writing a novel software

Book Writing Software (2024): Top 10 for Writers

by Joe Bunting | 20 comments

Writing a book is hard. I've written fifteen books and at some point during each one I had the thought, “There has to be a tool, a piece of book writing software, that would make it easier to reach my writing goals.”

The good news is there  is  book writing software that can make the writing process and meeting your daily goals easier!

(The better news is that once you've found the right software, we have the best resources to help you finish your book, like this book idea worksheet , which will get you started on your book in just a few minutes. Get your free copy here. )

In this article, we will cover the ten best pieces of software for writing a book and look at the pros and cons of each. Click the links below to get our review on the best writing software.

Best Writing Software: Contents

• Google Docs
• Google Sheets OR Microsoft Excel
• ProWritingAid
• Publisher Rocket
• Microsoft Word
• Bonus: Note Taking Apps
• Bonus: Google Drive OR Dropbox

Worst Pieces of Software for Writing a Book

Before we discuss writing software that will help you write a beautiful book, it's important to understand (and eliminate) what will hurt your writing progress. At least while you're writing a book:

• Video Games.  Especially World of Warcraft (always, always, always!) but also Solitaire, Sudoku, Angry Birds, Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, and Wild Rift/League of Legends.

• Facebook, TikTok, and Other Social Media Software.  Do I really need to say more? Fortunately there's a piece of book writing software for avoiding this very distracting software (see Freedom below). You can't write a book if you spend you writing time publishing social media posts.
• Other Productive Software Not Directly Associated With Your Writing.  Yes, it's good to reconcile your bank account on Quickbooks or make sure you're up to date on your calendar app, but responsible, well-meaning work can easily be an excuse for a quick distraction that turns into a major distraction from writing your book.

Set aside time for your writing every day and then stay focused. If you need a game, make writing your daily word count your game. If you want more “likes” on social media, imagine how great getting five-star reviews on your book will be.

If you need to check your bank balance several times a day, think about what your bank balance will be when you stop checking it constantly, finish your book, and become a successful author. Now let's talk about some book software for authors that can help you with your book writing process.

The 10 Best Pieces of Book Writing Software

First, there is no such thing as the perfect book writing software. No amount of key features or book writing templates or editing features will write a book for you. Still, these ten book writing software options can help. Take a look at the pros and cons of each:

1. Scrivener (Word Processor)

Scrivener  is the premier book writing app made by writers  for  writers. Scrivener's “binder” view allows you to break up your book into chapters and sections and easily reorganize it with drag and drop interface.

You can also get a high-level view of your book using the corkboard and outliner modes, allowing you to view book chapters, sections, or individual scenes as index cards. Project targets let you create word count goals and then track your progress daily. Its composition mode can help you stay focused by removing all the clutter.

Scrivener has formatting features for publishing (e.g. on Amazon or Barnes & Noble), as well as basic features for distraction-free writing, and has templates for novels, nonfiction books, screenplays, and more.

You can read our  full Scrivener review here .

To be fair, Scrivener also has its weaknesses. Formatting is more complicated than it needs to be and collaborating isn't easy, meaning it loses its effectiveness as soon as you bring on an editor (we recommend Google Docs for collaborating).

You can sync with your iPhone/iPad, but only through Dropbox, making it not as easy as it should be. It also has something of a learning curve, especially for its advanced features. But it more than makes up for that by being so helpful in the early stages of the writing process. Again, here are the pros and cons for Scrivener.

Pros of Scrivener:

• Easily manage a large book writing project (or screenplay) in the binder view
• Get a high-level view of your book's structure using corkboard and outliner views
• Manage your writing productivity with project targets and deadlines
• iPhone and iPad app

Cons of Scrivener: 

• Formatting can be overly complicated
• Learning curve
• ​Syncing with Dropbox isn't always easy
• No Android app

We believe in Scrivener so much, we published a book about how creative writers can write more faster using it. It’s called  Scrivener Superpowers .  If you’re using Scrivener or want a tutorial to save yourself time as you learn how to use it for your creative writing, you can  get Scrivener Superpowers here . You can also learn more about how to use the software with one of these resources:

• Scrivener Superpowers  by M.G. Herron
• 3 Reasons I Love Scrivener
• Microsoft Word vs. Scrivener

Cost: $59.99 for Windows, Mac

Scrivener  is the premier book writing app made by writers  for  writers. It's powerful set of tools allow you to write, organize, edit, and publish books.

• Easily manage writing projects
• Made by writers for writers
• Corkboard and outliner views
• Project targets and deadlines
• iPhone and iPad app
• Complicated formatting
• Steep learning curve
• ​Syncing isn't always easy

2. Dabble (Word Processor)

Similar to Scrivener, Dabble is a word processor that gives you the power to organize and rearrange scenes and chapters using drag and drop, manage your word count goals to keep to a deadline, and plot like a pro. (Screenshots seen here are in the optional dark mode.)

Dabble has a plot grid that allows you to easily see a macro view of your story. You can rearrange as needed, find plot holes easily, and make notes on each plot point as detailed as you like. 

Collaboration is easy. You simply add a co-author and they will be sent an invitation. They must also have a subscription or they will only be able to read the document. 

You can insert images in any scene or note, or add title images to chapters or full page images within or between chapters. You can even set cover art for the manuscript. 

Focus mode in Dabble is automatic. Simply start typing and everything else fades away. No need to worry about saving every few minutes either.

Dabble is cloud-based and automatically saves as you go. You can access your manuscripts everywhere: in your browser, on your phone, or in the desktop app. As you're writing, you can make notes and comments.

Don’t want to type? You can dictate. And when you’re done writing, there’s a Read to Me feature that reads your manuscript to you!

Cost : Subscription plans range from $10/month to $20/month; Lifetime access cost is $499; 14-day free trial 

Dabble is a word processor designed specifically for books. It gives you the power to organize and rearrange scenes and chapters using drag and drop, manage your word count goals to keep to a deadline, and plot like a pro. 

• Easy Learning Curve
• Streamlined collaboration
• Cloud-based syncing
• Built-in Dictation
• Easy Exporting
• Word count targets and deadlines
• Plotting tool
• Subscription service
• Lifetime access cost is high
• Only simple formatting options

3. Google Docs (Word Processing)

While Scrivener and Dabble are a great book  writing  software, once you get to editing and getting feedback, it begins to fall short. That's why Google Docs has become my go-to piece of book writing software for collaborating with editors, beta readers, and other writers.

It's free, easy to use, and requires no backups since everything is in the cloud.

Best of all are its collaboration abilities, which allow you to invite your editor to the document and then watch as they make changes, which are tracked in suggestion mode, and leave comments on your story (see screenshot below).

I also like the outline feature in the left sidebar. You can display it by clicking View > Show Outline. Then format the chapters and main sections of your manuscript as headings to make them appear in the document. You can then easily visualize and even click through your book to navigate it. This feature isn't as useful as Scrivener and Dabble's binder, but it makes navigating your book much easier.

While not the best for brainstorming, writing, or organizing your book, Google Docs, the free word processor available in Google Drive, is the single best word processor for collaborating with co-writers, beta readers, or editors.

• Real-time collaboration with editors, beta readers, or other writers
• Suggestion mode
• Outline View
• Few large-document organization features
• No productivity features
• Usually requires an internet connection

4. Google Sheets OR Microsoft Excel (Spreadsheet)

If you’d told me when I was first trying to become a writer that one of my most-used tools in my book writing software toolkit would be a spreadsheet, I would have told you I didn't major in English to have to use a spreadsheet.

But now, as I'm finishing my fifteenth book, I realize that I use spreadsheets almost daily. Spreadsheets allow you to get a sense of the elements of your book at a glance, and when you're working on a 300-page document, distilling it down to useable information becomes very necessary.

You might use spreadsheets for:

• Character tracking
• Breakdown of scenes
• A Foolscap/Beat sheet

Google Sheets is perfect for this because it's free and you can quickly share your documents with your writing partners, editors, or beta readers to get feedback.

Microsoft Excel is another great option, but Excel lacks the real-time editing with other users and is overall lacking in the collaboration functions. Still, if you already have Excel, it's a great way to quickly get started plotting your book or managing your project.

• Real-time Collaboration : Work with editors, beta readers, or co-authors in real-time.
• Speed : It's fast and responsive, which is useful for quickly developing an outline or managing a project.
• Cost-effective : It's so cost-effective it's free!
• Handling External Spreadsheets : Managing spreadsheets from other sources like Excel can be annoying.
• Internet Dependency : Although there's an offline mode, the overall experience is better with an internet connection.

• Familiar : If you already own or have used Microsoft Office, it should be familiar to you.
• Advanced Feature : Excel is slightly more powerful than Google Sheets (although for most writing related tasks, you will likely not need advanced features).
• Offline Access : Unlike Google Sheets, Excel doesn't require an internet connection, which is handy for working on-the-go.
• Cost : Unlike Google Sheets which is free, Excel comes with a cost as part of the Microsoft 365 Office Suite.
• Collaboration : Although Excel has collaborative features, they're more streamlined in Google Sheets.

5. Vellum (Book Formatting/Word Processing)

If you want to turn your book into an eBook, it's not that hard. Scrivener, Word, Pages, they all can format eBooks and print books. But that doesn't mean they'll look good. In fact, it takes a lot of skill and effort to format a printed book that looks good on any of those word processors.

That's why I love Vellum so much.

Vellum makes beautiful books.

Vellum picks up where Scrivener, Word, and Pages leave off, giving you a tool to make great looking eBooks and print books, usually in under an hour. The most important part of this is the previewer (see the image below), which lets you see how each formatting change or book edit you make will appear on Kindle, Fire, iPhone, Nook, and other eReaders.

It also has stripped-down, option-based formatting, which is perfect for designing both eBooks and print books. I really love this writing app!

Vellum is a book formatting tool to quickly and easily create beautiful eBooks and print books, often within an hour. It features a book previewer which allows you to see how your book will look on various eReaders and in print, and offers a simplified, option-based formatting to format beautiful books faster.

• Ease of Use: Easy to navigate and use, even for inexperienced writers.
• Quick Formatting: The simplified, option-based formatting lets you create books in as little as an hour.
• High-Quality Aesthetics: Delivers visually beautiful books.
• Book Previewer Tool: View how your book will appear on various eReaders as you work.
• Platform Limitation: Restricted to Mac users.
• Style Restrictions: Limited design and styling options can be a drawback for some.
• Cost: Higher price point compared to some other formatting software.

6. ProWritingAid (Grammar/Spell Check)

Can a grammar checker replace an editor?

Definitely not. But if you ask Alice Sudlow, our in-house editor, she'll tell you, “If you don’t have access to an editor (or if you do, but you don’t want to hire them to edit your emails or Facebook posts), software that performs grammar checks like  ProWritingAid  is an accessible, affordable alternative.”

If you struggle with grammar mistakes, sentence structure, spelling, or even writing style, ProWritingAid can help. It goes far beyond your built-in spellcheck. You should still learn grammar skills, but ProWritingAid can help you start to see the patterns and grow as a writer.

There's a free version that's very good. It can even be installed into your browser or Word processor, so you can check your grammar wherever you write.

The paid version, just $96 a year with our discount link (33 percent less than Grammarly ‘s price), gives you additional support on sentence structure, style, and vocabulary. Learn more about how writers can get the most out of ProWritingAid here .

• Grammar and Style Correction: Gives "as-you-type" grammar corrections as well as comprehensive style analysis to help you write clearer, more engaging prose.
• Writing Insights: You can learn a lot about your writing style with their detailed reports on readability, sentence structure, and more.
• Integration: You can integrate it with nearly any other writing tool or word processor..
• Subscription Cost: While more affordable than other options, there is a subscription cost for for full access.
• Overwhelming Feedback: Not all the feedback is useful, and without knowledge of the book writing process, you may get distracted by the amount of feedback.
• Internet Requirement: You must have an internet connection for most types of feedback.

• Easy to Use: User-friendly design (slightly more easy to use than ProWritingAid in my opinion).
• Spell-Check and Grammar Check: Detailed spelling and grammar check functionality.
• Goal-Setting Feature: It can help you tailor suggestions based on writing goals.
• Broad Integration: Works with many platforms (the Google Docs integration isn't very good though).
• Cost: While the free plan is robust, the premium plan is more expensive compared to ProWritingAid.
• Google Docs Integration: Lacks a fully functional integration.
• Big Picture Feedback: Does not provide as much overarching edits and style-based feedback as ProWritingAid.

7. Publisher Rocket (Book Marketing App)

How do you know if your book will sell? Wouldn't it be nice to know if there is a market for your book  before  you start writing? How do you find the most readers on Amazon for your published book? For all of these questions, Publisher Rocket has an answer.

Read our  full Publisher Rocket review here .

Publisher Rocket a book marketing research tool that helps you understand what readers actually want  and  how to connect with them with your books. Here are some things you can discover in Publisher Rocket:

• What phrases Amazon buyers are actually searching for.
• The psychology of how readers choose to buy books.
• How much money readers are spending on certain niches and topics.
• How much money specific books are making per month (for example, books that might be competing with yours).

I've personally used Publisher Rocket to take mid-list books to #1 bestseller status on Amazon. It's an amazing tool, perfect for anyone working on a book.

We also like KD Spy, another Amazon research tool (check out our review here ). You can compare and contrast the two tools below:

• Target Popular Keywords: Helps writers find specific phrases readers are using on Amazon to discover books.
• Market Understanding: Offers a clear view of what books are competing with yours (and how many sales they make, historically).
• Category Identification: Find the most relevant Amazon categories for your book.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works on both PCs and Macs.
• Learning Curve: May require some time and education to fully utilize all features.
• Cost: One-time purchase required.
• Amazon-Centric: Tailored for Amazon, may not be as effective for other platforms.

• Amazon Category Research : Analyze Amazon book categories to understand competition and profitability.
• Keyword Tools : Provides niche and seed keywords to help in market understanding.
• Competition Snapshot : Ability to get an overview of your competitors.
• Traffic Light System : Visual cues to understand keyword difficulty and category competitiveness.
• Limited Keyword Data : Doesn't provide Amazon search numbers.
• Browser Extension : Limited to browser usage, not a standalone software.
• Basic Keyword Tools: Keyword functionalities are quite basic compared to Publisher Rocket.
• Dependent on Amazon : Insights are tailored for Amazon, may not apply to other platforms.

8. Atticus (Book Formatting/Word Processing)

Once you've  written  your book, how do you turn it into something people can actually  read ? If you're self-publishing, you need a tool like Atticus.

Atticus is a book formatting and word processing tool that allows you to take your manuscript and quickly and easily format it for publishing, including print and eBook formats.

But Atticus is more that just a formatter. It's an all-in-one solution for writers, giving you the organization features of Scrivener, the cloud collaboration features of Google Docs,  and  the book formatting abilities of Vellum. Yes, that's just as cool as it sounds!

It also works on all platforms, whether you're working on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, or even Linux. While I still love and use Vellum (see below), the benefit of Atticus is that it works for everyone, not just Mac users. Learn more about Atticus in my full review.

• All-in-One Solution : Combines writing and formatting capabilities seamlessly.
• Multi-Platform Availability : Available on PC, Mac, Linux, and Chromebook.
• Cost-Effective : Priced lower than some competitors like Vellum while offering similar capabilities

Cons: 

• Learning Curve : While intuitive, mastering advanced features may require some time.
• New Software : Being relatively new, it might have fewer features compared to established software, with some desired features planned for future updates.
• Crude Formatting : Out of the box formatting options aren't as refined as Vellum and will require more tweaking.

Atticus is a complete book writing and formatting tool that merges the capabilities of an online word processor with plug-and-play book formatting features. It can function as a one-stop solution for authors, with collaboration tools between authors, editors, and book designers, to take your book from idea to finished, publishable product.

9. Freedom (Productivity App)

One question writers always ask me is, “How can I stay focused enough to finish what I write?” I have too many thoughts on that for this article, but as far as using writing software to encourage focus goes, I recommend Freedom. It's my favorite writing tool for a distraction-free writing experience.

Freedom allows you to enter focus mode, blocking your biggest distractions, including both websites and mobile apps, for a set period of time. So when you mindlessly escape your book to scroll through Facebook, you'll find the site won't load.

You can also schedule recurring sessions, so that at a scheduled time (e.g. Mondays from 6 am to 10 am), you won’t be able to access the sites on your blocklist, even if you try.

There are other apps like this that we've written about before, notably Self-Control for Mac and StayFocused for Windows. But Freedom goes further, allowing you to block sites on both your computer  and  your phone, and enabling recurring sessions.

You can learn more about  how writers can get the most out of Freedom on our review here .

Freedom is a productivity app that can help writers in stay focused by blocking distracting websites and mobile apps for a designated period or during specific schedules, like during your morning writing time.

• Distraction Blocking : Helps you concentrate on writing by blocking distractions.
• Scheduled Focus Sessions : Schedule your focus mode in advance for recurring undistracted writing sessions.
• Mobile Device Syncing : Getting it working with mobile devices can be a bit challenging.
• Bypass Possibility : It's possible to find ways around its blockers if one tries hard enough.

Cost: $29 / year for Pro version, which I use and recommend (there's also a free trial available)

10. Microsoft Word (Word Processor)

Again: no piece of book writing software is going to write your book for you. If you're looking for the next “shiny new toy” to help you write your book, it might be an excuse to avoid doing the hard work of writing.

Most of us learned how to use computers by using Microsoft Word, or a program like it. Word gets the job done. Sure, Scrivener is a little better for books, but I wrote my first book on Word and it's fine.

I wrote a long review of  the pros and cons of using Word to write books —the main problem is that as your document grows, it becomes more and more difficult to work with, whereas with Scrivener, it becomes easier—but the point is, if Word is what you have, don't let that stop you from finishing your book.

You don't need a fancy tool to plan a book in the early stages, like if you draft a character description for your protagonist, or in the editing stages, like if you want to make comments on scene details.

As Jeff Elkins said in  his review of Word , “If you aren’t already putting in the hard work to be the kind of writer you want to be, it doesn’t matter what new writing software you invest in. It is not going to help.”

Microsoft Word is the industry standard word processing software. While limited in its features for writing books, it provides a familiar platform for writers to create, share, and review their work.

• Familiar Interface : Known and used by many, making collaboration easier.
• Extensive Features : Provides a wide range of writing and formatting tools.
• Cost : Requires a subscription to Microsoft 365.
• Lack of Book Writing Features : Despite its extensive feature set, it lacks specialized tools for book writing included with applications like Scrivener or Dabble.
• Lack of Real-Time Collaboration : While it offers some collaboration features, it falls short in real-time collaborative editing compared to some cloud-native applications like Google Docs.

