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Jul 12, 2020 08:58
I was going to add all chapters but now I think I will do it by chapter then furnish all scene info then maps characters etc. Once I have all the stuff related to Ch 1 then I'll move to chapter 2. I just upgraded to get the manuscript access. Ive had this account nearly a year and done nothing so time to do it!
Aug 29, 2020 04:07
by Michael Ray Johnson
In the text editor, the first lines of paragraphs are indented, but not in the published version. I can't find a way to change this. Is there a way to get the published version to have indented first lines of paragraphs?
Aug 29, 2020 10:13
Yes! There are several editor customization options. While editing the manuscript, click on the manuscript title on the left sidebar. Then, use the options on the right of the page. "Paragraph indent" should be what you're looking for, and you can also add extra CSS rules (if you know how this works).
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Aug 29, 2020 15:03
by Michael Ray Johnson
I've done that, but it's not making any difference, no matter what I change the numbers to. I haven't done anything with the CSS rules though as I'm not familiar with how that works.
Aug 29, 2020 15:09
Make sure you add the measurement unit too, not only the number. Since you want to remove it, you can just type "0px" (without the quotation marks, and make sure there's no space between the 0 and the px). Make sure you refresh the page too! Using "raw CSS" isn't necessary for that, it's just there for people who know what they are doing to customize the editor even further. But the default fields should be enough.
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Aug 29, 2020 15:47
by Michael Ray Johnson
Yeah, I've included units, and the published version still still has no indents. I've noticed now that the editor isn't changing either. It has indents even if I set it to 0cm (or any other unit). The published version, however, never has indents, no matter what I set the value to, and I want the published version to have indents. I tried creating a new manuscript as well, and it's having the same issues. Maybe it's a bug? Thanks for the help so far.
Aug 29, 2020 16:30
I apologize, I misunderstood your question! I thought you were asking about changing the editor, not the published version. There doesn't seem to be a way to change this in the published version, as far as I know. Feel free to add a feature request (not a bug report) for this feature!
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Aug 29, 2020 17:19
by Michael Ray Johnson
Ah, okay then. I'll put in the request. Thanks for the help!
Oct 9, 2020 09:33
by Peter J. Blake
Did this request get added? Because I think it's a critical one. I'd like my published manuscript to have indents on new paragraphs and also have no space between them (i.e. what a "normal" book looks like). Otherwise you can't make sensible dialogue - it just doesn't look right with spaces between paragraphs and no indents. Without this feature I wouldn't want to publish here, sadly.
Oct 19, 2020 18:11
by Michael Ray Johnson
I put in the request but it has not been added yet. I hope that it will.
Sep 6, 2020 20:43
by Ariel Purkeypile
Can I track comments, changes, etc from beta readers and editors inside Manuscript? TIA
Sep 6, 2020 20:52
by Ariel Purkeypile
Also, is it not possible to link things inline using the @ system inside Manuscript?
Sep 7, 2020 09:57
Hi! If you have beta readers, my recommendation is that you publish the manuscript but keep it private in the Access settings of the manuscript. Then, make a subscriber group for your beta readers and add it to the manuscript so that only them can read it. They will be able to add comments to each chapter. As for linking, the mention system doesn't work in the Manuscripts editor. Each scene can be linked to multiple articles though, using the right sidebar.
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Sep 9, 2020 02:50
by Ariel Purkeypile
Re: my earlier questions, with help for others on Manuscript:
's in order. (Or at least that's usually my issue if I have one!)
Sep 11, 2020 08:28
by Ben Mobley
Attempting to delete a manuscript I created as a test results in a 404 not found error. Also, I cannot save my manuscript backcover summary? I enter the text, go to another chapter, it's gone?
Sep 12, 2020 10:23
Hi! How old is that Manuscript? If it was created during the alpha-testing phase, errors are expected. If don't have and never have had beta features enabled (also known as "Alchemist"), let me know and we can work from here.
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Sep 12, 2020 13:00
by Ben Mobley
Hi Ondo, yes that could very well be the case. I will start over with a new one, but is there a way to delete this?
Sep 12, 2020 17:45
Alpha Manuscripts can't be deleted due to how the system used to work vs how it works now. However, you can file in a bug report requesting the Manuscript to be deleted. Make sure to provide details (the 404 error, that it's an old one, and the manuscript ID). There's a link in the help page. You'll need a separate account because it's a third-party service (unless you already have a Jira account). Sorry about that!
