Finish and publish
Export and formats
EPUB, Word, Markdown and print-ready HTML — your book, your file.
What it is
Your manuscript exports to four formats: EPUB 3 for e-readers and store uploads, Microsoft Word for editors and print-on-demand services, print-ready HTML that becomes a PDF through your browser's print dialogue, and Markdown for plain-text archiving. Each export assembles the same book — front cover, front matter, contents, chapters, back matter and back cover — rendered in that format's idiom. Exporting costs nothing and can be done as often as you like.
Where to find it: Workspace header → Export. Also the final step of the Finish Book wizard.
What this covers
- EPUB 3 for e-readers and stores
- Microsoft Word (.docx) for editors and print services
- Print-ready HTML for PDF
- Markdown for plain text and archiving
- Covers and matter included automatically
- Contents list in every format
- Inline images embedded
- Optional Story Bible in the Markdown export
- Page numbers and proper margins in Word
- Full account data export
How to use it
- 1
Open the export dialog
Press Export in the workspace header, or reach the same thing as the last step of Finish Book. Keyboard: Ctrl+E.
- 2
Pick the format for the job
EPUB for e-readers and store uploads. Word if a human editor or a print service is next. HTML if you want a PDF. Markdown if you want the plainest possible copy.
- 3
Make a PDF from the HTML export
Open the exported HTML file in your browser and choose Print → Save as PDF. The stylesheet already sets page breaks, margins and typography for print.
- 4
Include the Story Bible if you want it
The Markdown export can include your full Story Bible alongside the manuscript — useful as an archive or a handover to a human editor.
- 5
Export your whole account if you need everything
Settings → Privacy → data export produces every project: configuration, bible, chapters, sessions with messages and notes, and your question queue.
What it gives you
Your book leaves in a standard file
Nothing is locked in. A .docx opens anywhere, an EPUB uploads to any store, Markdown is readable in a text editor in thirty years.
It exports as a book, not a text dump
Title page, contents, chapter headings, scene breaks, blockquotes, page numbers and margins are all handled. It arrives looking finished.
Export is free and unlimited
Exporting spends no credits. Export after every session if you want your own backups.
Ready for the tools publishers actually use
The Word export is the right input for Vellum, Atticus and most print-on-demand services; EPUB goes straight to e-book stores.
Good to know
- There is no direct PDF download. PDF comes from printing the HTML export, which gives you your browser's own print controls.
- Structural labels — "Contents", "Acknowledgments", "About the Author" — are in English at present even when the book is not. Text you wrote is in your language.
- WebP images are skipped in Word exports. Use PNG or JPEG for images that must appear in a .docx.
- Inline chapter images stay as links in EPUB rather than being embedded; the cover image is embedded.
- Marketing copy such as the blurb is stored with the book but is not printed into the manuscript body.
Questions
How do I get a PDF?
Export as print-ready HTML, open it in your browser, and use Print → Save as PDF. The page breaks, margins and typography are already set for print.
Which format should I send to a human editor?
Word. It is what editors mark up in, and the export carries formatting, scene breaks and page numbers.
Does exporting cost credits?
No. Export is free and unlimited.
Can I get everything out if I stop using CharmWriter?
Yes. Settings → Privacy → data export gives you every project in full, including sessions, notes and the Story Bible.
Start your first chapter
Every new account gets a free credit — enough to talk through a scene, have it drafted, and see how it reads.
Get started free