Inkshift Markup Overview
You've got your manuscript critique. You've built your revision plan with clear, chapter-by-chapter goals. But when you open your draft to start revising, you're still staring at hundreds of pages wondering exactly which paragraphs need attention.
That's why we're excited to introduce Markup, a feature that transforms your manuscript into an annotated document with detailed inline notes to help you revise faster.
What Is Markup?
Markup is a comprehensive line-level annotation tool that analyzes your entire manuscript from start to finish. It combines line-level prose notes with big picture story comments. You'll receive detailed inline commentary on everything from macro story elements like plot and pacing to micro-level writing craft like dialogue, emotion, and show versus tell.
Think of it as having an editor work through your entire manuscript, leaving detailed margin notes on every page, but at a fraction of the cost. And like all Inkshift services, it's available in minutes.
What Does Markup Show You?
Markup creates inline annotations across three levels:
Macro-level story elements: Plot structure, pacing issues, character arc development, stakes and tension, thematic coherence. When your critique identifies a pacing problem in Act 2, Markup highlights the specific scenes and passages where the story drags and suggests ways to increase momentum.
Scene-level improvements: Dialogue that falls flat, emotional beats that need strengthening, moments where you're telling instead of showing, opportunities to add sensory details or internal conflict. If your revision plan says "strengthen the protagonist's emotional response to the betrayal," Markup will annotate that exact scene with specific suggestions.
Revision plan integration: Every change from your revision plan is mapped to the relevant sections of your manuscript. If you've set a goal to "make the villain more threatening in early chapters," Markup highlights every villain scene with concrete suggestions for how to increase their menace.
How It Works
The process is simple and integrates seamlessly with your existing Inkshift workflow.
Step 1: Complete Your Critique and Revision Plan
Start by selecting the Markup plan and uploading your manuscript. Then create your Revision Plan with the goals you want to focus on. If you're new to these features, here are a couple articles that explain our critique process and Revision Plan.
Step 2: Generate Your Markup
Once you have your critique and revision plan, your markup will be generated automatically. From your dashboard, simply click on your project and navigate to the Markup tab.
Step 3: Revise with Clarity
Open your marked-up manuscript and work through it scene by scene. Each note is specific to its context. Instead of remembering that your villain needs to be "more threatening," you see exactly where and how to make those changes. Instead of hunting for places where you're telling instead of showing, those passages are highlighted with alternative approaches.
What Makes Markup Different?
Traditional revision processes require constant context-switching. You read a critique note about Chapter 5, flip to your manuscript to find the relevant scene, try to remember what the note said, then flip back to check. With Markup, everything is in one place.
Compared to a critique alone: A critique tells you what's wrong at a high level. Markup shows you where the problems occur and how to address them in context.
Compared to revision plans: Revision plans give you chapter-level action items. Markup takes those items and pins them to specific paragraphs and scenes, so you're never searching for where to apply the advice.
Compared to traditional line editing: Line editors work at the sentence level but may miss bigger story issues. Markup combines macro-level story analysis with micro-level prose suggestions, giving you comprehensive coverage. And while critique partners and beta readers sometimes provide line-level insights, the process can take weeks or months.
Making the Most of Your Markup
To get the best results from your annotated manuscript:
Work sequentially: Start at Chapter 1 and move forward. This prevents creating contradictions and helps you track how early changes affect later scenes.
Use it as a guide, not a script: The suggestions are starting points. If a note sparks a different idea that works better for your story, follow your instinct.
Address one layer at a time: If you have extensive notes on both plot structure and prose style, consider making one complete pass for plot changes, then a second pass for prose refinements.
Who Is Markup For?
Markup is ideal for writers who:
- Have received feedback but feel overwhelmed by implementing it
- Want to revise systematically rather than randomly jumping around their manuscript
- Need clear, specific suggestions rather than abstract advice
- Value efficiency and want to make the most of their revision time
- Are working on complex revisions with multiple layers of changes
- Want the quality of professional editing without spending hundreds or thousands
Conclusion
The difference between knowing your manuscript has problems and knowing exactly how to fix them is the difference between spinning your wheels and making real progress. Markup bridges that gap by bringing your critique, your revision plan, and your manuscript together in one annotated document.
No more switching between windows. No more hunting for the scene that needs work. No more wondering if you've addressed every point from your feedback. Markup provides a clearly annotated manuscript with the specific improvements that will take it to the next level.
Ready to see your manuscript with expert annotations? Get started with Inkshift. Happy writing!