Cost: $69 / year with Microsoft 365 (includes Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and other Microsoft software)

Note:  Another word processor we can't recommend is yWriter, which while it has a cult following and was designed by a fellow novelist, seems to be out of development and has no support for Mac/OSX.

BONUS #1: Google Drive OR Dropbox (Cloud Backup)

There's nothing worse that finishing a great writing session and going to save your work, then your computer crashes and you discover you've lost your best writing. It's enough to send any writer into the throes of grief and depression. There's a simple solution, though: save a copy of ALL your writing to the cloud using Google Drive, Dropbox, or BOTH.

Here's my process:  I have all my Scrivener book files saved on a folder on Google Drive on my computer. Then, Scrivener automatically backs up every few minutes to a Dropbox folder. That way, I know I will always have the document I need, no matter what happens. Best of all, both of these apps have free plans, making it extremely foolish NOT to use them.

Pros of Drive:

• Universal cloud backup
• Automatically syncs
• Free or inexpensive

Cons of Drive:

• Setup is a bit tricky the first time
• Maybe you WANT to lose your writing when your computer crashes

Cost: Free with Paid options

Sign up for Google Drive here »

Sign up for Dropbox here »

BONUS #2: iOS Notes OR Evernote OR Ulysses OR Bear (Note Taking)

When I'm writing for a long time, I like to get up and go for a walk. Sometimes, I wish I could continue writing while I walk. Other times, I find myself brainstorming ideas while I'm not at my computer, typing it up on my phone, and then wanting to easily move what I wrote to my laptop without having to go through the hassle of emailing it back and forth to myself.

That's where note taking apps like Ulysses and Evernote come in.

iOS Notes, Ulysses ,  Evernote , and  Bear  are note taking apps that allow you to sync between all your devices, so you have what you need wherever you are, ideal for jotting down ideas or thinking through your book while you're out and about.

While Scrivener recently released an iOS app which allows you to sync between devices, their process is clunky and requires you to purchase both the mobile and desktop apps. These note taking apps make the process much more seamless.

Like Scrivener, they all have a binder-like sidebar that allows you to move documents around. None of them are designed specifically for books, so they may take a little configuring to make it work for you, but once you have one set up the way you want, it's very intuitive.

And while I hate Markdown, a markup language that allows you to format your text, I actually like the paired-down formatting options Ulysses and Bear give, especially for brainstorming. Overall, I wouldn't convert from Scrivener to any of these apps, but as supplements, they work great.

Pros of Evernote:

• Sync notes between devices
• Write as you go
• Capture ideas

Cons of Evernote:

• Free plan is limited
• Becomes clunky as you get more notes
• Better for note taking than managing a large writing project

iOS Notes  Cost: Free with any iOS device

Get the app here »

Evernote  Cost: Free with Paid options

Ulysses Cost: $45 Note: Ulysses is only available for Mac, either in the App Store or from their website.

Bear Cost: $1.49 monthly / $14.99 yearly Note:  Bear is also only available for Mac, either in the App Store or from their website.

Bonus #3: Hemingway App (Style Checker)

Most writers think their sentences are easier to read than they are. You think you're coming across clearly, that your writing makes sense, but then someone reads it and comes away with something totally different. Hemingway App (sometimes called Hemingway Editor) helps with that.

Hemingway App is a free website that checks readability. You can copy and paste your writing into the website's input box. Then it will grade your writing based on your used of   adverbs , passive voice , and sentences as units . Hemingway App is useful, but even the best book writing software can’t replace a good editor.

Pros of Hemingway:

• Fast, easy style advice

Cons of Hemingway:

• Somewhat arbitrary advice
• Hemingway himself would fail

Cost: Free!

Try out Hemingway App here »

The 30+ Tools Every Writer Needs

Writing is no different, and while the right software is important, it's just one of the many tools you need as a writer.

That's why we published a list of all of our favorite tools for everything related to being a writer.

You can  download our tools for writers guide for free here .

The Most Essential Book Writing Software

Imagine it's three thousand years ago.

You're sitting around a campfire with some of your family and friends, tired from the day's work. You begin to tell a story. It's one you've told before, told a hundred times. You can see faces around the fire, the children with their eyes wide, the men and women who have heard the story before but still enjoy it because it brings meaning to their lives.

Storytellers—writers—have existed since the beginning of humanity. They didn’t always have book writing software. They didn't have the printing press or the internet. They didn't always even have the alphabet to write their stories down. Instead, storytellers had their imaginations, their voices, and a rapt audience. Y

ou don’t need book writing software to write a great story. Book writing software can make the process a little faster or easier, but the truth is great stories will always exist, no matter what kind of software we have.

The only three things essential to writing a great book:

• Your imagination
• A desire to tell your story

That’s all you need. Do you want to write your book? If you do, then do it. Write it. Nothing is stopping you except you.  So go get writing.

What pieces of book writing software do you use?  Let us know in the comments .

The world is full of powerful software to help you write your book. In the end, though, all these tools are just that—tools. The stories you imagine and your discipline to put the words on the page are far more important.

So for this practice, set aside all the fancy software. Eliminate all the bells and whistles and open up your computer's native text editor (TextEdit for Mac or Notepad for Windows).

Take fifteen minutes to write without any distractions.

Continue your work in progress, or start a new story based on this prompt: A student discovers one of their teachers is not what they appear to be.

When you're done, share your writing practice in the Pro Practice Workshop . And if you share, be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers!

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

Work with Joe Bunting?

WSJ Bestselling author, founder of The Write Practice, and book coach with 14+ years experience. Joe Bunting specializes in working with Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, How To, Literary Fiction, Memoir, Mystery, Nonfiction, Science Fiction, and Self Help books. Sound like a good fit for you?

20 Comments

Dragon NaturallySpeaking software. Following a comprehensive beat sheet (created in a screenwriting format), I dictate into MS Word. Grammarly sits to the side. 1000-2000 words a day. Requires a larger screen (mine is a modest 24″) and some computing horsepower. Very effective.

Good one! Personally I use dictation every once in a while, but it’s not my thing. Glad it’s working for you!

I just purchased ProWriting Aid. Its editor, grammar, sentence structure and readability scales. There’s a free app but i wanted the pro. I’m excited about this. I’ve had scrivener on my computer for 2 years and still use word. Learning Scrivener is overwhelming to me.

My practice from my current WIP:

“Please, Captain, may we take his body? Merk did have family.” Harper twisted his cloak in his hands.

“Aye. Do that.” Adam walked to the door, tapping the flat of the sword against his hand as he walked, doing his best to insure the blade touched the plate as little as possible. As he passed the bar, he grabbed the waiting pitcher of ale.

Outside, he found Carter leaning against the tavern wall, staring up at the moon. Without looking over, Carter spoke. “Come to arrest me?”

Adam snorted and passed him the pitcher. “No. Not for killing that filth. You know why his bounty was so high so quickly, right?”

Carter took a sip of the ale. “He carried it with him.”

“Gods, no. He built it entirely here.” Adam leaned against the wall of the building opposite of Carter. He pulled a small pouch and rolled a cigarette. “He killed the governor’s daughter in an argument.”

Carter looked over at his friend. “I thought the Thieves’ Guild didn’t go for killing?” “They don’t. They only took him on as a favor to his previous guild.”

“Let me guess: Assassins.”

Adam pointed at Carter. “Got it first try.”

He offered the cigarette to Carter who declined with a raised hand. Putting it between his lips, he patted his pockets. Carter leaned forward and snapped his fingers, producing a flame for the cigarette. Adam drew in a bit of smoke and nodded at his friend.

“Thanks.” He exhaled a pleasant smelling ring of smoke and glanced at Carter’s empty hand. “You can do magic now?”

“No.” Carter shook his head. “This is due to a minor cantrip on a scroll.”

This was cool and pulled me right into the story. Good work!

My personal favorite is Microsoft Word. It’s easy to use and I’m comfortable with it.

Here’s my practice. I’d appreciate comments/feedback! —

Julia finally slammed into the ground at the bottom of the steps. Swallowing back a sob, she pushed up on her hands and knees and cringed at the shooting pain in her shoulder, which had taken the brunt of the fall.

“Get back here, you little brat,” Sean shouted behind her.

A gasp shuddered into her lungs and she leapt to her feet and broke into a sprint up the sidewalk. She looked over her shoulder. He was still behind her. He shoved people out of his way and kicked over a baby stroller as he charged toward her.

Julia clamped a hand over her mouth as the baby in the stroller wailed. The woman who’d been pushing the stroller righted it and hushed the baby, stroking its head.

Julia kept pumping her legs, but nausea swished in her stomach and a sharp ache started in her chest. How could Sean treat people like that?

She’d probably never know the answer.

Cutting down an alleyway, Julia darted through puddles from the recent rain and chugged quick breaths.

Sean’s yelling voice echoed behind her. “When I get my hands on you I’m going to finish what I started.”

Breathing hard, she yanked herself to a stop by the rung of a ladder and lunged onto it, taking the rungs two at a time. She was shaking. Sean had tried to hurt her once. She wouldn’t let him do it again. Not without fighting back this time.

The ladder quivered and she stopped climbing to stare down between her shoes. Sean ascended, his hands quick on the rungs, his cold blue eyes swallowing her.

A gulp of air rolled down her throat and she pulled herself up faster. She kept her eyes focused high, fixing them on the handles at the top of the ladder. Memories slid their tentacles into her mind. Images of Sean looming over her, holding her down. Her own voice pleading.

Tears welled in Julia’s eyes and she blinked them away. She just had to focus on going up. To the roof. Once she reached it, she could either go into the building through a roof entrance or she could jump to the next building. She’d make it. She had to.

Julia curled her tired, chafed fingers around the vertical handles at the top of the ladder and hauled herself up onto the roof.

Then a hand clamped around her ankle.

I personally use a combination of my notebook, Google docs, Grammarly, Hemmingway editor, and thoughts and critiques from my writing friends. Best thing about paper: it doesn’t have internet.

So true! I find that I can write faster on a computer, but I love the focus you get from writing on paper.

It helps me, sometimes, I think, to feel the words as I write them, which I don’t get when I type. It does make it more of a pain to edit, though it does make it harder to permanently delete whole sections of writing and start over from scratch.

I use Scrivener to write and format my books and recommend it though the learning curve is steep if you want to take full advantage of all its features. But I would recommend the following items.

Pro Writing Aid does so much more than Grammarly. Checks for style, diction, overused words, and things I’d never even heard of before I started using it. there is a free version but the paid version which syncs with Scrivener is a less expensive subscription than Grammarly.

Excel is so limited. I’d recommend Airtable. It is far more flexible and I use it for everything from characters, to accounting, to research, tracking promotions, reviews and more. There are templates for authors. It is intuitive and will do just about anything you want. Support is excellent. Airtable is has a free version (which is all I need), sharable and collaborative.

Then there is Aeon Timeline for plotting and planning. It helps keep your story in order. It is flexible, customizable, and syncs with both Scrivener and Ulysses. It is not expensive and not a subscription, pay once and it is yours.

Rescue time has a free version that helps you track your time spent on various tasks and websites and is useful to prove to the IRS that you are indeed a full time author.

I use all these things daily in my writing. Check them out. They will probably help you too.

I would recommend using FocusWriter to block out any notifications and other programs which are running

Thanks for the great article. I use Google Docs right now and will check into some of the resources you recommended. I am an Astrologer and am writing my first basic Astrology book. I wasn’t clear whether the free handout for novelists would be appropriate for this project, and would appreciate your feedback.

The Hemmingway App no longer free. But $19.99 isn’t much to pay.

Wattpad (which isn’t on the list) is a very good writing site.

Have you had a look at The Novel Factory? Full disclosure, it’s made by me and my tiny team – but it’s starting to really get traction as we get so much positive feedback about how it’s helped people make progress like never before…

Another one you might like to try is http://wavemaker.co.uk It’s new and helps with the planning stages in particular. Disclaimer- I wrote it, but thought you’d like to have a look at least.

For free versions, try One Note. I’ve been using it for years.

I want to write a technical book that would be formatted such that it would be like a textbook and have horizontal bars that would separate topics. I need the ability to repeat essential elements of techniques repeatedly and denote them in various fashions. Any software come to mind for that?

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On the hunt for the top book writing software? Writing software can be hard to come by, especially since what might work best for someone else won't work best for you. So what software should you use?

Some might argue that the medium is not the issue – they'll tell you not to worry about fancy writing software and just start writing.

And while that may be true for some, in our experience with helping thousands of authors write and self-publish a book, we've found that every author has a tool that helps them organize their writing and increase productivity.

Software specifically designed to write a book can make your writing process more organized, efficient , and focused – ultimately allowing you to write your book faster .

In this article, we’ll not only take a detailed look at the free writing software tools available to authors, but we’ll cover some paid tools, as well. 

This 2024 guide to book writing software will cover:

• What book writing software is
• If you really need software to write a book
• The benefits of using book writing software

Free book writing software for beginners

• The best paid book writing software

Bonus software to help you write your book

What is book writing software.

Book writing software is a program designed to streamline the book writing process. It is essentially a word processor with added benefits specifically targeting authors and novelists (such as book organization tools, story development features, and more).

There are many options for free book writing software, as well as paid writing software for all budgets and price points. Depending on your own needs as a writer, there are many options to choose from.

Maybe you’re a writer that’s just getting started on how to write a book . Or maybe you’re a seasoned writer that’s researching how to become an author and you’re ready to commit to the best book writing software available. 

No matter what type of writer you are, there is software designed to streamline your writing process. It’s just a matter of finding the perfect one to fit your needs!

Do you really need software to write a book?

We know what you’re thinking. All that’s needed to write is pen and paper. In simple terms, yes – you don’t need a fancy writing tool to actually write. In fact, humans have been expressing their creativity and ideas through writing using the most basic tools available for centuries.  But the efficiency and ease of use of your medium can affect your writing productivity.

Think about how easy a typewriter or keyboard makes it to type a 50,000-word novel. Now, imagine having to carve that novel into stone. See how the medium can affect your productivity? 

Technology has made the writing process easier – there’s no doubt about that. But is writing software necessary?  I posed this exact question to a group of writers to see if they really use software. Based on their feedback, it’s clear that writers like you value these programs. Every writer has their preferred book writing software, and some use multiple programs, including the best mind mapping software for authors . Take a look at some of the responses: 

That's just a tiny glimpse of how many real-life writers use book writing software regularly to improve their writing , efficiency, and organization.

So, the next time you're in need of gifts for writers , consider buying them a subscription to their favorite book writing software!

The pros to using book writing software

Of course, you can write using whatever tools are available to you, but there are some important reasons to consider using special software for writing a book.

Writing is already hard – why make it even more difficult by not utilizing tools that were designed to make the process easier?

When you make technology work for you (and not against you) great things can come out of it – like that book you’ve been meaning to write!

Here are the main reasons to use writing software:

• Your book files are organized in one place. No need to have each book chapter file saved in various places throughout your desktop. Keep it clean and organized with book writing software. With most tools, you can even access files from anywhere, making it easy to pick up where you left off no matter where you are, or what time of day it is.
• They are designed to make writing easier . The best writing software programs have built-in features that can prevent a ton of issues. For example, you can check for spelling and grammar mistakes on the go, which cuts down your editing time. Or use features like a plagiarism checker , which automatically highlights sections in your text that need citation.
• Your work is saved automatically. Losing your unsaved work due to unavoidable circumstances (like your power going out) is a thing of the past! This is seriously a lifesaver.
• They prevent distractions. Some book writing tools have features to block you from unnecessary distractions. This ultimately helps you get done with your book in the shortest time possible and assists in creating a productive writing space .

Now that you understand why book writing software is important, how on earth do you pick one!?

How to decide which book writing software is best for you:

• Cost of the software. Think of your budget. Can you afford to invest in writing software, or do you need to rely on the free versions for now? 
• Accessibility. Think of where you write. Do you need to be able to access your book manuscript from multiple devices (like a phone or tablet), or do you only write on one? 
• Features. What features are important to you? Do you need spell checker, plagiarism checker, and productivity-improving features? 
• User-friendliness. Are you tech-savvy, tech-challenged, or somewhere in the middle? Some programs require a steep learning curve, and others are great for beginners. 
• Size of the software. Will the program take up a lot of space on your hard drive? 

With all those aspects to consider, let's take a look at the best free and paid book writing software options for authors.

Before we dive into the best paid book writing software, let’s take a look at some of the free options.

We always recommend taking advantage of the free tools out there – so you can get a feel for what you want to invest in. These free book writing tools have the basic essentials to provide you with the features you need, so that you can have more time for writing .

1. Zoho Writer

Writer by Zoho , also known as Zoho Writer, is an online word processor that comes with special features to help you write from anywhere and at any time you want to. It is a cloud software, which means you can access it on all of your devices, no matter where you are.  Even better, Zoho has different templates for you to choose from, depending on what it is you need to write.

Benefits to using Zoho Writer as a free book writing software for beginners:

• It’s readily available . You do not need to sign up or log in to be able to use Zoho Writer. It is user-friendly, and if you are part of a team of writers, you can work together and share documents with each other easily.

• You can write offline, without internet access.  Despite this software being an online writing tool, you can still write offline and have your work synced to your account.
• You can use it across all devices. You can use this book writing software across phone, Tablet, or PC. No need to worry about accessing your manuscript from the wrong device.

2. LibreOffice

Developed by the Document Foundation, LibreOffice is open source software that prides itself on being a free office suite. While it boasts other programs for spreadsheets and charts, Write is the name of its free word processor. 

Benefits to using LibreOffice Writer as a free book writing software for beginners:

• It’s a robust one-stop shop for writers. And it’s similar to Microsoft Word (which we’ll cover in our paid writing software section). 

• It’s an effective word processing tool with helpful features for authors.  It wasn’t only created for writers, but can be used by anyone who needs a word processor. The autocorrect and spell checker tools allow you to catch grammar and spelling mistakes on the fly, and it even supports multiple languages!
• It provides useful templates. LibreOffice includes readily available templates to choose from that are formatted to meet your needs. All you need to do is add your text! Whether you want to write your resume, brochures, letters, or your book, these templates can save you time and come in handy for clean, crisp formatting.