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Sep 12, 2020 21:36
by Ben Mobley
Hey no problem, thanks for the help ;)
Oct 10, 2020 11:29
by Leeland Artra
I want to include the published manuscript embedded codes in my world. The link codes work as described. However, I cannot control the size of the book cover. I tried using the CSS code in the WorldAnvil guide (.user-css .bookcover) https://www.worldanvil.com/w/WorldAnvilCodex/a/css but that did not change the manuscript image sizes for the manuscript embeds.
Nov 5, 2020 21:43
Is there an easy export function if you want to take a completed manuscript and, say, publish it as an ebook somewhere?
Nov 6, 2020 22:26
Yes! You can currently export the Manuscript as basic HTML in a new tab, which you can then "print to pdf". From PDF you can easily convert it to ebook format. I know there are plans to have direct ebook format downloads, but I don't know when this will come and which formats will be included. Hope this helps!
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Nov 9, 2020 22:49
Yes, thanks so much!
Jan 11, 2021 08:22
Help! I want to use manuscripts to write, but when I enter a space it jumps a whole line (I assume it's using the br command). I need to be able to see just a normal space when doing this (like you can with Word or Scrivner), otherwise dialogue breaks look horrible and my work becomes harder to read. Any fixes for this?
Jan 11, 2021 08:22
Help! I want to use manuscripts to write, but when I enter a space it jumps a whole line (I assume it's using the br command). I need to be able to see just a normal space when doing this (like you can with Word or Scrivner), otherwise dialogue breaks look horrible and my work becomes harder to read. Any fixes for this?
Jan 11, 2021 14:41
That should definitely not be happening. Do you have any browser extensions that could be interfering?
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jan 28, 2021 17:23
by JRR Jara
Hi! I finished the first draft of my novel with Manuscripts and now I want to edit it. there is a way I can make a copy of the first draft and keep it untouched and make the edits on the copy like a second draft?
Creator of Hanzelot and many more.
Jan 28, 2021 19:15
Hi! Not on the current version of Manuscripts, unfortunately. It's a good feature request though, so feel free to make it!
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jan 28, 2021 20:40
by JRR Jara
Thank you for answer! I've never requested a feature before, but I'll do it :)
Creator of Hanzelot and many more.
Feb 24, 2021 05:48
Any one figure out how to add an inline image? At present, I haven't seen anything that supports that, just dumping an image in between scenes, which makes editing text *around* the image a right PITA. Also, any way to *turn off* the auto save after every keystroke this site does? Not much point in writing when the interwebs are slow if you have to type as slow as the overworked network.
Feb 27, 2021 11:51
Hi! You should be able to embed images using the Insert > Media menu on the Manuscripts editor. It will ask you a direct link to your image. If you want a section of your manuscript to be mainly an image with complementary text, you can create an Image instead of a Text when adding a scene. This will prompt you for an image that has been uploaded to your world and a text caption. As for the auto-save, don't worry! You don't need to wait for the auto-save to run before typing the next word. Just make sure you wait for the auto-save before leaving the Manuscripts page and you should be fine!
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Mar 3, 2021 03:50
That's ... weird. We have image storage for our world guides, but have to use off site images for our books? I mean, sure we could go through the hassle of figuring out the direct link to stored images, but what happens if the backend changes break the links? Not that the media insert is at all intuitive. It seems to try putting in video links, not static images. As for the auto save, I got confirmation there is no off button for it, which sucks because in is current state the site is practically read only for me. Even doing all my typing off site, just opening any page in edit mode makes the site unresponsive due to network lag. (No browser extensions to turn off, just the difference between urban and rural infrastructure. ) Eh, feature requests submitted.
Mar 3, 2021 10:18
As someone who's lived with rural connection, I understand the struggle! As for the insert media, that's because the text editor for Manuscripts is actually an external service, so it's not fully integrated with the World Anvil ecosystem. Thanks for submitting the feature requests though!
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Feb 11, 2022 20:15
by F. J. Brodie
Do you know if this has been figured out yet? I have a small symbol/emblem I want underneath section titles but even if I manage to get it to show in the editor, it breaks instantly.
FJ Brodie
Writing The Chronicles of Qal'ath
Doing my own artwork (mostly) and fighting chronic pain (always).
Writing The Chronicles of Qal'ath
Doing my own artwork (mostly) and fighting chronic pain (always).
Feb 14, 2022 08:51
If it doesn't work for you yet, it means it hasn't been resolved. The devs don't watch this space, so the best option to get this feature is to submit a feature request or use the development channels on Discord to communicate with the developers.
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Feb 14, 2022 13:38
by F. J. Brodie
Okay, thank you :)
FJ Brodie
Writing The Chronicles of Qal'ath
Doing my own artwork (mostly) and fighting chronic pain (always).
