Fiction
Novel formatting software
Fiction has a specific and largely invisible set of typographic conventions, and a specific set of production problems that non-fiction does not have — chiefly that novels come in series, and a series has to be maintained rather than published once.
This covers what a novelist actually needs from formatting software, which is not the same list as an author of anything else.
What fiction needs specifically
- Scene breaks
- A visible mark, not a blank line — a blank line lands at a page turn and disappears. If your scene breaks shift viewpoint or time, that failure is a comprehension problem, not a cosmetic one.
- Chapter openings
- A consistent drop down the page, the running head and folio suppressed, and the same treatment on every chapter for three hundred pages.
- Drop caps and small caps
- Genre-dependent, and when used they must be used on every chapter — and never on a paragraph opening with dialogue.
- Italics that are real italics
- Fiction uses them constantly. A slanted roman is visibly wrong across a book's worth of thoughts, emphasis and titles.
- Running heads
- Author on the verso, title on the recto, suppressed where they should be.
- Series back matter
- An also-by page that lists the series in order and is regenerated rather than edited.
The series problem
This is the production problem specific to fiction, and it is the one that scales badly. A standalone book is published once. A series is republished continuously — every new title means the back matter of every earlier title is now out of date.
Done by hand across a six-book series, publishing book seven means opening six projects, editing six also-by pages, re-exporting twelve files, and re-uploading them to however many retailers. That is a weekend, and it is a weekend that recurs.
Alhora generates the also-by page from the series and rebuilds every book in one command, so publishing the next title updates the back matter of all the others.
Genre conventions are real
Readers have specific, unexamined expectations about what a book in their genre looks like inside, and a mismatch registers as wrong before they can say why.
- Romantasy and fantasy — ornament, drop caps, decorated chapter openings, often a map plate.
- Gothic and horror — tighter setting, higher contrast, restrained ornament.
- Thriller — plain, fast, minimal decoration. Short chapters set to feel short.
- Literary fiction — classical, quiet, generous margins, no drop caps.
- Romance — warm, readable, often a decorative scene-break mark.
- Large print — 16pt and up, generous leading, a completely different page count and printing cost.
Alhora ships 17 built-in interiors, including genre packs and two accessibility-first profiles — large print and dyslexia-friendly.
Fiction workflows, compared
| Feature | Alhora | Vellum | Atticus | Reedsy Book Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series | ||||
| Series-wide re-export | Yes — rebuild every book in a series in one command | Each book is exported individually | Each book is exported individually | Each book is exported individually |
| Back matter that updates itself | Yes — the Also By page is generated from the series and rebuilt on export | Yes — an Also By element maintained per book | Not documented | Not documented |
| Import | ||||
| Microsoft Word (.docx) | Yes — headings become chapters; italics, small caps, footnotes and images carried | Yes — the standard import route | Yes | Yes |
| Scrivener | Yes — reads the .scriv project directly, binder order and all | Compile to Word or RTF in Scrivener first, then import that | Compile to Word first, then import that | Compile to Word first, then import that |
| Google Docs | Yes — download as .docx; Alhora classifies Google's direct-formatted headings by size and weight | Download as .docx and import that | Download as .docx and import that | Download as .docx and import that |
| Re-import after edits elsewhere | Yes — shows every change against your styled book before you accept it | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Platform & access | ||||
| Operating systems | macOS, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS | macOS only — a Mac is required | Any desktop OS, in a browser | Any desktop OS, in a browser |
| Installed app or browser | Installed desktop app | Installed Mac app | Browser app, with an offline mode | Browser app |
| Works with no internet connection | Yes — after activation, editing and export are local | Yes — a local Mac app | Offline mode available; syncs when reconnected | No — it is a web editor |
| Where your manuscript is stored | On your own machine | On your own Mac | In the cloud, cached locally for offline use | In the cloud |
Vellum, Atticus, Reedsy Book Editor capabilities and prices as publicly documented by each vendor, checked 2026-08-08. Products change — check the vendor's own site before you buy. Corrections: [email protected].
What authors say
I thoroughly appreciate the thought and care that has been put into Alhora. It's becoming a one-stop shop for everything, from the writing process, to the styling, to the formatting and export. The more you dig, the more you discover how much control of the writing and formatting process the author has. I've yet to find a platform designed specifically for indie authors that can do everything that Alhora can do. This is worth its weight in gold!
Alhora is a great new formatting software that answers a lot of problems that other softwares currently are failing in. It's very nice to use with nice graphics and the developer is amazingly considerate and responsive in fixing things that make it easier to use. A great new tool and I can't wait to keep discovering more about everything it can do!
I have always struggled with formatting my books. It’s been a constant battle with things moving around whenever I uploaded them to KDP. I would literally spend weeks trying to get everything lined up properly, and I was never in a position to buy other formatting software. So, when I was offered the opportunity to use Alhora, I knew I couldn’t miss it. Honestly, it has reduced my formatting time to hours, and my book looks so much more professional. I love all the little details I can add to my books and if there is something I want and it's not an option James will try to add it.
Questions, answered
What software do novelists use to format their books?
On a Mac, Vellum is the most common answer by a wide margin. Cross-platform, Alhora and Atticus are the usual two. A significant number of novelists still format in Word, and a smaller number pay a formatter per book.
What does a novel need that other books do not?
Scene-break handling that survives a page turn; chapter openings with a consistent drop; drop caps and small-cap openings if the genre expects them; running heads that suppress correctly; and — the one most often missed — back matter that can be regenerated across a whole series when you publish the next book.
Do I need different formatting for different genres?
The conventions differ more than people expect. Romantasy and gothic fiction carry ornament and drop caps that would look absurd in a literary novel; thrillers are set tighter and plainer; large-print editions are a different book entirely. It is a real distinction, not a marketing one.
How do I handle a series?
The back matter is the problem. Every book should list the series in reading order, which means every earlier book needs updating when you publish a new one. Doing that by hand across six titles is where a weekend goes. Look for series-wide re-export.
Can I format a novel in Scrivener?
Scrivener compiles to EPUB and PDF, and for a simple ebook that is workable. Its print output is weaker — the typographic control is limited and it has no awareness of printer requirements. The common workflow is to draft in Scrivener and format elsewhere.
What about ARC copies for reviewers?
A watermarked or stamped copy identifying the recipient, sent before publication. Worth doing properly if you run review teams: an unstamped ARC circulating is indistinguishable from piracy, and a stamped one tells you where a leak came from.
Built for the whole series, not one book
Alhora ships genre interiors, real scene-break and drop-cap handling, and series-wide re-export — change the also-by page once and rebuild every book.
Download Alhora free See pricing
macOS, Windows, Linux and ChromeOS. No card needed to format and preview.