The most likely way to lose a novel is not a hard drive failure, and it is not a company closing. It is a mistake: a file overwritten, a folder deleted, a sync conflict resolved the wrong way. That's why sync is not a backup, and why the standard rule is about copies that do not change when the original does.
The rule applied to a novel
| Copy | Where | How it updates |
|---|---|---|
| Working copy | Your computer | Continuously, as you write |
| Local backup | An external drive | Automatically, daily, keeping old versions |
| Offsite backup | A backup service, or a drive kept elsewhere | Automatically, or on a schedule you keep |
| Sync, if you use it | A cloud folder | Convenience, not a backup |
The distinction in the last row matters. A synced folder is a second live copy: delete a file and it disappears from both. A backup keeps yesterday's version, which is what you need when the problem is something you did rather than something that broke.
What to include
- The manuscript, obviously.
- Notes and world reference, which are harder to rebuild than the text.
- Research material you gathered.
- Cover source files and licences.
- Published files for every format.
- The term list exports, which are small and useful.
Item two is worth emphasising. A published book can be recovered from a copy you bought; five years of world-building notes cannot be recovered from anywhere.
Testing it
An untested backup is a hope. Once a year, restore a file from each copy and open it. Most backup failures are discovered during a restore, which is the worst possible moment to discover them.
The Novel Kit can help confirm a restored file is intact: extract the terms and compare against a report from before, which detects a truncated or corrupted restore that opens without complaint.
A practical next step
Set up one automatic backup today, to an external drive, keeping old versions. That single change covers the most likely failure.
Sources checked
Frequently asked questions
What is the rule?
Three copies of anything you cannot lose, on at least two different kinds of storage, with at least one kept somewhere else.
Does cloud sync count as a backup?
No. Sync replicates changes, including deletions and corruption. A backup is a copy that does not change when the original does.
How often?
Daily for the manuscript in progress, and after every significant session. It should be automatic, because manual backups stop happening.