Getting Started

How to Sign Up for the Scrively Web App

You can sign up for Scrively directly through our Pricing page here. You can view all available recurring and one-time plans and select the option that best suits your needs. After selecting a plan, paid users will be guided through a simple checkout process to complete account creation.

Getting Started with Scrively Using a Starter Account

On the Pricing page here click on "Create Your First Book." You will be redirected to the Dashboard. Choose either “Create Your Own Story” or “Explore Our Story Library.” Create Your Own Story gives you full creative freedom to describe your idea and build your story from scratch. The Story Library includes hundreds of pre-made books that you can use as-is or customize by replacing the characters with your own. We’ll begin by selecting Create Your Own Story. Head over to our guide here to continue with the next steps on working with advanced settings.

Working with Advanced Options

In Step 2 of the story creation process, click the gear icon next to “Describe Your Story” to configure additional Advanced options. The first setting lets you choose your "Book Size." The book sizes that are available are based on your plan level which you can learn more about here. ⚠️ If you change the book size after your book is completed, the current cover and illustrations will be removed and regenerated to fit the aspect ratio. Your story text and characters will stay the same. Next choose your spread layout, with three options available: Single Image, Dual Image and Mixed. Single Image: Displays one image per spread, ideal for full-focus illustrations or scenes where a single visual tells the story clearly. Dual Image: Splits the spread into two images, allowing you to show contrasting scenes, before-and-after moments, or two related perspectives side by side. Mixed: A flexible layout that combines both single and dual image spreads throughout your book for variety and dynamic storytelling. ⚠️ If you change the spread layout after your book is completed, the current illustrations will be removed and regenerated to fit the new layout. Your story text and characters will stay the same. Choose how many sentences should show on each page. Choose your text placement. Fixed: The story text will remain in the same position on every page. Smart Fit: The story text will no longer be anchored to the bottom of the page. Instead, it will be automatically resized and positioned in the most suitable location for each illustration. Select your preferred language. Select a writing style to set the voice of your story. Want to go back to the defaults? Click on "Reset to defaults." Click on "Save." Head over to our guide here to learn more about describing your story.

How to Describe Your Story

After selecting your writing path, you can either write your own story description. Or choose from the provided options to help you get started quickly. Need some fresh ideas? Click on the refresh icon. Next, give your book a title. Or choose from the provided titles. Need some fresh titles? Click on the refresh icon. Select your drawing style. ⚠️ The Starter plan includes one style. One-time purchases include one style in each category. The Plus plan includes three styles per category, while the Pro plan unlocks all styles. Click through the drawing style categories. Hover over the drawing style to reveal and click on the enlarge tool. Once selected, you’ll see a full-size preview of the drawing style. Click on "Continue." Select the reading level. Set the approximate page count for the book. ⚠️ The Starter plan includes up to 15 pages. One-time purchases and the Plus plan includes up to 30 pages, while the Pro plan unlocks up to 50 pages. Click on "Continue." Head over to our guide here to learn more about creating characters.

How to Upload Your Own Storybook

Have a story of your own? Bring it to life in the Scrively. You can easily upload your text in just a few steps, generate beautiful illustrations for your existing story, and customize every page to match your vision. When you’re finished, your storybook will be ready to share in both print and digital formats. From the Dashboard, click on "Upload a Story." At the top, you’ll have the option to configure your “Advanced Options,” which we explain in more detail in our guide here. You have two upload options: “Upload File” or “Google Docs Link.” Under the “Upload File” option, drag and drop your file or click to browse your device. Once selected, your story will be imported into the modal. If you prefer to upload using a Google link click on the "Google Docs Link" tab. Paste your Google Doc link into the provided field. Make sure your sharing settings are set to “Anyone with the link → View” so Scrively can access your document. Select your "Drawing Style." Search through the lists of available drawing styles. Hover over the drawing style to reveal and click on the enlarge tool. Once selected, you’ll see a full-size preview of the drawing style. Click on "Continue." Click “Continue” at the bottom to proceed to the next step, where you can create your characters. You can learn more about this process in our guide here.

