diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 238a570..db82bf7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ total: 539 words
 Example output with chapter data:
 
 ```bash
-$ novel-stats example.md -c
+$ novel-stats -c example.md
 chapter 1: 103 (drafted)
 chapter 2: 83 (dev edited)
 chapter 3: 115
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ total: 539 words
 Example with multi-file markdown:
 
 ```bash
-$ novel-stats multi_file.mdpp -pp -c -a
+$ novel-stats -pp -c -a multi_file.mdpp
 chapter 1 Lorem:
          203 (drafted)
          303 (dev edited)
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ novel-stats takes a single argument: The path to your novel file in markdown
 format. For instance:
 
 ```bash
-novel-stats /path/to/your/novel.md[pp] [-c/--chapter] [-a/--act] [-pp]
+novel-stats [-c/--chapter] [-a/--act] [-pp] /path/to/your/novel.md[pp] 
 ```
 
 ### Optional flags
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ novel-stats /path/to/your/novel.md[pp] [-c/--chapter] [-a/--act] [-pp]
 * `-c` or `--chapter` — output chapter-by-chapter breakdown of word counts,
 including how many words in each chapter are tagged with which status
 * `-a` or `--act` — output act-by-act breakdown of word counts (total only)
-* `--pp` — run markdown pre-processor, this allows for a multi-file input
+* `-pp` — run markdown pre-processor, this allows for a multi-file input
 (e.g. each chapter in its own file), but requires the MarkdownPP python
 library.
 
diff --git a/novel_stats/novel_stats.py b/novel_stats/novel_stats.py
index 6f66893..5181d06 100755
--- a/novel_stats/novel_stats.py
+++ b/novel_stats/novel_stats.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python
 
 
+import argparse
 import collections
-import sys
 import tempfile
 
 CHAPTER_MARKER = '## '
@@ -25,20 +25,46 @@ def count_words(line):
 
 
 def main():
-    arguments = sys.argv[1:]
-    filename = arguments[0]
+    # Better argument parsing
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '-c',
+        '--chapter',
+        action='store_true',
+        help='output chapter-by-chapter breakdown of word counts, including how many words in each chapter are tagged with which status',
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '-a',
+        '--act',
+        action='store_true',
+        help='output act-by-act breakdown of word counts (total only)',
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '-pp',
+        action='store_true',
+        help='run markdown pre-processor, this allows for a multi-file input (e.g. each chapter in its own file), but requires the MarkdownPP python library',
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        'markdown_file',
+        type=argparse.FileType('r'),
+        help='The markdown file for the novel, main file if a multi-file novel',
+    )
+    arguments = parser.parse_args()
+
     mdfile = None
 
-    if '-pp' in arguments:
+    if arguments.pp:
         # -pp flag to allow Markdown Preprocessing primarily to allow multi-file novel formatting
         # this is implemented using a temporary file created using python's buit-in tempfile library
         import MarkdownPP
 
         mdfile = tempfile.TemporaryFile(mode='w+')
-        MarkdownPP.MarkdownPP(input=open(filename), output=mdfile, modules=list(MarkdownPP.modules))
+        MarkdownPP.MarkdownPP(
+            input=arguments.markdown_file, output=mdfile, modules=list(MarkdownPP.modules)
+        )
         mdfile.seek(0)
     else:
-        mdfile = open(filename)
+        mdfile = arguments.markdown_file
 
     chapter_heading = None
     act_heading = None
@@ -88,7 +114,7 @@ def main():
     total_word_count += word_count_by_chapter[chapter_heading]
 
     # -c or --chapter to give a chapter-by-chapter word count summary.
-    if '-c' in arguments or '--chapter' in arguments:
+    if arguments.chapter:
         for chapter_heading, chapter_word_count in word_count_by_chapter.items():
             if chapter_heading is None:
                 continue
@@ -108,15 +134,13 @@ def main():
         print()
 
     # -a or --act to give an act-by-act word count summary.
-    if '-a' in arguments or '--act' in arguments:
+    if arguments.act:
         for act_heading, act_word_count in word_count_by_act.items():
             if act_heading is None:
                 continue
 
             print(
-                'act {}: {:,} words (~{}%)'.format(
-                    act_heading, act_word_count, act_word_count * 100 // total_word_count
-                )
+                f'act {act_heading}: {act_word_count:,} words (~{act_word_count * 100// total_word_count}%)'
             )
 
         print()