Compile structured Obsidian manuscripts into publication-ready DOCX, ODT, EPUB, HTML, Markdown, and XML files for Vellum and other publishing workflows.
The final Create file stage: a reviewed 129,576-word novel, ready to compile into any of six native publishing formats.
Manuscript Compiler guides the book through Manuscript → Contents → Create file. By the time this screen appears, the selected notes have been scanned, their publishing roles and order have been reviewed, and one semantic Book has been prepared for every format. Choose the output and formatting you need, then create the file locally—without rewriting the Markdown manuscript.
Manuscript Compiler understands a book as Parts, Chapters, Scenes, Front Matter, and Back Matter—not merely as a collection of Markdown files. It detects that publishing structure, lets you review and correct inclusion, roles, and order, then compiles only the manuscript you approved.
Designed specifically for long-form authors, it keeps research, dashboards, development notes, and excluded drafts out of the finished book while preserving the hierarchy expected by editing and publishing tools. Your source notes are never rewritten.
- Right-click any manuscript folder
- Automatic structure detection
- Manual correction before export
- Semantic review of the complete book
- One-click compilation and download
- Native DOCX
- Native ODT
- Native EPUB 3
- Native offline HTML
- Native Markdown
- Native semantic XML
- DOCX designed for Vellum workflows
- Fully offline compilation and export
- No telemetry or analytics
- No cloud service or account
- No manuscript network access
- No external executables
- No companion plugins
- No changes to manuscript notes
- One shared semantic
Bookmodel for every format - Format-specific structural validation before download
- Deterministic structural output
- Stale-preview protection
- Comprehensive automated tests
- Install the plugin.
- Right-click the complete manuscript folder in Obsidian.
- Review and correct the detected structure.
- Choose an export format and formatting preset.
- Select Create and download.
See the User Guide for the complete author workflow.
| Format | Purpose |
|---|---|
| DOCX | Word editing, submission, and Vellum import workflows |
| ODT | LibreOffice and other OpenDocument workflows |
| EPUB | Reflowable EPUB 3 proofing and ebook workflows |
| HTML | A self-contained offline browser proof with embedded CSS |
| Markdown | Portable, readable plain-text manuscripts |
| XML | Presentation-neutral semantic interchange and automation |
| Capability | Manuscript Compiler |
|---|---|
| Native DOCX | ✅ |
| Native ODT | ✅ |
| Native EPUB | ✅ |
| Offline operation | ✅ |
| No Pandoc | ✅ |
| No companion plugin | ✅ |
| No telemetry | ✅ |
| Open source | ✅ |
Set author defaults once, then open the compiler directly from Obsidian settings.
Start from the exact folder that contains the complete book.
Confirm the manuscript root and automatically detected book structure.
Review Parts, Chapters, Scenes, matter, warnings, and ignored notes before export.
Correct inclusion, publishing roles, and order without moving or rewriting source notes.
Choose the output format and meaningful publishing controls, then create the file.
Native DOCX opens with distinct structural formatting and named manuscript styles.
Vellum recognises the compiled Part and Chapter hierarchy.
Native ODT carries the manuscript structure into LibreOffice Writer.
The EPUB provides navigable contents and a reflowable reading view.
Manuscript Compiler is not yet listed in Obsidian's Community Plugins catalogue. Once available, search for Manuscript Compiler, select Install, then Enable.
Download main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css from the same GitHub release. Place them directly in <vault>/.obsidian/plugins/manuscript-compiler/, reload Obsidian, and enable Manuscript Compiler under Community Plugins.
- Complex tables, embedded media, and advanced Markdown layouts are outside the semantic fiction model.
- Save and share behaviour depends on the desktop or mobile host.
- EPUB and target-application validation still require representative reader testing.
- Unusual authoring templates may require manual structure correction.
- Manuscript Compiler is not a fixed-page desktop-publishing engine.
See Known limitations in the User Guide for details and recommended testing.
npm ci
npm run typecheck
npm run lint
npm test
npm run test:docx
npm run test:odt
npm run test:epub
npm run test:html
npm run test:markdown
npm run test:xml
npm run test:exports
npm run benchmark:large
npm run build
npm run package
npm run package:validate
npm audit
git diff --checkThe release archive is release/manuscript-compiler-<version>.zip and contains exactly main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css. The editable logo.svg remains in the repository for README, GitHub, documentation, website, and social branding; its artwork is compiled into main.js and it is not a runtime or release-package file.
Automated structural validation is not a substitute for opening outputs in Word, Vellum, LibreOffice, multiple EPUB readers, text editors, and browsers. See the Manual Release Checklist.