Moving from Atticus
An Atticus book comes across as an EPUB or a Word file, chapter by chapter. Here is what moves, how to move it, and what you give up.
What comes across
- Chapters
- From an EPUB, each chapter file becomes a chapter and its headings are kept. From a Word file, headings become chapters.
- Opening pages
- From an EPUB, the cover, title and copyright pages are set aside in “Opening pages”, left out of exports.
- Text formatting
- Bold, italic and the text of each chapter come across. Atticus’s themes and fonts do not.
What stays in Atticus
- Themes, chapter designs and the theme builder
- Print settings such as trim size and fonts
- Book goals and the writing habit tracker
Moving, step by step
- In Atticus, export the book as an EPUB. A Word file (.docx) works too. Keep your Atticus account until you are happy with the result.
- Sign up free. Import is part of Scribe and above, so choose that plan when you are ready to bring the book in.
- In the Library, choose Import a book and pick the .epub, up to 100 MB, or the .docx, up to 40 MB.
- Check the preview. It lists the chapters and any opening pages set aside. Untick what you do not want, then import. Nothing is saved before you confirm, and the file is read in your browser.
- Set the title page, copyright and dedication once in Publish, and drop any page the import brought in twice.
- Plan beside the draft: the Outline and the Plot grid for the story, and characters, places and notes for the rest.
What is different
What Atticus does better
- You pay once and keep it, with no subscription.
- Formatting is its focus: 17 templates, a theme builder for chapter designs, and many print trim sizes.
- Print and ebook files set up for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark, with preset and custom trim sizes.
- It installs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, and keeps working offline once installed.
How Author Sweets differs
- It is built for writing and planning the book as well as finishing it: parts, chapters and scenes, an outline board, and characters, places and notes.
- Versions are automatic, with a word-by-word compare on every plan. Saving and restoring a version is part of Scribe and above.
- Readers get a read-only link and need no account. You see their margin comments, their answers to your questions and how far each one got.
- A style check runs on your device: reading grade, passive voice, adverbs, filler words, clichés and long sentences.
- Print formatting has fewer choices than Atticus: a trim size, a font and its size in the PDF settings. Word, EPUB and PDF exports are part of Artisan and above.
- It is a subscription, monthly or yearly, after the free book. Atticus is a one-off purchase.
| Feature | Author Sweets | Atticus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for one book; paid plans from $7 a month | $147 once |
| Runs in | Any browser; installs as an app; writes offline | Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, or a browser, online or offline |
| Free plan | Yes, one book, no card | No; 30-day money back |
| Import a manuscript | On Scribe and above: Word, OpenDocument, Rich Text, web pages, EPUB, Markdown and plain text; Fountain and Final Draft screenplays; a zipped Scrivener project with its binder as the outline; and a zipped folder from Obsidian, Notion, Ulysses, Bear or iA Writer, or the zipped web page Google Docs makes | Word |
| Exports | Markdown and plain text on every plan; Word, EPUB and PDF with front and back matter on Artisan and above | Word, EPUB and PDF |
| Share with readers who have no account | Read-only links with margin comments, reader codes, three questions per reader and how far each reader got | Not stated |
The full table is on Author Sweets vs Atticus.
Why writers move, as of November 2026
The complaints that come up most often about Atticus, read from its own pages, reviews and forums on November 3, 2026. Many writers are happy with it, and a complaint here may be fixed by the time you read this.
- Plotting and outlining tools are not built yet. (Kindlepreneur’s Atticus review, written by Atticus’s co-founder (updated October 2026))
- Version history is listed as coming, not available yet. (Atticus’s own site and Kindlepreneur’s review)
- Writing offline needs the installed app and an earlier sign-in, and exporting needs a connection. (Kindlepreneur’s Atticus review)
- It imports Word files only. (Atticus’s own feature table)
When you are ready
Start with the free plan and write in it for as long as you like. Import is part of Scribe, from $7 a month, and you can move to it when you bring the book across. Not sure yet? Try the editor without an account first.