How to Organize Your Book Files

This week one of my former mastermind clients emailed me to say something like this…

I’m feeling SUPER overwhelmed as I try to organize all my drafts and notes and your feedback. I know it will help with finishing the book, but help!

I’m going back and forth between Google Docs and Word. Word is easier for me to use but your notes are in GDocs so my head is SPINNING.

Do you have any tips on organizing??

OH YES I DO. And here they are.

Tip 1: Use the software that’s most intuitive for you. Whether that’s Word, Notes, Google Docs, Scrivener, or something else, use what’s easiest.

If you purchased a fancy manuscript editor (like Scrivener), but you can’t figure out how to use it, don’t.

If someone (like me!) recommended you use Google Docs, but you can’t figure out how to use it, don’t.

Use the thing you’re most familiar with.

Tip #2: Set up a single folder for your book. Name it with the title, or “My Book,” or something equally obvious. Then create a folder nested inside if called Old Drafts.

If you have a clean manuscript draft (by which I mean: a single document that’s up to date with the current draft of your book), that should go here in this folder. If you don’t currently have a clean draft document, hold for Tip 3.

Put ALL former drafts, notes, feedback from editors or writing partners, in the Old Drafts folder.

Tip #3: Create a clean manuscript draft (if you don’t already have one).

To do this, create a brand new shiny document in the main book folder. Then, copy in one chapter at a time - editing as you go. So you’ll copy in chapter 1, then edit it before copying in chapter 2.

This is particularly helpful if you have a lot of notes from an editor or writing partner, or you’re working on a next draft, or if you have a lot of drafts of each chapter.

Tip #4: Use headings to help you navigate chapters.

If you’re using Google Docs or Word or another similar word processor, it. is. VITAL that you use headings for each chapter title (even if it’s just “Chapter 1”) so that you can easily navigate to the chapter you’re working on. Here’s how to use headings in Word and in Google Docs.

If you’re using Word, be sure to create a clickable Table of Contents. (Google Docs does this automatically in the lefthand pane.)

Tip #5: Add a “Notes” document to your folder.

Set up another brand-new shiny document called “Notes.” Use this to track notes on structure, scenes you want to write, questions you have about your book, resources you want to check out, etc.

So the ONLY documents in your book folder are your manuscript document and your notes document. And a folder called Old Drafts.

That’s it.

Did this help you organize your book? Let me know in the comments!