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Many text editors are just that – text editors. They take a document-focused approach to writing that centers on creating text. It’s an approach that works for most kinds of writing. However, long-form writing is a different animal altogether that benefits from a project-based approach that also includes tools for planning, organizing, researching, and tracking. Today, released for macOS with a long list of new features that cements its spot as one of the premier project-focused apps available on the Mac for long-form writing. Scrivener isn’t just for book writers, but the features that cater to them are what sets the app apart from other text editors. A Scrivener project is broken into pieces that include multiple text documents, research materials, and other elements.

Fast, flexible navigation across multiple documents and bits of research is essential for big projects and is one of the areas where Scrivener excels. From the Binder in the left-hand sidebar, you can quickly navigate between documents in a project, create collections of documents across a project, and use Scrivener’s built-in search functionality to filter based on keyword searches. In version 3, Scrivener has added a powerful bookmarking feature that supplements the existing search functionality.

Bookmarks are available in the inspector pane on the right-hand side of the app. Bookmarks can be associated with a project or an individual document and applied to documents in the current project, elsewhere on your Mac, or even on the Internet. You can toggle between project and document bookmarks from the inspector or invoke project bookmarks from a dedicated bookmark button in the toolbar. Clicking on a bookmark in the inspector displays an editable version of the associated document below your list of bookmarks. If a bookmark links to an external document, double-clicking it opens the document in the app associated with it.

It’s a nice way to keep disparate materials for cross reference always at your fingertips. Date-based metadata. The update to Scrivener also extends the app’s metadata system. Metadata helps organize documents, research, and other aspects of a writing project by associating bits of information with items. Version 3 adds checkboxes, lists, and dates to the app. Checkboxes can be used for any state that can be framed as the answer to a yes or no question. For example, you could add a custom metadata field with a checkbox that indicates whether a book chapter has been sent to your publisher or not.

Lists create multiple choice popup menus for those circumstances where you need more alternatives than the two that checkboxes provide. As you’d expect, date metadata lets you associate date and time information with an item. Metadata is searchable from Scrivener’s search field and can be incorporated in the outliner view of the app and to determine which parts of a project are compiled when you are ready to create a final exported version of your project. Scrivener's new compile interface.

Compiling a project into a final document has been significantly revised in Scrivener 3 too. Compiling brings together all the pieces of a writing project and outputs a single document for printing or a file in a particular format. A compiled document is formatted according to each component document’s Section Type. Scrivener’s built-in templates create default Section Types, but they can be customized too. At compile time, Scrivener takes all the pieces of your project and assembles them, applying layouts based on the Section Types you defined and used. The compile interface has also been simplified.

The window is divided into three sections: compile formats, a preview pane, and project-specific settings. The redesign presents the compile options in a way that is better-organized than prior versions clarifying what will happen when the ‘Compile’ button is clicked. You can still dig into the minutia if you’d like, but for most users, I suspect the simplified interface presented by version 3 will be a welcome change. Export options have been enhanced in the new version of Scrivener. There is now ePub 3 support and improved Kindle functionality., but to provide a better Kindle experience, Literature and Latte had to create a rich text to MultiMarkdown converter as an initial step before converting the MultiMarkdown to the Kindle’s file format.

As a result, Scrivener has also gained the ability to export to MultiMarkdown. Scrivener’s MultiMarkdown export feature highlights a fundamental difference between it and plain-text editors. In Scrivener, text begins as rich text and can be exported to MultiMarkdown and other formats, whereas in plain-text editors, text often originates as Markdown and then is exported to formats like rich text.

One is not an inherently superior approach over the other, but writers accustomed to plain text editors may find it harder to make the transition to Scrivener than someone coming from a styled-text word processor like Pages or Word. Scrivener's Style panel.

Formatting presets from earlier versions of Scrivener have evolved into a styles system similar to one you would find in a word processor, where sets of formatting can be defined as a style. The app includes predefined styles that should suit the needs of most users, but styles can also be customized. When you compile a project and export it, styles are translated into the destination format whether that’s Word, ePub, or some other format.

