Chapterly gives users the ability to format and download their manuscript in convenient PDF and epub formats. Select epub for ebooks (Kindle now uses epub too!) and PDF for printed books.
Though we do not have the option to export in any other formats at this time, you can use a free online converter to do so, using a basic internet search to find one that will produce the format you need.
You can access the export tool by clicking the gear icon for the book on your Writing Studio dashboard or by clicking the eye icon at the top right corner of any part of the book within the Library.
Note: If you’re using Chapterly solely to share your work with followers on our site and don’t intend to publish a book, you’ll never need to worry about the export tool. Changes made there will not alter the appearance of your story for your followers.
Formatting Your Book for Export
On the left-side navigation bar, there are a lot of options for formatting your book. The Theme setting will give you three options for different ‘vibes.’ You can fine-tune things like fonts, headers and footers, and paragraph format too, but keep in mind that every time you set a new theme, your other choices will be reset. As such, it’s best to choose a theme and stick with it, if possible.
If you click on the Fonts tab, it will display options to edit the font for every aspect of your book. Click on any of the font options shown for each category to edit the font attributes.
The next category that can be edited is the chapter heading. You can click on the arrows next to the Loomings chapter template to see which chapter heading template you prefer.
Under the Header and Footer tab, you can choose from the following categories to edit: Author, Title, Page Number; Title, Chapter, Page Number; Chapter, Page Number; and Page Number. Select the category that you want to edit and then select the template for those attributes.
At the bottom of the panel, there are options to format your text. Please select or deselect the features that you want to display in your book.
Note: The indentation button under Text Formatting is the only safe way to indent paragraphs. Adding extra spaces within the editor will not have the desired effect.
Once you have set all of the attributes for your book, click on the red "Export Book" button at the top right corner of the screen. Then, you can select either "Print on demand PDF" or "Digital eBook" or you can "go to exports” to see previous versions you’ve exported.
The next screen will ask you if you want to export the cover or the contents. Select "Contents" to export the entire manuscript and click next.
Note: You cannot export both cover and contents in a single file. This is intentional. All publishers will expect you to upload your cover and manuscript in separate files. Including a cover image within an e-book file would only show as having a duplicated cover when the book is opened on an e-reader app. Having a duplicated cover image printed within your paperback or hardback book would escalate your print costs unnecessarily and does not align with industry standards.
The next screen allows you to choose the trim size of your book by clicking on the drop-down menu. Choose the size that you want and then click Next.
On the next page, you select the printing bleed for your book. If you click on the up arrow next to each option, it will choose the first setting of 0.125. Choose the amount of print bleed that you want and then click Export. For more information on print bleeds, please consult your publisher's help pages.
You will automatically be directed to the Exports page. Click on "download" to export your book as a PDF.
The book will then display in the Downloads part of your browser, where you can save it to your device.