How to Turn Your Child’s Drawing into a Storybook

Every child’s drawing tells a story, so why not turn it into one? In the Scrively Web App, you can transform your child’s artwork into a beautifully illustrated storybook. Their imagination leads the way, and you’ll create a keepsake you can both treasure forever. From the Dashboard, click on “From a Drawing.” At the top, you’ll have the option to configure your “Advanced Options,” which we explain in more detail in our guide here. Drag and drop your drawing or browse your device to select a file and upload it into the provided field. The drawing will be uploaded. Add a description for your story. Or choose from the provided descriptions. Add a "Book Title." Or choose from the provide titles. Choose the reading level. Select a "Drawing Style." The Starter plan includes one style. One-time purchases include one style in each category. The Plus plan includes three styles per category, while the Pro plan unlocks all styles. Hover over the drawing style to reveal and click on the enlarge tool. Once selected, you’ll see a full-size preview of the drawing style. Click on "Continue." Select the "Approximate Page Count." The Starter plan includes up to 15 pages. One-time purchases and the Plus plan includes up to 30 pages, while the Pro plan unlocks up to 50 pages. Click on "Continue." Head over to our guide here to learn more about creating characters.

How to Create Your Characters

Once you’ve described your story, Scrively will automatically generate characters based on the details you’ve provided. Each character includes an image, description, and type, all of which can be edited and customized as needed. You can hover over a character’s image to view a larger, full-size preview of their appearance. Need to reorder the characters? Click and drag to reorder. Each character will be assigned a role. Click on the role to make adjustments if needed. Primary Characters: The main characters in your story who drive the plot and appear most frequently throughout the book. Secondary Characters: Important supporting characters who appear regularly and help develop the story and main characters. Supporting Characters: Minor characters who appear briefly to add context, depth, or help move the story forward. The “On Cover” option determines whether a character will be included on the book cover design. If you do not want the character to appear on the cover clicking on "On Cover" will then change to "Not on Cover." Need to add more characters? Click on "Add a Character." You'll have the option to "Generate with AI" or "Add Manually." Our guide here shares more on adding characters manually. Click on the "Edit character" icon to make changes to your characters. The character edit modal will open. Want to replace the characters image? Hover over the character and click on "Replace photo." ⚠️ Each character includes 2 free replacement or regeneration credits. If additional regenerations are needed, you can purchase a Magic Brush regeneration pack. To view available packs and pricing, select the "Magic Brush" button located at the bottom right of the app. The Magic Brush regeneration packs will be displayed along with pricing. Want to make minor edits? Tell Scrively what you would like to change then, click on "Apply." If needed you can undo/redo the last edit. Click “Save” to apply and save your changes to the character. If you don't want to use a character click on the trash icon to "Delete character." Head over to our guide here to learn more on creating your book cover.

How to Manually Add Characters During Book Creation

While creating your book, you can manually add custom characters directly into your story. This allows you to create unique characters on the fly, customize their details, and keep them saved for future books. In the Create Your Characters and Cover step, Scrively gives you the option to manually add your own characters. To begin, click “Add a Character.” Select "Add Manually." Add your character's name. You can either manually enter a character description or click “AI Suggest” to let Scrively generate one for you. A character type will be automatically set based on the provided name or image which can be adjusted. Upload the character's photo. Use the crop image tool to determine what part of the image to focus on. If needed zoom in/out of the image. When you're ready click on "Save." Select who's in the image to help us tailor your experience. Click on "Drawing Style." Browser through the available categories. Hover over the drawing style to reveal and click on the enlarge tool. Once selected, you’ll see a full-size preview of the drawing style. Click on "Continue." If you only want to change the drawing style of the character click on "Apply Style." ⚠️ When you change an uploaded character's style, that style will be preserved when the character is added to a book, even if the book uses a different style. If you want the character to match the book's style, do not modify the character style here. The styles available to you will be based on your plan level. The Starter plan includes one style. One-time purchases include one style in each category. The Plus plan includes three styles per category, while the Pro plan unlocks all styles. Optional: Toggle on the option to change the character's appearance. Add the details for the change you would like Scrively to apply. Click on "Apply." Give Scrively a few moments to process the change. The requested edit will be applied to the character. Not happy with the edit? Click on "Undo." Optional: Click “Save to My Characters for Future Use” to add this character to your character library. Click on "Add Character." Congratulations! Your character has been created and will now appear in your characters list. Hover over the character's image to see it in full view. Not happy with how the character turned out and want to try another image? Click on “Edit character.” Hover over the character's image then click on "Replace photo" to select the new image. ⚠️ Each character includes 2 free replacement or regeneration credits. If additional regenerations are needed, you can purchase a Magic Brush regeneration pack. To view available packs and pricing, select the "Magic Brush" button located at the bottom right of the app. The Magic Brush regeneration packs will be displayed along with pricing.

