How to make novel series boxset in indesign

[Kelli Jae Baeli]

I can't find help on this anywhere.
I want to make a boxset of series novels. I did this before by pulling all final files into Scrivener, and compiling those as one document/book, then importing/placing it into a new ID template.

Problem is, the books I'm working on have been updated in ID, and the final files are now ID files.

I tried using the move pages, and get an error with ebookexport and section plugins.

I tried using the book template, and using the plus to add them as documents with the same result.

I looked for those plugins, but couldn't find them.

Notably, I am using the last 19 version of ID, because the 2025 versions kept crashing and no one could figure out how to help me. Nothing worked. So I rolled back to 19 and it stopped crashing. Problem is, I have some files created in 2025 version and have had to save them as 2024 version to get to them again, and now, this problem with combining books files into a series boxset.

Is there some trick to this I haven't found?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

In terms of converting 2025 files to older version - export as IDML. 

[Kelli Jae Baeli]

I've already saved them as the 2024 versions--but I need to know how to combine them into boxsets.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I've already saved them as the 2024 versions--but I need to know how to combine them into boxsets.

By @Kelli Jae Baeli

Create a new Book - File -> New -> Book - and add all the documents in the correct order. 

[Kelli Jae Baeli]

I've already said I tried that. Is there another way to do it?

Please read my post. Thanks.

I tried to start a book file and add....add the converted files and they say they need converting. I do THAT, and I get another error.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I've already said I tried that. Is there another way to do it?

Please read my post. Thanks.

I tried to start a book file and add....add the converted files and they say they need converting. I do THAT, and I get another error.

By @Kelli Jae Baeli

And what exactly is not working?

What error?

Can you post some screenshots?

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

InDesign pretty much requires that all components and files of a project be of a version and state compatible with the app version in use. There's no workaround for that.

Switching back and forth between versions, and other tools, is going to create all kinds of compatibility issues, and ID is sensitive to file format variations.

ETA: if you don't want to use the Book feature, your only option is to combine the individual INDD files into a single one, which will mean formatting and styles may overlap and interfere with each other. That may be more work than taking the steps to get the files compatible with your current version of ID and using the Book method.

You could also export each book to a PDF and combine those in Acrobat Pro, but the files will remain distinct as to things like page numbering.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Your difficulty may be that you're looking for information on the wrong thing.

To the best of my knowledge, and after a quick search to check, a "box set" is multiple books, published in matching style, usually encased in a slipcover. There would be no reason to do anything special in InDesign except make sure each volume is published to the same size and format.

What you seem to be asking is how to create a combined or omnibus edition, with two or three or more books in one volume — a collected work, in one cover. In that case, RT has given you the correct answer: you create an Indesign Book, and add each component file (complete book, chapter, section, whatever) to it in order. You then manage the Book as a single element, including for TOC, index, export to PDF, etc.

Maybe the latter is called a "box set" somewhere. But it's not a common usage and it won't lead you to useful information for what seems to be your goal.