The best way to manage manuscript versions comes down to three habits. First, you save a named draft at important points, for example before every major revision and every time you share the text with others. Second, you keep cut material in a separate file instead of deleting it. Third, you keep versions and backups apart: a version lets you go back to an earlier state, a backup protects you from losing everything. You need both, and one does not replace the other.
On this page you will find why keeping drafts organized helps during revision, a simple naming scheme, an example of how the versions of a novel can develop, a checklist and the common mistakes that lead to lost chapters or mixed-up files.
Why drafts matter
When you revise, you cut scenes, rewrite chapters and rearrange subplots. That is easier when you know nothing is lost for good. If you are afraid of destroying a passage that works, you make changes too timidly.
Saved drafts also help you:
- Match feedback to the right text. If beta readers reply weeks later, you need to know which version they read.
- Review decisions. Sometimes it only becomes clear chapters later that the old solution was better.
- Document what you sent out. Which draft went to the agent, which to the editor, which to the proofreader?
- Try out alternatives. You can compare two versions of an ending if both are kept.
Draft, version, backup: the terms
In everyday use the words are often mixed up. For your work, a clear distinction helps:
| Term | What it is | What it protects against |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | A complete, deliberately saved state of the manuscript, such as “second draft after the structural revision” | Losing good ideas while rebuilding |
| Version | A saved intermediate state, often created automatically | Accidental deletion or overwriting |
| Backup | A copy of the whole project in another place | Device failure, theft or loss |
Versions stored on the same device as the manuscript disappear with that device. That is why you also need backups in a different place, for example on an external drive. A common rule of thumb from data backup is the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of your data, on two different storage media, one of them in another location.
Managing drafts in six steps
- Decide when a draft is created. Sensible occasions are the end of the first draft, the beginning and end of each revision pass, every time you share the text and every major restructuring decision.
- Name drafts consistently. A scheme with date, number and occasion is unambiguous and sorts itself. Writing the date as year-month-day keeps the files in the right order.
- Freeze drafts you have shared. Whatever went to beta readers, an editor, an agent or a publisher is not changed again. You continue working on a copy.
- Keep a file for cut material. Cut scenes, paragraphs and sentences go into a separate file or folder, with a short note on where they came from. That makes cutting easier, and sometimes a scene later finds a new place.
- Note what has changed. A change log with a few lines per draft is enough: “Chapters 7 and 8 merged, prologue cut.” That way you can find out later where a particular change happened.
- Only ever work on one current draft. Two files that are changed at the same time are very hard to merge later.
Before and after: file names
File names as they pile up in many project folders show how quickly order is lost.
Before:
- Rika.docx
- Novel_new.docx
- Novel_new_FINAL.docx
- Novel_new_FINAL_2.docx
- Novel_BetaReader_edits.docx
Which file is the current one? What did BetaReader correct, and which draft were her changes carried over into? After a few weeks, nobody knows anymore.
After:
- 2026-03-02_Novel_D1_first-draft.docx
- 2026-04-15_Novel_D2_structure.docx
- 2026-04-16_Novel_D2_to-beta-readers.docx
- 2026-06-01_Novel_D3_characters-scenes.docx
- 2026-07-20_Novel_D4_language.docx
- Novel_cut-material.docx
- Novel_change-log.txt
The file names and dates are illustrative details for work on the Rika draft. Every file says when it was created, which draft it is and what it is for. Shared drafts are clearly marked. The word “final” does not appear, because in practice it is rarely true.
An example: comparing two endings
This example compares narrative versions of an invented suspense novel: ferrywoman Rika is threatened by her childhood friend Hauke after discovering drug shipments. She fakes an engine failure so he transports the cargo himself and sends an anonymous tip. Two versions can present these established events differently.
- Version A: Readers see Rika’s anonymous tip before Hauke’s trip. Suspense concerns whether he believes the fake failure and whether the check happens.
- Version B: Readers initially see only her report to Hauke. After the check, a brief flashback explains that she sent the tip.
Both keep the same events, with an anonymous tip preceding the check on Hauke. Save the current draft first, then name the alternatives clearly, such as “Ending A – visible tip” and “Ending B – later explanation.”
Compare more than surprise. Is version B honest to the chosen viewpoint? Which thoughts can it show without artificially avoiding her plan? Export only the chosen version and archive the other.
Checklist: versions and backups
Drafts
- Naming scheme with date, number and occasion decided
- Draft saved before every major revision
- Shared drafts frozen and labeled
- Change log kept
Cut material
- Separate file or folder for cut scenes created
- Origin of every cut passage noted
Backups
- Regular backup in a place other than your working device
- Restoring tried at least once
- Backups in a format that can be opened even without your writing software
Common mistakes
- Mistaking versions for backups. Automatic versions usually live on the same device. If the device fails, they are lost along with it.
- Working on two copies in parallel. If you alternate between a laptop and a desktop and write in different files, you will eventually have two drafts drifting apart. If you work on several devices, decide how the current draft gets from one to the other, and stick to it.
- Too many unnamed drafts. A hundred unnamed copies are hardly better than none, because nobody knows what is in which.
- Never testing a restore. A backup that will not open when you need it is useless.
- Deleting cut material. What is gone is gone. A file for cut material costs nothing and takes the fear out of cutting.
Practical tips
- Link drafts to the passes of your revision, as described in the guide How to revise a manuscript. That way the history builds itself.
- When sharing with beta readers, put the draft in the file name and in your message. You can then match feedback clearly.
- If needed, compare two drafts with a compare function, which many word processors offer. It shows changes you would miss while reading.
- Read through your cut material again at the end of the revision. Sometimes it contains a sentence that fits somewhere else.
Using Faustica
Under Versions & Backup, Faustica automatically keeps earlier versions of your manuscript. Each day, a new version is created with your first change, and up to 30 versions can be restored individually. This is not a complete history of every editing step, but a safety net in case you want to go back to an earlier day.
Because these versions are stored on your device, they do not replace a backup. You create complete backups of your projects at a location of your choice, for example on an external drive, optionally encrypted with AES-256-GCM. Every backup also includes readable Word and Markdown copies of your manuscripts, which you can open even without Faustica. During normal saving, the previous save is also kept as a reserve.
Faustica does not sync between devices. If you work on several computers, you move the current state from one to the other yourself, for example via a backup. To compare two versions of a chapter, place them side by side in the split view of the editor. With Export, you can also keep a draft you are sharing as a Word file or PDF.
Frequently asked questions
How many drafts should I keep?
As many as you can meaningfully name. The milestones matter: the first draft, the end of each revision pass and everything you have shared. Intermediate states from individual days are usually only needed for a short time.
Is cloud storage enough as a backup?
Cloud storage can be one of your copies, especially as the copy in another location. But it does not replace every other backup: if a damaged or deleted file is synced, the cloud copy may be affected too, depending on whether the service keeps older versions. An additional backup on a drive of your own is therefore sensible.
Should I save each chapter as a separate file?
That depends on your tool. Separate chapter files make rearranging easier but make it harder to keep track of drafts of the whole book. What matters is that a draft always clearly describes a complete manuscript. Writing programs that manage chapters within one project take care of this for you.
What is the difference between a draft and a version?
In this guide, a draft is a complete state of the manuscript that you deliberately save and can refer to, such as the first or second draft. A version is any saved state, including the ones your software creates automatically. Your first draft becomes a fixed milestone as soon as you finish it and save a copy.