To expand the number of documents that can be simultaneously displayed onscreen, Scrivener has added a new feature called copyholders. Prior versions of the app allowed you to view two documents side-by-side vertically or horizontally, but with copyholders, up to four documents can share the screen. A copyholder is essentially an editor without access to Scrivener’s corkboard, outliner, or ‘Scrivenings’ features. There are several options associated with laying out the editor panes in Scrivener, which can get fiddly. Fortunately, Literature and Latte has added several pre-defined layouts that provide sensible options for users who don’t want to adjust the layout of their editors. In addition to a large number of new features in Scrivener 3, the app has a brand new, modern design that looks right at home with other modern Mac apps. Literature and Latte has also added a new round icon that looks great and is a big improvement over the previous one.

Scrivener is one of the most complex writing apps I’ve used. It’s not an understatement to say that virtually every aspect of the app can be customized to accommodate every writer’s particular tastes and needs.

While the app can be used for any type and style of writing, the depth of customization possible in Scrivener is designed primarily for book writers who need to wrangle hundreds of pages of text and research. If you’re not that kind of writer, I would think hard before diving into Scrivener. For many people, it is more tool than needed, and there’s a risk of getting lost in its complexity and endlessly fiddling with its settings. That said, Scrivener is also exactly what many long-form writers need – powerful tools to plan, organize, and track progress of big, unwieldy projects. With the update to version 3, Scrivener is more flexible and powerful than ever before, and many of its more complex features have been redesigned to be more approachable. I have not written anything book-length, but if I do, Scrivener will be the tool I’ll use to tackle a project of that scope.

A Mac App Store version is planned for future release. In the meantime, anyone who bought Scrivener 2 on the Mac App Store that provides Literature and Latte with a Mac App Store receipt will be sent a discount code to buy version 3 directly for the upgrade price of $25. Literature and Latte also offers a 30-day free trial if you want to take Scrivener for a spin before purchasing it.

Features. Modernised, redesigned UI with all-new graphical elements and a flatter, fresher feel. A true styles system, making it much easier to format headings, block quotes and more - all fully-integrated with Compile, so that you can reformat everything on the fly when you export or print. Compile has been rebuilt from the ground up, making it much easier for novices while providing even more power for those who want to dive deep. ePub 3 support and improved Kindle export, with fully customisable CSS for stunning ebooks. View more documents alongside one another using the new 'Copyholders' feature.

You can even navigate your writing on one side of the UI and your research on the other. Bookmark and then view and edit documents in the Inspector, right alongside whatever you're working on. Enhanced outlining. Scrivener's corkboard and outliner are now more flexible, and show text previews for documents with no synopsis.

Writing Statistics: keep track of how much you write every day. Track threads on the corkboard: Scrivener's new 'Arrange by Label' corkboard mode allows you to arrange cards along coloured lines representing labels. Great for working out different storylines or themes. Improved custom metadata: you can now create pop-up lists, checkboxes and date fields in Scrivener's Inspector and outliner. Easy layout switching: quickly switch between useful UI setups using the new default layouts available from the Window Layouts menu, or from the leftmost toolbar button.

Every single feature and UI element of Scrivener has been refreshed, overhauled and improved. Scrivener is now 64-bit.

Much, much more. More Info Because of its extensive modernisation, Scrivener 3 requires macOS 10.12+ to run. Don't worry, though: we'll continue to provide a download link for Scrivener 2 on our website for those on older systems or who do not wish to upgrade just yet. Not only that, but we'll be uploading a slightly updated version of Scrivener 2 that accepts a Scrivener 3 licence.

So users on older systems can buy a Scrivener 3 licence and use it with Scrivener 2. For those working between a mix of platforms, Scrivener 3 can export to Scrivener 2 format (which is also useful for Windows users). Scrivener 3 will cost $25 for existing users of Scrivener for macOS (Scrivener 1 or 2 macOS licences are valid for the update pricing). Anyone who purchased Scrivener 2 on or after 20th August 2017 will receive the update for free.

