Build a Draft Study

Every member of BookFellows can be a study creator! This guide will walk you through building a draft study—creating it from scratch, adding and editing lessons, building lesson content with questions and headings, and refining your work until it’s ready to release.

Understanding Draft Studies

What is a Draft Study?

A draft study is a study you’re building but haven’t released yet:

Draft characteristics:

• Only visible to you as the creator
• Can be edited freely without restrictions
• Not available in any group Library
• No one can start or join at this stage
• Stays in draft status until you release it

Your creative space:

• Experiment with structure and content
• Add, edit, and organize lessons
• Create, refine, and delete questions and headings
• Preview as you build
• Iterate and refine until ready to share

Study Components

A complete study consists of:

Study (top level):

• Title and subtitle
• Description
• Cover image
• Creator information (pen name)
• Edition number
• Lessons (one or more)

Lessons:

• Lesson number (e.g., “1”, “2”, “3” or “1.1”, “1.2”)
• Title and description
• Cover image (optional)
• Lesson items (questions and headings)

Lesson Items (questions and headings):

• Questions: Prompts for reflection and discussion
• Headings: Section dividers and instructional content

Building Your Study

This guide covers the complete lifecycle of building a draft study:

Creating:

• Set up new study with essential details
• Add lessons and structure
• Create questions and headings

Editing:

• Refine study, lesson, and content details
• Improve clarity and quality
• Fix errors and enhance engagement

Organizing:

• Reorder lessons and lesson items
• Renumber lessons and questions
• Structure for optimal flow

Deleting:

• Remove unwanted questions and headings
• Delete entire lessons if needed
• Remove entire study if necessary

Before You Begin:

• What topic or book will you study?
• Who is your target audience?
• How many lessons do you need?
• How many lessons can your participants complete in the time you have available?
• What cadence for the lessons will work best (daily, weekly, etc.)?
• What key questions will guide learning?
• Will you create manually from scratch or use StudyBot to generate a first draft?

Manual build or AI-assisted?

You can build a draft study manually (covered in this guide) or use StudyBot to generate a first draft. If you’re new to study building, try the manual approach first to understand the process. Then when you use StudyBot later, you’ll be better equipped to refine the AI-generated content.

Prerequisites

You just need to join BookFellows and log in.

Create a New Study

Set up the basic structure of your study.

Start Creating

1. From the main menu, open the Drafts page
2. From the Drafts page, click Create New Study
3. The study entry form will be displayed

Add Study Details

Complete the essential study information and click Create Study to save your new draft study.

Study Title (required):

1. Enter your study title
2. Make it descriptive and compelling
3. Examples: “The Gospel of John”, “Pride and Prejudice”, “Principles of Leadership”
4. Keep it concise but clear

Study Subtitle (recommended):

1. Add a subtitle for context
2. Examples: “A Journey Through the Good News”, “Exploring Austen’s Classic”, “Leading with Purpose”
3. Provides additional clarification

Study Description (required):

1. Write a good brief description
2. Explain what the study covers
3. Describe the general objectives of the study
4. Mention target audience
5. Include any prerequisites
6. Make it engaging, informative and concise

Edition Number (required):

1. Set edition number (defaults to 1)
2. First version of study is usually “1”
3. Important for version tracking
4. Will increment for major updates

Creator Pen Name (required):

1. Enter your pen name
2. Can be your real name or pseudonym

Cover Image (optional):

1. Click on the field to start the upload process
2. Choose an image file (JPG, PNG)
3. Image represents your study visually
4. Shows in Library and study previews
5. Can be added or updated later if needed

Click the Create Study button on the form to save the study.

Study is created:

• Study is saved as a draft
• Study is visible on the Drafts page
• Study is ready to be edited and extended with lessons, questions, and headings

Add Lessons to Your Study

Build out your study structure with lessons.

