Import
Import your manuscript
Alhora reads Word, Scrivener, Google Docs, RTF, Markdown and plain text. The three below have their own pages because they are the ones that carry a real manuscript structure, and each has its own preparation worth doing.
By format
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Import from Microsoft Word
How to bring a .docx manuscript into Alhora — what carries across, what does not, and how to prepare the file so chapters arrive as chapters.
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Import from Scrivener
Import a .scriv project directly — no compile step. How the binder becomes the book structure, and what does and does not carry across.
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Import from Google Docs
How to bring a Google Docs manuscript into Alhora, and why Google's heading behaviour needs one extra step before you export.
Every format Alhora reads
- Microsoft Word
- Headings become chapters. Italic, bold, small caps, block quotes, scene breaks, footnotes, lists and images are carried across.
- Scrivener
- The binder structure becomes the book structure — folders become parts, documents become chapters, in binder order.
- Google Docs
- Exported from Google Docs as .docx. Google Docs direct-formats its headings rather than using named styles, so Alhora classifies them by size and weight instead.
- Rich Text Format
- Basic character and paragraph formatting.
- Markdown
- ATX headings become the chapter structure.
- Plain text
- Chapter breaks detected from the text itself.
What imports, in general
The rule across every format: structure and meaning come across, presentation does not. Your chapters, italics, footnotes, lists, tables and images arrive. Your fonts, point sizes, page breaks, headers and footers do not.
That division is deliberate rather than a limitation. You are importing a manuscript, not a design — and the design is what the formatting tool is for. Importing Word's Calibri 11pt would only be something to undo.
Re-import is supported for .docx, Markdown and RTF: revise in your original tool, re-import, and accept or skip the changes chapter by chapter. The formatting work survives the update, which is what makes editing elsewhere practical.
Format your book with Alhora
Import your manuscript, typeset the interior, and see every page exactly as it will print. Formatting and previewing a whole book is free — a plan unlocks export.
Download Alhora free See pricing
macOS, Windows, Linux and ChromeOS. No card needed to format and preview.