At the moment I am evaluating Scrivener and also a rival product Jutoh.
I am primarily interested in ebook production, but note that Jutoh also compiles to epub3, lulu epub and smashwords. I am liking Scrivener, but am wondering if it is also capable of compiling to these extra formats or if there is some workaround to achieve this.
Any input from those that have used Scrivener to create ebooks would be greatly appreciated, as obviously don’t want to miss out on any potential markets. I could buy both programs, but need to consider the learning curve of two separate programs.
Hello Horizon,
I think maybe you are not aware of Scrivener’s primary purpose. You state that Jutoh is a rival product which is not exactly true. Jutoh is a very competent Epub tool for formatting and publishing Epub books and variants of such.
Whilst Scrivener can compile straight to epub that is not its primary purpose and strength. Scrivener is designed to produce the actual project that you wish to publish. Scrivener is a powerful content-generation tool for writers that allows you to concentrate on composing and structuring long and difficult documents.
For example in fiction writing, Scriv allows you the flexibility to write any chapter or scene in any order. Use keywords to keep track of your characters, places, situations. Make and store collections which could hold all scenes relating to a location or character,
Set writing targets for the session or the whole project.
Bring up dual screens so you can write or edit as you view research material or rework your previous writing.
Use a virtual cork board to arrange your scenes, chapters or any other documents.
Keep all of your research in one place so that it is easily accessible.
Write full screen for a distraction free environment, or have a suitable backdrop to provide a little inspiration.
And much more.
Good luck with your time evaluating it.
Thanks Shass. I have been looking at the extra features that Scrivener offers and also the extra program that Jutoh offers ‘Writers Cafe’ which is a paid for separate program. I do like the fact that these are all self contained within Scrivener though, but as with all software, it is a case of how many of the extra features will I actually use? By the same token, Scrivener is offering all these extra features for not much more money than Jutoh, so it is an extremely attractive proposition at the moment.
My main question is geared towards the ebook compiling features though, as I want to market to as many as many possible venues as I can. If the Mobi and ePub formats will cover the majority of online distributors, I would be happy to go with Scrivener and try to adapt to keeping all my notes and research stored within the program, rather than scattered around my workroom.
Incidentally, Scrivener compiles to a much smaller file size than Jutoh, which is another definite plus in its favour.
I can tell you that, once you have learned how the compile process works, Scrivener can export nearly perfect .MOBI and .EPUB outputs, for immediate submission to Kindle and other outlets.
I can’t comment on Jutoh or how they might compare/contrast.
Thanks Jace. As regards output, both Scrivener and Jutoh produce .mobi and .epub with no real problems. The output file is much more compact in Scrivener though, which is a positive thing.
Having looked at various software in more depth, which all have their plus and minus points, I have decided to go with Scrivener. True is has a longer learning curve than much of its immediate competition, but it also has a lot of support material out there, with forums, blogs, YouTube videos and books to help you out. The auto-save feature was ultimately the final deciding factor for me though, as nobody likes to lose work. 8)