Related: Best Book Formatting Software

3. Google Docs

Google Docs is by far the most common and widely used writing software, and this list of free book writing software tools wouldn’t be complete without mentioning it. 

Google Docs is a word processing tool that comes with your Google account. If you have a Gmail account then you already have access to Google Docs.

Benefits to using Google Docs as a free book writing software for beginners:

• You can write and access it from anywhere. Like Zoho Writer, Google Docs is a cloud platform, which means you can write anytime inspiration strikes. You can also use this book writing software when you’re offline.

• Your work is autosaved. Each time you key a letter, your Google Doc will save your progress. No need to worry about clicking the “save” button every time you add a new page in your book! You can also view revision history in case you accidentally delete or change something that you want to restore.
• It’s easy to collaborate with a team, another writer, or an editor . Additional features streamline the collaboration process, be it your co-author or editor. You can also use the track changes feature for the editing process, so you can see exactly what your editor has changed. 

Note: A major downside to using Google Docs as your writing software is that it does not support heavy formatting and outlining. Therefore, writing an entire book on this platform can be a bit challenging, but you can still use it for short stories, articles, and note-keeping.

4. FocusWriter

FocusWriter is a “simple, distraction-free writing environment.” If you struggle to stay focused and on task during your writing sessions, FocusWriter may be the solution for you.

Benefits of using FocusWriter as your free book writing software:

• Designed to be distraction-free. Like its name suggests, FocusWriter helps you zero in on your project by eliminating anything that could produce a distraction.
• Timers and alarms. This is for my writers who love to write in sprints. Structure your writing sessions by planning and timing how long you'll write.
• Auto-save function. If you're a writer who struggles to remember saving your own work, FocusWriter has you covered with their auto-saves.

5. Evernote

Evernote has both free and paid versions. You can use the free version as a word processor and note-taking software, or pay for the premium version if you want the extra perks.

While Evernote isn't designed specifically for books, the tool's organization makes it a great option for writers.

Benefits to using Evernote as your free book writing software:

• Streamlines note-taking process. At its core, Evernote is a writing software that's designed to make note-taking easy and efficient. This makes it a useful book writing software because the same organizational principles can be integrated into the process of writing a book .
• Easy customization. While Evernote isn't designed for just authors and novelists, the versatility it brings to users with multiple uses for the program comes in handy, especially for those writing a book. The ability to create notebooks, tags, and sort information, as well as robust AI-suggested content means that this software is a powerhouse for personalization.
• A hub for your book research and inspiration. Anyone who is in the process of writing a book knows how often a random surge of inspiration hits us as we write. Evernote is perfect for housing all of our inspirational quotes or research, without derailing our book writing efforts altogether.

Best paid book writing software

Now that we’ve covered the top free book writing software tools available, let’s move on to the paid writing software. Here are our favorites!:

6. NovelPad

NovelPad is a novel-writing software developed for the way writers write.

Unlike other writing software on the market that requires you to download a program to your computer, NovelPad can be accessed on any device with web access. That makes it one of the best writing apps for Android or iOS. If you want to try it out before committing, take advantage of the company's offer (not always running) of a 14-day free trial !

Benefits to using NovelPad as your book writing software:

• Use it on any device, online or off . NovelPad is browser-based, so you can open your projects on any device. They also have an offline mode, if you'd like to limit distractions by disabling web connection, or if you're writing on the go.
• Minimal, distraction-free design. The layout is simplistic and minimal, with limited distractions. The NovelPad team has stated that they only include features when and where writers require them, which leads to an incredibly intuitive, easy-to-use system.

• Chapters page . A popular NovelPad feature is the ability to have a bird's eye view of your entire project. You can use scene descriptions, color labels, and other organizational tools to know at a glance what's happening in each scene, then simply click and drag to reorder them. This is a big time save for longer projects!
• Customizable word count goal and tracker . Trying to hit a specific writing goal ? NovelPad has you covered. Instead of tracking your word count goal externally through a spreadsheet or other means, NovelPad allows you to set goals and tracks them for you. Set vacations and sprints, customize which days you'd like to write more or less, and let NovelPad do the math for you.
• ProWritingAid is included. That's right! Get a streamlined drafting software and stellar grammar check with one subscription.

Price : Starting at just $5 a month

Ulysses is another full-fledged writing software specifically designed for Mac users . Whether you are a Sci-Fi writer or learning how to publish an eBook , Ulysses is an all-in-one software that allows you to focus on your main business – writing. 

Benefits to using Ulysses Writer as your book writing software:

• Minimalist interface. Getting distracted while writing can hurt your workflow. Ulysses comes with a minimalistic interface to help you stay focused and productive.
• The customizable editor comes with special perks. You can choose to switch to typewriter mode and can attach additional information from images, PDFs, keywords, notes, and anything in between.
• You can publish directly to WordPress and Medium. Instead of having to copy and paste all of your work to your website, you can simply publish directly to the site. This is especially helpful for authors who blog.
• You can share your writing in any file format you want. No more complicated conversion processes!

Note : Ulysses is only available on Apple products at the time of writing.

Price: $5.99 per month or $49.99 a year

8. Hemingway App

Have you heard of Hemingway App yet? If you have, then chances are you either love it or hate it. This software is great if you are a visual learner – just look at those colors!

Benefits to using Hemingway App as your book writing software:

• It comes with advanced editing and revising tools . The spell and grammar checker help you come up with top-quality work, and it uses different colors to highlight sentences/words that need restructuring.
• There is a helpful sidebar display . The sidebar shows things like readability score and overall word count. 
• It has a free editor. Even if you don’t want to pay for the subscription, you can still use the free editing tool! 

Note: We’ve all been advised to not edit as we write, especially when during the book writing process. Since Hemingway draws a lot of visual attention to errors, this could slow your writing down if you’re one to get distracted easily! Price : $19.99

9. Scrivener

Almost every modern book writer out there (regardless of the genre) swears by this powerful writing software.

It's jam-packed with features and tools to help you organize and write your book, but there is a learning curve to be aware of. If you want to try Scrivener out, plan to take some tutorials before investing in this program to determine if it's really right for you.

And this is likely because Scrivener was specifically designed for writers.

Benefits to using Scrivener as your book writing software:

• Scrivener boasts a user-friendly drag-and-drop feature. The Outliner tool helps you work on your book while having an overview of what your chapter, a page, or even the whole book would look like.
• Includes research tools for easy reference. The snapshot tool allows you to take snapshots that you want to view and reference later, without losing your train of thought.
• You can set writing targets. Scrivener has a target-setting tool to help you set your own targets and work towards achieving them.
• Customizable organization with the binder tool. If you are the type of writer who likes working on an organized and well-planned piece, then Scrivener is your perfect match. The binder tool allows organizing your manuscript in files, sub-files, sub-sub-files, and so on.

Note: While Scrivener is a super robust software for writing a book, you’ll most likely have to watch a few tutorials to learn how to master it. Check out our full review of Scrivener if you want a detailed look at what it does.

Price: $49 for Mac or Windows (but they have student discounts) and $19.99 for the iOS version 

10. FastPencil

This is also another writing software that can take your writing game a notch higher. With FastPencil , you can draft, edit, publish, and even sell your book through some of the best booksellers in the industry.

Benefits to using FastPencil as your book writing software:

• It’s an all-in-one software. Just like we mentioned above, this software not only helps you write your book, but it also includes editing, publishing, and marketing services – depending on your needs and budget.
• It’s fairly easy to learn how to use. The software is pretty user-friendly, so it's easy to get started with. 
• You can use it to write your book in an organized manner.  Because it is designed specifically for book writers, there are tools to help you section off chapters.
• A variety of special features are included. Preview how your book will look live, or make use of the chat tool, which makes collaboration with other writers and/or editors easy. 

Price: FastPencil is available for free if you only want to use it as a word processing tool, but you can pay for access to more advanced features, as seen below:

11. Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is one of the most widely used word processors out there – because it’s pretty much the oldest one.

But even today, Microsoft Word remains a preference for many authors. 

Benefits to using Microsoft Word as your book writing software:

• It’s very user-friendly . Many writers already have experience using it, whether they learned it in school or at work. While it’s an older program and has been updated numerous times, its function remains the same overall. 
• The simple visual interface can create a distraction-free writing space. Other than the top toolbar, the rest of the window is reserved as your page – with ample room for your text. 
• You can create and use templates. Because it’s so versatile, Word has many options for customizing the functions to meet your needs as you write. For example, you can use headers to create chapters or sections of your book. 

Price: If your device doesn’t already include access to Microsoft Word, you can buy it. The price of Microsoft Word will vary depending on your needs and which package you want. 

12. Grammarly

Grammarly is not just a writing tool but also an AI-powered program to help you write a clean, crisp book that’s free from grammar and spelling errors. There is a free version available, but the paid version offers more advanced features like the plagiarism checker tool. You can even add Grammarly as a Chrome Extension, so it can edit and revise any writing you do – from emails, to social media posts, and more! 

13. Freedom

When you’re writing from a computer or laptop, it’s easy to get distracted with the internet just one tab away. This is where Freedom comes in. 

Freedom helps you stay focused by blocking sites on the internet that might shift your attention.

14. ProWritingAid

We cover all the nuts and bolts of this writing tool in our complete ProWritingAid review .

But for a quick summary, ProWritingAid is a tool that can be used in conjunction with many writing programs , and is a robust tool that checks grammar, spelling, and writing style, and offers a number of writing improvement insights based on AI-powered reports.

If you're looking for a tool to pair with your book writing software of choice, and are dedicated to improving your writing quality and style, then ProWritingAid will offer more than any standard spellchecker can.

Get ProWritingAid here .

15. FocusWriter

A word processor that touts “distraction-free” features, this simple software is designed to keep your focus on your writing.

Although it's not as high-tech as some of the other writing programs available, it's not meant to be. FocusWriter uses a hide-away interface with a customizable environment and autosave.

Download FocusWriter here.

So there you have it! The best writing software programs you can choose from to streamline your writing process, improve productivity, and get your book written faster.  Researching all the different writing tools and software options can be overwhelming, but remember: it’s important to pick programs that work for you. If you start using one software, and discover that it’s not right for you – that’s okay. You don’t have to commit to one writing tool if it’s hindering your productivity.  Once you find the perfect book writing software for YOU, the rest will fall in line. 

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The Best Writing Software for Authors in 2024 [Free & Paid]

Whenever I come across the question “what is the best writing software?” I tend to focus on something else other than the answer.

To be precise, I start to think contemporary writers really have it easy. A hundred years ago or earlier, this wouldn’t have been an important question.

Don’t get me wrong, I honestly think writing is still a laborious task.

But when you consider that the likes of Shakespeare, Hemmingway, and Ted Geisel, among countless others who never used writing apps to polish their work, the premise that “it’s a bit easier to write nowadays” becomes a bit more accurate.

The process of writing has evolved—we dumped the quill for a pen, then came a typewriter, and finally a computer.

Now we have all sorts of writing tools at our disposal, such as our top-rated Scrivener ,  but finding the right one for “you” can be a bit of a hassle.

That is why I decided to lift some of that burden off your shoulder and review some of the best free and paid writing software for authors available in 2024.

Let’s get started.

Our Top 3 Book Writing Software at A Glance

The best book writing software, 1. scrivener.

Best Overall

When it comes to book editing software, you need to have tools that have a writer’s soul—made for writers by inventive writers.

Scrivener isn’t your standard word processor; it isn’t your regular grammar checker either.

Scrivener—a book-writing software program developed by an aspiring writer called Keith Blount back in 2007—is a package consisting of a typewriter, ring binder, and a scrapbook in one tool.

The software tool comes with valuable features like corkboards, pre-set formatting, templates, file importing, metatags, automated document listing, and many others.

These features are perfect for novelists, scriptwriters, academics, lawyers, translators, journalists, students, and other professional writers .

Key Features:

• Has the Cork Board and Outliner: Easy and convenient organization of notes and book sections.
• Hit the Ground Running: The templates give the user a head start because it saves him/her the time it takes to set a genre-based workspace.
• Goal and Progress Tracking: Scrivener’s customizable Goals and Targets are so important for tracking your progress. They are also helpful when you’re running against a deadline and want to know if you’re picking up the pace or not.
• Weigh your Work : The Snapshots enable you to compare rewrites to original notes.
• Made with Novelists and Fiction Writers in Mind: this software comes with specialized features for novelists and fiction writers, including the Linguistic Focus (MacOS) / Dialogue Focus (Windows).

Scrivener has separate payment plans for the three supported platforms— macOS , iOS , and Windows and they cost $49, $19.99, and $45, respectively.

What I Like About Scrivener

Scrivener has a bunch of features and capabilities that I like. It has customizable interfaces, the desktop apps work offline, offers a very generous trial period, and has specialized features for novelists and fiction writers.

What I Didn’t Like About Scrivener

I found out that Scrivener requires a separate License for each supported platform—which was a bummer. On top of that, the tool doesn’t have a plagiarism checking feature. Oh, did I forget to mention the steeper learning curve?

2. Write! App

Write! is another distraction-free text editor that offers an elegant workspace for you to create notes, to-do lists, create blog posts, novels, and texts of many different kinds.

In Writer App!, you’ll find similar features of a good word processor that have been neatly packed into a well-groomed interface.

It’s sort of like a regular word processor on steroids.

And it has some sleek looks too; Writer App has a browser-styled minimalistic interface that utilizes tabs to help you navigate— for bloggers and writers, the user interface alone is an appealing appetizer.

But the app isn’t all about the looks; here are some of the essential features and their benefits.

Key Features and Benefits

Two distraction-free writing options: To do away with distraction, you have two options:

• Either you use the “Full-Screen Mode,” which basically blocks all the features except for the outline and document interface.
• Or the “Focus Mode” that turns your screen into some sort of a typewriter—it only displays the sentence or paragraph with the blinker.

Sync Your Work : Write! App offers a cloud syncing feature, conveniently enabling you to access your work from any device you use. But, the sync feature comes at an extra cost of 4.95/year.

Collaborate with Your Team: Write! App allows you to publish your work directly to the web and get a share link which you can use to share and collaborate your work.

The tool costs $24.95 annually.

What I liked About Write! App

The goal-setting features, the customizable interface, and the sharing and publishing features.

What I Didn’t Like About Write! App

There are a bunch of things that I didn’t like (not necessarily related to the tool’s functionality). The tool has no trial period, no app for mac.

Novlr is less complicated than Scrivener; a shorter learning curve and simplicity offers relief to users that found Scrivener some sort of rocket science.

It has a feature that turns it into a distraction-free tool; it eliminates all the other distractive features. The tool also checks for grammar errors, gives cheerleading leading one-liners when you are about to achieve a goal, and helps track your progress and performance.

Novlr also has an ambient-dependent color setting, which feels comfortable and sometimes stimulating.

The good thing is since it’s cloud-based, you can access the tool from any device via a web browser.

Key Features and Benefits :

• Share or Keep Your Work Safe: Novlr can automatically sync with both Google Drive and Dropbox. This way, you can easily share your draft with a co-author, book editor, or an entire project group.
• Write Within the Language’s Rules : Novlr comes with a grammar checking feature that prevents your text’s syntax and semantics from derailing.
• Chase Goals and Achieve and Manage Your Objectives: Helps you track your performance and customize your goals
• Offline Writing: you don’t essentially need a working internet connection to use the app.
• Focus Mode – remove all kinds of distractions and stay focused on writing and editing.

But all these features come at a healthy price of $100 per year.

What I Like About Novlr

I like the offline capability, the Auto-save feature, the software’s suggestions for various writing styles, and the trial period.

What I Didn’t Like About Novlr

It is relatively expensive, exports fewer file formats, and is not available as a mobile app.

4. Microsoft Word

This list wouldn’t be complete with this word-processing warhorse—Microsoft Word.

Most contemporary middle-aged writers grew up using Microsoft Word and can literally point to any of its tabs with their eyes closed.

This veteran word processor is neat and is the most underrated writing tool nowadays.

It’s just like the beautiful wife you’ve had for years, and then she becomes a 5 out of 10 just because you’ve spotted some new “Jenny” on the block.

But… do not be fooled; MS Word is still the “OG” of the writing software category.

This tool still comes equipped with core features like translation, grammar checking, web publishing, and other standout features.

Here are some of these features (a mere glimpse of what MS Word has to offer):

• Custom Styles : Whether you want to customize headings, subheadings, or subtitles, the tool allows you to tweak your text however you like.
• Easy to Use Custom Navigation Pane : once you’ve customized the styles, the headings and pages appear in a very intuitive sidebar called the navigation pane. You can rearrange the headings by dragging them in the navigation pane.
• Automatic links: you can easily link a word or sentence to a place in the same document or a web page. This is convenient when you want to publish your document in digital formats—a reader can simply click on the link and jump to the desired content or page.
• Automatic Table of Contents : MS Word lets you create a table of contents to which is also hyperlinked the headings.
• Mailing : easily send your manuscript to an editor, straight from Word. You can either mail your document to a single recipient or multiple email accounts.
• Track Changes : the tool also lets you track, accept, and reject changes you or anyone else makes to your document. You can set the tracking feature on or lock tracking—whatever is your cup of tea, eh?

There are a bunch of Microsoft 365 plans available—too many, almost inconveniently too many. So for conciseness sake, I’m only going to list the basic plans (for personal and family use):

• Microsoft 365 Family – free for one month; $9.99 monthly or $99.99 yearly
• Microsoft 365 Personal – costs $6.99 per month and $69.99 yearly
• Office Home & Student 2019 –offers a one-time purchase priced at $149.99 (for both Mac and PC)

The pricing section doesn’t seem concise, but I had to exscind almost 75% of Microsoft 365’s catalog pricing plans.

What I Like About MS Word

The app is packed with powerful formatting options, templates for almost anything, and an easy-to-use interface.

What I Didn’t Like About MS Word

No virtual boards like some of the other dedicated writing software programs I’ve listed.

Ulysses has been in the game for a very long time. In fact, it is the software that inspired Scrivener.

And just like Scrivener (which seems to have overtaken it), it has a modern, streamlined interface and is stuffed with essential features for a modern writer. Ulysses provides document management, file syncing, style editing, and many other essential capabilities.

It is the perfect book writing tool for serious authors because it allows the writer to organize the manuscript in a clean, focused writing environment.

Improves Focus & Productivity: Ulysses comes with features that allow writers to completely focus on writing and increase their output.

It has a distraction-free interface that helps you get around in no time-such as; typewriter mode, keyboard navigation mode which enables you to operate Ulysses via keyboard only, markup-based text editor, and many other customizable features.