Add Your First Lesson

Every study needs at least one lesson, and there are multiple ways to add a lesson from the draft study landing page:

1. Select Add Lesson from the action menu (⋮), click the Add Lesson button in the Questions tab, or type the letter “L” on your keyboard.
2. A lesson entry form will be displayed

Enter Lesson Details

Add essential lesson information:

Lesson Number (required):

1. Usually auto-assigned (1, 2, 3, etc.)
2. You can override and use custom numbering (1.1, 1.2, A, B)
3. Helps participants track progress
4. Indicates lesson order

Lesson Title (required):

1. Enter a descriptive title
2. Summarizes the lesson focus
3. Examples: “The Word Became Flesh”, “First Impressions”, “Vision Casting”
4. Keep concise and clear

Lesson Description (optional but recommended):

1. Provide lesson overview
2. Explain what will be covered
3. Set context for lesson content
4. Mention key themes

Lesson Cover Image (optional):

1. Click on Cover Image field to start the upload process
2. Choose an image file
3. Visually represents this lesson
4. Can be added later
5. Can use the same image as the study cover image or unique one for each lesson

Click the Add Lesson button on the form to save the lesson.

Lesson is added:

• Automatically numbered (starts at “1”)
• Appears in lesson list
• Can be configured immediately

Add More Lessons

Build out your complete study structure:

1. Click Add Lesson again
2. New lesson is created with next number
3. Enter lesson details and click Add Lesson to save the lesson
4. Repeat until study structure is complete

Planning your lessons:

• Consider study cadence (daily, weekly)
• Group related content together
• Aim for logical progression of topics
• Determine an appropriate length for lessons and aim for consistent duration

Reorder and Renumber Lessons

Difference between reordering and renumbering

Reordering is the process of putting lessons in the right sequence. This will not automatically update the lesson numbers because there may be cases where you want to use custom numbering (e.g., 1a 1b, 1.2, A, B, etc.) for your lessons. In those cases, you will need to manually update your lesson numbers.

Renumbering is the process of updating the lesson numbers from 1 to n based on the current sequence of the lessons. If you are using simple 1-n numbering, this is a very quick and easy way to renumber your lessons.

Order lessons in the right sequence:

1. View your lesson list
2. Use drag-and-drop to reorder
3. Grab a lesson and move it
4. Drop in new position
5. Lesson numbers do not update automatically.

Renumber lessons:

1. View your lesson list
2. Select the Renumber Lessons action from the action menu (⋮)
3. Confirm the action
4. Lesson numbers are updated in a 1-n sequence

Add Questions to Lessons

Create questions that guide participant learning and reflection.

Understanding Questions

Questions are at the core of your study:

Purpose:

• Prompt reflection and engagement
• Guide participants through content
• Encourage personal application
• Foster discussion in classes
• Help participants think deeply

How they work:

• Numbered sequentially within lesson
• Participants read and answer
• Answers can be private or shared
• Include space for notes
• Can reference scripture passages or book content

Create Your First Question

Every lesson needs at least one question, and there are multiple ways to add a question from the lesson landing page:

1. Select Add Question from the action menu (⋮), click the Add Question button in the Questions tab, or type the letter “Q” on your keyboard.
2. A question entry form will be displayed

Enter Question Details

Compose effective study questions:

Question Number (required):

1. Usually auto-assigned (1, 2, 3, etc.)
2. You can override and use custom numbering (1a, 1b, 1.2, A, B, etc.)
3. Helps participants track progress
4. Indicates question order

Question Text (required):

1. Enter your question or prompt
2. Be clear and specific
3. Encourage thoughtful response
4. Consider question types:
   • Comprehension: “What does the text say?”
   • Interpretation: “What does it mean?”
   • Application: “How does this apply to my life?”

Click the Add Question button on the form to save the question.

Question is added:

• Automatically numbered (starts at “1”)
• Empty and ready for content
• Can be configured immediately

Question examples:

• “What do verses 1-5 reveal about God’s character?”
• “How does this passage challenge your current thinking?”
• “What practical step could you take this week based on this truth?”
• “Which phrase or image stands out to you most? Why?”

Writing effective questions:

• Use open-ended questions (not yes/no)
• Encourage personal engagement
• Focus on one concept per question
• Consider your audience’s knowledge level
• Mix different question types
• Balance difficulty appropriately

Add More Questions

Build out your complete lesson structure:

1. Click Add Question again
2. New question is created with next number
3. Enter question details and click Add Question to save the question
4. Repeat until lesson structure is complete

Planning your questions:

• Consider lesson length and depth
• Aim for a mix of question types
• Aim for later questions to build on previous questions
• Balance coverage with depth
• Quality over quantity
• Consider time participants have
• Consider the participant’s knowledge level

Add Headings to Lessons

Use headings to add more structure to your lessons and provide additional instruction.

