BookWriter is an end-to-end AI book writing and publishing platform. You bring the idea — it handles the architecture, the drafting process, the quality control, and the publishing-ready formatting.
This guide walks you through every part of the platform: how to set up your book, how the chapter-writing pipeline works, how to edit and revise, and how to export and publish. Whether you’re on desktop or mobile, every feature covered here works the same way.
By the end of this guide, you’ll understand the full process from first idea to a formatted manuscript ready for Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Draft2Digital, or any other publishing platform.
Use this guide as a reference — bookmark it and come back whenever you need a walkthrough on a specific feature.
BookWriter is built for a wide range of people. The common thread is simple: you have a story to tell and you want it done right.
Never Written a Book Before
You have an idea — maybe for years — but don’t know where to start. The questionnaire walks you through story development step by step: characters, setting, conflict, structure. No craft jargon required. You bring the idea, the system builds the architecture around it.
Start here: Chapter V (Quick Start) walks you through setup in 15 minutes.
You Already Know How to Write
You’ve published before or have manuscripts in a drawer. Every chapter goes through structured phases — blueprint, draft, continuity, polish — with full awareness of your character voices and narrative timeline. Use Re-Polish to direct specific revisions.
Key feature for you: Chapter VIII covers the editing and Re-Polish workflow.
Ready to Publish on Amazon
You want a book that’s ready for market. BookWriter generates genre-tuned titles, covers designed for your Amazon category, a publication-ready synopsis, and KDP keywords. The full publishing package is covered in this guide.
Key section for you: Chapter IX has a step-by-step Amazon KDP publishing walkthrough.
Write at Your Own Pace
Most authors complete a full manuscript in 2–6 hours of active time spread across as many sessions as needed. Write a chapter during lunch, come back next week. Progress is saved automatically — your story, characters, and voice are all preserved between sessions.
Good to know: Close your browser mid-chapter — generation runs on the server and picks up where you left off.
Memoirs & Family Histories
Write a memoir or family history — not necessarily for Amazon, but to preserve a story worth preserving. Export as a professionally formatted PDF for printing, or EPUB to share digitally. Select “Memoir” as your genre during setup.
Tip: The PDF export is formatted at trade paperback trim (5.5″ × 8.5″) — ready for print-on-demand services.
A published book requires more than a manuscript — you need a title, cover, synopsis, keywords, and properly formatted export files. Here’s everything BookWriter produces for you.
A Complete Manuscript
Built chapter by chapter through the quality pipeline. Standard novel length is 70,000–100,000 words. The system supports books of any length — short stories, novellas, full novels, and multi-book series.
Your Book Title
During onboarding, BookWriter generates title options based on your genre and story details. You can choose from the suggestions or enter your own. Titles can be changed at any time from your book settings in the Library.
Your Book Cover
A custom AI-generated cover is created from your genre, tone, and story details. The cover is tuned to genre conventions — thrillers look like thrillers, romance signals warmth, fantasy carries visual weight. Regenerate as many times as you want, or upload your own from the Library.
Book Synopsis
Publication-ready synopsis built from your story’s actual content — themes, characters, central conflict, and stakes. Optimized for the tone and expectations of your genre.
Amazon KDP Keywords
Genre-specific, audience-targeted keywords matched to your book’s actual content. Ready to paste directly into your Amazon KDP metadata fields.
Publication-Ready Export Files
Export in multiple formats, all formatted to professional publishing standards:
Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Kobo, Draft2Digital
Reflowable layout, validated for all major platforms
Print-on-demand, review copies
5.5″ × 8.5″ trim, typeset for trade paperback
Vellum, Scrivener, custom workflows
Clean plain text, maximum flexibility
| Format | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EPUB | Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Kobo, Draft2Digital | Reflowable layout, validated for all major platforms |
| Print-on-demand, review copies | 5.5″ × 8.5″ trim, typeset for trade paperback | |
| Markdown | Vellum, Scrivener, custom workflows | Clean plain text, maximum import flexibility |
Provenance Record
A documented audit trail of the creative collaboration between you and the system. It captures major creative milestones so you can show a clear history of how your manuscript evolved from concept to final draft.
This record supports platform disclosures, rights management, and professional credibility without exposing proprietary prompt formulas, internal logic, or private account secrets.
Before any chapter is drafted, BookWriter builds a deep understanding of your story. Here’s what happens under the hood and why it matters for the quality of your manuscript.
The Book Bible
Before your first chapter is drafted, BookWriter builds a Book Bible — a structured document capturing everything about your story: the world, the rules, the stakes, the thematic spine, and the arc of every major character. This is a living reference document that every subsequent step in the pipeline reads before generating anything.