Offers Sufficient Organization & Management: Ulysses offers a wide range of organizational tools that helps writers organize their work from something as small as note-taking to a bulky novel. The tool has:

• A unified library for your texts
• Hierarchic groups which let you organize your drafts
• Enables you to attach additional information such as images, PDFs, notes, keywords, and others.
• Filters which allow you to narrow down your library’s content according to keywords, text occurrences, et cetera.
• Writing Goals for tracking your daily objectives, set word or character limits, and overall progress.
• Auto-Save & Automatic Backup feature, which automatically saves your work and keeps local backups.

Versatile Synchronization and Export functions: With Ulysses’ syncing capabilities, you write anywhere without repeatedly setting the tool . Ulysses offers full iCloud sync, macOS-iOS sync (iPhone to iPad to Mac), and you can add Dropbox folders to your text library.

Ulysses also boasts of a versatile export function; among other capabilities, you can export your document as a Markdown file or HTML code, DOC, PDF, and other file formats. You can also publish your text directly to medium and WordPress.

Ulysses costs $5.99 monthly or $49.99 yearly. It also has a 14-day trial period.

What I Liked

The tool comes with a lot of perks. Still, there were some special ones including effective document management, progress tracking tools, multiple view options, and the direct WordPress and Medium publishing feature.

What I Didn’t Like

I didn’t like its exclusivity to Apple devices. I thought that it only affects the owner’s revenues more than anything else.

6. Manuskript 

Manuskript is an open-source tool for writers including novelists, journos, and academicians.

It comes close to providing the same features as its paid counterparts. It has an Outliner for you to hierarchically organize your work, allows you to set writing goals and has a feature called the “Novel Assistant,” which helps develop a random idea into a lucid plot by using the “snowflake method.”

The tool lacks cloud collaboration and other essential elements that paid tools have.

“If it doesn’t cost you money, don’t complain sonny!”

• Outliner: This feature lets you organize your ideas and little pieces of your story hierarchically. You can arrange and rearrange whichever way you like.
• Avoid Unnecessary Detours: With the Distraction-free mode, you can get rid of all distractions that impede the pace of your writing process.
• Monitor your Progress: Set personal goals
• Novel assistant:  You can utilize the snowflake method to develop your basic ideas into a coherent plotline or a full-fledged story with characters, plots, and comprehensive settings.

What I Like About Manuskript

Firstly, it’s an open-source tool. I also like how the “Novel assistant” adds something extra to your writing, the spell checker, and language translation.

What I Don’t Like About Manuskript

The app might be a bit difficult to install for people who are not tech-savvy.

7. Livingwriter

Here’s another tool with a shorter learning curve but stacked with all the necessary features to help you write your book—from the plotting phase right up to the publishing stage.

Livingwriter has an intuitive interface that was designed to make you feel comfortable right from the start.

You can collaborate with your co-authors and share your live chapters or the entire draft with an editor. The tool lets you restrict the view, comment, and editing permissions of your editor, proofreader, or co-authors to protect your work.

• Casually Organize and Plot Your Stories: Utilize the tool’s sidebar to arrange your chapter notes quickly.
• Get A God’s-Eye View of Your Writing: rearrange your plot lines or your book simply by dragging and dropping notes on the app’s board.
• Focus Mode : For a distraction-free writing experience, the right sidebar, which displays details on Chapters and Story Elements can be turned off, leaving the editor window only.
• Set Writing Goals: Writing goals enable you to observe differences in your writing pace and see how much content you have written.

Liivngwriter offers a 14-day trial. If you’re hooked, you have to choose between two payment arrangements: either pay $9.99 monthly or choose to fork out $96 once a year.

What I Like About Livingwriter

I liked the Grammarly Integration, the free trial, and its collaboration capabilities.

What I Didn’t Like About Livingwriter

I didn’t like the fact that the tool is not available as a desktop app and wasn’t ideal for screenwriting.

Although Dabble’s interface is more streamlined and intuitive than most of its competition, it is stuffed with features similar to those that Scrivener and its closest competitors have.

Well of course I used the word “stuffed,” but Dabble still has less features than Scrivener.

The tool comes with features like a word tracker, Cloud Sync, plot grid, and Spelling and Grammar checkers, among others.

Take a look at what you’ll be getting when you have Dabble as your writing software.

• Plot the “Bestseller Course”: One of Dabble’s most essential features is the Plot Grid.  With this feature, you can arrange plot lines and plot points in a notecard format. By dragging and dropping the notecards, you can develop basic ideas into a detailed scene chart.
• Up your Game—Focus: Dabble let’s switch into focus mode as you type, which reduces the distractions.  You can also customize the interface manually to give you a more focused writing space.
• Keep Track of the Mileage: Dabble has a goals module that keeps track of the daily word count. In the right module, there’s a bar graph that shows you the daily written amounts.

Dabble offers three plans: Basic, Standard, and Premium. The plans cost $5, $10, $15 respectively.

What I Like About Dabble

I like the Intuitive dashboard, the grammar checker, and the free trial

What I Didn’t Like About Dabble

There is one thing that I disliked about this tool; it isn’t ideal for writing screenplays, short stories, scripts, and other formats.

9. Google Docs

Google is the best Microsoft Word alternative—one of the most preferred writing tools out there. And just like its buddy, the word processor is supplemented by Google Sheets and Google Slides in G Suite by Google.

Unlike MS Word though, Google Docs tool is a cloud-based editor (although docs can be accessed offline). With the app, you can edit your docs offline and online (tablets, PCs, and phones).

This isn’t your sufficient Scrivener alternative though; it lacks the tools for you to seamlessly jump from one subsection of a bulky chapter to another section in another chapter. I usually use it for blog posts and other short reads.

Take a look at some of the standout features that Google Docs has to offer:

• Add Fonts: Just like MS Word, Google Docs lets you add fonts to its library, the good thing is that you don’t need to download and install the fonts separately.
• Enjoy the Voice to Text Feature: if you don’t feel like typing, you can utilize the voice typing feature and the app will translate your recording to text.
• A Variety of Styles: Google Docs comes with lots of different styles for formatting your text.

Google Docs Pricing

Google Docs is free, but you can purchase Google Workspace plans for you to get more storage space and other benefits of Google’s apps.

A Few Other Notable Pieces Of Writing Software Worth Mentioning

• Quoll Writer

What Makes the Best Book Writing Software?

Most writers I know are over 30, the average age being 40. Now, these seasoned wordsmiths have been doing all their writing using Word for a very long time.

For them to adopt a new tool to use in the writing process, the tool needs to have something extra special, an extra oomph!

They are not just going to start using a tool just because someone says it’s good (I’d expect the same attitude from you too), but some of the factors I have listed below would do a lot to convince them, and they’re the ones you should be considering before you decide which book writing software is the best for you.

How to Decide Which Book Writing Software Is Best for You?

The following are things to consider before choosing a book writing software:

Offline Functionality

Having a tool that only works online is okay, but sometimes writers take writing excursions to a remote location to get their writing juices flowing again.

They might choose an area with no internet connection and need their Scrivener working full time whilst they’re there.

Or the internet might be working just fine, but the writer might decide to go offline. Offline writing software comes in handy in such situations. 

Desktop App

Nobody expects to write or edit a whole 100k novel in a web-based text box. That would just kill the fun of writing the book.

Conveniently most good writing apps have desktop apps.

And the app ought to be available for both macOS and Windows (although I’ve listed some tools which are only available either as macOS apps or Windows apps).

Distraction-Free Writing

Focus is so important, especially when you’re writing bulky creative pieces.

But writing on a laptop or tablet computer offers plenty of distractions. With notifications flying in from everywhere, your unfinished movie staring at you, et cetera.

A good writing app needs to be able to block all these distractions from your writing environment.   

To achieve this, some apps go full screen and inhibit inessential background processes while others turn into a typewriter and only display the text being typed.

Easy or Steep Learning Curve

Although a steeper learning curve indicates the sophistication of a writing app, some tools are just complicated for no substantial reason.

If an app like Scrivener has a steeper learning, it is for a very good reason: the tool is stuffed with comprehensive features that help you from the first step to the publishing stage of your manuscript crafting process.

However, Scrivener is an exception (the steeper presents an investment into a Rambo of a book writing software), and writing tools need to be easy to master.

Tracking Your Progress

The best writing tools are equipped with features that help see how much ground you’ve covered.

They furnish you with stats to help you track your writing progress and set personal milestones.

Writing tools like the veteran MS word allow you to easily track, accept, and reject the change made to your document.

Scrivener and other tools like it have virtual boards called Cork Boards where you can organize, plan, and keep track of changes made to your draft.

Cost of Software

The overall cost of writing ought to be the least of your worries. The concern should be what you want from software.

If you are paying $49 to use Scrivener, it means you are paying for all its features.

But, are you using all of them?

If all you need the tool to do is help you outline your book and check some grammar and spelling mistakes , then you’re overpaying.

You can use a less sophisticated tool that costs less but has the basic features which you need.

But if a tool has the perfect features for your project (no major inessential elements), then pay up, buddy!

Is Free Writing Software as Good as Paid Software?

The answer—put simply—is no.

Free writing software is sufficient, but paid ones usually are more developed with better user features.

Free writing software tools feel like regular milk, but the paid have this extra edge, a thickness that feels more like condensed milk. The developers always make sure to stuff the paid ones with more indispensable features to make them way cooler than the free version.

And if a tool is completely free, then it probably generates revenue using other sources. Such tools usually bombard you with ads and lack many essential features you’d typically find in a paid tool.

So, the free ones will do the job for you, just not as efficiently as their paid counterparts.

What Software Do Most Writers Use?

The ‘word processor’ market has been flooded with a lot of software, but there is one that has stood the test of time.

The Granddaddy of word processors—Microsoft word. It’s been here for decades and still reigns as the most used writing software even though other apps do a better job.

The issue lies with trust. The tool still has millions of users (in the US only), and its popularity has never been matched anywhere else in the world.

What Writing Software Do Famous Writers Use?

1. stephen king.

The bestselling horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novelist uses MS Word for manuscript and Final Draft for screenplays.

2. J.K Rowling

The Harry Potter author uses MS word. She once tweeted that she writes her very first draft using pen and paper then transfers it to Word.

3. Sabba Tahir

 The bestselling author of a YA fantasy series uses both Scrivener and MS Word. Sabba starts out in Scrivener, then after organizing the book she moves it to Word and finishes it there.

4. Jeff Goins

Jeff is a best-selling author of books, including Real Artists Don’t Starve and The Art of Work. He uses Scrivener to craft his bestsellers.

So, What’s the Best Book Writing Software?

Scrivener , without Doubt.

It is so good that new apps strive to be the perfect copies of this standard-setting tool.

Just imagine, it completely tramples the app it was accused of copying.

And I have talked about the steep learning curve about a thousand times and why the case is so…

You can’t build something this good and expect the average joe to quickly and easily master it.

Almost anyone can drive a Cadillac, but how many can get a spaceship to mars?

You get the idea.

Recommended Reading...

Best dictation software in 2024, best essay writing software: 16 apps that can help you write perfect essays, scrivener vs word: which is the better book writing software, vellum vs scrivener: which is better for writing and formatting your book.

Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Typewriter. Ring-binder. Scrapbook. Everything you need to craft your first draft.

Get your thoughts onto the page and explore the connections between them.

Join the conversation. Ask a question or just get to know your fellow users.

What we’re working on, interviews with users, and general prolixity.

Typewriter. Ring-binder. Scrapbook. Scrivener combines all the tools you need to craft your first draft, from nascent notion to final full stop.

Scrivener takes tools familiar to writers everywhere and integrates them in new and exciting ways.

Start a new chapter: Scrivener 3 is now available for macOS and Windows.

No matter what you write, Scrivener brings together all of your notes, research and writing so that it's always at hand.

For writing. And writing. And writing.

Scrivener is the go-to app for writers of all kinds, used every day by best-selling novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators and more. Scrivener won't tell you how to write—it simply provides everything you need to start writing and keep writing.

Available for

Grow your manuscript your way.

Tailor-made for long writing projects, Scrivener banishes page fright by allowing you to compose your text in any order, in sections as large or small as you like. Got a great idea but don't know where it fits? Write when inspiration strikes and find its place later. Grow your manuscript organically, idea by idea.

MORE FEATURES

See the forest or the trees

Whether you plan or plunge, Scrivener works your way: hammer out every last detail before typing a word, or carve out a draft and restructure later. Or mix your methods and do a bit of both. In Scrivener, everything you write is integrated into an easy-to-use project outline. So working with an overview of your manuscript is only ever a click away, and turning Chapter Four into Chapter One is as simple as drag and drop.

Research within reach

Need to refer to research? In Scrivener, your background material is always at hand, and you can open it right next to your work. Write a description based on a photograph. Transcribe an interview. Take notes about a PDF file or web page. Or check for consistency by referencing an earlier chapter alongside the one in progress.

Getting it out there

Once you're ready to share your work with the world, compile everything into a single document for printing, self-publishing, or exporting to popular formats such as Word, PDF, Final Draft or plain text. You can even share using different formatting, so that you can write in your favorite font and still satisfy those submission guidelines.

Who uses Scrivener?

• Autobiographers
• Biographers
• Children's Authors
• Journalists
• Screenwriters
• Translators

I genuinely think this is the biggest software advance for writers since the word processor. Michael Marshall Smith , NYT best-selling author.

Scrivener gives you the freedom to make a mess, the confidence to know you’ll clean it up, and the semantic relationships to tie it all together in whatever way makes the most sense to you. Merlin Mann , indie writer, speaker, and broadcaster.

If there was a list of the top five greatest apps of all time in the Mac App Store, it would start with Scrivener and then there would be four other things. Andy Ihnatko , technology columnist.

As a writer's application, Scrivener is damn near perfect; it means outlines, treatments and then first drafts can be put together in the same application. Neil Cross , author and screenwriter.

Scrivener is worth every penny: quite simply, it’s the best writers tool there is. Zoe Margolis , best-selling author.

Scrivener is the biggest leap forward in writing software since the venerable days of WordPerfect, and believe me, I’ve tried them all. Antony Johnston , comics writer and novelist.

Scrivener has so many useful features, there’s almost too many to list. Mike Sussman , Writer-Producer.

I'd thought it was yet another hobby app at first but this is genuinely for working writers with real deadlines and monster workloads. Karen Traviss , #1 NYT best-selling author.

Scrivener 1.2.4 Requires iOS 12+ Release Notes

Scrivener 3.3.6 Requires macOS 10.13+ Release Notes

Scrivener 3.1.5.1 Requires 64-bit Windows 10+ Minimum display resolution 1024x768px Release Notes

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Best Book Writing Software: Top Tools for Writing a Novel

Hannah Yang

Table of Contents

10 top features to look for in book writing software, best book writing software for writers.

I’ve been on an epic quest for the last few years to find the perfect book writing software. 

By now, I’ve tried well over a dozen different novel writing apps . My writing friends laugh and urge me to commit. But I want the best book writing software possible.

One person’s perfect writing app might be another person’s technology nightmare, so I’ve rounded up several options for you to choose from. I’ve also outlined the features I look for when choosing a great book writing app.

What makes a book writing software great? It needs to check several boxes. Here are the ten criteria I consider when choosing a novel app.

1. Online and Offline Capabilities

Sometimes, you need to write on a browser. Other times, you may want to write in a cabin in the woods. A great writing app will allow you to do both.

An app that only has an offline desktop version for one or two devices won’t help you if you’re writing at a library or borrowing a computer. On the other hand, apps that only work with an internet connection will leave you frustrated when the network is down or you’re writing on a cruise ship with a drink in your hand.

So, look for a book writing program that has online and offline capabilities.

You can also look for apps that have mobile versions. This way, you can add a scene on the go with your phone or tablet, and it will sync the next time you’re on your computer.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

2. Easy Organization

What makes a book writing software different from a word processor like Microsoft Word or Google Docs?

You need the ability to quickly organize your scenes and chapters so you can navigate through your manuscript and easily format for a query or for publishing. You can also write nonlinearly if you prefer to skip scenes while you draft.

Sometimes, you may need to add a chapter or scene between two existing chapters, or you might need to move a scene to a different chapter altogether. Great book writing applications will have a drag-and-drop feature for rearranging your scenes.

3. Multiple Functions

The more your writing app can do, the better value it is. The writing process has several steps: notes and research, plotting, writing, editing, and formatting. Look for an app that can help you with multiple steps of the writing process.

The closer you can get to a one-stop program, the better. It will save you time, headaches, and money. 

4. Affordable

Writing isn’t a particularly lucrative career. Finding a book writing software that won’t break the bank is essential—at least until you strike it big on the bestseller list. 

Pick a book software that’s well within your budget. And here’s a tip: if you sell books, you can also write off the cost as a business expense on your taxes.

5. Security

A few years ago, I was using a great novel writing software that no longer exists. It was a new, small startup. The servers crashed for five days, and customer support said they didn’t know if they could recover all the data they lost—e.g., everyone’s stories.

Thankfully, they did, but I jumped ship to find a more secure company. (And I back up my work more frequently.)

Look for an app that will protect your writing and your data. After all, these companies will have your email address, credit card info, and billing address. Companies that have SOC2 and/or GDPR compliance are among the most reliable.

6. Great Customer Support

With any luck, you won’t ever have to contact customer service. But sometimes things happen, or you just need a little help understanding the product. Check out reviews to see people’s feedback about the software’s customer support. 

7. Customizable

Every writer has a different writing process. A great writing app will easily adapt to your needs. This might mean specific character templates, a variety of plotting tools, or different interfaces. Maybe you prefer a focus mode or a dark mode, or you want to upload your own outline template.

Keep in mind that often, the more customizable a book writing software is, the higher the learning curve. Consider how much customization you actually want and need so you don’t get overwhelmed.

8. Word Count and Goal Tracking

Setting word count goals is an excellent way to keep yourself motivated. You might even participate in a word count challenge like NaNoWriMo! Or maybe you’re a person who would prefer to write every day without setting a minimum word count.

Not every app allows you to set writing goals or track your progress. If you enjoy seeing how often or how much you’ve written, look for this feature when selecting a novel writing software.

9. Writing Resources

The best writing software isn't one that just lets you write—it also teaches you how to write. Look for a book writing software that has excellent learning resources.

Most apps offer a blog, but some aren't as robust as others. Great software may also include embedded videos, plot templates, and more. Many apps offer webinars and online conferences too.