Understanding Headings

Headings structure your lesson:

Purpose:

• Divide lesson into sections based on topic or cadence
• Provide context and instruction
• Reference scripture passages that apply to questions under the heading
• Offer background information
• Create visual breaks
• Guide participants through content

How they differ from questions:

• No answer field
• Not numbered
• Informational rather than interrogative
• Help organize and instruct

Headings are optional and you may not need them

Headings can be useful for more complex or longer lessons where you need to break the lesson into sections to represent major topics within the lesson or suggest a cadence.
For example, if you want to break a weekly lesson into a daily cadence (Day 1, Day 2, etc.) to encourage daily study, headings can be used to represent each day and provide instructions for that day.

However if your lesson is straightforward and you have, say, fewer than 5-7 questions, a simple 1-n numbering of questions without headings is probably best. In general, we think that simpler is better, so only use headings if really think you need them.

Create Your First Heading

There are multiple ways to add a heading to a lesson:

1. Select Add Heading from the action menu (⋮), click the Add Heading button in the Headings tab, or type the letter “H” on your keyboard.
2. A heading entry form will be displayed

Enter Heading Details

Create effective section headings:

Heading Title (required):

1. Enter heading text
2. Usually short and descriptive
3. Indicates section topic
4. Examples:
   • “Introduction”
   • “Historical Context”
   • “Day 2: Read John 1:1-14”
   • “For Further Reflection”

Heading Description (optional but recommended):

1. Add explanatory content
2. Provide background information
3. Give context for questions

Heading examples:

Simple section divider:

• Title: “Part 1: The Text”
• Description: “Read and reflect on the first Chapter of the book.”

Daily cadence with scripture reference:

• Title: “Day 1: Read Genesis 1:1-5”
• Description: “Take time to read this passage carefully. Note what stands out to you.”

Background information:

• Title: “Historical Context”
• Description: “This letter was written to the church in Corinth around 55 AD. The city was known for its moral corruption…”

Position Headings in Lesson

Place headings strategically:

Common patterns:

Section dividers:

• Separate groups of questions
• Mark topic transitions
• Create logical breaks

Cadence headings:

• Separate daily sections
• Mark day transitions
• Create logical breaks

Closing heading:

• End of lesson reflection
• Application summary

Reorder and Renumber Questions and Headings

Similar to how this works for lessons, but with key differences

Like with lessons, Reordering is the process of putting questions and headings in the right sequence using drag-and-drop. However, Renumbering applies only to questions. Headings are not numbered.

Order questions and headings in the right sequence:

1. View your question list
2. Use drag-and-drop to reorder
3. Grab a question or heading and move it
4. Drop in new position
5. Question numbers do not update automatically.

Renumber questions:

1. View your list of questions and headings (lesson items)
2. Select the Renumber Questions action from the action menu (⋮)
3. Confirm the action
4. Question numbers are updated in a 1-n sequence

Edit Study Details

Once your study is created, you can refine the top-level study information at any time.

Edit Study Information

Modify study details as needed:

1. From the study landing page, select Edit from the action menu (⋮)
2. The study entry form will be displayed with current values
3. Make your changes to any field
4. Click Save Study to save your changes

What you can edit:

• Study title and subtitle
• Description
• Edition number
• Creator pen name
• Cover image (upload new or remove)

Editing tips:

• Refine based on feedback or new insights
• Keep descriptions clear and compelling
• Update images as needed
• Maintain consistency across your studies

Edit Lessons

Refine existing lessons to improve your study.

Edit Lesson Information

Update lesson details:

1. From the study landing page, click on a lesson to open it
2. Select Edit from the action menu (⋮)
3. The lesson entry form will be displayed with current values
4. Make your changes
5. Click Save Lesson to save your changes

What you can edit:

• Lesson number
• Title and description
• Cover image

Common reasons to edit:

• Fix typos or errors
• Improve clarity
• Reorganize content
• Enhance descriptions
• Update images

Edit Questions and Headings

Modify lesson items to refine your content.

