Advice on Scrivener

Scrivener Scrivener for Windows
1

Hi! I am willing to test Scrivener. I usually write my books in Word.

Issues: when I convert the .docx files into pdf and these later into .epub, the lay-out is messed up: chapters start on the right page, blank pages appear from nothing, etc… My books need to have a fixed lay-out (not reflowable) because of the illustrations that are inserted into the text.

Questions:

  1. When importing my .docx books into Scrivener, do I need to redo all the lay-out? One of the books has 800 pages, that is why I am worried to have to rework it all.
  2. The conversion from Scrivener file into .epub works seamlessly and keeps exactly the lay-out I fixed inside Scrivener? Or there are reported lay-out issues when converting?
  3. I use OneDrive for Business to sync all my files and be able to retrieve/read/edit them in my Windows 10 desktop, notebook and Android 8.0 smartphone. Will Scrivener files sync seamlessly with OneDrive?

Point 2 is really important for me, as ideally I want to click to convert info .epub to publish it in Amazon.com and have no worries about the text lay-out being destroyed.

Your advice is welcome! :slight_smile:

2

Scrivener is not intended to be a page layout tool. If that is your primary reason for considering it, there is a good chance you’ll be disappointed.

Moreover, epubs in particular are notoriously hostile to fixed page layouts. Epub reader software generally allows the user to change the font and font size at will, which will break any layout that assumes a specific font size.

I would recommend downloading the free trial and experimenting. That’s the best way to see whether Scrivener will meet your needs. literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/download

Katherine