You want the most value for your money, so be sure to explore the writing resources offered by the software before committing

10. Shareable

A great book writing software will also have methods for sharing with critique partners, beta readers, and editors. Shareability might look like easy exporting to Google Docs or just a public view link. You may prefer a collaboration feature that allows in-line comments directly in the app.

Some writers might want to publish through an app to build an audience. Some book writing software tools include a Wattpad-like platform where readers can read your novel online. This is a great option for authors who don't want to traditionally publish or monetize their novel.

Now you know what to look for, let's check out some of the best book writing software on the market. This list includes both free writing software and paid. Some of the paid book writing software includes limited free versions as well.

1. ProWritingAid

Of course, we're pretty certain ProWritingAid is the best writing software out there. Many people think of ProWritingAid as just a grammar checker, but we're actually so much more.

ProWritingAid offers detailed in-line comments on your writing. This includes style feedback, pacing suggestions, sensory notes, and more. You can customize your writing goals based on genre. We even offer rephrasing suggestions for when you can't figure out how to make that pesky line sound better.

The premium version lets you compare your writing against the style of dozens of bestselling authors. You can get most of our other features on the free version, but you're limited to 500 words at a time.

You can absolutely write a novel in ProWritingAid. You can create multiple documents and folders on our web editor. Or you can integrate ProWritingAid with Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Scrivener, or just about any other website or app.

We also offer robust writing resources. Our blog has in-depth articles on every aspect of the writing process. We also have in-tool articles, videos, and quizzes. And we have incredible online conferences featuring popular bestselling authors.

2. Campfire

Campfire is one of the most in-depth world-building and book writing software out there. It's highly customizable, which means it comes with a learning curve. But if you want a visually pleasing, personalized writing app, it's worth the time to learn.

Campfire comprises several modules for aspects of plotting and world-building. They include things like timelines, maps, religious systems, characters, magic systems, and more. These are all easy to link together in a dynamic world bible.

Recently, they've built up their manuscript module so you can write directly in the app (and export for formatting and publishing). Their mobile app keeps getting better with each update.

One of the best aspects of Campfire is their flexible pricing. You pay for what you need: if all your characters are human, for example, you don't have to buy the species module. Then you can purchase each module monthly, yearly, or for a lifetime. This ends up saving you money.

3. One Stop for Writers

One Stop for Writers is a web app with a treasure trove of resources and tools specifically designed for novelists.

It includes templates and worksheets that can help you develop every aspect of your story. You can create realistic and well-rounded characters with the Character Builder, design fantasy worlds with the World-Building Surveys, and so much more.

There's also a Story Map you can use to develop your plot structure. You can choose one of three arcs to work with: the change arc, the static arc, or the failed arc. Then, you can see the beats you need to include in your story in order to create a satisfying plot.

Their descriptive database gives you access to countless ideas for descriptions, such as emotions, weather, themes and symbols, textures, occupations, and more.

One Stop for Writers requires a monthly or annual subscription, but if you're not ready to invest in a subscription, you can sign up for a two-week free trial first.

4. Scrivener

Scrivener is one of the most useful tools for organizing large, ambitious book projects.

Novels are long and require a lot of organization. You have to keep track of all your different characters, settings, and subplots, and that's before you even start drafting.

Scrivener is a word processing tool that's specifically designed to make writing a book as easy as possible. It organizes all of your writing in a "binder" so you can easily drag and drop scenes and chapters into new locations.

You can also toggle between multiple different views in Scrivener, which is incredibly useful when you're moving between ideation, drafting, and revising. For example, in the corkboard mode, you can see a bird's-eye view of your book as index cards on a corkboard. There's also an outline mode, where you can see your book as a written outline.

Scrivener also helps you track your progress on your novel by letting you set targets so you can make sure you're hitting your deadlines.

There's no free version of Scrivener, but you can buy a license with a small upfront fee, and after that, you can use it for a lifetime.

5. LivingWriter

LivingWriter is a word processor that makes it easy for you to organize your novel and organize it chapter by chapter, similar to Scrivener.

Where LivingWriter shines is in its unique features to help novelists. It makes it easy for you to make a glossary of characters, locations, plot points, and other elements so you can easily refer back to them. The app will even give you a list of the words you've made up for your novel so you can autofill them easily.

LivingWriter also provides several basic templates to give you a starting point if you're not sure where to begin. You can use plot structures, like the hero's journey, to start planning out your novel.

One additional benefit of LivingWriter is that it's a cloud-based app that automatically backs up your project to the cloud using Amazon Cloud Services. If you've ever had your laptop crash without saving your work, you know what a lifesaver it can be to not have to worry about backups.

The drawback to LivingWriter is that it requires an ongoing subscription, which makes it less cost-friendly than Scrivener if you plan to use it for more than a few months. You can try the two-week free trial first if you want to see how it works.

Dabble is a writing software that's sometimes referred to as "Scrivener without the learning curve."

It offers similar organizational features to Scrivener. For example, it makes it easy for you to organize your book into chapters. It also lets you use "cards" to keep track of your plot points in the Plot section.

Like many other writing software options, it also lets you set goals and timelines to keep track of your progress. It also has a focus mode that helps you write without distractions.

The downside is that its features aren't quite as powerful as Scrivener's. You also can't export books in special formats, which means you'll have to use a separate formatting tool to make sure your manuscript is ready for publication.

Dabble offers three subscription tiers that give you access to different features depending on how much you pay. You might be able to find cheaper options if you're simply looking for a great novel writing software.

7. NovelPad

NovelPad is a word processing tool that's specifically designed for novelists.

NovelPad lets you organize your book in a clear and efficient way. You can color code your scenes to help you visually keep track of which ones you're drafting, editing, or planning.

One feature NovelPad offers that I haven't seen anywhere else is the character tracking feature, which lets you easily see all the sections in your book that include a specific character. If you want to make sure all your major characters are getting equal page time, or if you want to check for consistency in a single character's actions, this feature makes that easy.

It's a subscription-based software that only works in a web browser, so this might not be the tool for you if you prefer to write offline in a desktop app.

8. Fictionary StoryTeller

Fictionary Story Editing Software is a must-have for authors looking to improve their story editing skills. The software’s systematic approach to developmental editing guides you through an evaluation of your manuscript's structure, character, and plot progression so you can make it as powerful as possible for your reader. 

The Story Arc feature automatically visualises your narrative structure, allowing you to identify instances where your pacing may lose your reader. 

The Story Map feature offers a comprehensive overview of your story, highlighting common problem areas such as story flow, character developments, revelations, tension gaps, or confusing timelines. No more sticky notes or massive spreadsheets to keep track of everything. 

The Synopsis Generator helps you harness your manuscript's pivotal scenes, crafting a synopsis that encapsulates key story elements and the central conflict.

In addition to the software, the Fictionary Team of Certified StoryCoach Editors offers a comprehensive program of training and support to help writers get their manuscripts publish-ready. 

Fictionary StoryTeller is an indispensable tool for authors who want to make sure their story is tight, engaging, and unputdownable. 

Conclusion on Book Writing Software

There you have it—our picks for the best book writing software options on the market.

No two writers have the exact same process, so the writing tools that I love using might not be the same ones that work best for you. The best way to figure out your favorite book software is by experimenting on your own.

So, try some of these options out, and see if they can help you take your novel to the next level.

Good luck, and happy writing!

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Love writing? ProWritingAid will help you improve the style, strength, and clarity of your stories.

Hannah is a speculative fiction writer who loves all things strange and surreal. She holds a BA from Yale University and lives in Colorado. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her painting watercolors, playing her ukulele, or hiking in the Rockies. Follow her work on hannahyang.com or on Twitter at @hannahxyang.

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Ebooks, Publishing, and Everything in Between

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12 of the Best Book Writing Software to Try in 2024 (Free and Paid)

• on Feb 01, 2024
• in Digital Publishing
• Last update: February 1st, 2024

Let’s imagine that you’re finally ready to sit down and write that book you’ve been dreaming about. The first question that you’ll ask yourself is, which writing software should you use? Sometimes consulting other authors might not help much. Some of them will tell you to use Microsoft Word, others will recommend notebooks and a pen. And every once in a while, a fellow author might mention book-writing software you have never heard of before.

Writing a book, like any other craft, requires some form of dedicated tool, but you don’t have to search far and beyond to find the best one for your needs. This article contains a list of the best options out there for authors of any genre, each with its pros and cons.

In this article:

How to choose a book writing software The best 12 book writing software for writers in2024:

• Kotobee Author
• Microsoft Word
• FocusWriter
• Google Docs
• Reedsy Book Editor
• LivingWriter
• The Novel Factory

How to Choose the Best Book Writing Software

If you’re reading this article, then you have probably been hunting for the best tool for writing your book. Each writing program has its strengths and weaknesses, so your choice will depend on your needs and the genre you’re writing your book in.

Generally speaking, most writers expect to find at least two or three of the following features when searching for a book-writing tool:

• Text editing and processing: Any book writing software must include some word processing features, which allow you to write, edit, and format text.
• Spelling and grammar checker: Spelling and grammar checkers are best used for detecting common typos and correcting basic grammar. They come in especially handy during the proofreading process.
• Export options: It’s important to have several manuscript exporting options, like PDF, DOCX, and EPUB. This way, you can upload your book to your preferred publishing platforms as well as open it on any device.
• Document formatting: Document formatting features don’t have to be fancy or complicated. Nevertheless, the program must offer some formatting features, like paragraph spacing, headers and footers, etc.
• Note-taking widgets: Some programs allow you to add notes or comments to your manuscript without modifying the main text. This can be useful in many cases; for example, you can add notes to remind yourself to look up certain information later.
• Multimedia content support: If you want to add images, videos, graphs, or charts to your book, you must choose a program that supports the necessary file formats. For example, the software must support JPG or PNG files if you want to add images.
• Novel planning tools: For fiction authors, book writing software may offer novel planning utilities like mind maps, timeline tools, and character profiles.
• Interactive content: Some programs, like Kotobee Author , allow you to add interactive content in ebooks, like quizzes and games. These features are the key to turning your ebook into a rich, immersive reading experience.

The 12 Best Book Writing Software in 2024

Each author has different writing goals and routines; one author’s secret sauce could be another author’s pet peeve. So, to help you find a good match for your goals, we have a range of programs that contain all the features you could need.

1. Kotobee Author

Kotobee Author is a great option for creating interactive ebooks. From novels and storybooks to textbooks and even instruction manuals, Kotobee Author will help you create an engaging, multi-dimensional experience for your readers to enjoy.

In addition to supporting mini-apps and other interactive features it offers, Kotobee Author allows you to export your manuscript in several formats. You can even turn your ebook into web and mobile ebook apps if you wish.

As a book-writing tool, Kotobee Author offers writers the following features:

• A full suite of word processing tools.
• Over 19 interface languages to choose from.
• Ebook apps , including quizzes , and games to enrich the reading experience.
• Plenty of ebook templates for all genres.
• Easily adjustable HTML/CSS code for further ebook customization .
• More than 12 export options ( standard ebook formats , online ebook hosting, and the ability to create web/mobile ebook apps ).
• AI content creation tools that can generate text , images , and questions .
• The option to preview your ebook on 20 different devices .

Despite all the aforementioned advantages, you should be aware that the following features are not available yet:

• Kotobee Author doesn’t offer writing tips for beginners.
• There aren’t any dedicated worldbuilding or note-taking tools.

You can get started with the free Kotobee license to test the waters. Alternatively, you can buy the basic license at $150/user or the premium license at $300/user . Both licenses come with free program updates for one year. To learn more about how Kotobee Author can help you write your book, you can request a free live demo .

Verdict: Kotobee Author is fantastic for writers of all levels who want as much creative freedom as possible. It’s also the best (and only) option on this list for creating interactive ebooks.

2. Google Docs (Free)

When it comes to cloud-based word processing tools, the most popular option is Google Docs. With a clean, clutter-free interface and the option to collaborate with other users, Google Docs is a good fit for teams and multiple authors.

Google Docs’ powerful word processing suite makes it easy to write your manuscript all the way to the end. Plus, your documents are automatically saved to your Google Drive and synced across devices, so you are unlikely to lose them by accident.

Google Docs offers the features below, all of which can be very useful for writing a book:

• Standard word processing options, such as text editing and word formatting.
• Cloud integration with Google Drive which allows for easy access to your files across different devices .
• Simple document design options and several templates to choose from.
• The option to install add-ons created by the community for various uses.
• Real-time collaboration with other users for writing , editing , or simply commenting on the text.
• Around 100 interface languages to choose from.
• Spelling & grammar checker.

While Google Docs can be great for writing, you should keep these cons in mind:

• There are no dedicated book-writing features; you are limited to simple document formatting and a few templates to choose from.
• Google Docs tends to lag if your document is longer than 100 pages or contains many images.
• There is no default offline mode, but you can install a free Chrome extension if you want to use it offline.

It’s 100% free !

Verdict: Google Docs is best suited for the last few drafts of your manuscript and for live collaboration with your editor. However, you will want to use it for manuscripts that are either text-only or under 100 pages.

3. Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is the tool of choice for most writers when they start writing their books. Ask any writer what software they mostly use in writing their books, and the answer will likely be Microsoft Word.

But why is Word so popular in the writing community? For starters, it has defined the standard of modern word processing. Word also offers a variety of styles, templates, and a lot of features specific to editing and reviewing. Plus, you can use the free online version and save your work to OneDrive or use the paid desktop program and save your files locally as well.

Microsoft Word comes with a range of features, including:

• Standard word processing tools, like text alignment and language-specific formatting .
• The option to save files locally or on the cloud via OneDrive.
• Several templates to choose from.
• Plenty of design options .
• The option to track changes made by anyone with access to the document.
• A built-in spelling & grammar checker .
• Document accessibility checker .

As some writers will tell you, MS Word does come with a few downsides that you should be aware of. For example:

• You cannot purchase MS Word on its own; you must pay for a Microsoft 365 subscription, which can get quite expensive .
• MS Word becomes laggy past the 100-page mark or if the document contains lots of images.

You can use the web version with limited features for free . To access the full version, you have to subscribe to a Microsoft 365 package at $69.99/year for one person (or $99.99/year for up to six users ). If you want to learn more about each plan, you can check out their website .

If you already have MS Word on your computer and use it regularly, then it can be a good fit for the first few drafts of your manuscript. Just keep in mind that MS Word caters better to shorter books and documents that contain lots of images, like pamphlets.

4. Reedsy Book Editor

At an alluring price tag of zero dollars, Reedsy Book Editor aims to give you all the essentials you need to plan and write your book. The app also comes with convenient formatting tools, as well as the ability to collaborate with editors from the Reedsy marketplace.

While the app is geared towards novelists in particular, you can still use Reedsy Book Editor to write in any genre. Its intuitive interface allows you to get started right away.

If you choose to write your book using Reedsy Book Editor, you’ll have access to the following features:

• Ready-made copyright and table of contents forms with prompts and instructions.
• An integrated spell-checker in addition to editing and formatting options .
• Collaboration with editors from the Reedsy marketplace .
• Writing goals and word count tracker .
• Easy-to-use chapter/scene sp litting .
• A planning board that utilizes the Hero’s Journey plot structure , with a ready example to use for inspiration.
• Document adjustments for print when exporting, and numerous export formats to choose from (such as EPUB and MOBI ).

Just remember that there are a couple of downsides to using this software that you need to think about, including the following:

• There is no offline mode , so you need an internet connection to use it .
• The dashboard is cluttered, which makes it difficult to find the text editor.
• The planning board is split into three acts, which may not work for every genre.

Reedsy Book Editor is a solid choice for authors writing plot-heavy books. However, non-fiction writers might not benefit from the planning board because it’s aimed at novel writers.

5. Scrivener

Rarely will you find a writer who hasn’t at least heard of Scrivener or recommended it to others. Given its large user base, Scrivener stands among the most popular book-writing software on the market today.

In addition to its powerful planning tools, Scrivener also has lots of room for customization. This robust program allows you to tweak your chapter arrangement, notes, and more.

Many writers use Scrivener because of these features:

• Support for importing files in a variety of formats such as PDF and DOCX .
• A range of customization options .
• Many planning and organization tools for research , book outlining , and notes .
• An outliner tool to build your outline from the ground up.
• Cross-platform sync using Dropbox.
• Composition mode , which hides other tabs and helps you focus on writing.
• Many export options, including DOCX , RTF , TXT , and FDX .
• Word counter and goal tracker .

While most writers love this tool, they find these flaws quite significant:

• The MacOS version tends to receive updates more often than the Windows and IOS versions.
• The interface isn’t user-friendly; it’s quite difficult to navigate without watching tutorials.
• Integration with other apps like Google Drive isn’t readily available.

For a MacOS or Windows license, you can pay a one-time fee of $59.99 for the personal copy , or $50.99 for the educational license . If you need both versions, you can pay $95.98 for both the Windows and MacOS licenses in one bundle. For more information on the pricing options, you can visit their website .

Scrivener is great for all genres and types of writing, but its complex features may need some time to get used to.

Dabble presents itself as a clean, intuitive writing program without distracting or complicated tools. All you have to do is log in, open your manuscript, and just start writing.

An advantage that Dabble has over many other writing tools is that it is cloud-based. This means you can work from any device as long as you have an internet connection. In other words, you won’t risk losing hours of hard work.

Here are some of the many features that Dabble offers:

• Clean, user-friendly interface .
• Cloud-based storage and autosave function , which means uninterrupted writing across all your devices.
• The ability to rearrange chapters and scenes as well as separate them by acts or parts .
• Notes folders to accompany your chapters.
• A plot planner tool .
• Focus mode , which hides the menu and sidebars as soon as you start writing.
• Flexible writing goal tracker , where you can add deadlines or days off from writing.
• The ability to synchronize your NaNoWriMo project with the app so your word count gets updated as you write.

If you want to try out Dabble, you should be aware of the cons below:

• The app has very limited formatting options .
• Dark mode is not available in the Basic plan.
• The note-taking feature might not be enough for long novels or research-heavy books.

There are three plans to choose from: the Basic plan (priced at $7/month ), the Standard plan ( $15/month ), and the Premium plan ( $23/month ). You can learn more about Dabble’s pricing on their website .

Dabble works great for authors who want intuitive book drafting software without too many complicated features. On that note, keep in mind that it doesn’t have enough formatting options to work well as an editing tool.