Edit Questions

Update question text:

1. From a lesson landing page, click on a question to open it
2. Select Edit from the action menu (⋮)
3. The question entry form will be displayed
4. Edit the question number or text
5. Click Save Question to save your changes

Improving questions:

• Make more specific and clear
• Adjust difficulty level
• Fix ambiguity
• Enhance engagement
• Add follow-up prompts

Edit Headings

Update heading content:

1. From a lesson landing page, click on a heading to open it
2. Select Edit from the action menu (⋮)
3. The heading entry form will be displayed
4. Edit the title or description
5. Click Save Heading to save your changes

Improving headings:

• Clarify instructions
• Add context and background
• Include specific scripture references
• Enhance organization

Delete Content

Remove content you no longer need from your draft study.

Deletion is permanent

Deleting content cannot be undone. Make sure you really want to remove the content before confirming deletion.

Delete Questions or Headings

Remove individual lesson items:

1. From a lesson landing page, find the question or heading to delete
2. Select Delete from its action menu (⋮)
3. Confirm deletion in the dialog
4. The item is removed permanently

What happens:

• Question or heading deleted immediately
• If it’s a question, remaining questions renumber automatically
• Cannot be undone
• Other lesson items unaffected

Delete Lessons

Remove an entire lesson:

1. From the study landing page, find the lesson to delete
2. Select Delete from its action menu (⋮)
3. Confirm deletion in the dialog
4. The lesson is removed permanently

What happens:

• Lesson deleted immediately
• All lesson items (questions and headings) are also deleted
• Remaining lessons stay intact
• Cannot be undone

Before deleting a lesson:

• Make sure you want to delete it
• Copy content elsewhere if you might need it later
• No recovery option exists

Delete Entire Study

Remove a draft study completely:

1. From the study landing page, select Delete from the action menu (⋮)
2. Confirm deletion by typing the study title
3. The study is removed permanently

What happens:

• Study removed from drafts list
• All lessons, questions, and headings deleted
• All study content permanently lost
• Cannot be recovered

When to delete a study:

• Study was experimental
• Starting over with different approach
• Duplicate created by mistake
• Study no longer needed
• Project abandoned

Alternatives to deletion:

• Keep as draft indefinitely
• Clone and start fresh version
• Simply leave it unpublished

Preview and Improve

See your study as members will experience it and make improvements:

1. From a lesson landing page select the Preview action from the action menu (⋮) or type the letter “P” on your keyboard.
2. Lesson opens in preview mode that looks like how the lesson will appear to participants.
3. Note any needed changes
4. Close preview mode
5. Edit study, lessons, or lesson items
6. Preview again to verify
7. Iterate until satisfied

What to check in preview:

• Does content flow logically?
• Are questions clear and engaging?
• Do headings provide helpful structure?
• Any errors or typos?
• Overall quality and polish?

Best Practices

For Study Design

Start with a clear idea of the structure:

• Plan lessons before creating
• Outline key topics
• Consider progression
• Think about timing and cadence

Write clear descriptions:

• Help members understand what to expect
• Set learning objectives
• Explain prerequisites
• Mention target audience

Choose compelling images:

• Visual appeal matters
• Relevant to content
• High quality, if you can
• Appropriate for audience

For Lesson Design

Create logical flow:

• Build on previous lessons
• Progress from simple to complex
• Group related content
• Maintain consistent length

Balance content:

• Not too short or too long
• Appropriate for cadence
• Consider participant time
• Quality over quantity

Use descriptive titles:

• Clear and specific
• Engaging and interesting
• Helps participants navigate
• Reflects lesson content

For Writing Questions

Ask good questions:

• Open-ended rather than yes/no
• Encourage personal engagement
• Clear and specific
• Appropriate difficulty

Mix question types:

• Comprehension (what does it say?)
• Interpretation (what does it mean?)
• Application (how do I apply it?)

Consider your audience:

• Match knowledge level
• Respect their time
• Encourage growth
• Foster engagement

Guide without dictating:

• Let participants discover
• Don’t give answers in questions
• Allow multiple valid responses
• Respect diverse perspectives

For Using Headings

Structure effectively:

• Keep it simple, only use them if really needed
• Clear section divisions
• Logical organization
• Helpful instructions
• Appropriate context

Provide context:

• Background information
• Historical details
• Cultural context
• Relevant connections

Give clear instructions:

• Tell participants what to do
• Reference scripture or book content to read
• Set expectations

Next Steps

Choose your path forward:

Generate a Study with StudyBot Use AI to create a complete study draft automatically 🚀

Release a Study Make your study available to groups in their Library

Manage a Group Create or manage groups to release your studies to

Need help? Contact support at rich@bookfellows.net