Frequently Asked
Questions, answered.
Is InkSpine an offline writing app?
Yes. InkSpine runs locally on your machine — no account or internet connection required to write. It opens instantly and works with the Wi-Fi off.
Is InkSpine a Scrivener alternative?
That is the point of it. InkSpine replaces the usual stack of a heavyweight word processor, a separate plotting tool like Plottr, a spreadsheet for characters, and a separate export tool like Vellum — with one cross-platform app.
How do I move my book from Scrivener to InkSpine?
InkSpine can’t open a .scriv project directly yet, but the manuscript moves across in a few minutes. In Scrivener, select your Draft (Manuscript) folder and choose File → Compile; pick the Manuscript (Times) or a similar format, set “Compile for” to Microsoft Word (.docx), and save the file. Then in InkSpine choose Import… → Choose file… and pick that .docx — InkSpine splits it into chapters at the headings Scrivener wrote and shows you the result before anything is created. Character sheets and research notes don’t come along in a compile; export those with File → Export → Files and paste what you need into InkSpine’s worldbuilding pages. The desktop app points you here if you try Open project on a Scrivener folder.
What file formats can I export to?
Validated EPUB 3 and DOCX, ready for KDP and other publishing platforms, plus a proof-copy PDF for sending to an agent or a beta reader. Markdown and HTML export are there too, since your prose is Markdown already.
Where is my manuscript stored?
In a plain folder on your own disk — prose as Markdown files, structured data (characters, locations, chapters) as readable JSON right beside it. InkSpine is not a cloud app and holds no proprietary format; you can open your project in any text editor.
Does InkSpine keep version history?
Yes. Every chapter is versioned automatically with git-based snapshots as you write — no manual saves to remember. You can read any earlier version of a chapter beside your draft and bring back the exact lines you want, so nothing you write is ever really gone.
Does InkSpine handle worldbuilding and a series bible?
Yes. Characters, locations, and lore live beside the manuscript and cross-link into it, plus a corkboard and plot overview for structuring longer or multi-book projects.
Can I plot in InkSpine, or do I still need Plottr?
You can plot in it. A corkboard shows every chapter as a card you can reorder; a plot overview shows which characters appear in which chapter, with optional layers for pacing, referenced locations and story beats; and a story-arc board gives each storyline — the rebellion, a romance, one character’s turn — its own lane across the book, with every beat marked in the chapter it happens in. Because the arcs sit in the same project as the prose, InkSpine can tell you the longest stretch a storyline has gone without a beat, which is usually where a middle starts to sag. Arcs are stored per series, so a plot that spans a trilogy is one arc rather than three copies of it.
Does InkSpine track how much I write?
Two separate things, and both are optional. If you want a target, a book can carry a word-count goal and a deadline, and InkSpine works out what that means per day and shows the days remaining — or you can set the daily number yourself and ignore the deadline. Separately, the dashboard has an Activity tab, which is a record to look back at rather than a target: a twelve-month heatmap of words written per day, your current and longest writing streaks, your best day, session figures and a timeline of milestones you have passed. That tab carries no pace warnings, no comparisons with other writers and nothing to share — it is there for people who like seeing their own process, and it is entirely ignorable if you are not one of them. A day spent cutting rather than adding carries your streak forward: revising is work.
Can I use InkSpine for a single book?
Yes. Start a project for one book and write it normally; if it becomes a series later, just add another book to the same project. Nothing needs migrating.
What platforms does InkSpine support?
Windows, macOS, and Linux, from a single codebase.
Windows says InkSpine is an "unrecognized app" — is it safe?
Our Windows build isn’t code-signed yet (we’re working on getting a publisher certificate in place), which is enough on its own to trigger this SmartScreen warning — so seeing it isn’t a verdict on the app either way. Before running it, verify the download yourself: scan the .exe with an online virus-analysis service, or check its checksum against the one published on our releases page. Once you’ve verified it, click "More info" then "Run anyway" to install. Prefer to wait? Join the waitlist and we’ll let you know once a signed build is ready.
Is the macOS build signed and notarized?
Yes. The macOS build is signed with an Apple Developer ID certificate and notarized by Apple, so it opens normally with no Gatekeeper warning — no manual approval steps needed.
What Linux packages does InkSpine ship, and are they signed?
We ship .deb (Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, and derivatives) and .rpm (Fedora, RHEL, openSUSE, and derivatives) — between them, that covers most mainstream desktop Linux distros. We don’t currently publish a signed package repository, so your package manager won’t verify a GPG signature on install; download only from our official GitHub releases page, and scan the package with an online virus-analysis service first if you want extra peace of mind.
How do I get into the beta, and how long does it take?
Check "I’d like to be a beta tester" when you join on the homepage. Keys go out automatically, hour by hour — most testers have one in their inbox within the hour, with no application or approval step.
Is there a free version of InkSpine?
A free tier is planned alongside paid plans. InkSpine is currently in open beta — check "beta tester" on the homepage and you’ll get a key within the hour to help shape pricing as an early tester.