I’m about to begin working on my first book and need to pick the right writing software. Microsoft Word Online looks pretty handy since I can access it from any device and it saves automatically to the cloud. But I’m worried it might not handle things well when my manuscript gets really long with multiple chapters. Some writer friends keep telling me to go with desktop programs like LibreOffice Writer instead. They say the formatting options are better and you can work without internet connection. I really don’t want to switch programs in the middle of writing and have to deal with converting files. So I’m hoping some experienced authors can help me out: Did anyone here write their whole book using online word processors? How did it work out when the document got really big? What made you choose desktop writing software over web-based tools from the start? I’m using a basic laptop and want something simple but reliable. Just need good formatting and easy ways to jump between different sections of my book. Thanks for any advice you can share.
Having written three novels over the past five years, I actually started with Word Online for my first manuscript and ended up switching to LibreOffice Writer about halfway through. The breaking point came when my document hit around 200 pages and Word Online started becoming sluggish during editing sessions. The auto-save feature that seemed great at first became problematic when I wanted to experiment with different versions of chapters without losing my original work. LibreOffice Writer handles large documents much better in my experience, and the navigation panel makes jumping between chapters seamless. The offline capability turned out to be more important than I initially thought, especially when working in coffee shops with unreliable wifi. File compatibility between the two programs is generally good, but some formatting quirks did occur during my transition. If you are committed to finishing your book project, I would recommend starting with LibreOffice Writer from day one to avoid the hassle of switching mid-project like I did.
honestly libreoffice writer all the way - been using it for my second manuscript after word online crashed on me and lost like 3 hours of work despite the “autosave”. nothing worse than that sinking feeling when your writing just dissapears. libreoffice feels more solid for long projects imo
I went the opposite route and stuck with Word Online for my entire first novel, which ended up being around 300 pages. The key was breaking it into separate documents for each chapter rather than keeping everything in one massive file. This approach kept the performance smooth and made it easier to reorganize sections when needed. The collaboration features came in handy when working with my editor later on, since we could both access and comment on the same document without emailing files back and forth. However, I did run into formatting issues when preparing the final manuscript for submission to publishers. Word Online’s styling options are somewhat limited compared to desktop versions, and I had to do some cleanup work in the full Word application before sending it out. The automatic syncing across devices was invaluable though, especially since I often wrote during commutes on my tablet. For a debut project, Word Online can definitely work if you organize your chapters properly and don’t mind doing final formatting touches elsewhere.