How to Add Characters from Your Library to Your Book

Adding characters from your library to your book helps you quickly build out your story using existing character profiles you’ve already created. Instead of starting from scratch, you can select characters from your saved library and place them directly into your book, keeping your workflow fast, consistent, and organized. In the Create Your Characters and Cover step, Scrively gives you the option to manually add characters from your characters library. To begin, click “My Characters.” A list of your saved characters will be displayed, allowing you to quickly browse and select the ones you want to add to your book. Click on the character to add it to your book. ⚠️ If you try to use a character in an existing book, please note that this is considered a change to the story. A warning will be displayed to inform you that Scrively will generate a fresh version of the story and also update the cover illustrations and back cover blurb. You can also adjust the title and story description to reflect any updates where a removed character may be mentioned, if applicable, or leave them as they are. The selected character will be added to your list. Hover over the avatar to see a full preview of how the character appears in the selected book’s art style.

How to Create Your Book Cover

Scrively gives you three powerful options to design your book cover. The first option is an "Automatic" book cover. Scrively will design a cover based on the characters in your story. The next option is a "Custom prompt." This option allows you to describe the cover yourself. Enter your description in the “What should be on the cover?” field. The book title, selected style, and any characters marked “On Cover” will be automatically included. You also have the option to include up to three reference images. The last option is to upload your own cover image. Click into the provided field to upload the cover image from your device. When you're ready click on "Continue." You can always regenerate or edit the cover later in the editor. Head over to our guide here on writing your book.

Writing Your Book

Now that you’ve selected your story path, described your story, added your characters, and set your cover details, it’s time to take full control of your story. Your complete story will appear in the “Book Content” field where you can make changes as needed. Click the language dropdown to translate your story into a different language. At the top right, you’ll see the total number of sentences and pages in your story. You can also click “Regenerate” to refresh your story if needed. You are allotted five story regenerations. ⚠️ If you regenerate your book after images have already been added, any existing images on your pages will be removed and replaced with new ones. A confirmation modal will be shown prior to regenerating the story.  Scroll down beneath the “Book Content” section to view a page-by-page breakdown of your story. In the top-right corner, use the “– / +” controls to redistribute text across your pages. Want even more control? Turn on the “Manual Page Breaks” setting. You’ll be able to manually decide how many sentences appear on each page. In this example, page one contains 2 sentences, page two contains 5 sentences, and page three contains 4 sentences. To learn more about manual image overrides, check out our guide here. If you’re ready to edit your book, click on "Continue" and see our guide here on working with the editor.

Manually Configuring Images for Each Page of Your Book

When you scroll down beneath the “Book Content” section to view the page-by-page breakdown of your story you will see the option to "Manage image overrides." When the manual image override is turned on, a warning will appear indicating that you must add a manual description before you can continue. Each page marked as “Needs description” will display a warning indicating that a manual description must be added. Click the image icon on the right side of the page to add a description. At the top, you will see the text for the current page. Below the page text is a field where you can add the image prompt. This is where you should describe exactly what the illustration on the page should show. If a character from the story appears in the scene, make sure to mention them by name. Use the expand and collapse tool in the bottom right corner of the text field to expand or collapse the view as needed. Select all characters mentioned in the image prompt. Since this is the first page, there are no earlier pages available, so you will not be able to select a reference image. We’ll show you what this option looks like on page two below. Click on "Save override." If you click “Save override” and no characters are selected, a warning like the one below will appear. It will let you know that characters mentioned in the image prompt have not been selected. You can go back and update your selection, save anyway, or choose “Add & Save.” We recommend selecting all characters mentioned in the image prompt to ensure the render accurately matches their appearance. After the first page, you will have the option to select a previous page whose illustration should be used as a visual reference for consistency. If you go back into the image override prompt, you’ll see an option to “Remove override.” The warning banner will be replaced once all manual descriptions have been added. Each page that previously showed “Needs description” will be updated to “Manual.” The image icon on the right side of each page will turn green. Once you’re all set, click “Continue.” Congratulations! You’ve completed your book! Your book cover will now be displayed. Click “Let’s read and edit your book!” to continue. Starter users, head to our guide here to register and continue editing. One-time purchasers, Plus, and Pro users can go here to get started with the editor.

