Novellier 2.0.0: Scenes, Chapter Overview, Easel & Ensemble

2.0.0 is a big one. Four new features, a rebuilt autosave system, Compact UI mode, and a lot of smaller improvements spread across almost every part of the app. Here's what's in it.

To update, just launch Novellier and it will handle it automatically. Or grab it directly from the link below.

Scenes

Chapters now support sub-scenes. Add them beneath any chapter to break your story into finer detail without losing the chapter structure you already have.

Scenes slot neatly inside your chapter and support full undo/redo. When you view the chapter as a whole, all its scenes read together as one continuous piece. When you want to focus on a single beat or transition, open just that scene.

Useful for managing pacing, transitions, and story beats without cluttering your chapter list.

Chapter Overview

A full-page corkboard view of all your chapters at once. See your story's shape without diving into any individual chapter.

Drag to reorder chapters directly from the overview. Good for those moments when you need to zoom out and think about structure rather than prose.

Easel (Beta)

Design book covers directly inside Novellier. Add text, images, and backgrounds. Apply effects per element. Export as a high-quality image ready for publishing.

Easel is in beta. It covers the basics for getting a cover together without leaving the app, and it will keep improving. If you hit something that doesn't work as expected, let us know.

Ensemble (Beta)

Ensemble reads your manuscript and gives you reactions based on the audience you select. Each reviewer has their own reading style, tastes, and personality.

It's designed as a gut check. A way to pressure-test your work before sharing it more widely or to confirm you're writing for the right audience. The feedback reflects how different types of readers might respond, not just generic editorial notes.

Also in beta. More reviewer types and refinements are coming.

Performance

Autosave has been fully remade from scratch. It's modular now, which cuts the stutter and timing issues that some users noticed on macOS and Windows. Save and load also uses project snapshots so your resources, Vineyard, Inkwell, Spindle, and Ensemble storage all stay in sync.

Other Improvements

Interface: New Compact UI mode for a tighter layout. Default window sizing works better in smaller windows. Docked panels share a consistent shell shape. Menu bar redesigned with better groupings and clearer labels. Credit costs now show next to your account name. Offline mode no longer permanently shows a sync failed state.

Editor: References now unhighlight as you edit, so highlights appear when you actually want them rather than constantly. Add words to your custom dictionary directly from the spellcheck context menu, saved per project. Justify alignment added. Hold Alt or Option while dragging a panel divider to resize both side panels together.

Scrapbooks: Now support up to 4 pages. Page tabs available in both focused and fullscreen views. Right-click a tab to delete a page. Content preview heavily optimised for large notes.

Resources: New fullscreen view for folders. Revamped UI for more consistency. Custom colours now fully supported for type highlights. Folder previews added within folders.

Imports: Improved chapter parsing from PDF, Word, and Markdown. Scrivener imports now handle nested chapters and Research Folders, suggest clean save names, and reopen older imported files correctly even if the filename includes a temp prefix.

Vineyard: Improved state sync, reference resolution, and save reliability. Tool settings moved to right-click. Line styling and position tracking updated in real time. The add node is now styled consistently with the rest of the app.

Scriptorium: Mini-switcher cleaned up. Maximised editing view added. Plot is now individual points rather than a single text block, making it easier to manage and reorder.

Studio: Publishing section added with metadata, categories, and readiness suggestions. Generates a formatted copy-paste guide for uploading to KDP and other platforms. Still in beta.

MuseWeaver: More creative options and better branching. Added a refresh option to reject paths and regenerate alternatives.

Ambience: Volume sliders redesigned. Ambience now keeps playing when the panel is hidden in focus mode.

Launcher: Polished UI with better loading states. Missing recent project paths now show explicit errors. Launcher transitions fall back cleanly to the default background.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed scrapbook writing and spacing issues
• Fixed spellcheck "add to dictionary" not working
• Fixed some Vault restoration issues
• Fixed stale content not refreshing
• Fixed Title Builder not appearing immediately on title insert
• Fixed Scriptorium stat counting being slightly off
• Fixed Find matching and auto-scroll for matches
• Fixed macOS dictation model issues

A Few Other Things

.nvl files now use the Novellier icon on all platforms. Google Drive sync has been updated to support the new multi-novel project format. Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy have been updated, and an EULA has been added.

Optional usage analytics have been added for quality and feature balancing. No manuscript content is ever captured. Opt out at any time in Account Settings.

Feedback Welcome

Try it out and let us know what you think. Post any bugs or suggestions in the subreddit or Discord. Your feedback shapes what comes next.