The Book Bible is why your world stays coherent across 30 chapters. The magic system in chapter 2 doesn’t contradict itself in chapter 19.
Character Intelligence Modeling
During the questionnaire, you define your characters in detail. BookWriter uses these answers to build complete psychological models — history, motivations, emotional range, verbal patterns, the specific way each character processes conflict and relates to others.
These models are referenced every time a character appears in a chapter. When your antagonist speaks in chapter 1 and again in chapter 28, the system draws from the same character model — so their voice, behavior, and psychology stay consistent throughout the manuscript.
This is why the questionnaire matters so much. The more detail you provide about your characters, the more distinct and authentic their voices will be in the finished prose.
Character relationships are modeled as interconnected psychological entities
The Continuity Engine
Every chapter is written with full awareness of every chapter before it. Character decisions, setting details, plot threads, established facts, timelines — all cross-referenced and enforced automatically during the pipeline.
If a character was left-handed in chapter 4, they’re left-handed in chapter 22. If you established the city has no running water, nobody takes a shower in chapter 15. You don’t have to track these details manually — the continuity pass handles it.
Voice Stability
Your book’s voice — sentence rhythm, vocabulary register, emotional pacing, narrative distance, dialogue-to-prose balance — is tracked and enforced chapter by chapter. Chapter 18 sounds like it was written by the same author as chapter 3.
The Multi-Pass Quality Pipeline
Every chapter goes through four structured phases before you see it. Understanding these phases helps you make the most of the review and feedback process.
Each phase catches things the others can’t — blueprint catches structural issues, continuity catches factual errors, polish catches prose-level problems. They run in sequence on every chapter.
From idea to first chapter in under 15 minutes. Your first chapters are free — no credit card required.
Works the same on desktop and mobile. On mobile, the interface adapts to your screen — the same steps, same features, same workflow.
- 01
Go to BookWriter
Click Get Started.
- 02
Tell us about your story
Share a brain dump — characters, setting, conflict — in whatever form works for you. The more detail, the more your story feels like your story from page one.
- 03
Set the basics
Enter a working title, choose your genre and intended audience.
- 04
Launch the Co-Writer Studio
A structured questionnaire builds a deep understanding of your book — themes, characters, tone, and narrative structure. This is the foundation everything else is built on.
- 05
Review your outline
A full chapter-by-chapter outline is generated. Edit titles, descriptions, and order before committing.
- 06
Start writing
Each chapter goes through: Blueprint → Draft → Continuity → Polish → Your Review → Approve. You control every decision.
The full journey from concept to finished, published manuscript.
Step 1: Onboarding
A quick setup takes you through author name, genre selection (20+ genres and sub-genres), title generation, cover creation, and account setup. Your progress is saved at every step.
Step 2: Your Library
Your home base for all projects. Start new books, continue existing ones, track chapter-by-chapter progress, and access export and settings.
Step 3: Launch the Co-Writer Studio
The Studio walks you through: a structured questionnaire that builds the Book Bible, full chapter-by-chapter outline generation, outline review and editing, and chapter-by-chapter writing through the quality pipeline.
Step 4: Review, Edit, Approve
Edit text directly in your browser. Request a Re-Polish with specific guidance. Approve when satisfied — approved chapters are locked into your manuscript.
Step 5: Export and Publish
Export in publication-ready formats and upload directly to Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Draft2Digital, or any other platform. BookWriter handles the formatting. You handle the launch.
Each chapter follows a structured four-phase pipeline. Here’s what happens at each stage and what you’ll see on screen.
On mobile, the Studio uses a single-column layout. On desktop, you get a wider view with the chapter text and controls side by side. The workflow is identical on both.
Phase 1: Blueprint
Before a single word of narrative is written, a detailed scene-level plan covers structure, character arcs, emotional beats, pacing, and direct connections to prior chapters.
This step exists because a weak plan produces a weak chapter. Structural problems get caught before they’re baked into prose.
Phase 2: Draft
Full chapter written from the approved blueprint, drawing on the Book Bible, complete character models, and the full manuscript history.
Phase 3: Continuity Pass
The draft is reviewed against the full manuscript for consistency in character details, plot threads, setting facts, timeline, and tonal register. Inconsistencies are corrected.
Phase 4: Polish Pass
Refined for prose rhythm, voice consistency, pacing, dialogue authenticity, and chapter opening and closing beats.
