> ## Knowledge Base Index > Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://publishflow.crisp.help/sitemap.xml > Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further. > Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash). # The PublishFlow Writing Process: From First Draft to Finished Book # The PublishFlow Writing Process: From First Draft to Finished Book Once you have finalized your [Book Requirement Document (BRD)](https://publishflow.crisp.help/en/article/brd-creator-overview-doudpa/), you are ready to bring your book to life! By clicking the **Start Writing** button, PublishFlow will automatically begin drafting your manuscript. The writing process has two phases: 1. **Chapter by chapter:** You write and fact-check each chapter, one at a time. 2. **The whole book:** Once all chapters are written, you refine the complete book with **Developmental Editing** and finish it with **Proofreading**. This article walks you through both phases. ## 1. Automatic Front Matter Creation The moment you start writing your first chapter, PublishFlow simultaneously generates the front matter of your book. You will find these pages ready for you: * **Title Page:** Includes your book title and pen name. This will serve as the very first page of your book (depending on the formatting template you choose later). * **Table of Contents:** Automatically generated based on your BRD outline. This will be the actual, clickable table of contents inside your final book. * **Copyright Page:** A standard copyright page optimized for platforms like KDP (Ebook and Paperback). You can easily customize this to add your own imprint, specific licenses or legal disclaimers. ## 2. Phase One: Writing Chapter by Chapter PublishFlow always writes **one chapter at a time** and waits for you to review it before moving on. ### Step 1: Writing (Focus on Content) PublishFlow generates the first draft of your chapter based on your BRD. Read through the text and use the **Writing Assistant** (the chat on the right) to optimize it, for example: "make the opening more personal" or "add an example to the second section". You can also edit the text directly in the editor. Nothing gets lost along the way: The clock icon at the top of the editor opens the **Version history**, where you can restore any saved state of the chapter. * **Best Practice:** Focus *only* on the content, logic and structure right now. Do not polish the wording yet: the text will be professionally edited later, during Developmental Editing and Proofreading. Your main goal here is to make sure all the right information is on the page. * **Good to know:** If a generated chapter comes in noticeably below your word count target, PublishFlow automatically adds content to reach it. So a chapter can end up somewhat longer than the first draft you saw streaming in. ### Step 2: Fact-Check Once you are happy with the content, click the **Fact-Check** button. PublishFlow will scan the chapter, search for external sources and generate a Fact-Checking Report. Any inaccurate facts will also be highlighted in **red** directly inside your manuscript. The report categorizes findings into two types: * **Major Mistakes:** These are significant factual errors. The report provides a detailed explanation and a direct link to a reliable source. We highly recommend fixing these. * **Minor Mistakes:** These are smaller inaccuracies or imprecise statements. While you can often leave them as-is, correcting them improves the overall quality of your book. Sources are not directly linked for minor issues. **How to fix mistakes:** You can easily fix these errors by clicking the **Implement Fact Check** button beneath the explanation in the report. PublishFlow will automatically correct the red-highlighted text. Alternatively, you can edit the text yourself. *(Note: While the AI is incredibly helpful, it is ultimately your responsibility to verify the final facts.)* If your book is fiction-based or does not make factual claims, you can skip the Fact-Check for that chapter. ### Step 3: Continue to the Next Chapter When you are satisfied with the chapter, click the **Write Chapter [X]** button to move forward. The same workflow begins again for the new chapter. PublishFlow keeps the style and context of your previous chapters in mind for a consistent reading experience. You can fine-tune single words or sentences at any time with the [Inline Editing Tool](https://publishflow.crisp.help/en/article/how-to-use-the-inline-editing-tool-tko3vu/). The best moment is right after writing and fact-checking a chapter: Click on any word or sentence and adjust the finished chapter before you move on. ## 3. Phase Two: Developmental Editing (Whole Book) When all chapters are written, your book enters **Developmental Editing**: a full editorial review of the entire book, like working with a professional human editor. It looks at structure, flow, depth, gaps, redundancies and consistency. You review its feedback, decide which chapters get rewritten and accept or reject every change with full control. You can run it up to 3 times per book. The full walkthrough is here: [Developmental Editing: Overview](https://publishflow.crisp.help/en/article/developmental-editing-overview-1hm1dfw/) ## 4. Phase Three: Proofreading (The Final Step) **Proofreading** is the last editing step of your book. It becomes available once you have run the Developmental Editing. It polishes the language of the whole book like a professional human editor. You accept or reject the suggestions per chapter. ||| Important: Proofreading can only be run once per book. Starting it also locks Developmental Editing. Only start it when you are completely done with everything else. All details and a checklist before you start: [Proofreading: Overview](https://publishflow.crisp.help/en/article/proofreading-overview-1idfzbn/) ## Troubleshooting: Repetitive Chapter Structures If you notice that your newly generated chapters constantly start or end with the exact same phrasing (e.g., *"In the last chapter, we covered X. Now, let's talk about Y."*), the AI is likely following a strict instruction in your BRD. For a quick fix on how to adjust your settings and remove these repetitive patterns, check out our guide on [Why do my chapters have a repetitive structure?](https://publishflow.crisp.help/en/article/why-do-my-chapters-have-a-repetitive-structure-9htyom/) ## Troubleshooting: The “Write Chapter” Button Isn’t Responding You can force the chapter to generate using either of the following methods, even if the button is not responding: * Ask the assistant directly by typing: **“Write chapter [X]”** This has the same effect as clicking the button and will trigger the chapter generation. * Hover over the chapter you want to write in the left navigation bar and click the **“Rewrite Chapter [X]”** button. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/c/1/1/8/c118c32a51837000/rewrite-chapter_5650eo.png =350x226) ## Troubleshooting: The “Write Conclusion” Button Isn’t Responding You can force the conclusion to generate using either of the following methods, even if the button is not responding: * Ask the assistant directly by typing: **“Write Conclusion”** This has the same effect as clicking the button and will trigger the writing generation. * Hover over the conclusion in the left navigation bar and click the **“Rewrite Conclusion”** button. ## What Comes Next Your manuscript is finished! Now you format your book and export it for publishing, see [Format & Export](https://publishflow.crisp.help/en/article/format-export-overview-904ohx/). Before exporting, you can also review the sources the AI used for your book and decide whether to include them.