Nobody decides to have their manuscript in nine services. It accumulates: a grammar checker trialled in 2022, a document you shared once, an assistant you pasted three chapters into, a formatter, a backup service. Each was a small decision, and the list has never existed in one place. Making that list is the audit.
What to include
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Writing applications | Anything the manuscript lives in |
| Checking tools | Grammar, style, consistency |
| Assistants | Anything you pasted text into |
| Storage and sync | Cloud folders, backup services |
| Collaboration | Shared documents, and who they are shared with |
| Distribution | Advance copy services, beta reader platforms |
| Formatters and converters | Including one-off web converters |
| Browser extensions | Which read what you type |
The last row is the one most often missed and among the most significant. An extension that checks your writing sees everything you type in a browser, including the manuscript, and it was installed once and forgotten.
The audit
- List everything in the categories above, from memory and from your password manager.
- For each, note what it has: the whole manuscript, chapters, or fragments.
- For each, note the current policy on retention and training.
- Delete accounts you don't use, and request deletion of the content.
- Review browser extensions and remove what you do not need.
- Check shared documents and revoke access that is no longer needed.
- Keep the list and update it annually.
Step six catches something authors forget entirely: documents shared with a beta reader four years ago are still shared, and that access has never been reviewed.
What a short list looks like
The goal is not zero. It is a list you have decided on rather than one that accumulated. The Novel Kit appears on such a list as a service that received the file and retained nothing, which is a different entry from one that holds a copy indefinitely, and knowing which is which for each row is the point of the exercise.
A practical next step
Open your password manager and list every writing-related account in it. That list is most of your audit, and it's usually longer than expected.
Sources checked
- Questions to ask a writing tool about privacy
- Terms of service changes and your manuscript
- Account security for authors
Frequently asked questions
Why audit?
Because the answer accumulates without decisions. Every tool you have ever pasted a chapter into is still on the list.
How long does it take?
An afternoon for the first one. Annual repeats take half an hour, because you are updating rather than building.
What do I do with the findings?
Delete accounts you do not use, tighten settings on the ones you do, and know about the rest.