Writing The Chronicles of Qal'ath
Doing my own artwork (mostly) and fighting chronic pain (always).
Mar 2, 2021 22:18
by Tasha Smith
I have a quick question, I don't have a cover or blurb for my story yet, but want to publish the first couple of chapters. Can you add these things in later? Even after the first chapter has been published?
Mar 3, 2021 10:16
Yes! You can edit everything no matter the publication state.
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Mar 3, 2021 22:58
by Tasha Smith
Brill thank you so much.
Mar 12, 2021 21:35
by Hailey Jeannine
How do you save your work??? Everytime I navigate away from the text document the work is lost
Hailey Jeannine
Mar 13, 2021 12:29
Hi! The Manuscripts software has an auto-saving feature. You should see a "Saved" notification pop-up in the top bar every few seconds. If you don't, check if you have any browser extensions that could be preventing it to work (try using Manuscripts in another browser or in incognito/private mode). Let me know if that helps!
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Dec 14, 2021 15:36
Is there a way to change the default yellow background of the editor?
Dec 16, 2021 10:40
There are no customization options for the editor, although you might be able to do something about it using CSS if you're proficient with it.
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Feb 24, 2022 02:50
If you publish a private manuscript are your followers still notified and can people see that it exists? Also, do the word statistics only go up after publishing?
Feb 24, 2022 10:11
Hi! The Publish button will send a notification to everyone, but if it's set to private, no one will be able to access its contents. The word count statistics in the Manuscripts sidebar are updated every day that you access the manuscript. Each scene also has a word count at the bottom that is updated live. Let me know if this helps or if you have any other questions!
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Mar 15, 2022 00:51
by Bobby Hardenbrook
Are images supposed to autoscale for mobile? I've noticed that images don't seem to autoscale well or at all when I view a manicript on mobile. Is there something we need to set or configure to make that work? Or could this be a bug?
Mar 15, 2022 10:53
Hi! Which images do you mean exactly, and do you have an example?
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Mar 15, 2022 18:41
by Bobby Hardenbrook
Actually the issue is with viewing manuscripts, not timelines. See this when viewed on mobile.... https://www.worldanvil.com/community/manuscripts/read/8086110565-bobbylh-shattered-world-3A-the-eurasian-war/54b088de-cd58-4183-879b-253565c423ce
Mar 15, 2022 18:42
by Bobby Hardenbrook
It happens with the large map image but smaller images seem fine. Is there a maximum height/width?
Mar 16, 2022 10:20
I see! I'm not sure why this is happening. My guess is that the smaller images are small enough that they fit a mobile screen without having to be resized. Could you report this as a bug? Thank you! https://github.com/worldanvil/worldanvil-bug-tracker/issues
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Mar 16, 2022 19:05
by Bobby Hardenbrook
Opened issue #926 on the tracker just now.
Jul 9, 2022 03:09
Hello all!! A quick question and maybe I am overlooking this. In my manuscript, how can I add links to articles, timelines, or maps? :-)
Jul 11, 2022 09:05
Hi! Currently Manuscripts use a different editor so it doesn't support BBCode nor the mention system. So you'll have to use full URLs if you want to link to external content.
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Aug 5, 2022 03:11
by Pexuson
Hello! I noticed that it is possible to have folders-within-folders in the editor, and I was hoping to use that to have more than one grouping level in my manuscript, i.e. have "Chapters" grouped into "Parts" with both levels showing up in the Table of Contents for the manuscript. However, no matter how I fiddle with things I am not able to get this to happen: Whenever I have a folder INSIDE a folder, the entire contents of that "inner" folder simply do not show up in the published version of the manuscript! Am I doing something wrong, or is this not something that is possible with folders-in-folders?
Aug 5, 2022 07:28
Hi! I don't think that's possible. But it's a good idea for multi-part stories, so feel free to request it in the feature suggestion board!
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Aug 6, 2022 03:10
by Pexuson
I will do it! Thank you. ☺️
Dec 28, 2022 03:39
Hi, is there any way to import a manuscript we have already started into Manuscripts? I have, like, 30000 words in a word doc and I dont really want to go through copy pasting chapter by chapter... Thanks in advance!
Jan 2, 2023 08:35
Hi! (and happy new year!) There isn't an import feature for Manuscripts as of now, so copy-pasting will be the only way to move an existing novel into World Anvil.
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jan 3, 2023 05:29
Happy New Year to you too. Fortunately I had access to my husbands twin monitors so it didnt take too long but it may be a useful function for the future? KK
Jan 3, 2023 09:32
Feel free to suggest it as a feature! You can do so here: https://www.worldanvil.com/community/voting/.
