- Or use descriptive text (“Three Days Later”)
- Avoid excessive styling
- Keep it simple and professional
Block Quotes
Formatting:
- Indented 0.5 inches from left margin
- All content on single line in export
- Inline formatting (bold, italic) preserved
- No extra spacing
Use Cases:
- Letters within narrative
- Excerpts from fictional documents
- Poetry or song lyrics
- Emphasized passages
How to Create:
- Select text
- Click Q in floating toolbar
- Text becomes block quote
- Exports with proper indentation
Headers & Page Numbers
Configuring Headers
In Manuscript Settings:
- Enable Headers: Toggle on/off
- Author Name: Your last name (appears in header)
- Manuscript Title: Short title (appears in header)
- Format: Choose layout:
LastName / TITLE / PageNumberTITLE / LastName / PageNumber
- First Page Different: Skip header on first page (recommended)
Header Formats
Option 1: LastName / TITLE / Page
Smith / THE NOVEL / 1
Option 2: TITLE / LastName / Page
THE NOVEL / Smith / 1
Page Numbering
- DOCX: Uses Word’s page numbering system
- Shows as
{PAGE}in header - Updates automatically in Word
- Starts at page 1 (or 2 if first page different)
- Shows as
- PDF: Generated page numbers
- Calculated during export
- Shows actual page number
- Sequential throughout document
First Page Different
When Enabled:
- First page has no header
- Page numbering starts on page 2
- Title page doesn’t count in numbering
When Disabled:
- All pages have headers
- Page 1 has header with “1”
- Title page is page 1 (if included)
Best Practice:
- Enable for submissions (standard format)
- Disable for drafts if you prefer continuous numbering
Title Pages
Configuring Title Page
In Manuscript Settings:
- Toggle Include Title Page
- Title page adds automatically to exports
Title Page Format
Content:
- Manuscript title (centered, upper third)
- Author name (centered, below title)
- Word count (rounded to nearest 1000)
- All content centered and properly spaced
Standard Layout:
[1/3 down page]
MANUSCRIPT TITLE
by
Author Name
Approximately 85,000 words
Page Numbering:
- Title page is not numbered
- First manuscript page is page 1
- Headers begin on first manuscript page (or page 2 if “first page different”)
Use Cases
Include Title Page For:
- Agent submissions
- Publisher submissions
- Contest entries
- Professional presentations
Omit Title Page For:
- Drafts
- Personal copies
- Beta reader copies
- Revision tracking
Format-Specific Details
TXT Export Details
Line Endings:
- Windows: CRLF (
\r\n) - Mac/Linux: LF (
\n) - Handled automatically by browser
Encoding:
- UTF-8 encoding
- Supports international characters
- Preserves special characters (em-dashes, quotes)
Structure:
- Paragraphs separated by blank lines
- Headings appear as plain text
- No special formatting markers
DOCX Export Details
Technical Specifications:
- Created using docx.js library (v9.5.1)
- Compliant with Office Open XML standards
- Compatible with Microsoft Word 2007+
Paragraph Spacing:
- Body text: 24pt spacing (double-spaced)
- After paragraphs: 0pt (no extra space)
- Line spacing: 1.0 (exact)
Indentation:
- First line: 720 twips (0.5 inches)
- Calculated in twips (1/1440th of an inch)
- Precise positioning
Chapter Spacing:
- 1/3 page: 3847 twips from top
- 1/2 page: 6480 twips from top
- Page break after each chapter heading
Heading Styles:
- H1:
HeadingLevel.HEADING_1, black color - H2:
HeadingLevel.HEADING_2, black color - Enables Word navigation pane integration
Headers:
- Created using
new Header()object - Includes
PageNumber.CURRENTwrapped inTextRun - Format with slashes as separators
PDF Export Details
Technical Specifications:
- Created using jsPDF library
- A4 page size (210mm x 297mm)
- 72 points per inch
Font Handling:
- Times New Roman → built-in ‘times’ font
- Arial → built-in ‘helvetica’ font
- Courier New → built-in ‘courier’ font
Margin Calculations:
- All margins: 72 points (1 inch)
- Content area: 130mm width
- Automatic page breaks
Line Spacing:
- Calculated from font size
- Double-spaced for body text
- Single-spaced for headers
Page Numbers:
- Generated dynamically
- Positioned in header area
- Formatted according to settings
Export Workflow
Pre-Export Checklist
- Review Manuscript Settings:
- Font selection appropriate?
