Managing Projects

Organize your manuscripts, track progress, and manage multiple works efficiently with ChapterWise's project management features. Learn how to structure your writing projects for optimal analysis and collaboration.

Project Organization Overview

What Are Projects?

Projects in ChapterWise are organizational containers that help you:

  • Group related manuscripts - Keep series, drafts, and related works together
  • Track progress - Monitor writing and revision progress across multiple works
  • Share access - Collaborate with editors, beta readers, and co-authors
  • Compare versions - Analyze how your work evolves over time
  • Manage workflows - Organize tasks and deadlines for complex projects

Project Types

Single Work Projects

  • Novel projects: Individual novels with multiple drafts
  • Poetry collections: Related poems and thematic groupings
  • Academic papers: Research projects with multiple versions
  • Screenplay projects: Scripts with revision cycles

Multi-Work Projects

  • Book series: Multiple related novels or volumes
  • Anthology projects: Collections of short stories or essays
  • Research portfolios: Multiple academic papers on related topics
  • Creative portfolios: Diverse works for publication or submission

Collaborative Projects

  • Co-authored works: Multiple authors working together
  • Editorial projects: Author-editor collaboration workflows
  • Publishing projects: Author-publisher collaboration
  • Academic collaborations: Research team projects

Creating and Setting Up Projects

Project Creation

Basic Project Setup

  1. Navigate to Projects - Access project management from dashboard
  2. Create New Project - Click "New Project" or "Create Project"
  3. Project Details - Enter title, description, and type
  4. Initial Settings - Configure sharing, analysis, and workflow preferences
  5. Add Manuscripts - Upload or import existing manuscripts

Project Information

  • Project Title: Clear, descriptive name for your project
  • Description: Overview of project goals and scope
  • Project Type: Category (novel, series, academic, etc.)
  • Genre/Subject: Primary genre or academic discipline
  • Status: Active, completed, on hold, archived
  • Privacy Level: Private, shared, or public

Advanced Configuration

  • Analysis Defaults: Standard analysis modules for all manuscripts
  • Naming Conventions: Automatic naming patterns for manuscripts and versions
  • Collaboration Settings: Default permissions for team members
  • Integration Settings: Connections to external tools and services

Project Structure

Folder Organization

My Epic Fantasy Series/
├── Book 1: The Hero's Dawn/
│   ├── Draft 1 (Complete)
│   ├── Draft 2 (Revision in progress)
│   └── Final Draft (Ready for publication)
├── Book 2: The Shadow's Rise/
│   ├── First Draft (In progress)
│   └── Outline (Planning)
├── Series Bible/
│   ├── Character Profiles
│   ├── World Building Notes
│   └── Timeline
└── Publishing Materials/
    ├── Synopsis
    ├── Query Letters
    └── Marketing Copy

Manuscript Relationships

  • Drafts and Versions: Link different versions of the same work
  • Series Connections: Connect related books in a series
  • Spin-offs and Related Works: Link connected but separate stories
  • Source Material: Connect adaptations to original works

Metadata Management

  • Consistent Tagging: Apply tags across related manuscripts
  • Version Tracking: Maintain version history and relationships
  • Status Updates: Track progress and completion states
  • Analysis History: Preserve analysis results across versions

Project Dashboard and Navigation

Dashboard Overview

Project Summary

  • Project statistics: Total manuscripts, word counts, completion status
  • Recent activity: Latest uploads, analyses, and team activity
  • Progress indicators: Visual progress tracking for ongoing works
  • Quick actions: Fast access to common project tasks

Manuscript Grid

  • Visual manuscript cards: Cover images, titles, and status indicators
  • Filtering options: Sort by status, type, last modified, or custom criteria
  • Batch operations: Select multiple manuscripts for bulk actions
  • Quick analysis: One-click analysis for individual manuscripts

Activity Timeline

  • Recent uploads: New manuscripts added to project
  • Analysis completions: Finished analysis runs with results
  • Team activities: Collaborator actions and contributions
  • Milestone achievements: Completed drafts, publication events, etc.

