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The Binder

The binder is the sidebar that shows your book's structure. It's your primary tool for navigating and organizing sections.

Accessing the Binder

The binder appears automatically when you open a book. It's located on the left side of the editor.

Binder Anatomy

Header

Shows the current book title with a back button to return to Books view.

Section List

Displays all sections in your book with:
- Section title
- Hierarchy indicators (for nested sections)
- Status icons
- Word counts (if enabled)

Footer

Contains the Add Section button.

Navigating Sections

Click any section in the binder to load it in the editor.

Visual Indicators

  • Active Section - Highlighted with brand color
  • Compile Status - Icon showing include/exclude
  • Children - Chevron icon if section has nested content

Section Hierarchy

Sections can be nested to create structure:

Chapter 1          (parent)
├── Scene 1       (child)
├── Scene 2       (child)
└── Scene 3       (child)
Chapter 2          (parent)

Expanding/Collapsing

Click the chevron (▶) to expand or collapse a section's children.

Creating Nested Sections

Drag a section onto another section to nest it as a child.

Reordering Sections

Drag sections to reorder:
1. Click and hold a section
2. Drag to the desired position
3. A blue line shows the drop location
4. Release to place

Moving Between Levels

  • Drag onto a section to nest inside it
  • Drag between sections to place at that level

Context Menu

Right-click any section for options:

Option Description
Add New Section Create a new section
Merge with Next Combine with the following section
Compile In Set export target (All, Ebook, Print, None)
Move to Move to a different book
Trash Move to trash

Multi-Selection (Verkado)

Select multiple sections for Verkado mode:
1. Click a section
2. Shift-click another section
3. All sections in the range are selected
4. Editor enters Verkado mode

See Verkado Mode for details.

Workspace Panel

The Workspace panel provides quick access to your recently edited sections.

Location

The Workspace appears at the top of the binder when editing a book. Click the toggle to collapse or expand it.

How It Works

  • Shows up to 5 recently edited sections
  • Click any item to navigate directly to that section
  • Sections are added when you make edits (not just when viewing)

Stack Behavior

The Workspace uses stable ordering:
- New sections appear at the top
- Editing a section already in the stack does not move it (positions stay stable)
- When a 6th unique section is edited, the oldest drops off

Why stable ordering? When actively working between multiple sections, constant reordering would be disorienting. The stable stack lets you build muscle memory for positions 1-5.

Per-Book Workspaces

Each book maintains its own Workspace. Your recent sections persist between sessions.

When to Use

  • Jumping between related scenes you're actively editing
  • Quick navigation without scrolling the full binder
  • Returning to where you left off after a distraction

Matter Groups

Sections are organized into matter groups:

Front Matter

Content that appears before the main story:
- Title page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Table of Contents

Main Matter

Your story content:
- Chapters
- Scenes
- Interludes

Back Matter

Content that appears after the story:
- Acknowledgments
- Author bio
- Other books
- Appendices

Click the matter group headers to collapse/expand each group.

Compile Status

Control which sections appear in exports:

Status Icon Description
All ✓ Include in all exports
Ebook E Only EPUB exports
Print P Only DOCX/PDF exports
None ✗ Exclude from all exports

Set via: Right-click > Compile In > [option]

Resizing the Binder

Drag the right edge of the binder to resize. Your preferred width is saved automatically.

Hiding the Binder

Currently, the binder is always visible when editing a book. Use the resize handle to minimize it if needed.

Tips

  1. Use hierarchy - Nest scenes under chapters for organization
  2. Descriptive titles - Make sections easy to identify
  3. Collapse completed chapters - Keep focus on current work
  4. Regular reordering - Move sections as your story evolves
  5. Check compile status - Ensure the right content exports