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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.

Related

Try it in Slima

Open the app and do this with your own book. Free to start, no credit card.

Open Slima
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