Catalpas Atelier suite

Scribe

A Markdown-native typesetting app for authors, editors, and small presses. Write long manuscripts, shape book layouts, and export images, ePub, Docx, and print-ready PDFs from one desktop app.

Create account and buy See pricing

Manuscript first

From draft to print, in one document

Stay in markdown for structure, references, and CJK vertical layout while page templates, appearance libraries, and export queues handle the publishing side. No round-trips between writing app, layout tool, and prepress.

Explore features

In the editor

Designed for the books you actually ship

Native CJK vertical typesetting, live whole-book pagination preview, and a bibliography workflow built into the same editor.

CJK vertical layout

Author Chinese, Japanese, and Korean books with native vertical writing, ruby annotations, and tate-chu-yoko.

Live pagination overview

Preview your whole book in real time — long manuscripts paginate effortlessly while a live word count keeps tally, giving novelists an immersive, friction-free writing flow.

Bibliography & citations

Manage references, auto-format the bibliography section, and keep in-text citations in sync with your sources.

Compare

Where Scribe fits

Scribe sits between author-first markdown writing and final book production. Here is how it differs from the tools you already know.

Tool	Best for	Scribe edge
Scrivener	Drafting, research binders, and manuscript organization.	Markdown-native base + integrated print/export controls.
Ulysses	Markdown writing across Apple devices.	Adds Windows / Linux desktop reach plus book production controls.
Vellum	Mac-based self-publishing book formatting.	Drafting + bibliography + CJK vertical + CMYK output in one app.
Atticus	Browser-friendly book formatting.	Desktop-first for local manuscripts, assets, and export prep.
InDesign	Professional page composition and complex print design.	Starts from an author-first manuscript workflow.
Affinity Publisher	Affordable print layout and visual page design.	Links authoring, references, style packs, and publishing exports.

Pricing

Pick the Scribe tier that fits your work

Pricing

Cancel anytime. International checkout is handled after sign-in.

Free

Start writing with no card required.

$0/yr

Basic Editor
Image Export
Preview ePub, Docx and Print PDF
Exported files with Scribe-branded watermarks

Plus

Full manuscript export for serious authors.

$49.99/yr

Everything in Free Tier
ePub and Docx Export
Print PDF Export (Grayscale / RGB)
Longform / Publishing project metadata
Limited Built-in Styles
On/off exported files with Scribe-branded watermarks

Early Access

Pro

Print production, references, and editable layout systems.

$79.99/yr

Normal price $129.99/yr

Lifetime price-lock: subscribe during Early Access and renew at $79.99/yr as long as you do not cancel, even after the public price becomes $129.99/yr.