Our Verdict
In the end, the footnotes and other options in Scrivener can help you get the formatting you want in the file, with all the footnotes and endnotes you need, so that you can then use the compile option to export them into rich text, plain text, or whatever other type you need.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Is the Scrivener Footnotes Feature?
Footnotes are essential in many types of text that require academic writing. If you’re writing a document in a program like Word, you may want to instead export it to the Scrivener app since the footnotes can be more detailed here. The footnotes in the program can be more detailed in this editor that in some other app.
Essentially, the footnote endnote or other similar label refers to a method for creating inline comments in your text files. That way, if there isn’t room to add more details about the work in the flow of the paragraph, you can inset this superscript instead. Scrivener can help you with your annotations by letting you add a footnote number that can be referenced at the bottom of the page.
Why Are Footnotes in Scrivener Useful?
These footnotes are especially useful because they allow you to format your work such that you can insert a note into the sentence that others can then click on if they are interested in further information. It’s important not to interrupt the flow of your paper, so these footnotes help. Plus, they are actually required with certain citation style requirements.
Scrivener makes it easy to add them into your non-fiction book or paper between each version that you create. You can even convert into a DOCX file so that your paper will then work in situations where doc, docx, or some other MS Word type is required, which is often the case for college settings.
It’s easy to convert to Microsoft Word type using the compile option for your manuscript in the Scrivener Word processing program.
How Do You Use Footnotes?
First, you just have to highlight the text you want, and then you hit the appropriate insert menu option, finally selecting “comment,” if that’s what you want. There’s also the option to add an annotation here, or a footnote, citation for a bibliography, or whatever else. They are all right underneath one another in the dropdown. You can also add and endnote marker here or some other type as well. It’s quick and easy.
After the text turns blue, you’ll know that it’s working.
Once you set it up, it’s easy to copy and paste whatever you want into the notes pane using the editing tools.
In the end, the footnotes and other options in Scrivener can help you get the formatting you want in the file, with all the footnotes and endnotes you need, so that you can then use the compile option to export them into rich text, plain text, or whatever other type you need. You can add a link in the footnotes, change the font and font size, add square brackets, control each tab for proper construction, and import any pictures you need.
The drag and drop functionality will also make it easier to get footnotes where you want in the word processor. It’s important to get it right first before you convert it into a Word document so that settings like your RTF format don’t get screwed up and you can get the paper or other work all ready to go in your folder where you can easily find it later.
