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
WriteLoom keeps your manuscript, style sheet, and notes together, so a collaborator handoff is a clean, complete package.
See the Plan studio