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Feb 28, 2023 11:43
QQ - i have had a significant change in my planned story - i am going to start a new manuscipt as will be easier than editing what id already done - thankfully not shedloads. is best idea cut and paste what i can re-use into a new manuscript ?
Feb 28, 2023 12:47
That will be up to your own workflow, as well as how much you want to reuse! I recommend not deleting the old version of the story though, you never know if there might be something good there that you can use in the future!
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Aug 25, 2023 18:18
Hi, attempting to delete a manuscript and start over from original save documents. The Manuscript has a red lock icon on it, and attempting to delete it gets me the confirmation dialogue but it never actually gets deleted. Help!
Aug 25, 2023 18:42
by InfiniJoule
I had this problem and my world was in "Stored" status. I set it to "Active" status and I was then able to delete my manuscript. Maybe this is the case for you?
Aug 26, 2023 12:14
I don't see these settings, where do I change them?
Aug 26, 2023 17:30
by InfiniJoule
It is under the Configuration cog on the left hand panel. Then go to Settings>Additional. You'll see the storage status as one of the options. It sounds like this might not be the problem in your case if you have not changed this in the past. Good luck!
Aug 27, 2023 14:24
Thank you, you're right - it IS set to active, and I'm getting the 404 error listed above. I created this manuscript this month, so it's not an 'alpha' item or anything like that.
Jul 10, 2024 20:32
I can't seem to find anywhere online explaining what the Custom Format function is. I don't like the default formatting style, so I am very interested in this function and what it does.
Jul 11, 2024 08:03
Hi! I'm not sure what you mean by "Custom Format function", so I'll need some clarification before helping you. Could you point me to where in the Manuscripts interface this is? Thanks!
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Nov 22, 2024 16:43
Chiming in because I'm also curious about this. In the Write view of a scene, you have your row of basic command menus (Edit, View, etc.) and under Format > Formats there's a list of custom formats. Only one of them actually has customization that applies to text (black highlight + white text color). I'd like to be able to set those to custom formats for ease of use. (The same option is in the top/default row of the toolbar - the second of two dropdowns labeled "Paragraph".)
Nov 26, 2024 16:34
Thanks for letting me know where that was! That is a feature of the text editor, which for Manuscripts specifically is a third-party editor (i.e. not made by World Anvil). It doesn't look like there's an option to set custom formats beyond those ones. That said, you can modify how text appears in edit mode! Go to the general Manuscript setting (click the title of the Manuscript at the top left). On the right sidebar you'll see a "Document settings" section with a few settings you can tweak. After reloading the page, they will be applied to all scenes on edit mode.
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Mar 9, 2025 22:53
This was the only information I could find on this Custom Format, and what Ondo provided is incorrect. You can set it via the "CSS Extra Rules" section. Example: :root { --h1-color: #ca762b; --spoken-text-color: goldenrod; --spoken-text-bg: rgba(50, 50, 50, 0.8 } p.spoken-text, .customformat1 { color: var(--spoken-text-color font-style: italic; background-color: var(--spoken-text-bg padding: 10px; border-left: 4px solid var(--h1-color margin-bottom: 15px; }
Mar 9, 2025 22:54
Well, the formatting didn't transfer, but that should be a good enough start to figure it out!
Apr 11, 2025 19:47
by Owen, You may never know….
So, when I try to publish my chapters, they never appear to reader. I have spectate folders for each chapter and I have them public and published, but nothings appearing. How do I fix this?
Aspiring author!
Apr 14, 2025 16:48
Hi! Have you followed the steps here? https://www.worldanvil.com/learn/manuscripts-guides/manuscripts#publish (in the "How to publish" section specifically)
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Apr 14, 2025 17:07
by Owen, You may never know….
I’ve done that, it’s the text I have in the chapters that won’t appear
Aspiring author!
Apr 14, 2025 17:32
Ah, sorry, I misunderstood. Just to clarify: you have text in the chapter's text box and in your Manuscripts, the chapter itself is published and viewable by anyone, but it's empty? Could you send me a link to the Manuscript?
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Apr 14, 2025 18:13
by Owen, You may never know….
the manuscript By the way, even though I know they are published and public, when I go in reading mode they never appear for some reason
Aspiring author!
Apr 15, 2025 14:09
The chapters don't appear in the Manuscript at all, so that means that they aren't properly published. As the guide I linked says, you have to manually publish each chapter (i.e. publishing the Manuscript as a whole will not automatically publish its chapters). If you're 100% sure you've followed the exact instructions in the guide to publish chapters and are still having issues, you can report a bug.
[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Once it's published it's published forever, but can you still edit a chapter/scene that has already been published?
Yes, you can!