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Import your existing manuscript (Word / Markdown / PDF)

Last updated June 4, 2026 · 4 min read

Already have a draft in Word / Markdown / plain text? Five minutes to move it into Slima with headings and folder structure intact.

Supported sources

On import, every format is converted to Markdown inside Slima.

Format	How
Word (.docx)	Drop or pick the file; headings and images come across
Markdown (.md / .markdown)	A single file, or drop a whole folder (subfolder structure preserved)
Plain text (.txt)	Drop the file; the whole thing becomes one file
PDF (.pdf) / EPUB (.epub)	Drop the file; the text content is extracted
Zipped folder (.zip)	Only via "Import into an existing book" (in-editor); in the "+ New work" dialog, drop the whole folder directly

Want your embedded Word images too? You get them — PNG / JPEG / GIF inside a .docx are imported alongside the text.

How to import

1 · From "My Works", click "+ New work"

Slima Writing Studio bookshelf (English): import starts from "+ New work" — pick "Import Existing Content" in the dialog

In the "Create New Work" dialog, pick "Import Existing Content."

2 · Drop your file or folder

Drop one file — Slima detects the format from its extension
Drop a folder — folder structure is preserved (Markdown writers love this)
Or click to choose files from your file manager

3 · Preview, then confirm

Slima lists the files it's about to create so you can check first. Confirm and you're in the editor.

After import, each source file becomes one file in Slima; headings inside it (H1–H4) become Markdown headings you can jump between from the right-side "Headings" panel.

Word: things to know

Paragraphs styled Heading 1 / 2 / 3 become Markdown headings of the matching level inside the file
Embedded PNG / JPEG / GIF images are imported
Heavy layout (multi-column, text boxes) may need cleanup once flattened to text

Markdown: things to know

Drop the whole folder for the best result
Each .md becomes one Slima file
Subfolders become Slima subfolders, order preserved

Want to import more later?

Import isn't one-shot — once you're in the editor, you can drop files straight into the left file tree to add them to an existing book. Same flow (preview → confirm).

See: Import into an existing book