Registering Your Starter Account and Continuing to Edit Your Book

As a Starter user, you get the full experience of creating a book from start to finish, no subscriptions and no payments required. If you’d like to continue editing your book, simply register an account by following the steps below. You can create your free account by signing in with Google, Apple (available on iOS devices) or manually adding your email. Click on "Create Account." A verification code will be sent to your email that you can then, enter to access the account. The verification code email will look like the one below. After verifying your account keep a eye out for our welcome email. That's it! Welcome to the editor, where you can continue designing your book! Head over to our guide here to learn more about working with the editor.

Working with the Editor

The editor is where you have full control to design your book pages. It will open directly to your book’s cover and title page. At the top left, you’ll see the option to “Edit cover illustration.” We’ll go into more detail about this in our guide here. Next, you’ll see the option to “Regenerate cover.” We’ll go into more detail about this in our guide here. Last, you’ll see the option to “Download cover illustration.” On the right side, you’ll see the title page. Our guide here explains how to remove the Scrively branding, which is available with a Plus or Pro plan. On the right side of the title page, click the arrow to move to the next page. In the middle, you’ll see the page navigation controls. On the bottom right, use the “– / +” controls to zoom in and out of the editor. Need to make changes? Click on “Back.” Click “Finish” to save your book when you’re done. Head over to our guide here for more on working with the title page.

Working with Your Book Cover in the Editor

Your cover is the first thing readers see, so making it look polished and engaging is important. In the editor, you can easily edit and regenerate the image to match your needs. You’ll also have the option to download your finished cover. At the top left, you’ll see the option to “Edit cover illustration.” The "Edit Illustration" modal will be shown. Need more space? Use the expand tool to add more space/view to the text field. Enter the details of the change you'd like to make. Click to add a character's if you'd like to include their reference images in the change. Need to go back and look at the cover without loosing your text? Click on "Cancel" and when you come back your text will be available. Click on "Apply Changes." Give Scrively a few moments to think. The requested change will be applied. Not happy with the change? Click on "Undo last edit" to reverse it. When you undo a change you'll also have the option to "Redo last edit" if needed. Want a completely different cover image? Use the "Regenerate cover" option. ⚠️ Each image includes 2 free replacement or regeneration credits. If additional regenerations are needed, you can purchase a Magic Brush regeneration pack. To view available packs and pricing, select the "Magic Brush" button located at the bottom right of the app. The Magic Brush regeneration packs will be displayed along with pricing. Scrively will take a few moments to think. The new cover image will be displayed. Similar to edits, you can also undo the cover regeneration. Or redo the last edit. Last, if you need to download the cover image click on the "Download" icon.

Working With the Title Page in the Editor

Your title page helps set the tone for your book and gives readers their first impression. In the editor, you can easily customize the title page by updating the book title, author name, and other details to match your vision. Hover over and click to drag it to a new position on the page. Release to place it where you want. If you change the title on the title page, make sure to update it on the cover page as well, since it does not update automatically. You can use a simple edit prompt like “Update the title to say…” followed by the new title, and include any additional details as needed. Click to reveal formatting options. The first option is selecting your "Font" style. Next, you can manually increase your font size or use the -/+ icons. You'll have bold, italic and underline options for your text. Want to change the color of your text? Highlight the text and select a color from the provided color palette. OR highlight the text and enter your preferred color code. Similar to changing the text color, you can also highlight your text and select a highlight color from the available color palette, or enter a custom color of your choice. Use the "Strikethrough" tool to strike through teh selected text. Use "Superscript" to display selected text slightly above the normal text line. Use "Subscript" to display selected text slightly below the normal text line. Want to start over? Click on "Clear formatting." Use the "Horizontal alignment" tool to left, center or right align the text. On the far right you will have the options to undo/redo changes. Head over to our guide here to learn more about text formatting on pages.