Real-Time Progress
During writing, you see word count growing in real time, which phase is currently running, and estimated time to completion. Chapter writing typically takes 2–8 minutes depending on complexity.
In the Studio
While reviewing a chapter, edit text directly in the review panel. Changes auto-save every few seconds. Look for the “Saved” indicator at the top of the editor to confirm your edits are persisted.
On mobile, tap the text area to start editing. The toolbar appears above the keyboard.
In the Chapter Editor
Once a chapter is approved, it moves to the full chapter editor. You’ll find:
- Formatting toolbar (bold, italic, headings)
- Scene break insertion
- Undo/redo history
- Word count tracking
Manual editing is always free — it doesn’t use any Book Credits.
Re-Polishing
To request an AI revision, enter specific feedback in the revision panel. Be precise — “The protagonist concedes too easily. She needs to push back harder before she backs down” will produce a better revision than “this chapter feels wrong.”
Your previous version is always preserved — compare before accepting the revision.
How to Export
- 1Open your book from the Library
- 2Click the Export button
- 3Choose your format (EPUB, PDF, or Markdown)
- 4Toggle on/off front matter (dedication) and back matter (About the Author)
- 5Click the format button to start the export — your file downloads automatically
Every export includes: title page, copyright page, and auto-generated table of contents. Dedication and About the Author sections are optional.
Export is available at any stage — you don’t have to finish all chapters first. On mobile, the exported file will download to your device’s default download location.
How to Publish on Amazon KDP
Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign in.
Title, subtitle, author name, series info, language.
EPUB for Kindle eBook. PDF for print. BookWriter exports pass KDP quality checks.
BookWriter covers are generated at publication-ready resolution (2,560 × 1,600px minimum).
70% royalty for $2.99–$9.99. Most debut authors price at $2.99–$4.99.
Use BookWriter's generated synopsis and KDP keywords. Select BISAC categories.
Kindle ebooks typically go live within 24–72 hours.
Other Publishing Platforms
Your EPUB export works on every major platform: Draft2Digital (Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo), Apple Books via Producer, Kobo Writing Life, Google Play Books, and IngramSpark for print distribution to physical bookstores and libraries.
How Book Credits Work
BookWriter uses a Book Credit system. Credits are consumed during AI-powered steps: questionnaire processing, book bible generation, chapter blueprints, drafts, continuity passes, polish passes, and re-polishes.
You can check your credit balance at any time from the navigation bar at the top of the screen.
You start with free credits — no credit card required. This is enough to run through the full pipeline on your first chapters and see how the system works.
Book Credit Packages
Starter
1 full novel
Writer
2 full novels
Author
5 full novels
A full novel means enough credits to run the complete pipeline for one book.
Book Credit packages are one-time purchases. They never expire. Cover Credits coming soon.
Included Before You Buy a Book Credit
- Competitive Book Title generation (optional)
- Competitive Custom Book Cover generation (optional)
- Brain Dump intake
- Guided Book Interview
- Book Outline creation
- 3 chapter blueprints
- 3 fully written, edited, and polished chapters
- Continuation handoff document with prompts and completion instructions
This is the fastest way to learn each feature end-to-end without guessing what button to tap next. Every workflow below is written for both desktop and mobile.
Start a New Book
Flow 1DesktopLibrary → New Book → Co-Writer Setup
MobileLibrary tab → + New Book → Co-Writer Setup
- Add your core idea or brain dump with names, setting, and conflict.
- Confirm title, genre, and target audience.
- Finish the questionnaire to build your Book Bible before outlining.
Outcome: A complete outline ready for chapter generation.
Generate the Next Chapter
Flow 2DesktopBook → Co-Writer Studio → Select chapter → Write
MobileBook → Studio → Select chapter card → Write
- Open the next unlocked chapter and review the chapter brief.
- Run the full pipeline: Blueprint, Draft, Continuity, Polish.
- Review output, then approve or send a precise Re-Polish instruction.
Outcome: A continuity-safe chapter merged into your manuscript history.
Edit and Format Safely
Flow 3DesktopBook → Chapter Editor
MobileBook → Chapter Editor (single-column mode)
- Edit directly in the chapter text area.
- Use toolbar controls for headings, emphasis, and scene breaks.
- Wait for the Saved state before leaving the page.
Outcome: Manual edits persist and remain free of Book Credit usage.
Export for Publishing
Flow 4DesktopBook → Export
MobileBook → Export sheet
- Choose EPUB for ebook platforms or PDF for print.
- Toggle optional front/back matter sections.
- Download and run a quick visual pass before upload.
