How to Write a Book in ClickUp Step by Step

ClickUp can organize your entire book writing process in one place, from first idea to final draft. This how-to guide walks you through setting up a clear, repeatable system so you always know what to write next.

Using a structured workflow lets you replace scattered files, sticky notes, and multiple apps with a single, easy-to-manage space. You will track ideas, chapters, revisions, and deadlines while keeping research and feedback close at hand.

Why Use ClickUp for Book Writing

Before diving into the setup, it helps to understand why a productivity platform is useful for authors.

Keep all drafts, outlines, and research in one workspace
See your entire project timeline and progress at a glance
Break a large book into manageable tasks and milestones
Collaborate with editors, beta readers, or co-authors
Reuse workflows for your next book or writing project

By treating your manuscript as a project, you gain the same clarity teams use to ship complex work on schedule.

Set Up a Dedicated ClickUp Space for Your Book

The first step is to create a clean workspace so all your book materials stay together.

Create a ClickUp Space for Writing

Open your workspace and create a new Space named after your book or “Writing Projects”.
Choose folder colors and icons that make it easy to recognize at a glance.
Disable features you do not need yet, then add them later as your process grows.

Keeping book work in its own Space prevents tasks from mixing with unrelated projects or personal to-dos.

Build Folders for Stages of Your Book

Inside your new Space, create folders to mirror the major phases of your writing journey.

Planning & Research for ideas, notes, and references
Outlining for structure and chapter breakdowns
Drafting for first and second drafts
Revision & Editing for polishing each chapter
Publishing & Marketing for launch tasks and promotion

Each folder can contain lists for more detail, such as character work, timelines, or worldbuilding for fiction, and topic sections or case studies for nonfiction.

Organize Chapters with ClickUp Tasks

Next, turn your chapters and sections into trackable tasks so you always know where each piece stands.

Create a List for Your Manuscript

In the Drafting folder, make a list called “Manuscript”.
Add one task for each chapter, section, or major scene.
Include the chapter number in the task name to keep it ordered.

Tasks give you a simple way to move a chapter from “Idea” to “Draft” to “Polished” using statuses.

Use Custom Statuses in ClickUp

Define clear statuses so your progress is visible in any view.

Idea
Outline Complete
Draft in Progress
Draft Complete
Revision
Ready for Edit
Final

You can adjust or simplify these as needed, but keeping at least a few stages helps you see where to focus each writing session.

Add Chapter Details to Each Task

Within each chapter task, capture the core elements of your plan.

Synopsis or main point of the chapter
Key scenes or arguments in bullet form
Point of view or target reader for this section
Target word count
Due date for the first draft and final draft

Filling these details at the start reduces hesitation when you sit down to write because you always know the next step.

Draft and Store Content with ClickUp Docs

Writing directly where you manage tasks keeps everything connected and easier to maintain.

Create a Master Book Doc

In your book Space, create a Doc named with your book title.
Add a table of contents with headings for each part and chapter.
Link related tasks inside the Doc so you can jump between planning and drafting.

This master document acts as the single source of truth for your manuscript, even if you also use separate Docs for research or scenes.

Write Chapters Inside ClickUp

You can either place all chapters in one Doc or create one Doc per chapter.

Use headings for sections and subsections.
Insert comments where you need to revise or fact-check later.
Track changes by duplicating Docs when making major rewrites.

Having content and tasks in the same platform speeds up your workflow and makes it easier to track revisions and feedback.

Plan Your Writing Schedule with ClickUp Views

Time management is essential for finishing a book. Use built-in views to align daily writing with your larger deadline.

Use List and Board Views

Switch between views to see progress in different ways:

List view to see chapters, word counts, and due dates in a straightforward layout.
Board view to drag-and-drop chapter tasks across statuses like a visual pipeline.

Board view is especially helpful when you want a quick overview of which sections are still in early stages.

Schedule Writing with a Calendar View

Open a Calendar view in your Drafting list.
Assign due dates to chapter tasks or milestones.
Map out daily or weekly writing targets across the month.

This approach lets you schedule realistic progress toward launch day instead of relying on last-minute sprints.

Manage Research and Notes in ClickUp

Instead of storing references in separate apps, keep them with your project so you never waste time hunting for details.

Create a Research List

In the Planning & Research folder, set up a list dedicated to notes and sources.

Make tasks for topics, locations, or themes you must explore.
Attach files or paste links to articles, videos, or studies.
Use custom fields to track source type, credibility, or citation details.

Organizing research this way keeps it searchable and easy to reference while drafting or editing.

Use Docs for Deep Worldbuilding or Outlines

For fiction authors, create Docs for characters, settings, lore, and timelines. For nonfiction writers, use Docs for case studies, data summaries, and expanded outlines.

Cross-link these Docs to chapter tasks so any detail you need is only one click away.

Collaborate and Get Feedback with ClickUp

When you are ready for input from editors or beta readers, share structured access instead of emailing files back and forth.

Share Docs and Tasks Securely

Invite editors to your Space with the right permissions.
Share specific Docs for chapters that need review.
Use comments to discuss changes without altering the main text.

Instead of juggling multiple versions, keep all suggestions inside the platform until you apply them.

Use Comments and Assignments

When feedback arrives, turn major notes into tasks or subtasks.

Assign revision tasks to yourself or collaborators.
Add due dates for each round of edits.
Resolve comments as you complete changes to stay organized.

This process keeps your editing structured, especially when working with multiple reviewers.

Track Progress and Prepare for Publishing

As your draft matures, use simple metrics and lists to guide your final steps toward publication.

Monitor Word Count and Status

Add custom number fields to track word counts per chapter. Update them periodically and review totals in List view.

Spot chapters that may be too short or long.
Focus sprints on sections still in early statuses.
Celebrate milestones as your total word count climbs.

Visual progress helps maintain motivation over a long project.

Create a Publishing Checklist

In your Publishing & Marketing folder, build a checklist that covers your entire release plan:

Finalize manuscript formatting
Secure cover design
Write back cover copy and sales descriptions
Upload files to your chosen platforms
Schedule launch emails and social posts

Use recurring tasks for ongoing promotion and post-launch updates.

Next Steps for Mastering ClickUp

Once you have a working system, you can reuse it for every new book. Save your folders, lists, and views as templates so you never start from scratch again.

To see the full feature set you can use for writing workflows, review the original resource at this detailed book writing software guide. If you want expert help designing a scalable setup across multiple projects or teams, you can also explore consulting services at Consultevo.

By organizing your ideas, chapters, and revisions in one flexible workspace, you give your book the structure it needs to reach the finish line on time and in great shape.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

Get Help

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