Created by Dave Chesson , founder of Kindlepreneur and Publisher Rocket, Atticus is a great formatting and writing tool designed to turn your manuscript into a finished book.

This powerful book-writing tool allows you to design your book the way you want using its many features. Plus, you can work on your manuscript offline and on any operating system, Chromebook included.

Below is a list of some of Atticus’s best features:

• Very intuitive interface .
• The option to import existing manuscript files directly into the program.
• Plenty of text formatting and design options .
• Editable front and back matter sections.
• 17 book templates to choose from and a custom theme builder .
• The ability to preview your ebook on several devices , including iPhone and Kindle .
• Cloud-based backups , an autosave function, and the ability to work offline .
• Standard export options, including large print .

There are some cons to consider before buying this program, though, such as the following:

• There is no free trial ; you have to pay the full price upfront.
• You cannot export your book unless you have an internet connection.

You get lifetime access to Atticus by purchasing the program for $147 . After that, you can download the program on your desktop or on your phone through the website. If you would like to know more about this software, you can find all the details you want on their website .

Atticus works best if your main goal is formatting your book for publication. Since it focuses on polishing the final draft, it may not be the best choice for beginners or writing the first draft of your book.

Designed by published author Simon Haynes , yWriter is one of the classic writing tools that many authors swear by. You can write your book scene by scene and then insert characters, locations, and important items as you please.

As a free program, yWriter offers an incredible wealth of writing tools to help you finish and export your book. Moreover, in addition to the Windows version, there are also mobile apps and a MacOS version in beta.

With yWriter, you get the following perks:

• Worldbuilding tools like character biographies , locations , and items (such as important objects, languages, or magic systems ).
• The ability to write chapters by scene and add notes or descriptions to scenes, chapters, etc.
• Essential word processing and editing tools , with the option to install language dictionaries of your choice.
• The ability to sort scenes or chapters by the characters , locations , or items that appear in them.
• Additional tools to set writing goals , create backup files , and generate reports on your writing habits .
• The ability to edit scenes in the program’s text editor and external word processors like MS Word.
• Multiple export options , including HTML and LaTeX .

Here are a few cons to yWriter to watch out for:

• The interface is not very user-friendly ; most of the features above are difficult to find without experimenting or watching tutorials.
• Files are only stored locally on your computer; to sync across devices, you have to purchase the mobile apps.
• Design-wise, the program looks a bit dated.

The Windows program is available for free , but you can show support for the author of yWriter by registering your copy for a one-time fee. There are two tiers available: Silver for $11.49 and Gold for $24.95 .

Although yWriter is suitable for beginning writers, it is an ideal tool for experienced authors and book outliners who prefer to plot their novels before or during the writing process

9. FocusWriter

Some may consider FocusWriter a hidden gem in the world of book writing software. Simply put, this program is a simple yet powerful text editor for those who struggle to focus during their writing sessions.

If you just want a program that stops you from procrastinating, then it doesn’t get much better than FocusWriter. Its primary purpose is to encourage you to write, write, and keep writing until you reach your goals.

While using FocusWriter for your projects, you can enjoy the following features:

• Accessible offline .
• 20 interface languages available .
• Daily goals and writing statistics to keep you on track.
• Built-in timers and alarms so you don’t have to use any external tools.
• Highly customizable interface that allows you to change anything from the background theme to the typing sound .
• Optional spell-checker .
• The ability to move your manually to a different device via storage devices .

As great as it is, FocusWriter does have a couple of flaws, as you will see below:

• Since there is no cloud storage component, you are limited to using one device unless you use a USB stick to move your files.
• FocusWriter keeps only the newest version of your document, so you cannot restore older versions.
• The program does not natively support MacOS.

FocusWriter is primarily a text typing tool, so it is best suited for writing your drafts without getting distracted by other features.

10. LivingWriter

While this program is newer than others on this list, LivingWriter is no less powerful. It offers a great number of features for authors who find book planning stressful. It also allows you to refer to your notes as you write your manuscript.

In addition to that, LivingWriter has most of the planning tools you need to finish your book. You can make use of those tools whether you are starting your first draft or going through the final version sentence by sentence.

If you get stuck on book planning from time to time, you might find a lot of benefits in LivingWriter’s features, which include: 

• The ability to import existing files and manuscripts.
• Numerous planning boards for different kinds of planning, like worldbuilding , research , etc.
• NaNoWriMo integration so your word count is continually updated as you write.
• Cloud-based storage and autosave so you can pick up where you left off from any device.
• Integration with several apps like Dropbox , Grammarly , Google Drive , and Canva .
• The ability to share not only your manuscript but also the notes you add to chapters.
• Chapters and subchapters are self-contained , so the app runs smoothly no matter the length of your manuscript.
• Many export options with the ability to create files formatted specially for Amazon .

As with other apps, there are a few downsides to using LivingWriter. Here are a few of the points you should be aware of:

• Some users have reported bugs with certain features , like exporting to Microsoft Word.
• LivingWriter doesn’t come with any built-in spell-checking features, so you must rely on manual editing or external tools such as Grammarly.

LivingWriter offers a free trial and two paid plans to pick from: the annual payment plan and the monthly plan ( $144/year and $14.99/month respectively). To choose a plan or activate your free trial, you can visit their website .

LivingWriter is a great planning and writing tool, but it may not work well as a standalone program for some writers as it lacks proofreading features.

11. Bibisco

If you need novel writing software that has world-building tools, then Bibisco can work great for you. After creating a file, you can get started on designing characters or plot events right away. Alternatively, you can just start writing and outline your book as you go. Either way, when it comes to novel planning, Bibisco has a lot to offer.

In addition to its amazing outlining tools, Bibisco also gives you small tutorials on tackling different areas of writing, like conflict . So if you’re new to the world of fiction, you can learn as you practice!

Bibisco offers you lots of rich features, including:

• Worldbuilding tools (characters, locations, timelines, mind maps, etc.).
• Writing tips and tutorials to help you when you are stuck or have writer’s block .
• Outlining tools to write down your ideas and create your plot from the ground up.
• Narrative strands , which connect events to one another in order to develop conflict .
• A detailed analysis report of your writing habits and the distribution of characters , locations , etc.
• Various export options , with the ability to archive your files.

Unfortunately, you might encounter the following flaws while using Bibisco:

• Most of the worldbuilding tools are only available in the paid Supporter’s Edition.
• The scene text editor is very small and hidden among the program’s features.

The Community Edition is free but has limited features. If you want access to all of Bibisco’s tools, you can make a one-time payment of $47 for the Supporter’s Edition . You may be eligible for Parity Purchasing Power , so make sure to visit the website to check for yourself.

Bibisco works phenomenally as a world-building and novel planning tool, especially for beginners. However, if you aren’t writing a work of fiction or don’t need all the features above, you might want to try other word-processing software with better text editors.

12. The Novel Factory

As its name suggests, The Novel Factory allows you to craft your novel from scratch. It has a multitude of world-building and plotting features that will make your writing process that much smoother.

With The Novel Factory, the writing process becomes much easier. Inside the program, you will find tutorials for each of its features as well as a detailed guide on writing novels. When it comes to the sheer quantity of options, no other tool can compare.

Here is just a small portion of the features available in Novel Factory:

• A huge set of worldbuilding tools that cover characters , locations , and everything in between.
• All the plotting/worldbuilding tools are highly detailed , which allows you to plan as much or as little as you want.
• Each tool has examples and prompts to help with inspiration.
• A Plot Planner that comes with several templates for different types of fiction, like screenplays .
• Cross-platform availability as long as you’re connected to the internet.
• Detailed writing statistics to help you achieve your goals.
• Available offline if you use the desktop versions.

Unfortunately, The Novel Factory has a few downsides:

• The program can get quite expensive for the amount of cloud storage it offers.
• Some of the writing tips may be too specific, which can confuse beginners.
• The editing and formatting tools are fairly limited.
• You don’t get much cloud storage space even on the Premium plan, which maxes out at 5GB.

You can choose one of three subscription tiers: Basic ( $7.5/month or $75/year ), Standard ( $20/month or $198/year ), or Premium ( $60/month or $600/year ). If you’re having a tough time choosing a plan, you can try out the app for 30 days, or get more information by visiting their website .

Novel Factory contains everything you will need to write your novel from start to finish. The catch is that many authors might not be able to afford it, especially those with limited budgets.

Final Thoughts

When you write a book, it might help to have a tool that works well not only for writing but also for organizing your thoughts. Picking a tool to commit to might not be simple, so we suggest that you test some of the writing software on this list and see what works for you!

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Last updated on Feb 07, 2023

The 23 Best Writing Tools of 2024: A Guide for Writers

Before the computer there was the typewriter, and before the typewriter there was pen and paper, and before pen and paper there were plenty of other lost tools of writing — like clay, papyrus, wood, slate, parchment, and, of course, pens made out of reeds. (Fun fact: the name “Reedsy” is inspired by the “reed pen,” which was used as early as 800 B.C. for documentation).

As you can tell by now, the act of writing has been a part of human culture from the days of chiseling stories onto the walls of caves — and as we have evolved, so have our writing tools . In fact, today’s writers and storytellers are spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding which tools to use.

The following list details our favorite writing tools and resources for taking any idea through to its written conclusion. If you want to cut straight to the chase and find out which is the right writing app for you, we recommend taking this quick 30-second quiz.

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Otherwise, let's dive in!

Writing tools

We all know Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so we’re not going to waste your time giving those two a run-down in our list. Below are four other word processors you might not know about, and that are worth checking out.

1. Reedsy Book Editor

Cost: Free Does “fake it ‘til you make it” ring true to you? Well, the Reedsy Book Editor is a free, online word processor that formats your book as you write. See your drafts automatically turn into a professional-looking, ready-to-publish manuscript — and allow this glimpse of your work as the final product spur your motivation to write.

It comes with an automatic spell-checker — and a built-in goal reminder system to get you back into shape if you find that you're falling behind on your writing schedule! Another one of the Reedsy Book Editor’s best functions is that it lets you instantly typeset your manuscript to EPUB and print-ready PDF files.

Check it out if: if you want a writing tool that takes care of formatting and conversion for you.

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Cost: Free Do you like a helpful tap on the shoulder, reminding you about something you need to do? Well, you’ll likely enjoy Draft then, because the book writing software not only keeps track of how many words you write per day, it can also email you daily reminders about your daily word count goals. (Of course, if this sounds a little too “hands-on” for you, you can always turn the reminder function off).

Other than that, Draft functions a lot like Google Docs: allowing you to track changes, collaborate via suggested edits, and make comments on the doc.

Check it out if: you like Google Docs, but want an even simpler interface. 

3. LibreOffice

Cost: Free Yes, we did say that we wouldn’t mention Microsoft Word, because by now everyone knows that it’s a useful writing tool. But we didn’t say we wouldn’t mention its free counterpart: LibreOffice .

LibreOffice is the open source answer for people who want to try Microsoft without paying the price tag. (Open source means that the software is built on code that anyone can inspect and enhance). Plus it’s compatible with all of the regular file types people are used to, such as  .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, and .pptx files.

Check it out if: you like a classic word processor — and moreover, a free one.

Cost: $50 (or try a 30-day free trial) The people behind Mellel don’t just know word processing — they also know catchy, memorable marketing. Their description of why writers should choose Mellel starts like this: “Mellel is a writer's dream come true. To start, it is exceedingly boring: it just works, day in and day out, reliably. An enormous number of people used Mellel to write and they all report that their journey with Mellel was boring and uneventful. As well it should. In other words, it does all the mundane bits, and leaves the creative stuff to you.”

Mellel is not free (and note that it’s only for Mac). In return for the price tag, you’ll get more book-specific tools than other, perhaps more traditional word processors — such as outlining and bibliography-making functions. And, judging by the witty, funny copy on Mellel’s website, Mellel makes the process of writing much more fun than they let on.

Check it out if: you’re a Mac user who wants more than the Pages app offers.

Organization tools

Plotters tend to finish their writing projects quicker than pantsers — simply because when they hit a wall, they have their notes or outlines to reference, allowing them to jump straight over that hurdle and hit the ground running. P.S. You can grab a free template for your book outline here in this comprehensive guide to outlining .

The following resources will help you keep your thoughts organized so that any bouts of writer’s block don’t slow you down.

5. Milanote

Cost: Free for basic plan or $12.50/month for premium. Milanote is an easy-to-use creative writing app to organize your research, ideas, characters and outline in one place.

The vast majority of novelist-oriented writing software is organized around the idea of a linear document. But for most people, writing isn’t linear — because thinking isn’t linear. Writing is about gradually getting a jumble of ideas into shape, and Milanote's writing app matches the way writers think.

Check it out if: you're a plotter who likes a flexible workspace to organize ideas and see a birds-eye view of how your story outline is coming together.

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6. Evernote

Cost: free for basic plan or $9.99/month for premium. Its cute, little green elephant logo aside, Evernote is a great and easy-to-use option for writers who could do with a little more organization in their lives.

The app lets you quickly jot down thoughts, record audio notes, save online articles you’re hoping to reference, and it will sync all of this information across all of your Evernote-installed devices. What’s also handy about the app is the collaborative aspect of it: you can create shared accounts, so that multiple people can access saved documents at once.

Check it out if: you’re prone to getting great ideas while on the go, and need somewhere to make sure you don’t forget them by the time you’re home.

Cost: $5/month or $40/year (or try a 14-day free trial) While it’s ultimately a writing tool, one of the best assets of comprehensive programs like Ulysses or Scrivener are their organizational features. At the end of the day, whether you’re writing a blog post or a full-length novel, the seed of an idea doesn’t get too far without the ability to organize that idea into a cohesive piece of writing.

And that’s exactly what Ulysses allows you to do: organize your thoughts into a well-written work. This is accomplished through features like customizable writing goals and deadlines, plain text enhancements, a distraction-free typewriter mode, bookmarks, outlining functions, and more.

Check it out if: you’re working on a lengthy piece of non-fiction, like a blog post or essay. (For a comparison of Scrivener vs. Ulysses, keep reading!)

8. Scrivener

Cost: $45 (or a 30-use free trial) Literature and Latte ’s word processor is a popular writing tool — also, in large part, thanks to its organizational capabilities that seamlessly allow writers to turn fragmented ideas into a fully realized book/script/research paper/or whatever else you’re writing.

Scrivener vs Ulysses Apart from the price (Scrivener charges a one-time licensing fee while Ulysses charges yearly), the two platforms offer many of the same features. So we’ll focus on what makes the two programs different.

• Scrivener’s corkboard function is an absolute favorite for writers who rely on visual aid to help with outlining. The function looks like an actual corkboard, and lets writers pin notes to the board in chronological order.
• Scrivener offers templates for works such as fiction, essays, recipe collections, screenplays, comic books — which gives Scrivener another point for versatility.
• Ulysses boasts an interface that is slightly more clean and simple — so if ease-of-use is high on your priority list, it might be the better option for you.
• Ulysses offers a very helpful WordPress and Medium integration, which bloggers who publish on either of these platforms will love.

Check it out if: you’re working on a longer piece of content (like a book or screenplay) and want one comprehensive place to manage all your work. (And don’t forget to check out our equally as comprehensive review of Scrivener’s newest update : Scrivener 3!)

9. Hubspot's AI Content Writer

Cost: Free, with premium upgrade available

HubSpot’s Free AI Content Writer is designed to help bloggers streamline their content creation process. This tool can generate drafts of blog posts, website copy, emails, and more with ease and without additional resources, by relying on prompts or topics provided by users. For those suffering from writer's block, the AI content writer can also create outlines to help spur writing along. 

For those already using HubSpot's marketing and sales tools, the AI content writer's integration will be extra handy. 

Check it out if: you're a blogger short on time or inspiration.

Productivity tools

Alright, let’s kick things into high gear now. You know what you want to use to write, and your thoughts and ideas are concisely organized. If you’re finding it difficult to buckle down and get the job done (or struggle to write quickly or consistently), these resources will help you realize that Nike manta: just do it.

10. Ommwriter

Cost: free web version or $7 for the full program Do you find the clacking sound of old typewriters satisfying? Do you find soft, neutral colours calming? Does nothing really get you focused quite like a purposeful, long, deep breath? If so, Ommwriter might be the tool to help you reach your goal. As the site’s tagline reads, Ommwriter is “a perfect place to think and write.”

With soothing background noises, customizable keyboard noises, and peaceful backgrounds to choose from, Ommwriter could just be the “break” from everything else going on around you that you need to write.

Check it out if: your very best writing ideas come to you while in “savasana.”

11. To Doist

Cost: free or $4/month for premium plan Have you ever woken up in a cold sweat, panicking about something important you forgot to do? Or, god forbid, gripped in dread about how far behind you are on your word-count goals?

Well, To Doist might be able to help. It’s the ultimate app for creating to-do lists — but these aren’t your grandma’s pen-and-paper lists with little check marks beside them (though we mean no offense to your grandma). It lets you get a daily or weekly overview of your tasks, prioritize the tasks that are most important, and even lets you assign tasks to other people if you’re working on a specific goal with other collaborators.

Check it out if: you have never been able to find an agenda that’s souped up enough to keep you on track.

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12. Marinara Timer

Cost: Free The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method meant to promote productivity. In a nutshell, it stipulates that you should work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute  break, then work for 25 minutes, take another 5-minute break, etc., etc.

The free-to-use Marinara Timer makes this easy for you by alerting you each time your work sessions and breaks are up. It also offers customizable timers in case the 25/5 isn’t quite right for keeping you on track. Fun fact: taking a break to stand up or walk (or do anything but sit!) every hour is also a good way to protect your back if you sit hunched at a computer working for long stretches at a time.

Check it out if: consistent breaks from work help actually keep you focused on the task at hand.

13. Cold Turkey

Cost: Free for basic plan or $20 for premium plan “Meet your match, Zuckerberg,” says Cold Turkey ’s tagline. In case that, paired with the writing tool’s name, doesn’t make it clear enough, Cold Turkey is a program that allows you to completely rid yourself of distraction. And when we say “completely,” we mean completely.

With Cold Turkey, you can block yourself from accessing certain websites — or even your entire computer — for periods at a time, only allowing you to use the current document you’re working on.

Check it out if: “willpower” is not a characteristic you’d ascribe yourself, and the only way for you to get something done is in a totally distraction-free state.

14. Freedom

Cost: $7/month or $29/year (or a 7-use free trial) Apart from pleasantly getting the “freedom” refrain from Aretha Franklin’s “Think” stuck in your head, the Freedom app is another resource that can turn your devices into tools of productivity once more.

