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Book lifecycle: Archive / Trash / Restore / Permanent delete (60 days)

Last updated June 4, 2026 · 5 min read

Books in Slima move through a lifecycle: My Works → Archive → Trash → Permanently deleted. Three tabs map to the first three states, and any delete is recoverable within 60 days. One key point: "Mark as Complete" is the archive action — the two are the same thing.

Shelf with three tabs: My Works / Archive / Trash — book cards with a ⋯ menu

The full path

[My Works] ──Mark as Complete→ [Archive] ──Delete→ [Trash] ──60 days→ [Permanent]
    ↑                            ↑                    ↑
    └──[Restart Editing]─────────┘──[Restore]─────────┘

1 · My Works (Active)

The default state. Books appear in the "My Works" tab.

  • Counted in the motivation card / Writing Stats
  • The AI Coach can read them
  • Count toward the "books in use" subscription quota

Hover a My Works card → top-right ⋯ menu: Edit / Copy / Mark as Complete / Delete (there's no separate "Archive" item — archiving is "Mark as Complete").

2 · Mark as Complete = Archive

Slima makes "finishing a book" and "archiving" the same action: click "Mark as Complete" and the book moves to the "Archive" tab, tagged "Completed."

When to use:

  • Finished books you no longer edit (published works)
  • Paused projects (not giving up, just not active)
  • A book you wrote a chapter for, decided was off-track, and want to shelve without deleting

Effects:

  • Leaves "My Works" → appears in the "Archive" tab (card tagged "Completed")
  • Doesn't count toward motivation / Writing Stats
  • AI Coach can still read (open from Archive, chat)
  • Doesn't count against the "books in use" quota (if your plan has one)

How: book ⋯ → "Mark as Complete."

Restore: Archive tab → card ⋯ → "Restart Editing" (move work back to Works to continue). Instant.

The Archive card's ⋯ menu differs from My Works — it offers: Export as .slima (full backup), Export as Word, Copy Work, and Restart Editing.

3 · Move to Trash

What: soft delete — the book leaves the shelf, but the content stays.

How: My Works book ⋯ → "Delete." A "Confirm Delete" dialog appears (warning it removes the book from both local and cloud).

Effects:

  • Gone from the shelf (both My Works and Archive)
  • Not counted anywhere
  • AI Coach can't read (content isn't lost, just inert)
  • Moves to the "Trash" tab; auto-permanently-deletes after 60 days

Restore: "Trash" tab → card ⋯ → "Restore to My Works."

4 · Permanent delete

Happens automatically 60 days after going to Trash — or can be triggered manually within those 60 days.

Effects:

  • The whole book and all version history are gone
  • Not recoverable (unless you exported a .slima backup earlier)
  • Quota released

How: automatic (60 days in Trash) or manual (Trash tab → card ⋯ → Permanent delete → second confirmation).

Recommended: export a .slima backup (Export as .slima) before permanent delete. See Bulk-import from backup.

Duplicating a book

⋯ menu → "Copy" (called "Copy Work" in the Archive tab): clones the book (all chapters / notes / version history). Useful for trying an alternate ending, forking a new project from an older book, or backing up before a big restructure.

60-day window = your safety net

The core idea: within 60 days, every delete is reversible.

  • Move to Trash → 60-day timer starts
  • Restore within 60 days → timer resets
  • 60 days pass → automatic permanent delete

There's no daily nag — important books should be restored sooner rather than later.

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