On File Organization

May 2, 2022 / Business of Writing, Uncategorized / 14 COMMENTS


by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Apologies in advance for the dry topic. :) But I thought I’d share my thoughts on organizing writing-related computer files, which has helped save me time and keep me from making bad errors.

Making errors through poor file management might sound like a strange thing. But it’s very easy to do if you’re updating a document, for instance. Not only do you need to update the source document (often Word), but you need to update the epub. You’ll need to update the PDF for a printed book.  If you share free copies through sites like BookFunnel or ProlificWorks, you’ll need to update a mobi file, too. Then maybe you realize after you’ve downloaded files in all the formats that you meant to update your book list. After you do that, you download the files in all the different formats yet again. Later,  maybe years later, when you want to make additional corrections or updates, you might be left wondering where the updated file is or which one was the most current. You could go back to the dashboard for the retail site and download the file from there but it’s easier to just have your own files neatly labeled and on your own computer.

It doesn’t have to be a complicated system. . . in fact, I think it works better when it’s simple.

Inside My Documents, I have a folder for each series. Inside each series folder, I have a folder for each title.  Inside each title’s folder, I have a sub-folder for covers, and for various formats of the finished book. I also include the book description, the outline, and the final Word doc.

I like to keep my cover files in more than one place so I have a cover folder on the OneDrive cloud app. Inside the main folder is a sub-folder for each series. Inside that is a folder for each title which contains paperback covers, translation covers, hardback covers, audio covers, etc.

The file problem is even worse if you have a lot of books out, which makes having a system even more important. As I write this, I have 45 books out. It makes me feel better knowing that I can easily put my hands on a file without getting confused. Or, perish the thought, accidentally publish an old file when making an update.

This is what works best for me, but I’m curious to know what you’ve done to make sense of all the files on your computer. Any tips?

Organizing Book Files and Covers: Share on X

 

 

Photo credit: estherase on VisualHunt.com

  1. Thanks for sharing your system, Elizabeth. That’s the thing about having, for instance, several drafts of a novel, or several parts of a novel (like a character sheet). If you don’t have them set up in a certain way, it’s so easy to lose them or upload the wrong thing. I’ve done both and it’s embarrassing and time consuming. Any good system is worth exploring!

    1. It can really be a disaster if you upload the wrong file, can’t it? It can also be a real time-suck trying to figure out which file is the one you need when there are lots of versions of files scattered around your computer.

  2. I did publish the wrong file once and didn’t realize it for many (far too many) months. *sigh*
    Now, I follow a very similar pattern as you. Folders within folders with one labeled as “final versions” so I don’t make that same error. I use Scrivener for writing but compile and save epub, mobi, doc, & pdf files in that final versions folder every time I make an update :)

  3. I have a slightly different approach. I keep all my different projects in their own folders but I ALWAYS begin each file name with the date, written year, month, day: 22-05-02 (for today.) Then I’ll put the project name next. So if I’m working on a project for a client name Morgan, it would be: 22-05-02-Morgan. The huge benefit of this system is that the computer will always present all the documents in chronological order if you do it this way. So the most recent story will always be at the top. And if I know I might have more than one draft per day, then I’ll also add letters of the alphabet: 22-05-02-A-Morgan and 22-05-02-B-Morgan. The system is so simple that it’s virtually impossible to get wrong and if I’m away from my computer and want a file sent to me I can usually call someone at my home and explain how to find the file with great ease.

    1. I like that, Daphne! Great tip. I can only imagine the number of files you need to keep up with as a writing coach and this sounds like the perfect system for staying on top of it! Thanks for sharing that with us.

  4. Hi Elizabeth – my storage system is a complete half-disaster … especially as I’m ‘fiddling’ around writing various subjects – thankfully my brain is fully functional (I do realise how lucky I am) … though I know I have to be organised each month with the various aspect/s life I”m dealing with … it’s even worse now I’ve moved over to the Mac – things need to be culled etc!! Things work and that’s the main thing – cheers Hilary

    1. It’s complicated, for sure. With something like file organization, the more you write, the more complex organization can become. For me, there are also files for translations, hard cover books, etc, and it just adds to the mix.

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