It functions like Cold Turkey; however, a unique function of Freedom is the ability to sync your distraction-free periods across all your devices. So if you know that on Tuesdays, you want your computer, phone, and tablet to all block access to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook — you can!

Check it out if: letting other people know not to bother you during your non-negotiable writing time isn’t enough, you need to let yourself know not to interrupt, well, yourself.

Cost: Free If total silence encourages your mind to wander, whereas light sensory action keeps your thoughts on the task at hand, Noisli will be a friend to you. The tool lets you choose from a range of soundtracks, such as rain, coffee shop, wind, lake, and more. You can mix several sounds at once, and choose the volume for each one. So let’s say you want to create the atmosphere of writing by a babbling brook, with a fire crackling next to you, and the moon shining brightly overhead. Noisli will make this happen for you!

Check it out if: you get the most work done with white noise.

Editing tools

If you’re planning to publish a book — or any kind of writing you’re hoping to make a profit from, it’s crucial that your work is thoroughly edited. To that end, working with a professional editor is an investment you should give serious thought to.

In the meantime, here are a few editing tools that can help you out along the way. Hopefully, they’ll either ensure a typo-free draft, so by the time you do work with an editor, they can spend less time fixing small typos and more time on big-picture work, or, if you decide to forego a professional edit, you’ll have the tools to do the best editing job you can.

16. Hemingway

Cost: Free The Hemingway app claims to make your writing “bold and clear.” It has a number of handy features like a word-counter and an automatic readability score. But its real use lies in the features that make suggestions to your prose. For instance, it might highlight a complex sentence that’s hard to read. It also highlights instances of passive voice , qualifiers, and adverbs. Let’s take a look at how this passage from Ernest Hemingway’s very own To Have and Have Not fares:

“Just” is highlighted because it’s a qualifier, and Hemingway suggests, instead: “Be bold. Don’t hedge.” The sentence in red is highlighted as being hard to read. And “probably” is pointed out as an adverb — the app suggests using a forceful verb instead.

Check it out if: you want to bring out your inner Ernie. (Curious what else Hemingway offers? Check out our full review of the app right here .)

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17. Fictionary

Cost: $19/month or $169 per year 

The Fictionary Story Editing software creates intelligent visuals that help you improve your story's structure, characters, plot, and settings. Using Natural Language Processing, Fictionary identifies your key story arc scenes and gives you actionable insights to improve the structure of your book.  Annual subscribers get access to year-round live classes on writing and editing. Think of it like Peloton for writers. Check it out if:  You want to get your story structure in the best possible shape before submitting to agents and/or editors.

18. Marlowe Pro

Cost: $29.95/mth or $199/year; $45 for single reports

This manuscript assessment tool will provide in-depth feedback on your novel within minutes. Using artificial intelligence, Marlowe can analyze your plot, pacing, story beats, and readability — then provide actionable insights (as well as comp titles ) based on its database of bestsellers across a number of genres.

To try out this AI editor, claim a free report by entering REEDSYFREE at checkout. And for a 15% discount on a Marlowe Pro subscription , enter REEDSY15OFF when prompted at checkout.

Check it out: to take a scientific and methodical approach to your developmental edits.

19. Cliché Finder

Cost: Free Cliché Finder is exactly what it says on the tin: it combs through your writing in search of clichés, and then highlights them for you. It’s not always necessarily bad to use clichés in your writing, but when you do, you want to be purposeful about it (and not to mention aware of it!).

Check it out if: you want to avoid clichés like the plague, and for your book to sell like hotcakes — and the rest is history.

20. Grammarly

Cost: Free Have you ever sent an email, only to realize that you'd made a glaring typo just as you hit “Send”? Well, no more!

Grammarly essentially functions like the spell checker tool from Microsoft Word or Google Docs, but here’s the great part: it’s a plug-in that will work wherever you happen to writing. That means Twitter, Gmail, Google Docs, Facebook — anywhere. Plus it offers vocabulary or alternate word suggestions — for instance, it might suggest you replace “walking aimlessly,” with the word “wandering.” For a more in-dept analysis, check our full Grammarly review . 

Check it out if: you’re typo-prone! (Read below for a comparison of Grammarly vs. ProWritingAid.)

21. ProWritingAid

Cost: Free browser extension or $79/year for the full software ProWritingAid is a tool you can install that will proofread and spell check your material for you , no matter where you’re writing. It will also offer suggestions to improve your overall language — outside of just grammatical technicalities. (You can even get 10% off via this special offer !) 

ProWritingAid vs Grammarly The two programs offer a lot of the same services, so you might be wondering which one to pick. We have a review of ProWritingAid  that dives deep into this comparison, but the main differences are:

• Grammarly is free to use, and while ProWritingAid offers a free Google Chrome plug-in, this free option only offers spell checking services, it won’t make editorial suggestions.
• ProWritingAid is slightly more tailored towards authors, while Grammarly is a slightly better fit for articles and essays. Ultimately, both tools lend a very helpful editing hand, so deciding between the two mostly boils down to the one you enjoy using more.

Check it out if: you want to make sure your writing is as polished as possible.

Workspace tools

At the end of the day, all you really need to write is a pen and paper. All the fancy tools and apps in the world won’t get the words out for you. That being said, creating an environment that’s appealing — and conducive! — to write in can make the whole process more enjoyable, and encourage you to get the job done.

Here are few physical tools to look over if you’re thinking of sprucing up your workspace.

22. Livescribe Pen

Cost: starts at $100 If you prefer writing on paper, but dread the process of transferring your words to a computer, Livescribe will likely be right up your alley. Through Bluetooth technology, the pen can actually transcribe your pen and paper words to your device. What’s more, it can also transcribe voice notes into digital documents for you.

Check it out if: you’ve ever felt envy at Rita Skeeter’s Quick-Quotes Quill in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire .

23. Ergonomic desk setups

Cost: Varies As more and more of the workforce moves to sedentary jobs where the majority of 9am to 5pm is spent sitting — usually hunching — at a computer, a growing number of sitting-related health injuries have been occurring. That’s why looking into more ergonomically friendly desk setups is a good idea for writers who spend long hours at the computer — or even writing in a notebook. This could be a standing desk, or even just a number of textbooks piled under your desktop so that your screen is eye level, resulting in less stress on your shoulders.

Check it out if: you don’t want writing gains to come at the cost of growing back pains.

24. Computer Glasses

Cost: Varies Writers are all familiar with computer-caused eyestrains. Because you blink far less when looking at a screen than you do otherwise, computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a condition people have been developing due to long stretches of staring at a computer.

One way to help alleviate this — other than just making sure to take time looking away from your computer — is to invest in some computer glasses. They typically come in blue or amber shades, and are coated with a protective coating.

There are several brands you can check out, such as Pixel Eyewear or Felix Gray .

Check it out if: you notice itchy or tired eyes after long writing sessions.

Have you tried any of the above writing tools — and if so, which were your favorites? Or maybe you feel there are some great resources missing from this list? Let us know in the comments below!

Mystic says:

24/10/2019 – 03:38

I tried Cliche Finder several times and it found a couple of items in my text, but it didn't highlight where it was at. The rest of the tools here, that I can use since I'm on a strict income, are amazing!

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Or are you an experienced writer, who'd like to increase efficiency?

It also contains heaps of useful templates, resources and intuitive interactive features to help novelists of all levels of experience save time, and get a better grip on both the big picture and the tiny details.

Curious to find out more? Watch our two minute video introducing the main features of the software. It could be the best two minutes you spend on your writing life...

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I love The Novel Factory. It is so great at helping with organizing a novel and gives you fun visual additions to make your characters and locations seem more realistic.

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I absolutely adore the Novel Factory software and so do all my writer buddies 🙂 It's helped me publish 3 books as of this date and I'm working on my 4th!

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We have cake. (just kidding.).

Discover more about your novel by cross-referencing scene attributes on the Insights Board.

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Home » 10 Best Novel Writing Software Online in 2024 | Reviews and Pricing

10 Best Novel Writing Software Online in 2024 | Reviews and Pricing

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Table of contents.

Are you interested in learning everything on how to write a novel ? Do you want to become the next bestselling author? Or self-publish a book? Then it’s time to write your novel with a novel software.

I am one of those writers who looks at the famous published authors and fantasize about having the same life. Their books in the flesh and on bookstore shelves. People falling in love with the world they have created.

I’ve realized to make it happen for yourself, you’ll need passion, suitable environment, resources, time, tools, and a lot of other things that will help you craft an amazing novel. Most importantly, you will need access to the best novel writing software.

A novel writing software will help you organize your research, create outline, develop characters, edit your manuscript, and help with publishing.

A great writing tool can help you become a better writer without any learning curve. It automates the process. It makes your life easier. It gives you time to focus on more strategic aspects of your creative writing that deserve your time.

But what novel writing tool is right for you? How do you find the one that will help you?

If you are not sure on where to begin, this article is for you. It covers 10 leading novel writing software in detail with their features, pros, cons, pricing details, and more.

By the time you finish reading this article, you will know what software you need and why. Trust me on this one.

1. Squibler: Best Novel Software for Speed and Simplicity

As a new novel writer, you need two things: Simplicity and speed.

A simple yet effective book software will help you get used to using software for writing. Speed will make you write fast without losing focus.

Squibler is the best novel software that is simple and speedy at the same time that helps you complete your novel fast. It works for non-fiction books, too.

It’s free to use Squibler. Not sure if it is right for you? Give it a try.

The major features and benefits of using Squibler are discussed below.

Squibler allows you to take and store notes for your project.

Notes can be anything from random brainstorming to character sketches. Whatever it is you want to have around, it will be organized for you within your Squibler project. You can add tags to your notes for better organization and management.

Learning how to outline a novel with Squibler is easy. Whether you like to keep things minimal or go full detail, you can do it with Squibler. Organizing files in your project is fairly simple. They will be kept out of the way but will be easily accessible when needed.

Once the research and outlining are done, it’s time to write. This is where Squibler really shines.

It allows you to divide your chapters into different documents while keeping them together in your project. This allows you to move around and make changes as per need without ruining the sequence. There is no pressure to keep things in chronological order because you can just drag and drop to rearrange later. No scrolling, copying, or pasting is ever needed. 

You can also create separate documents for scenes. Scenes can be moved between chapters or they can be written but kept out of place for a while until you decide a suitable place for them.

Squibler’s entire design is centered on the idea of efficiency. The goal is to help you write faster .

I am sure you know how hard it is to write your first draft as a writer. It can sometimes take months or even years to get through it.

Squibler eliminates this challenge by making everything easier for you. With an efficient and user-friendly design, you can spend all your time on writing without worrying about the organization, management, editing, ordering, outlining, and research. Squibler handles everything for you.

Squibler Pricing

Squibler offers the following plans:

• Free trial – enjoy the 14-day trial period which provides basic features (creating drafts, customizing templates, sharing options, etc) for free.
• Squibler Pro (monthly plan) – use its advanced features by upgrading to Squibler Pro for $9.99 per month (billed monthly).

Claim your free trial today .

2. Scrivener: An All-Round Novel Writing Software

There is writing software for almost everything from the broadest of categories to the most specific tasks. If you are looking for a versatile and not a specific writing software like Squibler, Scrivener is your best bet.

Scrivener can do a lot of things and it has a special set of advantages for writers of long-form fiction. You can buy it at a one-time price of $45.

Is Scrivener really the best novel software for you? Let’s find out.

Organization

Scrivener is a master at keeping you organized.

If you work on multiple projects at a given time (I’m sure you do), you will love this tool. Each project will involve outlines, research, notes, brainstorming, etc. Scrivener keeps  all  files and documents associated with a project in the same folder. One place for everything.

This is sure to keep your “projects” file clean, lean, and organized.

Good novels require some level of research.

The level of research may vary, but you will definitely need to do research for your novel. Readers will relate better to your story when things are logical and believable. You need your readers to trust you if you want them to enjoy your novels. 

Scrivener gives you a space within your project for all your research, then let’s your organize it with cards. It is kept out of the way but still accessible. Each project has a “binder” which lays out all sections in an organized and easy to follow way. You can create multiple documents for different areas of research. 

Scrivener also allows you to import existing files for research and reference purposes. You can also keep track of links, images, and notes.

Once you know how to write a novel , the next thing that you should know is how to outline a novel . And that’s where Scrivener fits.

You can create and manage your novel outline hassle-free.

Everyone has a different outlining style so it can be hard to pinpoint a process that will work. If you don’t know what you like to do, you will just have to go through some trial and error. Regardless of how you end up doing your outline though, Scrivener is there to help.

Plain Outlines

Outlining becomes easy with Scrivener.

You can store your outline like research by using documents and keeping them under an “outline” section within the binder. If you like seeing things in list form, this will work best for you.

It is also helpful if you like to keep everything in one central place. You can create a new document for each chapter outline, or each character, whatever works for you.

It is a digital cork board that functions and appears much like a real cork board. You can pin virtual note cards to a screen that looks like a cork board.

Each note card is a small rectangle that has a scroll feature. This means you can include as much information as you want on one card while keeping it small and compact.

The cork board is great for those who are more visual. You can lay out your entire novel right in front of you with the cork board. A popular way to do this is to create a note card for each chapter and set them in proper order. They can be rearranged easily by dragging and dropping. 

You can create note cards for characters, scenes, settings – anything really. The cork board is extremely versatile and will suit the needs of almost everyone in one way or another.

Create Targets

Scrivener allows you to set goals and targets for writing your novel.

This is a great motivator for those who struggle with writer’s block or procrastination. There are two types of goals you can create with Scrivener:

1. Project Targets

This is a word count goal for your entire project. It is hard to know exactly how long a novel will turn out to be. But you can predict a general ballpark and set the goal.

For instance, 80,000 words is a common novel length. You can make a more educated guess if you already have a detailed outline created.

2. Session Targets

This is a small goal that you can set each time you sit down to write. Maybe you have a couple of hours and you want to bang out 1500 words. You can create a session target with that and Scrivener will start tracking you.

The targets are tracked in a small window that can be kept on the screen in a corner and out of the way. A progress bar will slowly start to fill up as you work. As you start to get closer to completion, the bar will go from red to green.

Watching your progress increase and seeing that bar go green is a satisfying reward for your efforts. It keeps you going if you get stuck or lost.

Novel Templates

There are several Scrivener templates available to choose from. A lot of these templates are created for novelists.

Scrivener comes loaded with a few basic templates. If you need more templates, you can download them free and upload them to your dashboard. There are tons of high-quality free templates available out there.

I have covered numerous Scrivener templates in this post.

A fully comprehensive template will have everything you need to write your novel seamlessly. Others will focus on one area. If you have a certain weakness that needs improvement, there is a template that will allow you to work on it while offering assistance. 

Here is a list of types of templates that you can choose from:

• Story structure templates
• Outlining templates
• Plot Point templates
• World building templates
• Character sketching templates
• Instructional templates
• And many more

Scrivener Pricing

Here are the plans offered by Scrivener:

• Free trial – you can download this version if you don’t have the license for Scrivener and use it for 30 days.
• Full version – purchase the standard ($49) and educational license ($41) for your Mac and Windows. You can buy Scrivener for your iOS devices for $19.99.

You can also purchase discounted bundle plans for MacOS and Windows priced at $80.

3. Scapple: Novel Writing Software Aid for Brainstorming

Are you more interested in a book writing software with a narrower and focused approach that lets you brainstorm and manage your novel easily?

Scapple is the novel writing tool you need.

It is a special-purpose novel writing software that helps you brainstorm and manage your notes and ideas in a clean interface.

It comes with a free trial so you can try it for free. It will cost you $14.99 should you need to purchase its full version with all the features.

Are you a fan of mind maps? If so, you will love Scapple.

You can create mind maps easily with this amazing software that will help you write a novel and finish it quickly.

Scapple allows you to create digital mind maps and brainstorming notes. You can then store these notes on your computer to import elsewhere.

You can use mind maps to bring ideas and themes together in a cohesive way visually. It helps you get rid of the chaos during the ideation and process.

Here is an example of how your mind map will look like:

Scapple is an easy-to-use tool. Once you open the program, you can click anywhere on the blank document to create a note. You can create unlimited notes and put them wherever you want.

Notes can be connected to each other by dragging them around. You can customize shape and structure of the notes easily.

No hiccups. It’s fun and interesting.

Scapple Pricing

Scapple offers the following plans:

• Free trial – download Scapple for free and enjoy a 30-day free trial.
• Paid version – buy the standard license ($18) and educational license ($14.40) for your MacOS and Windows systems. 

4. ProWritingAid: Novel Writing Software Aid for Editing

Knowing how to write a novel is one thing and having it edited is something else. You cannot go without editing your novel.

And when it comes to editing your novel, the best software is none other than ProWritingAid .

It is an editor that provides both grammar and style corrections and suggestions. It has a free version with limited features. You can only check 500 words at a time with the free version. This can be tedious and annoying if you are trying to edit a long project. The premium plan starts at $60 per year. You can get lifetime access for as low as $210.

Upgrading to the premium version has several additional benefits such as: 

• A downloadable desktop app to work offline.
• No word limit.
• Real-time grammar and style checking.
• Integrates with Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Chrome, and Scrivener.
• It provides 25 different writing reports on each piece of analyzed writing.

Writing Reports

This is one of the best features of ProWritingAid . It looks at your writing from 25 different perspectives which cover all styles of writing – including fiction . 

The reports you will get once your writing has been analyzed are discussed below.

1. Writing style : This will highlight instances of passive voice, adverbs, and repetition.

2. Grammar : Misuse of commas, sentence fragments, and incorrect use of tense are some of the grammar issues it will pick up.

3. Overused words : It finds words that are overused and ineffective.

4. Clichés and redundancies : Finds clichés within your text and suggests how they can be removed. Redundancies are things like “She clapped her hands.” The mention of hands is unnecessary as hands are (most likely) the only thing anyone would be clapping.

5. Sticky sentences : Identifies sentences that may feel or sound awkward due to unnecessary words. These sentences can interrupt the flow and make readers feel stuck.

6. Repeats : Highlights words or phrases that are used often throughout the text.

7. Sentence length : Gives you an overall view of how long your sentences are. This allows you to see where you might want to add some variety. Changing sentence length provide a good flow whereas multiple long or short sentences in a row can start to sound redundant and boring.

8. Pronouns : Gives you a pronoun percentage. Too many pronouns can make things feel repetitive.

9. Transitions : This gives you the percentage of sentences that contain a transition. ProWritingAid suggests that at least 25% of sentences should have them.