- Chapter spacing set correctly?
- Headers configured (if needed)?
- Title page desired?
- Check Formatting:
- Chapter headings use H1?
- Scene breaks use H2?
- Block quotes properly formatted?
- No excessive empty paragraphs?
- Verify Content:
- All chapters complete?
- Spelling checked?
- Final revision applied?
Exporting for Submission
Recommended Settings:
- Font: Times New Roman (most traditional)
- Chapter Spacing: 1/3 page (standard)
- Include Title Page: Yes
- Headers: Enabled
- Format:
LastName / TITLE / PageNumber - First Page Different: Yes
Recommended Format:
- PDF for most agent submissions
- DOCX if specifically requested
- Check submission guidelines first
Exporting for Review
Recommended Settings:
- Font: Your preference
- Chapter Spacing: 1/3 page
- Title Page: Optional
- Headers: Optional
- Format: DOCX (allows comments/track changes)
Exporting for Backup
Recommended Settings:
- All formats (TXT, DOCX, PDF)
- Keep settings consistent
- Regular exports to secure location
- Date-stamped filenames
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Headers Not Appearing:
- Ensure “Enable Headers” is checked in settings
- Verify author name and title are filled in
- Check “First Page Different” setting
Chapter Spacing Incorrect:
- Verify chapter spacing setting (1/3 vs 1/2)
- Ensure H1 is used for chapters
- Check for conflicting formatting
First Paragraph Indented:
- This is correct for standard manuscript format
- First paragraph after headings should not indent (automatic)
Block Quotes Spanning Multiple Lines:
- Storytellr correctly exports block quotes as single paragraphs
- Line breaks within quotes are preserved in editor but formatted correctly on export
Format-Specific Issues
DOCX Problems:
- If navigation doesn’t work, check headings are H1/H2
- If spacing is wrong, verify settings before export
- Ensure Microsoft Word 2007 or later
PDF Problems:
- If fonts look wrong, check browser’s PDF renderer
- If margins are off, verify page size settings
- Try different PDF readers if appearance varies
TXT Problems:
- If encoding is wrong, ensure UTF-8 support
- If line breaks are wrong, check text editor settings
Best Practices
Manuscript Preparation
- Use Consistent Formatting:
- H1 for all chapters
- H2 for all scene breaks
- Don’t mix formatting styles
- Check Preview:
- Export PDF to preview layout
- Verify chapter positioning
- Check page breaks
- Test Early:
- Export test pages early
- Verify formatting meets requirements
- Adjust settings as needed
Submission Preparation
- Follow Guidelines:
- Check agent/publisher requirements
- Some want specific fonts or spacing
- Some prefer DOCX, others PDF
- Clean Export:
- Remove author notes
- Delete bracketed comments
- Remove incomplete sections
- Professional Appearance:
- Consistent formatting throughout
- No extra blank pages
- Proper headers and page numbers
Version Control
- Date-Stamped Exports:
- Add date to filename
- Keep multiple versions
- Track major revisions
- Format Archives:
- Keep all format versions
- PDF for archival
- DOCX for working copies
- TXT for backup
Advanced Tips
Custom Formatting
Scene Break Symbols:
- Create H2 with just “#”
- Or use “***”
- Or use “• • •”
- Exports as-is with centering
Chapter Titles:
- “Chapter One” vs “CHAPTER ONE”
- Use formatting toolbar for caps
- Or type as desired
Multiple Export Formats
Batch Exporting:
- Export as TXT for backup
- Export as DOCX for editing
- Export as PDF for submission
- Keep all versions organized
Automation
- Save manuscript settings with template
- Use same settings across manuscripts
- Export regularly during writing process
- Maintain consistent professional format
Additional Resources
- User Guide - Complete Storytellr documentation
- Features Reference - All features explained
- William Shunn’s Manuscript Format - Industry standard guidelines