Chapterly for Authors

 

A quick word before you read the post. I’ve had some brilliant success with this blog. Thank you for reading and commenting. I’m hoping you will help me out today. My latest book Artist is live today. I don’t usually ask for clicks, but if you enjoy my blog and want to support me, please consider a $0.99 purchase to help a fellow author out. Thank you.

Okay, enough ads! You’ve read my how-to and info about Chapterly. Now let’s talk about how this app works for authors.

The app provides many resources for authors with the basic $10 level. I think my favorite was the planning board. It’s nice to have a free-form planning app built into the program. Unlike Scrivener, you don’t need to buy the additional flow chart app to plan. The chart is within the story folder. How many of us forget the plan and need to consult? It’s nice not to have to find it in another program.

The book cover feature is another unique piece. You can create a paperback cover quickly. For me, paperback covers are magical and can only be created by graphic artists. This feature alone might save you hundreds of dollars. Remember, though, graphic artists know all those secret things that make covers stand out. I’m not saying we can’t make our own covers. But we all know that sometimes homemade ones stand out (as bad).

With all the other paid features built into the app, authors can find editors, cover artists, and mentors easily. In this industry, word of mouth is often the only way to find such services. Having everything within one app helps authors keep the details simple and clean.

That being said, unless you need those services—covers, editing, etc., I would not recommend Chapterly. It’s expensive at $10 for a basic subscription. Other software gives you more for a low-tier price (Office 360) or one price to purchase the license rather than a subscription (Scrivener).

Their ads were very aggressive. Users must enter payment information before the free trial. How many of us forget to unsubscribe? Once I put in my payment info, a coupon page came up. It offered discounts for the paid program. A good discount, except that the offer showed up three times, asking me to shell out another 200 immediately. The coupon was only valid for ten minutes. I hadn’t even tried the app yet!

Inside the program, I didn’t care for the folder window on the left side. If you have only one or two projects, it’s great. But the window shows all your projects in one space. If you add a new book, it loads under the last one. This can become very confusing, and I could see my work becoming more disorganized as I added. I have many, many projects on Scrivener. I need each to be its own file.

I won’t say I don’t recommend Chapterly, but it didn’t work for me. I like free or one-time-payment software. I hate ads and disorganization. The structure and the add-ons were not useful for me personally. I hope this information will help you choose if the app is for you.

 

Chapterly How-To

Let’s see how to use Chapterly.

Once you create a password and load the app, you need to choose if you are a new writer or  an experienced one. This will direct the app on how best to serve you. Content/advice will vary based on the answer.

If you are an experienced writer, the app will ask you to upload your manuscript. You can add the file and then edit right on the screen. The manuscript will also help the AI to suggest content for you. (It reads the doc and notes keywords.)

The app poses other questions to help learn about you, including the type of writing, genre, subcategory, and description of your work. The AI can help, but only if you add enough description for it to work with. Last, title your work.

Next, the app goes to the payment page. To receive a free trial, you must put in your payment information. You can cancel at any time. Be sure to note your payment date to avoid being charged if the app is not for you.

After payment is complete, set a daily goal for word count of 100, 500, or 1000. Later, you can adjust the goal to better fit your needs. Next, the app offers outlining guides. You can choose an outline method—27 chapter, 20-day method, Freytag’s pyramid, or you can skip the step.

Finally, the app opens to the draft page. The structure is similar to Scrivener, with an outline on the left and a blank page in the middle. Notes can be added to the right side by clicking the double arrow to open an information column. Pages and folders are added with the plus sign next to the manuscript in the outline menu. Pages can be dragged and dropped to reorganize the material. Click in the center and type away. To return to the draft page, use the dashboard or the library. Click on either option on the left and choose the title you need.

Other items/features on the left outline menu include characters and location. You can add characters and settings with quick access to the data. Hit the plus sign to add a new character. The page will have detailed questions and a place for a picture. Locations works similarly. You can even use the AI to help you create either.

To change your goal, click on Goals on the left and then New Goal. Here you can make your goal daily, weekly, or monthly. There are various totals to choose from (though not the 1667 daily for NaNo. Use the 50k for the month for that.) You can also put the goal on a specific work in progress. Last, choose how Chapterly will remind you about your goal—daily, weekly, monthly, and time of day.

Boards are an organizing, plotting element. You can plan the story, and the outline is a click away. The feature is like Scapple. You can make a flowchart or random boxes around the space. Click and drag boxes to reorganize your plot or add boxes to deepen it. Add new content with the Add Book Parts menu. Characters, locations, and pictures can be added, not just notes. You can also add new text and pictures with the icons.