10. Consistency : Checks for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.

11. Dialogue tags : Excessive use of dialogue tags can slow the pace of your story. ( Lucy shouted and Cassie said are examples of dialogue tags).

12. Readability : This report provides a score for your piece in 4 different ways based on certain guidelines. You can compare it to the specific guidelines and see how it stacks up.

13. Vague and abstract words : Identifies words that are abstract, vague, or otherwise ineffective. Depending on your intended audience, it may be better to stick to simpler words that are easily identified and understood by all.

14. Thesaurus : A report that will suggest possible replacement words – it is only programmed for shorter pieces, however.

15. Diction : Identifies complicated writing and suggests ways to fix it.

16. Alliteration : Alliteration is when multiple words in a row begin with the same letter. It can be effective in some instances but it should not be used excessively. This report highlights all uses of alliteration.

17. Homonyms : Checks for words like break and brake – they sound the same but actually spelled differently.

18. Corporate wording : Language that is complex and fancy. Too much of this can sound pretentious and unnecessary.

19. Complex words : It identifies words that contain three or more syllables. You can then decide if any should be simplified or replaced.

20. Eloquence : Identifies some stylistic techniques.

21. Combo : This simply allows you to pick which of the reports are most helpful and relevant to you so you can more easily use them.

22. House style : This is a feature that allows you to create your own rules within ProWritingAid. For example, you can tell it to check for a word you know you have a habit of overusing.

23. Plagiarism : Points out any duplicated material so you can change it or properly credit the information to the source.

This list of reports may seem long and tedious – and that’s because it is. However, if you take the time to pay proper attention to each one, it will benefit you in many ways. You will be able to optimize your novel and improve it to a great extent. 

If you make a habit of using and reading these reports, you will become a better writer. You will begin to take notice of the mistakes you make repeatedly. You will learn what makes your writing sound great and what makes it sound clunky.

Eventually, this will become second nature and you’ll be writing it correctly the first time around.

ProWritingAid Pricing

ProWritingAid has the following subscription offers:

• Monthly – $20/ month
• Yearly – $79/ year
• Lifetime – $299 (one-time payment)

Monthly users can switch to yearly subscription and save 67%.

5. AutoCrit: Word Processor for Better Writing

AutoCrit is an incredibly useful editing software with a unique purpose. This novel writing software analyzes your for originality. It begin by checking for simple grammatical errors that are crucial for great writing: 

• Vague dialogue
• Weak sentences
• Poor grammar

AutoCrit is special in the sense that it goes beyond these basics and focuses on the overall success of your book. It takes your genre into consideration and compares your work to that of professional authors who are already published. It tells you how to stack up while ensuring you aren’t copying anyone.

If you have a particular well-known author whose style you really enjoy and wish to emulate, AutoCrit will help you with this too. Select from a list of highly recognized authors and receive customized recommendations for your writing. 

This is an amazing tool if you’re pursuing self-publishing. Even if you’re interested in going the traditional route, it is still helpful as it shows you how your writing stacks up to the professionals.

AutoCrit Pricing

AutoCrit offers the following plans:

• Free – don’t pay a dime to get access to the basic features.
• Professional – $30/month
• Annual Professional – $297/year

Join AutoCrit for free.

6. Evernote: Program for Note Taking

Do you like taking notes during the process? Do you like to keep things organized? If so, you need to use Evernote .

Evernote is an app to create, manage, and organize your notes across multiple devices.

It helps you take notes on the go. It is simple, feature-rich, easy-to-use, and an effective note taking app. 

You can keep multiple notes in a single notebook with Evernote. This is ideal for novelists as you can create multiple notebooks each for a different project. You can create a separate notebook for each novel that you are working on.

Evernote comes with a free version that allows you to create awesome notes but you can also subscribe to the premium for $9.99/month.

The notes you can create with Evernote have a lot of different options and capabilities. In addition to all the usual formatting options (font, bold, italics, bullet lists, etc.), a note can do a lot of cool things:

• Include direct links to anywhere on the web.
• Insert the entire webpage or sections of a webpage with the web clipper extension .
• Tag notes for easy organization and searching.
• Import content from Microsoft OneNote .
• Export as HTML or webpage for use with other services and programs.
• Attach files from your computer right into the note.
• Print your note or convert it to PDF.
• View note history.
• Share a note with an individual or on social media

You can enjoy additional benefits if you upgrade to a paid plan: 

• Monthly upload limit increase from 60MB to 10GB.
• Maximum note size increase from 25MB to 200MB.
• The of devices that can be used goes from 2 to unlimited.
• Offline access is available on desktop and mobile (mobile not available with basic).
• Increased customer support access through email and live chat.

Evernote Pricing

Evernote offers the following plans:

• Basic – this is a free plan.
• Premium – $7.99/ month with a free 30-day trial period.
• Business – $14.99 per user per month with a free 30-day trial period.

Sign up for free .

7. Dramatica: Novel Writing Software for Character Development

Character development is a crucial element of any novel. Regardless of the story’s focus, characters are always important. It is generally recommended that you create your main character(s) well before you begin writing. Adding character sketch in the outline will help too.

But how you get better at character development? What software to use?

The simple answer is: Dramatica .

Dramatica is a novel writing software that focuses on characters and their development. It helps you stay consistent with your characters in terms of their personality, actions, and decisions. 

The software allows you to map out the narrative for each individual character with in-depth detail. You can plot their milestones and crucial moments and keep track of how they relate to the theme of your story. 

The idea is to let you create and follow your story from the perspective of your main character. These detailed but flexible character profiles help eliminate plot holes and inconsistencies as you are able to see the whole picture from all sides.

Dramatica doesn’t just help with character development and management rather it also suggests improvement based on your theme.

Perfect Your Structure

Dramatica has what they call a “Master Story Engine” which picks the exact structure of your story. This goes beyond the few basic or typical structures rather it is pulled from a database of over 30,000 unique variations of your story’s structure. Their algorithm can quickly identify what elements of the story and the structure are most important for the writer. 

Dramatica Pricing

Dramatica offers the following plans:

• Dramatica Story Expert (for Mac) – starts at $139.95
• Dramatica Pro (for PC) – starts at $119.95

Visit Dramatica for details. 

8. Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word  is a word processor that offers a suite of productivity features. Most writers are already familiar with this tool. That means the learning curve maybe non-existent for you.

In Word, you can use headers to organize your chapters and a navigation pane to go through them. Moreover, Microsoft Word offers many templates and basic grammar correction functionality. With the online version, you can collaborate with co-authors and editors, making this an exceptional tool to use for a novel.

Better yet, most writers and editors still prefer Microsoft Word. This means you’re more likely to find an editor who will want to work with you if you started your novel on the platform.

Microsoft Word Pricing

Here is the pricing list for Microsoft Office:

• Family – $79.99/ year or $7.99/ month with a free 30-day trial period
• Personal – $59.99/ year or $5.99/ month
• Student – $119.99 one-time purchase.
• Business – starting from $5 to $8.25 per user per month

9. Grammarly

Grammarly  is a grammar checker and one of the best programs for ensuring your grammar is mistake-free. It’s free to use with unlimited documents. It works through a Chrome extension that enables these corrections anywhere you write on the web whether that be on another platform like Squibler or Google Docs.

Grammarly Pricing

Grammarly offers the following plans:

• Free – enjoy the basic features for free.
• Premium – upgrade to the premium version for $29.95/ month (billed monthly), $19.98/ month (billed quarterly), and $11.66/ month (billed annually).

10. Ulysses

Ulysses is a Mac-based program and word processor available in the Mac OS and iOS app store. It syncs files to Apple’s iCloud, which means it works with a good part of Apple’s ecosystem.

Ulysses has one Library for all of your documents, full version history of revisions, and the ability to strip away menu options for distraction-free writing. Moreover, you can use Ulysses to export your work in Plain Text, PDF, HTML, Markdown, DOCX, and EPub.

The downside is there are no templates and collaboration features. As a result, many writers may favorite it for note taking over using it as a novel writing software.

Ulysses Pricing

Ulysses offers the following plans:

• Student license – $10.99 for six months ($1.83/ month)
• Monthly plan – $5.99/ month
• Yearly plan – $49.99 ($4.17/ month)

Try Ulysses for free .

Choose the Best Novel Software Today

These are a list of the best novel writing software which are sure to help you write your first novel that readers will fall in love with.

It should be noted that a software or a book writing tool doesn’t write for you rather it helps you write better. The purpose of using these writing software and tools is to get organized, improve speed, and get things professionally done.

These tools simplify novel writing which is a complicated and complex task.

Download your favorite novel writing software form the list above, sign up for a free trial, explore their features, figure out how it will help you in the writing process, and if it turns out to be a decent match, switch to a premium plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a list of answers to the most common questions about novel writing software:

What is the best software for writing a novel?

The best novel writing software is Squibler. Squibler is a word processor with built in outlining and writing tools that are perfect for novel writers. It has the ability to compile all of your ideas into an easy-to-follow outline, which will help you stay on track as you write your book.

It also comes with other features like brainstorming templates, comprehensive formatting options, research panels, and more.

What is novel writing software?

Novel writing software helps writers organize their thoughts, structure their novel’s plot and chapters, keep track of timeframes, and edit drafts as well as publish it to an audience.

Do you need novel writing software?

That’s up to you. Some writers like the idea of outlining their novel in a long-form document before writing, while others prefer to just jump into it and write organically from there.

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Select font size

Select font style, paragraph style, icons style.

AI is Thinking

Oh, we sensed there was some pre-formatted text in this. To help make sure your book description is clean and ready for Amazon, we’re going to remove the pre-formatted information.

I've got a lot of great free tools on the site (just look at the navigation for this page to see what else you can explore). For example, a complete rundown of what these free tools have to offer other authors, just watch this video where I break it down for you.

The original version of this book description generator just took your the book description you entered, and gave you the code to make sure it was formatted correctly on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, or wherever you put it.

But now, my team and I have created the ability for you improve that blurb using AI.

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4. The AI tool will then create a new book description which will display on the left. You can then pick and choose passages from that book's description to include in your version (on the right).

5. Hit “Go Back to Formatting” and continue creating the code for your awesome book description!

The new version of the book description generator is user-friendly and intuitive. You don't need any special technical skills to use it. So I'm super excited about it and the good it will provide authors. If you'd like to learn more about AI assisting writing tools , then be sure to check out my favorite .

Note: even though every time someone uses this book description generator, it does cost us a little bit of money, we are making this tool completely free anyway. If you have received some value from this tool, and want to support us for making it free, we recommend purchasing Publisher Rocket or Atticus (or both!) as a way of saying thank you. Not only do you support us, but you get another awesome tool in the process!

When you go to publish your book description , if Amazon responds with “Description may not contain invisible characters”… there's a reason.

This means that there are <><> tags with nothing in between the two <> tags. These need to be removed before Amazon will say OK.

This change happened relatively recently, and can explain why some of your previously working descriptions are no longer acceptable. Simply remove these blanks and you'll be good to go.

How Our Book Description Generator Can Help

The book market is more competitive than ever, with thousands of new titles being published every year. In this crowded landscape, a well-written and visually appealing book description can make all the difference in helping your book stand out.

My book description generator is designed to help you create professional and compelling descriptions that will grab the attention of potential readers. With just a few clicks, you can quickly generate a great book description that is both visually appealing and informative, giving you the best chance of attracting new readers and selling more copies of your book.

Ultimately, I'm trying my best to make the publishing process as painless as possible for authors, and book descriptions are easily one of the biggest pain points when it comes to building out your marketing assets (I know, I hate writing them myself).

That's why the AI features used in this tool, along with the formatting tools, make the entire process all that much easier. Which is a win-win in my book.

FAQ for the Book Description Generator

Below, you’ll find the answer to most of the common questions you might have about Kindlepreneur’s Book Description Generator and how to use it.

• How do I publish my book description on Amazon?
• I want to write and add an Amazon Editorial Review. How do I do that?
• How do I publish my book description on Barnes & Noble?
• How do I publish my book description on Kobo?
• How do I space the paragraphs in my book description?
• How do I format bullet points or use numbered lists with the Book Description Generator?

But, first thing, a few notes:

• You might see other books with different looking descriptions than what’s offered above. That’s because Amazon has changed their allowed HTML over the years, and when they change it, previous books are grandfathered in and keep using the older look.
• There is no way to add pictures to a book description.
• iTunes is not included in the generator because, in order to publish directly through Apple Books, you must use their software and they naturally have their own HTML rules for this.

1. Sign into your Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing account here by clicking the yellow sign up button.

2. Once signed in, navigate to your ‘Bookshelf’ and select the book you’d like to edit. Alternatively, create a new book by clicking on the button seen below.

3. Scroll down to the section ‘Description.’

4. Paste your description directly into this box. Click ‘save and continue’ at the bottom of the page. If you’re publishing your story for the first time, you’ll have to upload your manuscript and cover before you can proceed. Click ‘save and continue’ again, set your pricing, and click ‘publish’ thereafter.

5. After clicking ‘publish’ your description may take up to 72 hours to update.

Another method you might use is by going through Amazon Author Central. You can do that as follows:

1. Sign into your Amazon Author Central account here . This is where you manage your author pages, editorial reviews, add books to your profile, and can even edit your book description for books.

2. Select the ‘Books’ tab at the top of the page.

3. If you’ve correctly added your books to your author page , you’ll see a list of books and the one you want to edit. If not, you can add a book to your author page by clicking this button and entering the books name:

4. Once you have your book present on the books page, click on it.

5. Here you’ll find your ‘Product Description.’ Click the ‘Edit’ button, hit ‘Edit HTML’ and paste in your HTML description and hit ‘Preview.’

6. If you’re satisfied with how your product description looks, hit ‘Save Changes.’

7. Important to note: if you use this method, whenever you make changes to your book on KDP, your book description will revert to the one you originally used in KDP when first publishing your book. It’s easier to just change the book description on KDP and allow the book to update.

1. To create an Amazon Editorial Review, make sure to follow Amazon’s guidelines when using the Kindlepreneur Editorial Review Generator. Amazon’s guidelines for review creation are as follows:

2. Editorial reviews can be reviews left by other authors, publications, or even some of the highlights of the reviews your readers have left for you. Select a few from your book reviews then click on the Amazon Editorial Review Generator.

3. Enter your review text. Separate each review onto a separate line. You can bold or italicize reviews as you wish. You can even add in five little stars.

4. Once you’re satisfied with how your editorial reviews look, hit the ‘Generate My Code’ button.

5. You now have your handy HTML code that you can paste directly into the HTML editing pane in your Amazon Editorial Review section.

6. Once you have your code, sign into your Amazon Author Central account here .

7. Select the ‘Books’ tab at the top of the page.

8. If you’ve correctly added your books to your author page, you’ll see a list of books and the one you want to edit. If not, you can add a book to your author page by clicking this button and entering the books name:

9. Once you have your book present on the books page, click on it.

10. Here, you’ll find your Editorial Review section.

11. Click ‘Add’ to add your Amazon Editorial Reviews. Hit ‘Edit HTML’ and paste in your HTML description and hit ‘Preview.’

12. Hit ‘Preview’ and ‘Save Changes’ once you are satisfied. The reviews will appear in your Editorial Review section within 3 to 5 days.

1. Head to Barnes & Noble and login to your account here .

2. Create your book by following the simple onscreen steps.Or edit your book by selecting it in the ‘Projects’’ tab.

3. Select the tab ‘Book Details.’

4. Paste your book description into the Default Book Description box as seen below.

5. Hit ‘Save and Continue’ and proceed until your book has been published or updated.

1. Head over to Kobo Writing Life and sign in to your account here .

2. Once in your Dashboard, click on the ‘eBooks’ tab.

3. Click on the book you’d like to edit.

4. On the ‘Describe Your eBook’ page, scroll down until you reach the ‘Synopsis’ block.

5. Paste your description into the block then hit the ‘Save and return to Library’ button on the right.

There are two handy methods for spacing paragraphs in your book description.

1. Enter your book description text. When you come to the end of a paragraph, hit ‘enter’ as you usually would in writing. Your description will look like this:

2. The description above has a very clear space between the paragraphs, and when you hit ‘Generate My Code,’ your HTML looks likes:

3. The space between your paragraphs will remain there when you paste it into your book description box on Amazon, Kobo or Barnes & Noble.

1. Enter your book description text. When you come to the end of your paragraph, instead of hitting ‘enter’ as usual, hit ‘shift’ and ‘enter’ together. Your paragraph spacing now looks like this:

2. Notice the lack of space between paragraphs? When you hit ‘Generate My Code’ for your HTML, it will look as follows:

3. Now, when you copy your HTML over to your book description box on Amazon, Kobo or Barnes & Noble, it won’t have the space between paragraphs.

Once again, there are two fun methods you can use to generate bulleted or numbered lists.

1. Click the ‘Bullet List’ or ‘Numbered List’ buttons under ‘Paragraph Style’.

2. Enter your list.

3. Hit ‘Generate My Code’ and you’ve got your HTML to be pasted into your book description box on the relevant retailer. Easy.

1. To make unique bulleted or numbered lists that are still HTML friendly, you can use the Kindlepreneur Book Description Generator’s icons.

2. Instead of clicking on the ‘Bulleted List’ or ‘Numbered List’ options, use your icons. Select an icon, then type your sentence.

3. Hit either ‘shift’ and ‘enter’ or just ‘enter’ and do the same with another icon.

4. You can select any icon and use it to create a numbered or bulleted list. Once you’re satisfied, click ‘Generate My Code’ to create your HTML.

If you think this book description generator's great…well, we've got more where that came from. Be sure to check out some of our top articles that might just help you along your author's journey. You can also learn a little bit about my favorite genre of books , and a little bit more about my favorite training pistol and favorite 22LR rifle , and get a great scrivener coupon here . Also, here are my favorite keyboards .

• Parts of a Book
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Screenplay Example

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Take a tour of StudioBinder’s scriptwriting software. Explore a sample screenplay below.

" StudioBinder’s screenwriting is intuitively designed for film and video professionals heading into pre-production."

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• Movie Magic Scheduling
• Gorilla Software
• Storyboard That

A visual medium requires visual methods. Master the art of visual storytelling with our FREE video series on directing and filmmaking techniques.

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• Making It: From Pre-Production to Screen
• The Rule of Six — Eye Trace Editing Technique Explained
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• How to Make a Storyboard: Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide (2024)
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