To get the discounted upgrade pricing, simply visit our site, head to the store, and choose the 'Upgrade from an older version' link. Here's a direct link to our store: (This link will not work until release day - our site will be getting an overhaul on the same day.) Note that you will need to have purchased direct from our web store (or from a reseller that required you to register via our store such as Amazon) to get the discounted pricing on our store. If you're a Mac App Store customer, please see below. Free Trial As always there will be a free 30-day trial available for Scrivener 3. Even if you've tried Scrivener before and run out of trial days, you'll be able to run the Scrivener 3 trial for a full thirty days of use. Mac App Store Customers Because Apple handles all sales through the Mac App Store and does not share customer information with us, we have no way of offering automatic discounts to Mac App Store customers via our web store. And because Apple provides no system for discounted paid updates through the Mac App Store itself, there is no way for us to offer discounted updates via the Mac App Store (Apple recommends subscriptions for this sort of thing, but we prefer to stick with the paid-update model rather than charge every year).

However, because we want to treat all customers equally, if you are a Mac App Store customer, if you send us proof-of-purchase for Scrivener 2 on the App Store, we will send you a discount coupon that you can use on our store. We just need you to email us your purchase receipt showing Scrivener 2 and the date.

Please email these details to on or after the day of release. Please bear with us, as we're a small team and expect to receive hundreds of emails. We will have to handle each discount for Mac App Store customers separately and personally, so it might take a couple of days to process. Buying Scrivener 3 from the Mac App Store As things stand at the time of writing this blog post, Scrivener 3 will most likely not initially be available on the Mac App Store. We will be removing Scrivener 2 from sale and Scrivener 3 should, we hope, be available on the Mac App Store soon after the release on our own store. I worked very hard to try to make sure that Scrivener 3 would be available on both stores at the same time, staying up into the early hours on Monday to ensure it was with Apple and had a whole week to get through the review process.

Unfortunately that process is taking longer than hoped, owing to an obscure problem in Scrivener's metadata and having to wait a couple of days for clarification from Apple on what the problem is. I'll update this post if the situation changes. When on November 20th? Every time we announce a date, our eager antipodean users point out to us that we're late by their calendar, so let me clarify! We'll be releasing the update at some point during the 20th November UK time. We have a lot to do that day so cannot give a specific time.

Scrivener Gets Major Upgrade For Macbook

We'll be uploading the new version, switching over to the new site, ensuring all upgrade links still work after the switch, and much more. So please bear with us during the transition. There will no doubt be several hours where links and the store do not work as expected. We have nearly everything ready to go, but experience tells us that something always goes wrong no matter how much you prepare.

In other words, if you're on the other side of the world from us, the release date for you is more accurately November 21st. Other Updates On the same day, we'll be releasing a minor update to Scrivener for iOS which fixes a number of iOS 11-related bugs and updates the application icon to fit in with our new, Scrivener 3 branding. We'll also be releasing an update to Scapple for macOS which fixes a number of bugs, has improved High Sierra compatibility and includes an enhanced Inspector. What About Our Windows Users?

We understand that our Windows users are going to feel a little left out on Monday, but please rest assured that our dynamic duo of Windows developers is working its socks off on Scrivener 3 for Windows. (They'll also be working on a minor Scapple update soon too.) While we would have loved to have released Scrivener 3 for macOS and Windows on the same day, the only way we could have done so would have been by artificially holding back Scrivener 3 for macOS for a few more months. The Mac version had a five year head-start on the Windows version, and as hard as our Windows developers have worked to catch up, I've been continually updating the macOS version as they did, providing them with a moving target. But the next major release of Scrivener for Windows will be jumping directly to version 3, because we are aiming for feature parity with the Mac version. So although our Windows users still have a little while to wait for their big 3.0 release day, we're working hard towards it. And in the meantime, the more intrepid and curious among you will be able to download an early beta of Scrivener 3 for Windows on Monday. (It is still a work in progress so we don't recommend it being used for major projects yet, but you will be able to see how beautiful it's looking and get an idea of what is in store for you in 2018.) We hope our Windows users can be happy for our macOS users on Monday rather than feeling neglected.

After all, Microsoft always gives you the updates first! Monday, Monday We can't wait to get Scrivener 3 into our macOS users' hands. We hope you love it as much as we do. JH / 16 NOVEMBER 2017 @IvyNelson - The Windows beta can be installed alongside the current 1.x version, so you can continue using the stable release for your real work. You'll just need to go through the File Open.

Menu or drag your project file to the correct version's application icon to open a project in the earlier-installed version. (Windows will default to using whichever version was installed more recently-though older projects will prompt you to upgrade, and 3.0 projects won't be able to open in 1.x, so either way you'd avoid accidentally opening a project in the wrong version.).

