How do I archive a manuscript?

How do I archive a manuscript?

If you no longer want to sell a book, you can archive it. Archiving takes every edition currently on sale off the store immediately and removes the manuscript from your active books list. This is a permanent action, so make sure it's really what you want before confirming.


How to archive a manuscript

  1. Log in to your PubliWrite account.
  2. Go to your books list.
  3. Find the book you want to archive.
  4. Click the ⋮ menu on the book card.
  5. Select Archive manuscript.
  6. Review the list of editions that will come off sale.
  7. Type the book title to confirm.
  8. Click Archive.



What happens when you archive a book?

  • Every edition currently on sale comes off the store straight away — eBook, paperback, hardcover, and any others, including at our print partner.
  • Buyers who already bought a copy keep it. Your past earnings from those sales are untouched.
  • It's permanent. There is no undo and no way to put the book back on sale. To sell it again, you would need to start a new book from scratch.


Confirming before you archive

To help make sure archiving isn't an accident, PubliWrite:

  • Lists the exact editions that will come off sale (for example, "Paperback · 1st Edition") rather than a vague message
  • Requires you to type the book title to confirm


Who can archive a book?

Only the book's owner can archive it. Co-authors and editors do not have permission to archive a book, even if they have edit access.


When can't I archive a book?

You can't archive a book while one of its editions is still with the PubliWrite team for review. Wait until the review is complete before archiving.


What happens after archiving?

  • Archived books move under View archived at the bottom of your books list, with a badge so they're easy to spot.
  • Your sales history for the book stays available — this is usually the main reason authors return to an archived book.
  • You can still open the book in Creator Studio to read your own writing. It can no longer be edited, and a note explains why. We don't allow editing after archiving because losing access to your own writing can't be undone either, and we want to avoid that risk.


When should I archive a book?

Archiving can be useful if you want to:

  • Permanently stop selling a book
  • Clean up your books list
  • Retire a title you no longer want available to readers

If you're looking to make a temporary change, such as pausing sales, archiving is not reversible, so it's not the right option — contact PubliWrite support instead.


Updated on: 18/08/2026

Was this article helpful?

Share your feedback

Cancel

Thank you!