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Dev Edit
Watch the refreshed Dev Edit workspace
Read the walkthrough transcript
Dev Edit — updated walkthrough Actual app captures · Fictional example · Controlled responses · AI narration Start with a saved manuscript Dev Edit now gives each manuscript a saved editorial workspace. This walkthrough uses a fictional story and controlled demonstration responses, with AI narration. Start with a title, then import a file or paste your text. The importer reads every PDF text page and follows the publisher’s chapter order in an EPUB. Scanned pages still need optical character recognition. The supported limits are shown beside the manuscript field. Set the editorial brief Choose full manuscript or chapter and scene mode. Enter your genre, your intended effect, and any boundaries the analysis should respect. Here, Mara’s quiet voice and deliberate refusal are intentional. Select the editorial focus, such as structure, pacing, character, or stakes. Choose your provider and model above the workspace. Each analysis request uses your provider account; saving and reviewing work do not require an AI key. Analyze, pause and resume Start analysis works through the imported manuscript in segments. The progress panel shows exactly how much text has been analyzed. Longer chapters may use several segments. Here, a simulated provider interruption leaves the first completed segment saved. Reopen the workspace and choose Resume analysis to continue with unfinished work. Pause after current request waits for the response already in progress, then saves it before stopping. Review the editorial overview After every segment is analyzed, Dev Edit builds an overview from the saved chapter summaries. Larger manuscripts use several summary stages so the whole book can be considered without one enormous request. This overview is an editorial interpretation, not proof that every story problem was found. Use the chapter notes to inspect its reasoning, and compare its suggestions with your intended story. Follow a finding to its source The revision plan lists passage-linked suggestions, highest priority first. Each quotation must match the imported text before a finding is saved. Select View source passage to see that quotation selected in the original text. The positions refer to extracted text, not printed page numbers. Read the explanation and proposed action. Here, the author can strengthen the consequence of Mara’s refusal while keeping her quiet voice. Decide, save and export Mark each suggestion planned, resolved, or dismissed, and add your own note. These decisions do not rewrite the manuscript. Export revision report gives you a readable editing plan. Export backup preserves the source, progress, findings, and review notes without connection settings. Importing a backup creates a separate workspace. Saves stay in this browser. A changed draft or brief starts a separate analysis revision, preserving the earlier report. Follow the updated written guide for the complete workflow.
Updated September 8, 2026: Dev Edit now saves named manuscripts, analyzes complete imported text in resumable segments, links findings to source passages, and keeps a reviewable revision plan.
1. Import and brief your manuscript
- Choose New manuscript and enter a working title.
- Import TXT, Markdown, DOCX, EPUB or PDF, or paste the source. Files may be up to 50 MB; a workspace supports up to 5 million imported characters.
- PDF import reads every page with extractable text; scanned text needs OCR. EPUB follows the publisher’s spine order. Check import notes and reading order.
- Import from active Book DNA is optional. An earlier Book DNA import may have omitted text; use the original file for complete coverage.
- Select full manuscript or chapter/scene mode, genre, editorial focus, and author intent. Record intentional voice, repetition, ambiguity and ending boundaries.
2. Analyze, pause and resume
- Choose your provider and writing model, then enter its API key. Refresh models or use a custom model ID through the existing shared controls. Provider billing and model access vary.
- Select Start analysis. Every segment and summary stage makes a provider request. Long chapters may be divided into smaller segments.
- The progress panel reports completed segments and imported word coverage. Failed, incomplete or unverifiable responses remain pending; completed work stays saved.
- Pause after current request waits for the in-flight response. Reopen the workspace and select Resume analysis to continue unfinished work.
- After all segments complete, a whole-book overview synthesizes the saved chapter summaries. Large sources use multiple saved summary stages. This is interpretive guidance, not exhaustive manuscript verification.
3. Review the evidence and plan
- Read the highest-priority suggestions first. Priority comes from the model, with ties ordered by source position.
- Select View source passage to inspect the quotation selected in the original imported text. Locations refer to extracted characters, not printed PDF page numbers.
- Exact quotation matching establishes that the quoted words exist. It does not prove the model’s interpretation is correct.
- Mark a suggestion planned, resolved or dismissed and record an author note. Decisions never rewrite the manuscript.
- Use Export revision report for a Markdown editing plan with coverage, quotations, actions and notes. Partial reports are labeled.
4. Save and recover
- Work saves in this browser. It does not synchronize across devices or editions.
- Export backup includes your draft, analyzed source, progress and review decisions, without connection settings. Import backup creates a separate workspace.
- Editing the draft or brief makes the old report belong to the earlier source. Starting analysis creates a separate revision and keeps the previous report.
- Recovery versions keep up to eight checkpoints before imports, analysis and restores. Restoring saves the current version first.
- If another tab changed the same project, saving stops to protect the newer version. Export your current backup, then reload saved work.
Available through each existing Dev Edit entitlement: standalone purchase, Suite, Premium and VIP. Existing classroom links still work. No price or access-policy changes are part of this refresh.