Review: Manuscript for iPad 1.0

For a list of other useful apps for writers, please check out my list of Useful iPad Apps For Writers.

Manuscript for iPad

Released: Aug. 18, 2010

Version: 1.0, Price: $9.99

Size: 18.1 MB

Seller: Black Mana Studios

A fan of Black Mana Studio's Manuscript app for the iPhone, I was excited to hear that they had released a version for the iPad.

I started using Manuscript for the iPad for my current novel project, which has a working title of "Vampire Zombie Squirrels From Outer Space." Upon creating a new manuscript and choosing a title, here's the virtual book cover that appears (you can change the cover color):

Entertaining to see my new manuscript in virtual book format, of course, but I was more interested in the functionality of the app.

On this cover page, I was happy to see that I could export a full XML version of my work-in-progress to Dropbox or by e-mail. I rely more and more on DropBox these days in my iPad apps. If I wanted to print my mss, I also had the option of exporting a print version.

Writers can add a pitch (very short overview with a goal of hooking an agent or editor) and a synopsis (longer overview) -- both useful tools in the planning stages. You can also add virtual index cards for planning, but this is currently of limited use because there's no way of rearranging cards after you've created them.

Once you click the book cover, you are taken into the document and can start writing your first chapter right away. Going into Settings gives you another set of export choices where you can choose the font (only two fonts available right now, page set-up, and export type):

You also have a few options in setting Appearance:

 The main reason I won't be using this early version of Manuscript: you can't change the font size. I find the default font size a tad too small to read without strain during longer writing stints. Hopefully this will be fixed in the next version of the app.

The Tools area enables writers to look up words and info, or access app help.

Click on the Chapters button gives you a list of your Chapters along with a brief excerpt:

Unfortunately the size of the window is fixed, which means that although you can rearrange the order of the chapters (handy while outlining), it becomes a major pain to do so if you have a lot of chapters. Hopefully this will be addressed in a future update. It would also be nice to be able to control the length of the excerpt displayed.

Overall, Manuscript for iPad 1.0 is a solid first version. Though I'm not going to be switching to Manuscript yet (mainly because of the lack of text sizing option), I look forward to future updates.

iTunes link: Manuscript For iPad

Comments

[Writermonki]

You can move the index cards, hold the card until the the delete "X" appears, then you can reorder. Alittle dangerous I think, you could accidentally delete the card. I really want the cards to connect the manuscript pages. Why reorder one place and then have to reorder again in another? But I tend to write in scenes, and use the cards as planing notes for them, so maybe it's just me. Thanks for the reviews of writing apps, it's helpful.

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