diff --git a/nb_prep/cli.py b/nb_prep/cli.py
index 77cf767..f74dec2 100644
--- a/nb_prep/cli.py
+++ b/nb_prep/cli.py
@@ -31,6 +31,15 @@ def rename(
         paths = [Path(os.getcwd())]
 
     if output_dir is not None:
+
+        if not isinstance(output_dir, Path):
+            output_dir = Path(output_dir)
+
+        output_dir = output_dir.expanduser()
+
+        if not Path(output_dir).exists():
+            raise NotADirectoryError(f"The --output-dir specified ('{output_dir}') does not exist")
+
         paths += [output_dir]
 
     filenames = find_files_in_paths(paths, extension=".html")
diff --git a/nb_prep/nb_convert_strip.py b/nb_prep/nb_convert_strip.py
index e8dc894..7d83b70 100644
--- a/nb_prep/nb_convert_strip.py
+++ b/nb_prep/nb_convert_strip.py
@@ -35,8 +35,10 @@ def convert_notebook(
     if not isinstance(output_dir, Path):
         output_dir = Path(output_dir)
 
+    output_dir = output_dir.expanduser()
+
     if not Path(output_dir).exists():
-        raise IsADirectoryError(f"The --output-dir specified ('{output_dir}') does not exist")
+        raise NotADirectoryError(f"The --output-dir specified ('{output_dir}') does not exist")
 
     # Run 'nbconvert' ############
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 38a12b6..3adf879 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 setup_args = {
     "name": "nb_prep",
-    "version": "1.0",
+    "version": "1.0.1",
     "packages": find_packages(),
     "install_requires": [
         "jupyter-client>=7.1.1",  # BSD-3 https://github.com/jupyter/jupyter_client/blob/main/COPYING.md