ExplainedWhy it exists
What is this feature actually for?
Not a manual and not another feature list. These articles explain the problem behind each B-Maker tool, when it becomes useful, and when you can safely ignore it.
A feature is useful only if you understand the problem it solves. Start with the problem; learn the button later.
Wave 1: the core model
Why do text versions exist?
When normal editing is enough, and when a rewrite deserves a separate state.
Read explanation →SafetyVersion vs backup
One protects a piece of writing; the other protects the whole project.
Read explanation →OrganizationCollection vs saved search
A curated working set versus a dynamic answer to a recurring question.
Read explanation →ViewsTree vs manuscript board
The book order and work status are different dimensions.
Read explanation →Idea MapWhy use an Idea Map?
Structure represents decisions already made. The map helps before the decision is ready.
Read explanation →PlanningNote, planning card, or chapter?
Where a thought belongs depends on how mature it is.
Read explanation →StoryWhy use Story Grid?
Read the manuscript across plotlines and character change, not only chapter by chapter.
Read explanation →EditorWhy read the whole manuscript?
Small sections help you write; a continuous view helps you hear the book.
Read explanation →EditingWhy editorial checks?
Spell checkers see sentences. Project-aware checks can also see manuscript problems.
Read explanation →PublishingPreview vs export
One answers “does the book look right?”; the other produces the deliverable.
Read explanation →PublishingWhy a publishing package?
A finished manuscript is not yet a complete submission.
Read explanation →AIWhy AI inside B-Maker?
Use AI as a tool in the workflow rather than as a new home for the manuscript.
Read explanation →AI + versionsWhy combine AI with versions?
Turn AI rewriting into a reversible experiment instead of destructive editing.
Read explanation →OwnershipWhy local-first?
Cloud can still be useful; the canonical project does not have to depend on it.
Read explanation →Editorial workflowComment vs note
Keep text-specific decisions with the text and broader thinking elsewhere.
Read explanation →Wave 2: deeper mechanics
Why lock a version?
Turn an approved, submitted or published revision into a stable reference point.
Read explanation →RevisionWhy compare versions?
See what a rewrite actually changed instead of trusting memory.
Read explanation →ProgressWhy goals and sessions?
Direction and the real history of work answer different questions.
Read explanation →CharactersWhy characters, relationships and arc points?
Track state, connections and change across the actual manuscript.
Read explanation →StoryWhy plotlines?
Chapters are reading order; plotlines follow individual narrative threads through it.
Read explanation →StructureWhy hide or exclude sections?
The author's working project and the reader-visible book are not identical structures.
Read explanation →ImportWhy import a DOCX?
Opening a document and turning it into a structured writing project are different things.
Read explanation →SafetyWhy an integrity check?
A backup gives you another copy; validation checks whether the project is internally coherent.
Read explanation →Wave 3: output, context and optional tools
Why several Idea Maps?
Keep one project while separating visual questions into focused boards.
Read explanation →LayoutWhy explicit page breaks?
Semantic structure and physical book layout are different things.
Read explanation →ExportWhy export one section?
The project can be larger than the deliverable you need today.
Read explanation →AnalyticsWhy writing metrics?
Word count, reading time, dialogue share and publishing units answer different questions.
Read explanation →AI + publishingWhy an AI-use declaration?
Submission requirements may make AI use part of the publishing package.
Read explanation →AIWhy is AI optional?
The writing project should remain complete without an external model.
Read explanation →Story planningWhy track locations?
A recurring place can accumulate facts and scene connections like a recurring character.
Read explanation →InterfaceWhy project atmospheres?
Visual context can distinguish projects without changing the manuscript.
Read explanation →Wave 4: how the pieces stay connected
Why a current version?
Many revisions can coexist, but the rest of the project still needs one canonical text now.
Read explanation →Idea MapWhy project-aware nodes?
Visual thinking should point to the real chapter, character or plotline instead of duplicating it.
Read explanation →Idea → manuscriptWhy turn an idea into manuscript?
Planning becomes writing without a copy-paste migration.
Read explanation →EditorFocus Mode vs Split View
Sometimes context is noise; sometimes context is the task.
Read explanation →Editor + portabilityRich editor vs portable Markdown
A comfortable writing surface and durable text storage solve different problems.
Read explanation →AssetsWhy keep assets with the project?
Cover and illustrations belong to the same book lifecycle as the manuscript.
Read explanation →SafetyWhy several safety layers?
Versions, Trash, backup, history and integrity checks protect against different failures.
Read explanation →Start with the question you actually have.
If a feature solves no current problem, you do not need to use it yet.