Export Formats Guide

When You're Ready to Export

You can export your story at any point — drafts, works-in-progress, or finished manuscripts.

Available Formats

PDF

• Best for: Professional submission, printing, sharing polished drafts
• Includes: Formatting, page breaks, custom fonts
• Size: Optimized for printing

EPUB

• Best for: E-readers (Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo)
• Includes: Reflowable text, works on all devices
• Perfect for: Self-publishing

HTML

• Best for: Web publishing, blog integration
• Includes: Responsive design, web-ready formatting
• Perfect for: Publishing on your website

Markdown

• Best for: Developers, technical writers, version control
• Includes: Plain text with structure markers
• Perfect for: Git repositories, further customization

Screenplay

• Best for: Adaptation to film/TV format
• Includes: Industry-standard screenplay formatting
• Perfect for: Option submissions to producers

How to Export

1. Open Your Story
2. Click "Export" (top right menu)
3. Choose Format — Select your desired export type
4. Customize (Optional)
   • Include/exclude front matter
   • Choose formatting style
   • Add cover image
5. Download — File saves to your computer

Export Options

Formatting Choices

• Font Selection — Choose readable fonts for different formats
• Cover Image — Add custom cover (EPUB, PDF)
• Page Size — Letter, A4, or custom dimensions (PDF)
• Margins — Adjust spacing and margins

Content Options

• Include Metadata — Title page, author, copyright info
• Chapter Breaks — Auto-generate table of contents
• Scene Numbering — Show or hide scene labels
• Notes — Include/exclude author notes and comments

Tips for Publishing

• PDF for Agents — Export as PDF for literary agent queries
• EPUB for Indie Publishing — Use EPUB for Amazon KDP, Smashwords, Apple Books
• HTML for Web — Publish chapters on your website with web-optimized HTML
• Markdown for Collaboration — Share Markdown version with editors who use version control

Troubleshooting

Q: My formatting looks different in the exported file A: Different formats render differently. Review exported files in target platform (Kindle, web browser, etc.)

Q: Can I export only certain chapters? A: Export entire story, then edit the file to remove chapters in your word processor.

Q: What about DRM (Digital Rights Management)? A: Firstory exports unprotected files. Add DRM through your publishing platform (Amazon, Apple, etc.)