Outcome: Publishing-ready files for KDP, Apple Books, Kobo, and more.
Update Cover and Metadata
Flow 5DesktopLibrary → Book Settings
MobileLibrary → Book card menu → Settings
- Regenerate or upload a cover.
- Review synopsis, subtitle, and keyword set before publishing.
- Re-export metadata-dependent formats if you made major changes.
Outcome: A coherent packaging stack aligned to your final manuscript.
Manage Credits and Cost
Flow 6DesktopTop navigation credit meter
MobileMenu drawer → Credits
- Check your balance before long writing sessions.
- Use manual edits when you need small line-level fixes.
- Use Re-Polish only with focused, high-impact instructions.
Outcome: Maximum quality per credit with fewer low-value reruns.
Use BookWriter with real story detail, but never expose credentials or private account secrets. Keep this checklist as your default operating standard.
Never Paste These
- Passwords, one-time passcodes, recovery phrases, API keys, or webhook secrets
- Banking details, tax IDs, or full card numbers
- Private legal documents that are unrelated to your manuscript
- Anything you would not want copied into revision prompts or exports
Use This Instead
- Use placeholders like [CLIENT_NAME], [CITY], [BRAND] when drafting
- Share narrative context, tone goals, and scene intent, not account credentials
- If a chapter includes sensitive real-world info, redact first then Re-Polish
- Store credentials only in platform settings built for secrets, never in manuscript text
If You Accidentally Shared a Secret
- 1Delete or replace the exposed value in the chapter immediately.
- 2Regenerate the affected section with redacted placeholders.
- 3Rotate the exposed credential in the source system right away.
- 4Contact support through the in-app help menu for additional guidance.
Here’s how different types of projects work through the platform.
First novel from a concept
You have a thriller idea — you know the killer, the detective, the twist — but you've never written fiction. The questionnaire walks you through character and story development. The pipeline handles structure and pacing conventions for the thriller genre.
How to do it: Use the Co-Writer Studio from start to finish. Export as EPUB for Amazon KDP. The generated synopsis and keywords are ready for your listing.
Publishing an existing draft
You have a finished manuscript that needs formatting for Kindle. Paste your chapters into the editor, configure your front/back matter, and export.
How to do it: Use the chapter editor for any final revisions. Export as EPUB for ebooks, PDF for print. Use the synopsis and keyword generators for your Amazon listing.
Building a multi-book series
Five books, shared world, recurring characters. Continuity across hundreds of thousands of words is the challenge.
How to do it: Write Book 1 with the Co-Writer today, then continue each new installment as a fresh Co-Writer project while Sequel Writer remains in waitlist-only preview.
Publishing multiple books per year
You want a repeatable workflow for consistent output. Most manuscripts take 2–6 hours of active time.
How to do it: Each book is an independent project in your Library. The pipeline handles quality and consistency. Write at whatever pace works — your progress is always saved.
Non-fiction from domain expertise
You're a coach, consultant, or professional with a framework worth sharing. You've never written long-form content.
How to do it: Select Non-Fiction or Self-Help as your genre. The questionnaire adapts to non-fiction structures — chapters built around frameworks and case studies rather than narrative arcs.
Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them
Rushing through the questionnaire
Every weak output traces back to a thin questionnaire. Go back, fill in what you skipped. You can re-run it at any time.
Approving a chapter too quickly
Approved chapters can always be edited manually (free). For a full AI rewrite, unlock individual chapters for re-drafting.
A chapter feels off
Use Re-Polish with specific feedback. Not "this feels wrong" — be precise: "The tone is too comedic. Chapter 6 established a darker register."
Running out of Book Credits mid-book
Progress is fully saved. Purchase more credits and continue exactly where you left off. Nothing is lost.
Closing browser during generation
Generation runs on the server. Your browser being closed doesn't interrupt it. The completed chapter will be waiting when you return.
No. BookWriter is designed for people who have ideas, not necessarily people who have craft training. The questionnaire guides you through story development with plain-language questions. The pipeline handles structure, pacing, and prose quality. You review and approve each chapter — but you don't need to know how to write one from scratch.
Most authors complete a full manuscript in 2–6 hours of active time, spread across however many sessions work for their schedule. Chapter generation takes 2–8 minutes each; the questionnaire and outline take 20–45 minutes. Review and editing time varies by author and how closely you want to engage with each chapter.
Yes. Each book is an independent project in your Library. Switch between projects at any time. Your progress on each is saved independently.
