How to use the Novel Beginnings dashboard
When you register for Novel Beginnings, you will be able to access the Novel Beginnings dashboard when you visit your dashboard.
How to visit the Novel Beginnings dashboard
To visit the Novel Beginnings dashboard, click on “NovBegin” in the dashboard side menu. We have highlighted this in red in the image below.
Alternatively, click on the “Open NovBegin” button in the “Introducing Novel Beginnings” banner on your dashboard. We have highlighted this in red in the image below.
There’s more to Novel Beginnings than just logging your progress and submitting your entry. You can join live writing events, take part in the Novel Beginnings Boot Camp, and even receive exclusive special offers from our sponsors.
Add your book title
At the top of the Novel Beginnings page are your book’s title and your current progress toward your 5,000-word submission. You can add or edit your title at any time by clicking on the pen icon button. We have highlighted this in red in the image below.
A window will appear. Type your book title, then click “Update.” You can also click on the “Log progress” button to log the number of words you have written so far.
Check Novel Beginnings time frames and your average daily words
See how many days you have left until you need to submit your entry for Novel Beginnings. You will also be able to check your average daily words.
Submit your manuscript
This is the most important part of the Novel Beginnings dashboard. Before you make your submission, check the entry requirements first to make sure you are following the formatting and word count rules. Submissions cannot exceed 5,000 words and must be at least 4,500 words, in 12-point Arial or Times New Roman font with 1.5 line spacing.
When your submission is ready, click on the “Submit manuscript” button in the Novel Beginnings dashboard. We have highlighted this button in red in the image below.
See the badges you have earned
The “Your badges” section shows the badges you’ve earned during Novel Beginnings. We have shown this section in the image below.
You’ll gain more and more badges as you hit specific milestones throughout the month. Click on a locked badge to discover how to earn it.
You can also click on colored badges you have earned, and a window will appear. This will tell you why you earned the badge and when you earned it. You can also share your achievement on social media by clicking on the Facebook, X, LinkedIn, or Reddit icon buttons. We have shown this in the image below.
View and RSVP upcoming events
During the time Novel Beginnings is open for submissions, we are hosting a series of live workshops, interviews, guides, and masterclasses. Some of these feature our expert panel of judges, including the bestselling authors Tessa Bailey, Alison Espach, Onyi Nwabineli, and more.
In the “Upcoming events” section, you can scroll through all upcoming live events we are hosting. To find out more about an event, click on the “View and RSVP” button. This will take you to the dedicated page for that event in our Community. To reserve your space for that event, click on the “RSVP” button on the dedicated page.
Meet the mentors
The “Meet the mentors” section lists all the mentors who will be judging Novel Beginnings. Scroll down to see each mentor. We have shown this in the image below.
You can also read more about who is judging Novel Beginnings in our Help Center article.
Click on the “Join now” button to join our Community. If you haven’t joined yet, it’s easy to do as you can log in with your existing ProWritingAid profile whether you have a Free, Premium, or Premium Pro plan.
Get special offers from our sponsors
When you sign up for Novel Beginnings, you are entitled to special offers from our sponsors. In the “Special offers” section, click on each sponsor logo to visit each sponsor’s website. We have shown this section in the image below.
Log your progress
You can use this section to log your word counts. You will be able to see how many words you have written on each date at a glance. You can also click on the icons in the top right-hand side of the section to see your progress represented as a table, graph, or bar chart. To update your current word count, click on the “Log progress” button. We have highlighted this in red in the image below.
A new window will appear that asks how many words you have written for this session. You can click on the date if you need to select a previous date. Then enter the amount of words in the “Number of words” field and select the “Submit” button.
ProWritingAid is more than just an editing assistant; we’re here to help you bring your story to life. Unlock your story’s full potential with our in-depth writing reports, actionable feedback, and more.