FAQs
General
The current version of The Novel Factory (Version 3) is what's known as a progressive web app, which means it can work on almost any device with a browser, and also that you can download it and work offline without an internet connection.
However, if your device or operating system is particularly old, the software may not be able to run properly. Please check the requirements below to make sure your set up is suitable.
System requirements
- 2Gb+ Memory
- 10Gb+HDD space
Recommended operating systems
- Windows 10+
- MacOS 11+
- Android 13+
- iOS 16+
Recommended browsers
- Chrome version 126+
- Edge version 126+
- Firefox version 128+
- Safari version 16+
If you have specific questions about compatibility, please contact us and we will do our best to help.
We can't always test every single aspect of the software on every single device, so if you notice anything odd on your device, please let us know (with details of the device, operating system and browser you're using) so that we can address it.
Not while using the desktop app.
If you wish to work offline, you need to download the desktop version to your PC or Mac (downloading will require you to be online). Once it's downloaded, you do not need an internet connection to run it.
Bear in mind that if you do not have an internet connection, your data will not be able to sync with other devices you may wish to run The Novel Factory on.
The browser version does require you to have a stable Internet connection.
In the first instance your data is stored locally within the browser. This means that even if your Internet connection stops working you won’t lose any of your work. In order to synchronize your data between your devices (so that you can use The Novel Factory on multiple computers), and to provide a more secure backup of your hard work in case something unexpected happens to your computer, we then send the data to our secure cloud storage.
All data is protected during transfer using transport layer security which ensures the data is encrypted end to end. All data in the cloud storage is also encrypted at rest using 256-bit AES encryption, one of the strongest block ciphers available, to prevent any unauthorized access.
Data is only available to a logged in user via secure signed access tokens provided by an industry standard security service. Your password on our authorization server is stored as a hash, which means that even in the unlikely event of a data breach your password cannot be leaked (even we don’t know what your password is and there’s no way for us to find out).
Nope. You can export all your work if you decide not to continue.
As many as you like! Our licences are per user, not per computer, so you can install the desktop app or open the online version on as many machines as you wish, as long as it's for your personal use only. However, to avoid any problems syncing, we recommend always logging out on one device before you log in on another.
In Novel Factory 3.0 you can swap between the online and desktop versions as you like. However, to avoid any problems with work syncing, we recommend only being logged in on one device at a time.
We offer different tiers of subscription for The Novel Factory as well as monthly and annual plans to help accommodate different needs and budgets. Find out more here. We also run regular discounts and promotions - keep an eye on our Facebook page for these!
Yes! All of your intellectual property is yours and will remain yours. We make no claim on any intellectual property or creative work of our users.
Yes! We currently have an import feature that allows you to import a manuscript from Word, and we hope to be able to support more formats in the future.
Yes!
It's very simple to move from V2 to V3.
As a V2 subscriber, you have full access to V3 at no extra cost, and you can easily transfer all your data across with a single click.
First, we recommend trying out V3, to make sure it has everything you need.
You can log in to V3 using the same credentials you use for V2.
If you want to import your data, then go to the user menu in the top right hand corner and click 'My Novels' from the dropdown menu. On that page you should see a button that says 'Import from V2'.
Click that button and then follow the instructions.
Please note that the transfer is a copy only process. This means that any changes you subsequently make in either V2 or V3 will not the reflected in the other version.
If you decide you prefer V2, then you're perfectly welcome to continue with it. We are no longer providing updates for V2, but we have no imminent plans to retire it.
The licence for the original desktop version was sold with a one-off payment which gives you a lifetime licence for the software, including updates within the version.
The Novel Factory 3.0 is a completely new product which is sold on a subscription basis, to allow us to cover our ongoing costs of hosting, support and ongoing development.
This means that if you are an existing desktop user wishing to move to Novel Factory 3.0, you need to sign up for a monthly or annual subscription.
However, you are entitled to a discount equal to the value you paid for the desktop licence – essentially resulting in your desktop licence being free.
If you would like to do this, please contact us and once we have confirmed your desktop licence details we will provide you with a coupon code.
If you decide you'd prefer to stick with your original version, there's no pressure to upgrade.
Lifetime licences
A lifetime licence is a one-off purchase option that gives you access to The Novel Factory Version 3 for the entirety of its life.
A lifetime licence gives you unlimited access to all the features of The Novel Factory Version 3. It is equivalent to our 'Standard' level subscription.
A lifetime licence is a one-off payment that gives you access to The Novel Factory Version 3 for the entirety of its life. With a subscription you pay on a monthly or annual basis to maintain access to the software.
We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee (after your 30 day free trial!), so there's no risk. If you change your mind within 30 days of purchasing a lifetime licence, simply get in touch and our customer support team will process a full refund.
Of course! Simply follow the steps in this article to move from your current subscription to a lifetime licence.
You can purchase a lifetime licence in the same way you would purchase an ordinary subscription. Simply register for a free trial, and then at the end of the trial period follow the directions in the app to purchase a lifetime licence. You can find full instructions here.
Troubleshooting
Yes! You can find a comprehensive help manual for the latest version of The Novel Factory (Version 3) here.
We want all of our users to have a great experience with The Novel Factory. However, occasionally things do go wrong. If you run into any problems, the first thing to do is check out the Troubleshooting section of our Help Manual. If none of the articles there resolve the issue, please contact us and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.
Novel Factory 3.0 Click here.
Legacy versions:
Online (V2): Click here
Windows Desktop (V3): Please contact us
We reply to all genuine enquiries, so if you haven't received a response within two working days (UK hours), either we didn't get your message or our reply was blocked by your email provider. Please check your junk/spam folders, and if you still can't see a response, send us another message. You can also try reaching out to us on Facebook.
We don't check our social media feeds as often as our email, so it may take a little longer to get a response if you've contacted us via those channels. We do respond to all genuine enquiries, but if your query is urgent, we recommend sending a message through our contact form.