Checks Reference
Stet runs 14 checks on your manuscript when you import it and after every correction. Checks are read-only. They never change your manuscript. They highlight things that may need attention, which you can then fix manually or using a correction.
Checks appear in the Style & Checks panel on the right side of the window. A check with a count has a related correction available. A check showing Nothing to fix means your manuscript is clean for that item.
You can dismiss a check by clicking the × next to it. Dismissed checks can be restored at any time.
Typography checks
Smart Quotes
ID: typography.smart-quotes
Detects straight quotation marks (" and ') in your manuscript. Published books use curly quotation marks (" " ' '), also called typographer's quotes or smart quotes.
Straight quotes are a common artefact of plain text editors and some word processors. This check flags every instance so you can fix them all at once.
Related correction: Smart Quotes: automatically replaces all straight quotes with the correct curly version. The diff view shows each change before applying so you can verify the direction is correct (open vs closed).
Em Dashes
ID: typography.em-dash
Detects double hyphens (--) and spaced hyphens (-) that should be em dashes (—). Em dashes are the standard dash for interruptions, asides, and emphasis in published prose.
Related correction: Em Dashes: replaces -- and - with —.
Ellipsis Consistency
ID: typography.ellipsis-consistency
Flags when your manuscript uses both three periods (...) and the ellipsis character (…). Mixing the two styles is inconsistent. This check only triggers when both forms are present in the same document.
Either form is acceptable, but you should pick one and use it throughout.
Related correction: Ellipses: converts all ... to … (the typographic ellipsis character).
All Caps
ID: typography.all-caps
Flags paragraphs where more than 50% of alphabetic characters are uppercase AND the paragraph is longer than 10 words. Short all-caps text (a chapter title, a section label) is intentional. This check targets longer passages where caps lock was accidentally left on.
No related correction. Fix manually in your word processor and re-import, or use the Chapter Detection correction to reclassify the paragraph.
Repeated Word
ID: typography.repeated-word
Flags when the same word (4 or more characters, case-insensitive) appears more than twice within a single paragraph. Common words like "that", "with", "from", and "they" are excluded.
This is a heuristic check. Some repetition is intentional (anaphora, emphasis). Use your judgment.
No related correction.
Widow / Orphan
ID: typography.widow-orphan
Flags paragraphs whose last sentence is fewer than 20 characters, a heuristic for lines that may produce widows or orphans in print (a single word or short line at the top or bottom of a page).
This is an approximation. The actual result depends on your trim size, font, and font size. Check the Print preview to see real page breaks.
No related correction.
Structure checks
Front Matter Order
ID: structure.front-matter-order
Checks that your front matter sections appear in the standard publishing order:
- Half-title page
- Title page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Table of Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
Not all books include all sections, and some genres have different conventions. This check flags deviations from the standard order as a warning, not an error.
No related correction. Reorder front matter sections in the sidebar by right-clicking a chapter and using Move to Front Matter.
Short Chapter
ID: content.short-chapter
Flags chapters with fewer than 100 words. Very short chapters may indicate a missing chapter break: two chapters accidentally merged into one, or a section heading that wasn't recognised as a chapter title.
Part pages (chapters marked as Part) are excluded from this check.
No related correction. Use the Chapter Detection correction to review your chapter structure.
Long Chapter
ID: content.long-chapter
Flags chapters with more than 10,000 words. Unusually long chapters may indicate a missing chapter break.
Part pages are excluded.
No related correction.
Orphaned Chapter
ID: content.orphaned-chapter
Flags chapters with a title but no body text. This usually means a heading was detected but the chapter content is missing, possibly a formatting issue in the source document.
Part pages are excluded. A part page intentionally has no body text.
No related correction. Check your source document and re-import.
Word Count Ratio
ID: content.word-count-ratio
Flags manuscripts with more than 20,000 words but only one chapter. A full-length novel with a single chapter almost certainly has chapter headings that weren't formatted using Word's Heading 1 style.
No related correction. Fix heading styles in your word processor and re-import, or use the Chapter Detection correction.
Copyright Missing
ID: structure.copyright-missing
Flags when your manuscript has front matter but no copyright page. A copyright page is required by most distributors and is standard in all published books.
No related correction. Add a copyright page to your manuscript and re-import, or right-click a chapter in the sidebar and choose Move to Front Matter → Copyright.
ISBN Format
ID: structure.isbn-format
Scans your copyright page for ISBN-like strings and flags any that don't match the valid ISBN-13 format (13 digits, starting with 978 or 979). Also flags ISBN-10 format with a note to upgrade to ISBN-13.
Only triggers when an ISBN-like string is found. Having no ISBN is fine. This check doesn't require one.
No related correction. Fix the ISBN in your source document and re-import.
Back Matter Missing
ID: structure.back-matter-missing
Flags when your manuscript has more than 5 chapters but no About the Author page. Most self-published books include one. It helps readers connect with you and find your other work.
No related correction. Add an About the Author section to your manuscript, or right-click a chapter in the sidebar and choose Move to Back Matter → About the Author.