Last on the menu, you can create a book cover for your WIP. Click on the plus next to Cover and then Blank Cover. Next, the app will prompt you to select the type you need. And yes, they have paperback covers. Add images, words, and such as you would in a photo app. The paperback cover will already have dimensions and settings for the spine, ISBN, and barcode.

Other features of the app include marketing and classes. On the far-left menu, the Audience feature allows users to connect with social media to share their process as they create their work. You can connect through TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and others. You must give Chapterly access to the accounts.

Under the Audience button, is a cart. It displays the classes and services available. I didn’t explore them as they were payment only. But there is a wide variety of services, from coaching to editing, cover design and blurb assistance, and courses.

Next week, we will discuss how to use the app as an author.

 

Chapterly

Camp NaNoWriMo is just around the corner. Are you ready? April Camp is a great time to plan and research your November project. I found an app that might help us plan everything we need.

Chapterly is a full-service writing program to organize and create your work. The platform includes features for planning, drafting, and publishing. The entire writing process in one app! Also, writers can set a goal for each project. There are classes and several services.

With a sign-up, users receive a two-week free trial to explore the app. Warning: you must enter payment options to receive the free time. To subscribe, it’s 8.99 a month or $100 annually. At this level, writers receive cloud access, planning tools, notes feature, character tracking, outlines, AI help, book templates, cover creation, and more. There is also a premium subscription for $14.99 a month and $140 annually. This level removes the restrictions of the regular subscription. For example, it ups the number of AI words allowed from 3k a month to 11k.

Services and classes include five-day mini-courses, coaching (three tiers available), editing (copy, line, or both), cover design, and blurb assistance. Each service has an additional cost. The prices range from $49 to $475, depending on what you choose.

Next week, we will delve into the mechanics of the app. If you want to check it out yourself, I have a referral code for thirty-free days. I don’t know if you have to subscribe first. But let’s try anyway! 

https://chapterly.com/r/MndWBfV1KXdyaE0kwFpHhUA1h8S2

 

Google Resources: Calendar

For my last entry on Google resources, I’ll like to show you some interesting ways to make their calendar work for you.

Google Calendar is a part of the suite—a simple calendar to add your appointments and due dates. It works on desktop and mobile devices. There’s even a widget (an auto-display for the app) on your phone (both Android and iPhone.) You can step up your game to add color-coded entries to categorize items. There are a dozen colors to choose from to differentiate your business appointments from family ones, etc. 

The calendar entries are more than events. You can add notes, locations, and repeatability. Notes lets you add the details for the event—what you need to bring or ask, etc. If you put the address in the location feature, clicking on it will link to Google Maps and display directions. Events can be marked repeatable. You can make them monthly, weekly, daily, yearly, or more. The feature is perfect for anything regularly scheduled. You add it once and be done.

Editing is also easy. Click on the event, then hit the pencil (desktop) or three dots (mobile). Change around the entry. If it is a recurring entry, the app will ask to change it in the future. The same goes for deleting entries. If you delete a repeated event, it will ask before deleting all future instances.

Reminders are an integral part of the app. You can set up email and app notification reminders for any event. You can even have multiple reminders for one event, so you don’t miss a thing. And don’t forget, you can add events and reminders with due dates through Google Keep. These add to your calendar automatically.

You can share events through the calendar and invite other users. Perhaps you have an in-person signing. Invite Google contacts through your calendar to ensure they get the date. Invites will add the date to their calendar if they choose.

My big recommendation for the Google Calendar for authors is the multiple calendar feature. You can create different calendars for yourself and mark them as work, family, writing, or whatever you need. You can share these calendars with others and make a group calendar. The feature will only share the info you choose. For example, it won’t send your dental appointment to your editor. (Although, you might want them to see that appointment as an excuse for your edits being late.) This is perfect for group projects—including multiple-author projects, editors, beta readers, and crit partners. You can also set visibility levels on events, even on shared calendars. That way your crit partner won’t know about the surprise birthday party or such things.

A shared calendar can keep everyone in your group/project up to date with changes in deadlines, new events, and release dates. Each person can set their own notifications for any event or due date. This gives everyone access to the information but keeps the user in control of how they use the data (like using the drive for files).

Google has many great resources for authors. I highly recommend exploring the features and choosing what works for you.