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Create a book: Use AI Coach vs Blank Workspace
Last updated June 10, 2026 · 5 min read
"+ Create New Work" opens a "Create New Work" dialog with four ways to start. The first two create a brand-new book: Use AI Coach (think it through first) vs Blank Workspace (gives you an empty book right away). The other two are import-related.
The four start methods
Click "+ Create New Work" → the dialog titled "Create New Work," subtitle "Choose how you want to start":
| Method | Description (in the dialog) | This article |
|---|---|---|
| Use AI Coach | Guided setup with AI helping you plan | ↓ below |
| Blank Workspace | Start from scratch with full freedom | ↓ below |
| Import Existing Content | Drag your document folder in and get started quickly | Import old manuscripts |
| Restore Backup | Import .slima backup file | Bulk-restore from backup |
A line at the bottom: "You can always adjust later."
Blank Workspace (for when you know what you're writing)
Clicking "Blank Workspace" asks nothing — Slima instantly creates a book called "Untitled Work" and drops you into the editor. You get:
- An "Untitled Work" (genre defaults to General)
- Two folders: Chapters, Notes
- One empty first chapter inside Chapters (the editor shows an empty-page nudge)
Name, genre, and goals get set later in Edit Work.
"Blank Workspace" doesn't mean no AI — the AI Coach is always one click away. It just means "no guidance at creation time."
Use AI Coach (recommended when you're still thinking)
Clicking "Use AI Coach" opens a single "Work Settings" form (one page, not a multi-step wizard):
- Give your content a name (the title)
- What type is this?: six chips — Fiction / Biography / Business / Technical / Self-Help / General (see Six book types)
- What is this about?: "A sentence, a scene, or just an idea — anything works" (e.g. "A girl who lost her memory searches for her past in a ruined city…")
- ☐ I already have an outline: tick it to reveal a field where you paste an existing outline; the AI reads it and discusses it with you
Fill it in and click "Start."
What happens after "Start"
Slima creates the book, drops you into the editor, and the AI Coach opens the conversation: it reads your concept, tells you what it sparks and what it finds interesting, then asks a few questions to help sharpen the fuzzy pictures in your head (e.g. "What's the clearest scene in your head right now? Which part are you most eager to write first?").
Important: the AI Coach does NOT build chapters, generate an outline, or write your first paragraph for you. Its role is to help you sharpen the idea and nudge you to start — the files and the words are yours to write. When you're ready, you start.
Which should I pick?
| Your situation | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| Still finding the topic, want to talk it out | Use AI Coach |
| Know what you're writing, just want a file | Blank Workspace |
| Have an outline to paste and discuss | Use AI Coach (tick "I already have an outline") |
| Migrating from another tool (Word / Markdown / PDF…) | Import Existing Content |
| Restoring a .slima backup you exported earlier | Restore Backup |