Compile Options
Everything you can control when compiling your project for export.
Opening Compile
Go to File → Compile / Export or press Ctrl+Shift+E. The compile dialog shows all available formats and options for the selected format.
Document Selection
The Include panel lists every document marked for compile. You can uncheck individual documents here without touching the compile checkbox in the Navigator — useful for one-off exports where you want a subset of chapters.
The panel shows the title, word count, and total included word count so you can see exactly what you're exporting before you click Export.
Scene Separator
When you have multiple scene documents inside a chapter, the scene separator controls what appears between them in the compiled output.
| Option | Result |
|---|---|
| None | Scenes run together with no gap |
| Extra blank line | A single blank line between scenes (default) |
| * * * | Three centred asterisks — a common scene-break convention |
| — em-dash — | Em-dash separator, common in commercial fiction |
| Custom | Any text you type — centred between scenes |
The separator is applied between scenes within a chapter. It does not appear between chapters.
Chapter Start
Controls whether each chapter starts on a new page in the compiled output.
- New page (default) — each chapter begins on its own page. Standard for novels and most long-form prose.
- Continuous — chapters flow directly after the previous one, separated only by the chapter heading. Useful for short story collections or documents where page breaks would waste space.
Author Name
The author name appears in headers, title pages, and cover sheets depending on the format. It defaults to the project name if left blank.
Chapter Numbering
When enabled, chapters are numbered automatically in the output (Chapter 1, Chapter 2…) using your project's chapter label. Disable this if your chapters have unique names and you don't want a number prefix.
Compile Order
The compile order is always:
- Front Matter (in Navigator order)
- Prologue (if present and marked for compile)
- Manuscript chapters and scenes (in Navigator order)
- Epilogue (if present and marked for compile)
- Back Matter (in Navigator order)
The Navigator order is the compile order — drag documents to reorder them.
Format Updates
Some export formats (APA, MLA, and others with specific style-guide rules) can receive updates without a full app update. Go to Help → Check for Format Updates to check for updated format specs.
This is useful when a style guide releases a new edition — you'll get the correct formatting without waiting for a new app release.