Project Menu

  • Manuscripts: All manuscripts in the project
  • Analysis Results: Consolidated analysis data across works
  • Team Members: Collaborator management and permissions
  • Settings: Project configuration and preferences
  • Archives: Completed or archived manuscripts

Search and Filtering

  • Global search: Find content across all project manuscripts
  • Metadata filtering: Filter by genre, status, author, date ranges
  • Tag-based organization: Group manuscripts by custom tags
  • Analysis filtering: Find manuscripts with specific analysis results

Quick Actions

  • Bulk analysis: Run analysis on multiple manuscripts simultaneously
  • Batch export: Export multiple manuscripts or analyses at once
  • Team notifications: Send updates to all collaborators
  • Project archiving: Archive completed projects

Version Management

Manuscript Versions

Version Tracking

  • Automatic versioning: Track uploads and significant changes
  • Manual versioning: Create explicit version markers
  • Version naming: Descriptive names for different draft stages
  • Change documentation: Notes about what changed between versions

Version Comparison

  • Side-by-side analysis: Compare analysis results between versions
  • Change tracking: Identify improvements or regressions
  • Progress metrics: Quantify development between versions
  • Visual diff displays: Highlight differences in analysis results

Version Workflows

Initial Draft → First Revision → Beta Reader Version → 
Editor Review → Final Draft → Publication Ready

Draft Management

Draft Status Tracking

  • Planning: Outline and concept development
  • First Draft: Initial writing phase
  • Revision: Structural and content editing
  • Polishing: Copy editing and proofreading
  • Beta Reading: External feedback incorporation
  • Final: Completed and ready for publication

Progress Indicators

  • Completion percentage: How much of the manuscript is finished
  • Word count goals: Target vs. actual word counts
  • Chapter completion: Track finished vs. in-progress chapters
  • Quality metrics: Analysis scores showing improvement over time

Milestone Tracking

  • Writing milestones: First draft completion, revision completion
  • Submission milestones: Query sent, manuscript requested, offer received
  • Publication milestones: Contract signed, editing complete, publication date
  • Custom milestones: Personal goals and achievement markers

Collaboration Features

Team Management

Adding Collaborators

  • Invite by email: Send invitations to team members
  • Role assignment: Assign specific roles and permissions
  • Access levels: Control what each collaborator can see and do
  • Temporary access: Grant time-limited access for specific tasks

Collaboration Roles

  • Owner: Full project control and administration rights
  • Editor: Can view, comment, and suggest changes to manuscripts
  • Co-Author: Can upload new versions and make direct changes
  • Beta Reader: Can view manuscripts and provide feedback
  • Viewer: Read-only access to manuscripts and analysis results

Permission Management

  • Manuscript access: Control which manuscripts team members can see
  • Analysis permissions: Who can run analysis and view results
  • Export permissions: Control who can download or share data
  • Administrative rights: Manage team members and project settings

Communication Tools

Comment System

  • Manuscript comments: Add feedback directly to analysis results
  • Project discussions: General project communication threads
  • Version notes: Document changes and rationale between versions
  • Task assignments: Assign specific tasks to team members

Notification System

  • Activity notifications: Updates on manuscript uploads, analysis completion
  • Comment notifications: Alerts when team members add feedback
  • Milestone notifications: Celebrate achievements and deadlines
  • Custom alerts: Set up personalized notification preferences

Integration Options

  • Slack integration: Send project updates to Slack channels
  • Email digests: Regular summary emails of project activity
  • Calendar integration: Sync deadlines with Google Calendar or Outlook
  • External tools: Connect with writing tools like Scrivener or Google Docs

Analysis Management Across Projects

Project-Wide Analysis

Comparative Analysis

  • Cross-manuscript comparison: Compare analysis results across different works
  • Series consistency: Ensure consistent character development across books
  • Style evolution: Track how writing style develops over time
  • Quality progression: Monitor improvement across multiple drafts

Portfolio Assessment

  • Overall statistics: Aggregate statistics across all project manuscripts
  • Theme tracking: Common themes and motifs across works
  • Character databases: Maintain consistent character information across series
  • World-building coherence: Ensure consistency in fictional worlds

Bulk Analysis Operations

  • Project-wide analysis: Run the same analysis modules across all manuscripts
  • Custom analysis sets: Define standard analysis configurations for the project
  • Scheduled analysis: Automatically analyze new manuscripts as they're uploaded
  • Progress tracking: Monitor analysis completion across large projects

Progress Tracking

  • Quality metrics over time: Track improvements in writing quality
  • Consistency scores: Monitor consistency across manuscripts and versions
  • Development patterns: Identify areas of consistent strength or challenge
  • Goal achievement: Track progress toward specific writing goals

Comparative Insights

  • Best performing chapters: Identify strongest sections across all works
  • Common issues: Spot recurring problems across multiple manuscripts
  • Style signatures: Recognize unique elements of your writing voice
  • Genre adherence: Ensure consistency with genre expectations

Project Templates and Presets

Template Creation

Project Templates

  • Novel series template: Pre-configured for multi-book fiction projects
  • Academic research template: Set up for scholarly writing projects
  • Anthology template: Organized for collections of related works
  • Screenplay template: Configured for script writing workflows

