I was looking for something similar to Aeon Timeline, and ran across a reference to a software suite called “NovelOS” and started looking. Seems they launched at the beginning of this year and are trying to sell 2500 copies of their “first edition” at $45 a pop for what looks like the next generation slop machine. The name had me wondering if it were a highly specialized Linux environment or something, but it looks like its just another AI studio with writers tools.
They talk about using AI to build consistent character visuals, and even generative AI prompts for story creation. I’m thinking it’s nothing more than the next snake oil repacked in a very modern looking website, which has yet to even sell 10% of the limited edition FOMO copies.
Anyway, I might be entirely unfair to them, and it might be a real writing tool with the AI on the side in a place one need not use it, but I still think I’ll pass for now.
I won’t link to them, but a google search turns them easily enough.
The funny part (well, one of them) is the claim “The Operating System for Storytellers.” – and then offering downloads for Windows and macOS. Definitely legit.
I remember a product of the aughties called “Writer’s Cafe” rather fondly, as it was the evolution of “Storylines” and it tried to build a sandbox that you stay within for writing, but this was back when most people were on Win98SE or WinMe and you had to run a pop-up blocker to keep internet nasties from trying to brute-force your computer to find an open port to get in and do naughty things like swap your DNS provider to theirs which made sure you were directed to where they wanted you to go…
Anyone that ever had to manage their own hardware in those days… Probably has a healthy paranoia about what modern systems are blind to.
The real-life testimonials look like they’re written by authors (or “series architects”) who were generated by an LLM using the “give me a cliched writer” prompt:
Give me a series of gushing testimonials from authors with cool-sounding names and make sure at least one author mentions how happy he is that he switched from Scrivener.
Even the introductory video has that uneasy “does this software actually exist?” vibe-coded feel about it.
And then there’s the whole “buy this now, before we disappear without a trace” vibe.
“Managing a 6-book series was a nightmare of scattered spreadsheets and broken continuity. The visual relationship engine changed everything for my series bible.”
SV
Silas Vane
Epic Fantasy Author
That’s pretty impressive to do in six or so months with a new piece of software. Ok, in theory, this person could have been using the application since the first beta version:
Considering that the domain wasn’t registered until end of 2025, how did anyone get their hands on two beta versions prior to that?
Trusted by the global writing community on Reddit & Twitter
yeahhh i duno. i seen the website and my brain just kinda went “nah”. could be complety wrong tho im just gonna wait till actual pepole use it for awhile lol. hwhwhwhwhahuhduwh (I am no bot goys a damn homannnnnnnn jhduhiuqhduehufhuqhudhq)
230 self-reported sales in seven months isn’t horrible for cottage industry software….. If it were 1988.
Looking deeper on their site, if you get through their hoops and join their affilliate program, they claim a 50% commission on all referals. After I found that, it stinks of a thinly veiled MLM scheme, as the “roadmap” screams vaporware to me. And yeah, I’m wondering if the site will still be there next year.
Oh, this is about the only lightly tinted ‘pink’ flag in the group. Those read like filler to me. Lack of anything solid, so they put something in there to not appear completely new. It’s an old marketing thing, just one that got adopted by the vibe-coders.
The implication of the alleged stats bother me more… I’ve been to writing events where a bunch of writers can pound out a massive amount of words, but the figures they claim in seven months? If those numbers were to be real, it would require that the software ‘phone home’ to report them, and that’s another can of worms with what is clearly intended as an AI playground, not for writers but for those that think they can give the AI a few prompts and produce novels passively.
Well, if it’s this guy, then mastery of time travel is probably one of his lesser talents.
Silas M Vane is a Gulf War veteran, cancer survivor, and polymath who’s read 2,000+ books from Dumas to Dostoevsky. After 20 years studying Sun Tzu and Musashi, he writes grimdark fantasy about broken people who refuse to stay down. Book proceeds fund the development of VMS, an AI PTSD companion for veterans.
He’s also an amazingly prolific author who has published numerous books in a matter of weeks, according to an Amazon search. (And bizarrely some books on crochet along with “grimdark” and “hybrid baby” romance books.) I have no idea how some authors are able to put out so many books in such a short time. No idea.
I had the same reaction. Couldn’t even tell you exactly why, but after a couple minutes on the site I just closed the tab. It feels like it’s trying really hard to sell the idea of the product instead of showing me why I’d actually want to use it.
Definitely legit.