Just thought I’d share an experience with Keith. I went to a writer’s seminar this week. About 100 people in attendance. I spoke to about 10 people during breaks, specifically asking what software they use to write with. 8 said Word, 2 said Google Docs. I asked if they had used Scrivener, and most said they had tried it. But they found it too hard, gave up and went back to Word. I asked what they found hardest in Scrivener, and most said the Compile tool. They couldn’t figure out how to use Compile to get their manuscripts in the format they wanted.
I started using Scrivener last year, and I really like it. But I do agree it has a learning curve. Still, I was surprised to hear that nearly everyone I spoke to at the seminar had tried Scrivener but given up. Not a large sample size, I know, but maybe an indicator to put more focus on the UI and ease-of-use.