How to Add or Delete Blank Pages

Pages can be added or removed at any time to help structure your content exactly how you want it. In the editor, at the top of the page you will have the option to "Add page before left illustration." Or "Add page after left illustration." ⚠️ The number of pages you can add depends on your plan. This page count includes all pages in your book, including story pages and any blank pages. Free users can create up to 15 pages per book. One-Time (single purchase) and Pro users can create up to 30 pages, while Pro subscribers can create up to 50 pages. Each blank page includes a text block that can be customized as needed. Common uses include dedication pages, copyright pages, and acknowledgments. Use the "Upload illustration for right illustration" to add a full page image. Use "Add Image to Right Illustration" to insert a movable and resizable image onto the page. For more details, see our guide on adding images here. If you'd like to remove the page click on "Delete added page."

Formatting Text on Pages in the Editor

Text formatting helps bring clarity and structure to your pages. In the editor, you can easily adjust and refine text blocks to match your book’s style, ensuring everything looks clean, consistent, and easy for readers to follow. Each page in your book contains a movable text block. To reposition it, click and hold the text block, then drag it to your desired location on the page. Release to place it in position. On each size of the text block is the resize tool to expand or collapse the text block as needed. When clicked into the text block the formatting options will be displayed. The first option is the font selector, which lets you choose from a wide variety of available fonts. Highlight the text and select the font it should be changed to. To change the text size, highlight the text and use the – / + icons to decrease or increase the font size. You can also bold, italicize, or underline the text. Highlight the text and select the color it should be changed to from the provided color palette or add your preferred color code. Choose a highlight color for your selected text from the provided color palette or add your preferred color code. Use the "Strikethrough" tool to strike through teh selected text. Use "Superscript" to display selected text slightly above the normal text line. Use "Subscript" to display selected text slightly below the normal text line. Horizontal alignment determines how your text is positioned from left to right. You can align text to the left, center, or right. Vertical alignment determines where your text sits from top to bottom. You can align text to the top, middle, or bottom. Adjust the opacity behind the text block. We share more about this option in our guide here. Use "Advanced Text Settings" to fine-tune your text layout and positioning. - Letter spacing controls the space between individual characters in your text. Increasing it spreads letters further apart, while decreasing it brings them closer together. - Line spacing controls the vertical distance between lines of text. Adjusting it can make your text easier to read or more compact, depending on your design needs. - Text box anchor determines how the text box is positioned or locked within the page layout, helping keep it aligned when other elements move or when the layout changes. If you’re not happy with your changes, use the undo and redo options to revert or reapply edits. Head over to our guide here to learn more about making small edits or tweak to images in the editor.

Control Gradient Opacity Behind Text Blocks

Gradients are a simple way to add depth and visual interest to a layout. Adjusting their opacity behind text blocks helps maintain readability while keeping the design visually balanced. In the editor, click on a text block to access the formatting options. Click on the "Text background" tool. Use the slider to adjust the opacity. Alternatively, select one of the available presets. The gradient opacity will automatically adjust based on your selection.

Making Small Edits & Tweaking Images in the Editor

Page images help bring your book to life. In the editor, you can easily make small edits and adjust your images to better fit your layout. At the top left of the page, you’ll see the option to “Edit left illustration.” The "Edit Illustration" modal will appear with three options: "Edit Image", "Edit Image (advanced)" and Upload Image. Use the “Edit Image” option to make small adjustments. Enter the changes you’d like to apply. Need more space? Use the expand tool to add more space/view to the text field. Click to add a character if you'd like to include their reference images in the change. Need to go back and look at the page without loosing your text? Click on "Cancel" and when you come back your text will be available. Click on "Apply Changes." Give Scrively a few moments to think. The requested change will be applied. Not happy with the change? Click on "Undo last edit" to reverse it. When you undo a change you'll also have the option to "Redo last edit" if needed. In the illustration editor, you can also use the “Edit Image (advanced)” option to generate a new page image based on your prompt for that page. If you used the "Manual Image Overrides" in the Page Break section of Step 4, the full page image prompt details will appear here. Head over to our guide here for a complete breakdown of how to use the “Edit Image (Advanced)” option.  Next, check out our guide here on how to upload or replace a page image.

