How do I prepare files for a collaborator?
- A clean handoff package prevents version confusion and rework.
- Include the canonical manuscript, clearly marked as current.
- A style sheet keeps a collaborator consistent with your choices.
- Relevant notes and context orient the collaborator fast.
- Clear instructions define scope, format, and how to return work.
Prepare files for a collaborator by assembling a clean handoff package: the canonical manuscript clearly marked as the current version, a style sheet capturing your spelling and formatting choices, the notes or story bible they need for context, and explicit instructions — what you want done, in what format, and how to return it. A tidy, well-labeled package lets a co-author, editor, or ghostwriter start immediately without guessing or introducing version confusion.
Chapter i·Why it matters
A sloppy handoff is where collaboration goes wrong: a collaborator edits an old version, diverges from your style, or misunderstands the scope, creating rework and merge headaches. A clean package — current file, style sheet, context, instructions — removes that risk and lets the collaborator do their best work. The few minutes spent preparing the handoff save hours of confusion and reconciliation later.
Chapter ii·What to include
- The canonical manuscript, marked as current.
- A style sheet of your spelling and formatting choices.
- Relevant notes or story bible for context.
- Clear instructions on scope and format.
- How and in what form to return the work.
- A single agreed location for the handoff.
Chapter iii·Example
Before handing her novel to a line editor, an author sends a clean package: the canonical file labeled current, her style sheet, a one-page character reference, and instructions to edit in tracked changes and return within three weeks. The editor starts immediately, stays consistent with her choices, and there is never a question of which file is the real one.
Chapter iv·Related questions
In WriteLoom
Everything this article talks about, in one project
WriteLoom keeps your manuscript, style sheet, and notes together, so a collaborator handoff is a clean, complete package.
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