It depends on how much detail you provide in the questionnaire. Specific character detail, genuine voice preferences, and concrete story decisions produce distinct, authentic-sounding output. Generic or rushed questionnaire answers produce more generic prose. The character modeling and voice stability systems are designed to maintain consistent, natural-sounding prose — but they work best when given strong source material to draw from.
BookWriter supports 20+ genres and sub-genres including Romance, Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Self-Help and Business, Memoir, and Non-Fiction. If your genre isn't in the list, the guided picker helps you find the closest match.
Your writing is private. Your manuscripts, brain dumps, and questionnaire answers are private to your account. They are never used to train AI systems or shared with other users.
Use Chapter XI (Feature Playbooks). Each playbook includes the desktop path, mobile path, exact sequence of actions, and expected outcome so you can move feature-by-feature without guesswork.
Never paste passwords, API keys, one-time passcodes, or billing secrets into manuscript text, chat inputs, or revision prompts. Use placeholders like [CLIENT_NAME] for sensitive references, and rotate credentials immediately if one is exposed.
Yes. You retain full rights to all content created with BookWriter. See the Terms of Service for complete details.
Chapter generation runs on the server, not in your browser. Losing your connection does not interrupt it. When you reconnect and open the Studio, your chapter will be waiting — completed or in progress.
The chapter editor supports direct text import — paste your chapters in and they become part of your BookWriter project. The Co-Writer pipeline works best when starting from concept, but you can use BookWriter's editor, export, cover, and metadata tools with any existing manuscript.
EPUB for Kindle ebooks. Amazon KDP accepts EPUB directly and it's the format that travels best across all ebook platforms. Use PDF for print-on-demand (paperback and hardcover). BookWriter exports both.
BookWriter currently supports targets up to 100,000 words per project. One Book Credit covers up to 70,000 words. Projects above 70,000 words require 2 Book Credits.
Yes. Cover generation is available at any time from your book settings in the Library. Generate as many times as you want. Upload your own cover at any time. Cover changes don't affect your manuscript.
Common questions about what AI-assisted writing actually means and how BookWriter handles it.
How does the quality pipeline affect the output?
Each chapter runs through four phases — blueprint, draft, continuity, polish — and each phase operates with full knowledge of your Book Bible, character models, and every approved chapter before it. The blueprint catches structural issues before they’re baked into prose. The continuity pass catches factual errors across chapters. The polish pass refines voice and pacing.
How does BookWriter handle dialogue?
Dialogue is driven by the character models you build during the questionnaire. Each character has defined speech patterns, relationship dynamics, and psychological traits. When two characters interact, the system draws from these models — so their voices stay distinct and consistent across the entire manuscript.
Who is the author of a BookWriter book?
You are. You make every creative decision: the story, characters, themes, world, genre, tone, and structure. You review every chapter and direct revisions. BookWriter handles craft execution — scene construction, prose quality, continuity enforcement. A provenance record documents the collaborative process for your records.
What determines the quality of the output?
The single biggest factor is the questionnaire. Detailed, specific answers about your characters, world, and story produce detailed, specific prose. Thin answers produce generic output. If your chapters feel off, the fix is almost always to go back and strengthen your questionnaire answers.
See “Common Mistakes” above for specific guidance on getting the best results.
Troubleshooting
Can't log in
Confirm correct email, check spam for verification link, try a different browser, or use Forgot Password.
Chapter generation seems stuck
Typically takes 2–8 minutes. If over 12 minutes, refresh the page — progress is saved server-side.
Edits aren't saving
Check the "Saved" indicator and your internet connection. Copy text as backup, then refresh.
Export looks wrong
Confirm chapters are approved. Check front/back matter settings. EPUB is more flexible than PDF for varied content.
Cover didn't generate
Verify your book has a title set. Try regenerating from book settings. You can always upload your own.
Still need help? Contact support through the in-app help menu with your book title and a description of the issue.
A summary of the key systems working behind every chapter you write.
Continuity Safeguards
Every chapter cross-referenced against full manuscript history. Contradictions caught in the pipeline, before you see them.
Character Intelligence
Psychologically coherent models. Distinct voices and relational dynamics from chapter 1 to chapter 40.
Multi-Pass Pipeline
Blueprint, draft, continuity, polish — four phases run automatically on every chapter before review.
Voice Stability
Sentence rhythm, vocabulary, narrative distance tracked and enforced throughout the manuscript.
Provenance Transparency
Documented record of your creative process. Ready for evolving industry standards.
Fail-Safe Architecture
Connection drops, browser closures, server restarts — your work is preserved through all of it.
That covers the full platform. If you have questions not answered here, reach out through the in-app help menu.