How to Upload or Replace a Page Image

Page images are a key part of bringing your story to life. If you want to use your own artwork, you can easily upload or replace a page image directly in the editor. At the top left of the page, you’ll see the option to “Edit left/right illustration.” The "Edit Illustration" modal will appear.  Click on "Upload Image." You can drag and drop or click to upload the image from your device into the provide field. The uploaded image will be displayed. Want to use a different image? Click “Choose a different image” to browse and select a new one. Click on "Use this image." The image will be added to the page. If you’re using the "Smart Fit" feature (which we explain in more detail in the Advanced Options guide here), the text will be automatically repositioned on the page. Change your mind? Click on "Undo last edit" to revert back to the previous image. Next, check out our guide here on regenerating page images.

How to Regenerate a Page Image

Page images help bring your book to life. If an image isn’t quite right, you can quickly regenerate it in the editor to get a new version that better fits your page. To regenerate the page image click on "Regenerate left/right illustration" option. Scrively will take a few moments to think. The new image will be displayed. If you're not happy just click on "Undo last edit" to try again. Head over to our guide here to learn more about downloading page images and adding your own custom images to a page.

How to Download a Page Image and Add Your Own

Page images help bring your story to life, and sometimes you may want to save a generated image or add one of your own on top of the existing page image. In the editor, you can easily download current page images and upload custom images to better match your vision for the book. To download the page image click on the "Download left/right illustration" icon and select the location on your device that you'd like to save it to. You'll also have the option to "Add image to left/right illustration." This option allows you to import/upload an image from your device onto the page. Click and drag the image to place it on the page as needed. Want to use a different image? Click on the "Swap image" option. You’ll also have the option to adjust the image layering based on where you’d like the image to appear on the page: - Send to Front — Places the image above other page elements, making it appear in the foreground. - Send to Back — Moves the image behind other page elements, making it appear in the background. Click the resize tool in the bottom-right corner of the uploaded image to adjust its size. To remove the uploaded image from the page, select it and press the "delete" key on your keyboard. Head over to our guide here to learn more about working with your book's back cover page.

How to Make Changes to Your Book’s Back Cover

Your back cover is an important part of your book’s presentation. In the editor, you can easily the image, text, and layout to match your vision and keep everything consistent. Click and drag the text block to reposition it anywhere on the page. Click on a character avatar to position it anywhere on the page. Use the resize tool to adjust the avatar size, making it larger or smaller as needed. Click on the "Back cover settings" to make additional adjustments. When a character is already on the back cover hovering over the + icon will reveal an "Already on canvas" message. If the character is not on the canvas the + icon will be active and show "Add to canvas." Want to generate an image for your back cover? Enter your image prompt in the provided field, and it will be generated in your book’s art style. Click on "Generate." Give Scrively a few moments to think. The book's back cover image will be generated. You also have the option to upload your own image for the back cover. If you no longer want to use the generated or uploaded image click on "Remove." Slide the “Background Opacity” control left or right to adjust the opacity of the back cover image. The bottom bar color of your book is automatically set based on the cover. Click the color palette icon to choose a color for the bottom bar of your book’s back cover. Alternatively, click on "Custom color." Set your custom color. Click on "Done." The new color will be applied to the bottom bar on the back of your book. If you no longer want to use the selected color click on "Reset to auto." Want to reset to the back cover settings to the default? Click on "Reset to default layout." A confirmation modal will be shown to confirm the back cover reset. Head over to our guide here to learn more about saving your completed book.

How to Save Your Finished Book

Once your book is complete, saving it ensures all your hard work is preserved. In the editor, you can easily save your finished book and keep it ready for download or sharing. Click on "Finish." Congrats! Your storybook is completed.

How to Download Your Front and Back Book Covers

You can download your book’s front and back covers directly from Scrively. At the top left of the cover image in the editor click on "Download cover illustration." Similar to downloading the front cover image, click “Download Back Cover Illustration” in the top-left corner of the back cover section. You will have the option to select where to save the covers on your device.