Lo Lou / 17 NOVEMBER 2017 This is great news!! I'm a big meta-data and outliner user, so I'm excited for the enhancements. I'm wondering though: will we have the ability to save different outliner layouts? One thing that's a hinderance right now is if I have a folder for my manuscript, I'll have columns in my outliner for things like POV, Goal, Conflict, Disaster, Word Count, etc.

But if I go to my Character folder, it'd be nice to have different columns, like Appearance, Personality, Goals, Motivations, etc. The only way to currently do this is right-clicking and manually swapping in and out columns each time I switch folders. Which makes me not want to use the outliner as much as I'd like.

It'd be very helpful to save/load different outliner layouts on different folders. This isn't a deal-breaker, but would be nice to have - still totally buying on Monday:). / 17 NOVEMBER 2017 Absolutely delighted to here.

I've been using Scrivener 2 for years and love it. And the changes you've made for Version 3 are fabulous.

Thank you for providing the world with such a great tool for writing and at a very modest price. I do have a question. How will scrivener handle old project files? Is it better to start a fresh project or will it convert the old file so that it is just like a newly created project? I ask because I have a huge multi-series project and want to make sure it endures the test of time under Scrivener 3. KB KB / 17 NOVEMBER 2017 Thanks, Eric. Scrivener 3 will update your Scrivener 2 project to the updated Scrivener 3 format.

It will also make a backup of the Scrivener 2 project in the same directory before it does so (the Mac App Store version may not be able to make the backup unless you have enabled access to the folder, though, because of sandboxing restrictions). So definitely just keep using the same project.

It will automatically convert References and Project Notes to the new Bookmarks system and if you have any custom Compile formats in the project, it will keep those around so that they can be imported for use with the new Compile system. KB KB / 17 NOVEMBER 2017 Hi Lou, I'm afraid not, because the current Windows version cannot read the updated Scrivener 3 file format (and because of the different features would lose data if it did). You an either use the Windows 3 beta we'll be releasing on Monday (but it's a very early beta - be warned!) or export to Scrivener 2 format from Scrivener 3 on macOS. That's more fuss, requiring exporting and so multiple copies of projects to keep track of, but might be better during the early stages of the Windows beta. MichaelThwaite / 18 NOVEMBER 2017 Thank you for offering to make it available in the App Store. I'm only prepared to purchase from the App Store as I support the move to secure software delivery and non-repudiation of origin - even the best web stores have been hit & I have the battle scares of thirty years of dealing with malware.

There are flaws with the App Store no doubt, but let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater! I'll be purchasing a fresh copy of Scrivener 3 from the App Store as soon as you can get it uploaded because, I believe that's the right thing to do and I applaud your upgrade plan.

I purchased Scrivener FIVE YEARS AGO! It's only fair that I pay for a significant update - and I don't think you should make any apologies for that - but, once paid for, I think it's fair to allow me to continue to use it as-was when I purchased it until it's old an worn out. I think the common mistake now is to make it a rental model and that's not fair in my opinion - I've lost a few great apps to that model. I'd recommend keeping the 2.x version in the store in case there are those that want to re-download the older version or even purchase it for older versions of Mac OS.

As long as you say it's there for historic purposes and that it's end-of-life, I think you're OK. Once, again thank you for a great product and an honest business model. I can't wait to see what you've cooked up in Version 3,4,5 on onwards and I'll certainly share it with friends! Eric Beaty / 20 NOVEMBER 2017 Just stopped by today to see the newest Outliner article on the blog and found that Scrivener 3 is available TODAY! Much to my surprise, I didn't have to wait any longer! I just purchased and installed it; now I can't wait to get started.

So glad to see you have indeed incorporated a feature allowing us to export to Scrivener 2 from Scrivener 3. I asked about this a few article back, since working with my editor would be difficult if he wasn't willing to switch to Scrivener 3, but someone said it wasn't a priority right now.

Glad to see you changed your mind! Also, I'm glad to see you've updated your look on the website, logos, the works. You've even made brand new tutorial vids for Scrivener 3! So awesome to be working with such a great company who believes in their products and their customers.