For best results, we recommend exporting your work from Scrivener as a Microsoft .docx file, then importing into AutoCrit to complete your edits.

If your manuscript is complete in draft form, then you should use the Compile option within Scrivener to join your book’s chapters and scenes into one single file.

This can be found within Scrivener by going to File > Compile.

There, in the top drop-down, choose Microsoft Word (.docx), and then use Scrivener’s options to set your preferences and the material you wish to include in the export.
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With your exported .docx file to hand, within the AutoCrit Writer’s Desk choose the Upload File option. This will prompt you to either select, or simply drag and drop, your .docx file for upload.

AutoCrit’s editor respects Scrivener’s marking of chapter headers, so you should see your chapter listing automatically identified after import, as seen here.

NOTE: Scrivener also allows the option to Export (by going to File > Export > Files) your manuscript as separate files, one for each scene. If your book has been exported in this way, you can still combine those files when uploading to AutoCrit.

To do this, simply drag and drop all of the necessary files into the upload box when prompted. AutoCrit will then ask you to arrange these files in the proper order that they will appear in your manuscript.

And that’s it! Your manuscript project has been created, and you may now complete your analyses and edits inside the AutoCrit platform.

If for any reason you need to bring your edited manuscript back into Scrivener, AutoCrit has multiple options.

Our recommendation is to use the Export function, seen below, to export your manuscript as a .docx file, and then import that file back into Scrivener.

Note that this will result in Scrivener importing your full manuscript as a single “scene” within the software.

For Scrivener users who prefer to break up chapters when writing, AutoCrit allows the option to do so, so you may import each chapter to the right place inside Scrivener. To do this, simply tick the box stating “Export each chapter as a unique file.”

You can, however some formatted elements are likely to be changed as you edit.

For AutoCrit’s tools to work correctly, custom formatting is removed from your document on import – though it may not be apparent at first. Different pieces of software, such as Scrivener, Microsoft Word, Google Docs etc. often use different custom coding “baked in” to your documents when you export.

While your initial import into AutoCrit might accurately reflect the formatting you originally had in Scrivener, things may change as you continue to make revisions to your work.

AutoCrit contains a plethora of formatting options within the editor, so you can replicate overall formatting with a few tweaks. That said, since so much can change with your book during revisions, formatting is best left until the end of the editorial process.

Multiple formatting options are available on export from AutoCrit, and with AutoCrit’s built-in Publishing tools, you can fully prep your edited book with a multitude of options, and export directly to digital EPUB or print-ready PDF.

The answer to this question is yes – but total replacement depends on your preferences and workflow as a writer.

AutoCrit offers not just a robust writing suite, but also note boards to keep track of research, character profiles, locations etc. much like Scrivener does. You can build your story’s timeline, add visual media elements, and have everything you need to keep you going right at hand.

And when your draft is complete, just head to the editing reports to get started on your revisions with no interruption.

With additional built-in story templates, the Inspiration Studio, and near-instant critical feedback via the Story Analyzer, AutoCrit goes above and beyond to put everything at your fingertips without hopping from program to program, or having to import and export back and forth.

You can choose to do so if you wish, but you’re likely to find AutoCrit a breath of fresh air if you want to plan, write, get feedback, make confident revisions and get ready to publish, all in the same place.