I’m new to using Scrivener for a non-fiction book. I’m not sure if I should have chapter titles ONLY in the binder or ALSO in the editor.
Do I include the chapter title only in the binder or in the binder and editor? I want to ensure the chapter titles appear upon compiling, but I don’t want the titles duplicated.
Hi bmosbacker, and welcome to the forum.
If you’re using a chapter folder structure with documents inside each folder for your sections, then I’d recommend just titling each chapter and the documents with the titles you’d like them to use in the output file.
Then, you’ll be set up to use Scrivener’s compile tools to add chapter numbers with the titles in your headings. Or, you can use the document titles for those headings. Which you pick could depend on your personal preference or the submission guidelines for publication.
That approach could also allow you to add hierarchical numbering to sections if needed.
You might also access Scrivener’s Interactive Tutorial from its Help menu and test out using different compile formats and output types with the tutorial. That way, you can test how different settings affect the output file’s appearance. That could help you decide on a structure for your project.
Translation: “Just in the Binder”.
RuthS is recommending that you give your chapter folders a title in the Binder which is the desire chapter title (rather than putting chapter titles in the body text of the work).
Thank you, much appreciated.
If I understand you correctly, you suggest that any titles I use in the Binder for chapters and or headings within those chapters, should only be in the Binder, not also in the text editor. Is that correct? If so, only headings and sub-headings within a chapter that are not already shown in the binder should be in the editor. Correct?
Thank you; that provides clarification. In my reply, I wrote: “If I understand you correctly, you suggest that any titles I use in the Binder for chapters and or headings within those chapters, should only be in the Binder, not also in the text editor. Is that correct? If so, only headings and sub-headings within a chapter that are not already shown in the binder should be in the editor. Correct?”
Is that correct?
I do think that is RuthS’s idea of the way to go.
Though wgat you say suggests you are thinking to only follow the suggestion for chapter and section (handling lower level subsections in the body text). But you might contrive that all headings be in titles. If your Binder has an outline-like structure that reflects the structure of chapter/section/subsection, then Compile can be set up to hand all the headings for you, at each level.
You can split your work into as small a documents as you like without penalty in Scrivener; if your Binder reflects the actual structure of the work, that is generally a good thing.
To put it another way, put Chapter/Section/SubSection/SubSubSection/Whatever titles in the Binder, or in the body text, but not both.
Generally speaking, there is little benefit to having Binder items large enough to require internal titles.
@gr @kewms, thank you! This is very helpful. You have probably saved me a lot of cleanup work later when I try to compile. I’ll change my book structure in Scrivener so that all chapter tiles and all headings (at all levels) are only in the Binder. Thanks again, much appreciated!
Do you have a recommended video tutorial on compiling? I find figuring out the compile function to be confusing.
Thanks!
Did you try the Tutorial in the Help Menu?
Not yet, but I will, thanks!
I made a change as suggested for the first chapter. Before I go too far, is this the recommended approach?
Before going anywhere, best to go through the Tutorial … 
I will! 
Does the approach I show above look correct as “best practice?”
In your snapshot we see you have the editor pane in Scrivenings view mode. Good. As RuthS suggested you might want to flip on the Scrivener setting which will show your document & folder titles as headings in the view mode. It will make what you see in the editor make more sense.
(Basically instead of seeing just a dashed line that represents passing from one doc to the other, Scriv will also visually note there for you what the name of the document is. This is quite helpful in keeping your bearings.)
P.S. If it was me, I would not include the word ‘Chapter’ in the title of each chapter folder. First, that it is a high-level folder is enough for you to register that this folder represents a chapter. Second, you will have to remove those for easy compiling anyway. Just name the folder the actual title of the chapter. Compile can front that with a line that has ‘Chapter’ followed by the chapter number.
To follow up from @rms: The tutorial is where to start… and be clear in your mind that Scrivener is not Word!
When you use “Scrivenings view”, as your screenshot shows, you might find it helpful to have the titles visible:
.
As for “best practice”, I think all of us would have a slightly different view of what that is. Apart from the question of whether to have the titles showing or not, your screenshot looks perfectly “good practice”, but as you work with Scrivener and learn its features, you will probably refine things and end up with your own “best practice”, i.e. the workflow that suits you best.
Mark
In the Support section of the Literature & Latte site, there are explanatory videos about Compiling.
Thank you everyone! When I started reading the tutorial, I noticed that it is set up just as I’m beginning to do in the Binder. And, turning on “Show Titles in Scrivenings” is what I was missing; it now makes sense!
Thanks a million. I think I’ve got the basics now. I’ll have to watch a few videos on compiling when I get to that point, but for now, I can focus on my writing.
Again, thanks, everyone for your kind help!
Note that this option affects what you see in the Scrivener Editor, but not your Compiled output document.
Watch the four-part series of video from L&L at Videos | Literature & Latte The voice-over runs a ltttle fast for me — non-native speakers of English might have problems with the speed — but the videos do clear up much of the confusion we have all had with Compile.
Remember under the “Settings” button there is speed control ranging from 0.5x to 2.0x… I often watch videos at 2.0x as videos take so much time (compared to reading). But the option there to slow things down a bit for those who want that.
