Questions authors ask us.
Everything about writing, formatting, the AI, blogs and newsletters, apps and buying. Can't find yours? Ask us.
Writing
Can I bring in a manuscript I've already started?
Yes. Import a Word file, a Google Doc, a PDF or pasted text. You see it split into chapters in a preview before anything is saved, and headings, italics, bold, scene breaks and footnotes survive the round trip back to Word.
Does the style check work for fiction?
Yes. Fiction mode is on by default, so dialogue can be a fragment and characters can talk the way people talk. Add names to the book's dictionary and silence any rule for the whole book.
Can two people work on the same book?
Yes. Chapters, ideas, tasks and the calendar sync between you, you see who's online, and changes merge piece by piece so you never overwrite each other.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Writing, saving, the style check and the book preview all work with no internet, and everything syncs when you're back online.
Your book
Can I format my book for Amazon KDP?
Yes. Export an EPUB or Word file for the Kindle ebook and a print-ready PDF interior for the paperback. Margins grow with your page count to stay above KDP's minimums.
Will stores accept the EPUB?
Every EPUB is checked with epubcheck, the standard validator, before you download it, with fonts embedded.
Do I still need Vellum or Atticus?
Does it make covers?
No. Covers are made separately and uploaded to each store with your interior.
AI
Will the AI write my book for me?
No. There's no feature that writes chapters or scenes. The AI researches, brainstorms, answers questions about your own book and checks facts, and anything it suggests waits beside the page until you decide what to do with it.
Do I need to know how to write prompts?
No. We've written the rules and guidelines your AI follows: how to help an author, what never to touch, how to cite sources and how to answer. Your AI reads them before every answer, so you just ask your question in plain words.
Which AI can I use?
Claude (Anthropic), ChatGPT (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), or a model running on your own computer through Ollama or LM Studio.
How much does the AI cost?
Nothing from us. You pay your AI company directly, by the request: with an everyday model like Claude Sonnet, about 1¢ to tighten a paragraph, about 3¢ to ask about a whole chapter and about 5¢ for research with sources. Most writers spend a few dollars a month, and a model on your own computer is free. See every feature's cost.
Does my ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro subscription work?
Those subscriptions don't include an API key. A key is a separate pay-as-you-go account with the same company, and Settings links you to where to get one.
Is my manuscript used to train AI?
Not by us, ever. Your requests go to the provider you chose under their terms, or stay on your computer with a local model.
Can I use Salt of the Page with no AI at all?
Yes. AI is off until you connect yours, and every other tool works without it.
Blogs and newsletters
Can I run blogs for more than one website?
Yes. Add as many blogs as you need. Each keeps its own posts, ideas, schedule and site address, and the calendar shows them all together.
Which newsletter services does it work with?
You connect a newsletter service in Settings. Issues are written in Salt of the Page and sent through your service, and a sign-up form goes on your site.
Does it add cookies to my website?
Analytics uses a privacy-friendly counter with exact numbers and no cookie banner.
Apps and sync
Is there a phone app?
Yes. There's a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux, a phone app for iPhone and Android, and a web app. They're the same book, kept in sync.
Where does my writing live?
On your device first, always. Every edit is saved locally within two seconds, then synced to your other devices. You can download everything at any time.
What happens if two devices change the same chapter?
The newer edit wins and the other version is kept in that chapter's history, so nothing is lost.
Buying
What's the difference between $150 once and $10 a month?
Own it is the whole studio as it stands today, yours forever, with fixes and security updates for that version. Stay current adds every new feature the day it ships, for as long as you subscribe.
Can I switch from Own it to Stay current later?
Yes. Add the plan any time to start getting new features.
Can I cancel the monthly plan?
Yes, from Settings in one click. We email you before anything renews.
How many devices can I use?
All of yours: the desktop app, the phone app and the web, on one licence.
Do I have to pay for AI?
Only if you want AI, and then you pay your AI provider directly. A local model on your own computer is free.
Is there a refund?
Write in it for 30 days. If it isn't the desk you hoped for, tell us and we'll refund you, and your manuscript leaves with you as Word, EPUB and a full backup.