Understanding the Binder
Verkilo uses a three-part binder structure that mirrors how published books are organized:
Front Matter
The front matter section contains everything that comes before your story:
- Title page
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Maps or illustrations
These items appear at the beginning of your exported book but stay out of your way while writing.
Body (Manuscript)
The main body is where your story lives. It uses a clean two-level hierarchy:
- Acts/Parts (top level) — Optional groupings for longer works
- Chapters (first level) — The main divisions of your story
- Scenes (second level) — Individual scenes within chapters
This focused structure prevents the folder fatigue
common in other writing apps.
Back Matter
Everything that follows your story:
- Author bio
- Mailing list signup page
- Also by this author
- Appendices or glossaries
Working with the Binder
Adding Items
Right-click anywhere in the binder to add:
- New chapter
- New scene
- New folder
- Import existing documents
Reordering
Drag and drop items to reorganize. Verkilo updates chapter numbers automatically.
Excluding from Export
Right-click any item and choose Exclude from Compile to keep it in your project but out of your exported book. Perfect for:
- Research notes
- Deleted scenes you want to keep
- Alternate versions