Supplemental Word Styles for Import

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You can learn how to add supplemental styles to your Word file in this video:

Using Supplemental Styles

When importing a Word file, Vellum looks for specific style names to determine how to structure your book. For cases where a built-in Word style isn’t appropriate, you can use a supplemental Word style to tell Vellum how text should be imported.

Adding Supplemental Styles

The easiest way to add a supplemental style to your manuscript is to copy it from the reference guide, which you can download here:

Vellum Supplemental Style Reference

Once you’ve downloaded the reference guide, follow these instructions to add your chosen style.

1. Open Vellum Supplemental Style Reference in Word
2. Locate the example text and select it
3. Copy the selected text using Edit ▸ Copy (or ⌘C)

4. Switch to your Word manuscript
5. Paste the example into your book using Edit ▸ Paste (or ⌘V)

6. Locate the new style in Word’s Styles Pane

7. Delete the example text

Element Headings

To indicate a chapter title, use the built-in Heading 1 style, formatting it according to the guidelines in Preparing Your Word File for Import.

For a chapter subtitle, though, you’ll need to assign a supplemental style. Use Vellum Element Subtitle to indicate a chapter subtitle.

Use Vellum Hidden Heading for elements whose titles should not appear in the heading (for instance, an element that’s a note to the reader). Vellum will set the title of the chapter so that it appears in the Table of Contents, but it will hide this heading in the final layout.

Anthology Headings

Stories in an anthology typically aren’t numbered, and their headings often include the author names. You can use supplemental Word styles to indicate both of these.

For unnumbered chapters, use the Heading 1 style as usual. To explicitly mark a chapter as unnumbered, begin with Chapter followed by two colons, e.g.:
Chapter :: The Lottery

✨ This feature was added in Vellum 4.1. Make sure you are up-to-date.

Apply Vellum Element Author to indicate a specific author for a story.

Block Quotations & Verse

Use Vellum Block Quote for text that should be imported as a Block Quotation. Vellum will recognize Word’s built-in Quote style as well.

Use Vellum Verse to import poetry or lyrics as Verse.

Use Vellum Attribution, positioned after a Block Quotation or Verse, to indicate its source.

Images

Apply the Caption style to text that follows an image to indicate an image’s caption.

Any image that appears within a chapter’s text will be imported as an Inline Images. If an image is incorrectly imported as a Heading Image (because it appears at the beginning of a chapter), assign the Vellum Inline Image style to the paragraph that contains the image.

Alignment Blocks

Vellum will import centered or right-aligned text as an Alignment Block with the appropriate alignment.

Use Vellum Centered Text to indicate bolded text that should be imported as an Alignment Block with centered alignment. This prevents Vellum from interpreting it as a possible chapter title.

Use Vellum Flush Left to indicate text, such as locations or dates, that should be imported as an Alignment Block with left alignment. A left indent of 0.5" indicates that it should be imported as Inset.

Text Conversations

Apply Vellum Text Conversation to all the messages in a Text Conversation.

By default, each line in a Text Conversation will be imported as a received message (on the left). To change this:

• Set Contact names in bold
• Use an indent of 2" or larger for Sent messages (which appear on the right)

Written Notes

Use Vellum Written Note to import a letter as a Written Note.

By default, each line in a Written Note will be imported as indented text. To change this:

• Use an indent of 2" or larger for complimentary closes and signatures
• Use Word’s alignment controls for centered or right-aligned text
• Set the first line indent to 0" for flush-left text

Character Formatting

Use the Vellum Monospace character style to import text in a monospace font.

Use the Vellum Sans Serif character style to import text in a sans serif font.

Use the Vellum Small Caps character style to import text as small caps.

Word Template

If you haven’t begun to write your manuscript, you can use Vellum’s Word template to create an initial docx file.

Vellum Word Template

Once you’ve downloaded the template, double-clicking it will create a new Word file with all of Vellum’s supplemental styles already added.