Analysis Presets

  • Fiction analysis set: Standard modules for novel and story analysis
  • Academic analysis set: Modules optimized for scholarly writing
  • Poetry analysis set: Specialized for poetic and lyrical works
  • Screenplay analysis set: Focused on dramatic structure and dialogue

Workflow Templates

  • Traditional publishing workflow: From draft to submission
  • Self-publishing workflow: From draft to publication
  • Academic publication workflow: From research to peer review
  • Collaborative writing workflow: Multi-author project management

Custom Configuration

Project-Specific Settings

  • Default analysis modules: Automatically run specific analyses on new uploads
  • Naming conventions: Automatic naming patterns for consistency
  • Quality thresholds: Set minimum quality standards for project acceptance
  • Collaboration defaults: Standard permissions for new team members

Integration Setup

  • External tool connections: Link to writing software and platforms
  • Export configurations: Standard export formats and destinations
  • Notification preferences: How and when team members are notified
  • Backup settings: Automatic backup schedules and locations

Project Analytics and Reporting

Progress Reporting

Project Dashboards

  • Visual progress tracking: Charts and graphs showing project advancement
  • Milestone tracking: Visual timeline of achieved and upcoming goals
  • Team productivity: Activity levels and contributions by team member
  • Quality trends: Analysis scores and improvement over time

Custom Reports

  • Executive summaries: High-level project status for stakeholders
  • Detailed progress reports: Comprehensive project analysis
  • Team performance reports: Individual and group productivity metrics
  • Quality assessment reports: Analysis results and improvement suggestions

Export and Sharing

  • Stakeholder reports: Professional reports for publishers, agents, or supervisors
  • Progress presentations: Visual presentations of project status
  • Data exports: Raw data for custom analysis and reporting
  • Public portfolios: Shareable project showcases

Success Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

  • Word count progress: Track writing output over time
  • Analysis score improvements: Measure quality enhancements
  • Completion rates: Percentage of goals achieved on schedule
  • Team efficiency: Collaboration effectiveness metrics

Qualitative Assessments

  • Story coherence: Narrative consistency across works
  • Character development: Growth and evolution tracking
  • Style maturity: Writing sophistication progression
  • Reader engagement: Feedback and response quality

Project Archiving and Maintenance

Project Lifecycle Management

Active Project Management

  • Regular maintenance: Keeping projects organized and up-to-date
  • Performance monitoring: Ensuring optimal project performance
  • Team management: Maintaining effective collaboration
  • Goal adjustment: Adapting project goals as needs change

Project Completion

  • Final analysis: Comprehensive assessment of completed projects
  • Archive preparation: Organizing materials for long-term storage
  • Documentation: Creating records of project process and outcomes
  • Knowledge capture: Preserving lessons learned and best practices

Archive Management

  • Storage optimization: Efficient organization of completed projects
  • Access controls: Managing who can access archived materials
  • Retrieval systems: Easy access to archived project components
  • Migration planning: Keeping archived projects accessible over time

Data Management

Backup and Security

  • Automatic backups: Regular backup of all project data
  • Version preservation: Maintaining access to all manuscript versions
  • Security measures: Protecting sensitive project information
  • Disaster recovery: Plans for data recovery in case of problems

Data Organization

  • Consistent naming: Standardized file and folder naming conventions
  • Metadata management: Comprehensive tagging and categorization
  • Search optimization: Making project contents easily searchable
  • Integration maintenance: Keeping external tool connections functional

Best Practices

Project Organization

Setup Best Practices

  1. Clear naming conventions: Use consistent, descriptive names
  2. Logical structure: Organize projects in intuitive hierarchies
  3. Comprehensive metadata: Tag and categorize thoroughly
  4. Regular maintenance: Keep projects organized and current
  5. Documentation: Document processes and decisions

Collaboration Guidelines

  1. Define roles clearly: Ensure everyone knows their responsibilities
  2. Establish communication norms: Set expectations for feedback and discussion
  3. Use version control: Maintain clear version histories
  4. Regular check-ins: Schedule periodic team meetings and updates
  5. Respect permissions: Follow established access and editing protocols

Long-term Success

Sustainability Practices

  • Regular reviews: Periodically assess project organization and effectiveness
  • Process improvement: Continuously refine workflows and practices
  • Team development: Help collaborators improve their skills and contributions
  • Technology adaptation: Stay current with new features and capabilities
  • Knowledge sharing: Document and share successful practices

Growth Planning

  • Scalability consideration: Design projects to handle growth and expansion
  • Resource planning: Anticipate needs for storage, analysis credits, and team size
  • Success metrics: Define and track meaningful measures of project success
  • Exit strategies: Plan for project completion and archive procedures

Next Steps

After setting up your project management: