Which is why the best apps for writing a book are tools that help you get organized, create content, and find ways to market your new book to an audience of one—other authors. They’re also useful for any kind of project that requires discipline and focus, whether it’s writing fiction or nonfiction, creating e-books or marketing yourself as an expert in your chosen field.
So if you’re thinking about maybe writing a book someday but don’t quite know where to start, here are the best apps to keep on your phone:
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Writing Books
#1. Scrivener
Scrivener is one of the biggest writing apps out there right now. It works for all kinds of writing, from something as small as an email, to a full on screenplay or novel. But it’s these long form types of writing where this app really excels.
When you log into Scrivener, you’ll first choose a template that suits your project (for example, a fiction or non-fiction book). You can either begin writing directly into the interface or import your text from elsewhere.
The sidebar on the left of the screen has tabs for a variety of elements that help you organize your writing. The best part is, you can personalize these tabs to show exactly what you need, and omit everything that you don’t.
There’s an endless array of helpful tools to choose from. There’re tabs for individual scenes within chapters of your book, as well as character tabs to help with individual character building throughout the story. There’s also a handy research tracking tool to keep your research focused and applicable.
If you struggle with organization and you value attention to detail, then Scrivener could be a massive help to you when you’re writing a book.
Work on: Mac, iOS, and Windows.
Cost: Free for the first 30 days, after which there’s a one time license fee of $40.84
Pros:
- Perfect for long-form book writing
- Personalize the interface for your specific needs
- One-time fee rather than a monthly subscription
Cons:
- Takes a while to learn how to use
- If you work between 2 different operating systems, (eg. Work laptop and home laptops), it can be hard to transfer work between them.
#2. yWriter
For writers who use a Windows operating system, yWriter is a fantastic app that works in many of the same ways as Scrivener.
When you’re writing a book, the sheer amount of words to write ahead of you can feel pretty overwhelming. yWriter helps you to break down your writing into scenes or sections, making the whole process feel more manageable.
You can set targets and goals for yourself, such as a daily word count, and also track your character development and narrative arc using the storyboard tool.
yWriter has a huge selection of useful features and it’s reassuringly easy to use, even for new writers and people who aren’t particularly tech savvy.
Unlike Scrivener, there’s no option for story templates, but aside from that, this free app really holds it’s own, and is a great way to stay on track with your writing.
Works on: Windows
Cost: Free
Pros:
- Beaks down writing into manageable sections
- Great for goal setting
- Free of charge
Cons:
- No story template options
- Currently only available on Windows operating systems.
#3. iA Writer
iA Writer is another app geared explicitly towards book and other long form writers. It’s great for people who hate clutter and don’t want to spend a long time learning how a new app works before they get started using it.
The user interface is refreshingly sleek and simple, but it still offers plenty of tools to help you organize your writing.
There’s a syntax highlighting system that can pick out various parts of speech such as adjectives or nouns, etc. This is great for the editing process.
You can also break down your book into manageable chapters and separate them into smaller sections, which helps to keep the writing process from feeling overwhelming.
There’s also a handy dark mode to preserve your battery life and give your eyes a break after a long day staring at a screen.
Works on: Mac, iOS, and Windows
Cost: Free for Android users. $8.99 for iPad and iPhone, $19.99 for Windows and $29.99 for Mac
Pros
- Simple and easy to use
- Sleek, clutter-free design
- Dark mode for tired eyes and battery preservation
Cons:
- No automatic storage
- More expensive for Mac users
#4. Ulysses
Ulysses is another top dog in the writing app world. It’s comparable to Scrivener, but with some important key differences.
While Scrivener requires a little extra time to learn how the interface works, Ulysses is much simpler to use. Many features offer short tutorials so it’s easy to get to grips with the various writing tools.
Another key difference in Ulysess is the use of “Markdown” formatting. For those uninitiated, this is a simple plain text language that makes writing and editing online much easier. It’s quick to pick up, and once you’re familiar with it, it will save you time in the long run.
This app also has all the standard writing app features you’d expect, including organization tools like keyword labels, daily and weekly progress trackers and daily word counters and stats.
Works on: iOS and Mac
Cost: Free trial, followed by either $5.99 per month or $49.99 per year
Pros:
- Quick and straightforward to get started
- Markdown formatting simplifies the user experience
Cons:
- Currently not available on Windows or Android operating systems.
#5. Reedsy Book Editor
Reedsy Book Editor is one of the easiest to use writing apps available right now. The interface is incredibly sleek, and there’s no messy clutter to contend with; just a super simple, minimalist design that lets you focus on one thing; writing.
This book editor has great potential, especially when it comes to formatting your work. You can insert images within the body of text, drag and drop chapters and scenes, and create a professional and polished front and back matter.
It’s also particularly useful if you’re writing an ebook. You can format and export your work into an instantly uploadable file that is ready to submit to a publisher or print on-demand service. In fact, this is the perfect tool for anyone planning to self-publish their work.
Another stand out feature is the ability to compare your current draft to previous versions, so you can examine the contrasting versions in real time.
Works on: Web-only
Cost: Free
Pros:
- Sleek, clutter-free interface
- Great for formatting to publisher ready levels
- Free
Cons:
- Web-only program means you’ll need an active internet connection to use Reedsy.
#6. Grammarly
Even if you’re new to the world of writing apps, you’ve probably heard of Grammarly. This supremely popular grammar tool is used by writers everywhere. From something as short and simple as an email, to full-length novels and screenplays, Grammarly is a powerful editing tool.
Grammarly has a surprising amount of features for a free app, but it’s the spell checker and grammar editor that writers tend to use the most.
Spelling errors, incorrect grammar and sentence structure are highlighted on the screen, with helpful suggestions for replacing words and phrases. The corrector also explains exactly why the highlighted text is incorrect, so you can pick up some extra grammar knowledge along the way.
Grammarly Premium lets you set specific goals for your writing when using the paid version of the app. Tell Grammarly your audience, desired tone and level of formality and it will analyze your text based on these markers. It also assesses how clear and easy to understand your text is, and scores your delivery and reader engagement levels.
While Grammarly doesn’t provide all of the additional book writing features found in some of the other apps on our list, it’s a great additional tool for editing your work. It’s also super handy to keep installed on your device for writing emails and other short-form documents.
Works on: Web and most major browser extensions
Cost: Basic Grammarly is Free. Grammarly Premium costs $29.95 per month, $59.95 per quarter, or $139.95 per year. Watch out for regular subscription discount offers.
Pros:
- Simple to use
- Improves spelling and grammar
- Scores your text on various markers
Cons:
- Web-only program means you’ll need a solid internet connection to use Grammarly
- No additional book writing tools
#7. NaturalReader
Before you send your book to an editor, you’re going to want to do some thorough editing yourself.
One great way to approach the final editing process is to read the text out loud. While this is a great way to check your text’s sentence structure, flow, and readability, you can often miss key issues.
That’s where NaturalReader comes in. This editing app acts as a text-to-speech reader that reads your book right back to you.
You can choose from a variety of voices and adjust the reading speed as you wish. As the human-like voice reads your work back to you, the text is highlighted along the bottom of the screen so you can follow along and pinpoint any mistakes.
While running a whole full-length novel through NaturalReader might be too long a task, it can be a great way of checking shorter sections or running your daily writing through to check for issues with sentence structure and flow.
Works on: Mac, Windows and Web
Cost: Basic version is free. One time payment premium packages vary from $99.50 to $199.50
Pros:
- Reads your own text back to you
- Gives your eyes a break from looking at the screen
- Free package available
Cons:
- Premium version is more expensive than many other apps on our list
free book writing software for beginners
- yWriter (Free)
ywriter book writing software
I have to start with yWriter because it was developed by a writer, Simon Haynes.
He explains the reason for going to all the trouble to create this software, and it should resonate with many writers.
“I really struggled with my first novel. I wrote slabs of text into a big word processor file, and I just couldn’t make sense of the whole thing at once. No real overview, no easy jumping from scene to scene, nothing.”
It is a great explanation of why word processors are not designed for writing fiction.
The key feature of yWriter is that it breaks book writing into chapters and scenes. When writing a book, this is a must-have feature.
It also comes with the ability to build characters and locations.
ywriter desktop book writing software
- Manuskript (Free)
manuskript
Manuskript is a feature-rich book writing tool.
It has an outliner, word count, and distraction-free mode. It also a novel assistant to help you. With it, you can develop characters using the snowflake method.
You can also keep track of notes about your characters, the plot, events, and places in your story.
These tools will certainly help improve your writing.
It is well worth a try for a new author.
Manuskript book writing app
- Sigil (Free)
Sigil free book writing software
Sigil is open-source, free software that is well regarded for producing e-books in epub format.
In this respect, it is similar to, if not even better than Calibre.
It has multiple views, including book view, code view, and preview, as well as a WYSIWYG editor.
It also has a Table of Contents generator with multi-level heading support.
There is a metadata editor as well as a spell check with default and user dictionaries.
It also supports the import of EPUB and HTML files, images, and style sheets.
sigil desktop chapter writing
- Wordcradle (Free)
wordcradle
Wordcradle is a free online novel writing app that really has a lot going for it.
You can set up projects with word count goals and how much time you want to allocate to your writing aims.
These are great tools to have if you want to practice writing on a schedule.
The character cards allow you to construct a profile for each one during your rough draft. They are set in an attractive table layout.
Index cards are a must when writing a novel.
Wordcradle is equipped to handle all your ideas and to track changes you might make to your storyline.
wordcradle character cards
5: Quoll Writer (Free)
Quoll Writer
Quoll Writer is a free, open-source book writing program. It is currently available for Windows, but Mac and Linux versions are coming soon in version 3.
It’s loaded with all the features you will need to write a book, including character and location creation, outlining, note-taking, and a lot more.
The layout of the desktop is easy to navigate. But there is a configurable distraction-free mode to let you concentrate on writing.
If you have started writing a book, you can import it from Word. You can export in docx, HTML, and also epub.
Quoll Writer Desktop free book writing software
- Bibisco (Free)
bibisco
Bibisco is open-source software. It is specifically designed for writing a novel.
It has all the elements you will need. These include character development and tracking.
There are chapter and scene organization as well as note-taking.
Everything you need to write a novel in one free software package. Bibisco is available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.
- Focus Writer (Free)
focus writer
FocusWriter has one key attribute. It is about total distraction-free writing.
It has many options you need to set things up for your writing your book.
But it has a hide-away user interface that lets you concentrate on the one big thing you want to do. Stay focused and write.
Forget about menus, toolbars, drag and drop or copy and paste with this app.
There is all focus mode with nothing between you and your words.
It is very user-friendly, free, and available for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X.
focuswriter_blues
- Shaxpir (Free and Premium)
shaxpir
For a dedicated book or novel writing app, Shaxpir really packs a lot into its free version.
With the Manuscript Builder, you can use drag-and-drop tools to rearrange any part of your manuscript.
You can move and change the order of scenes or chapters, so you can work on structures that work for you.
shaxpir free book writing software
It’s easy to set up writing goals and track your progress. You can also make specific notes about your characters, places, and events.
There is also the facility to add your margin comments as well as collect any concept art.
It also comes with its own in-built spellchecker.
For free software designed for writing books, Shaxpir offers you a huge range of features.
It is available for PC and Mac users with an option for cloud access.
Conclusion
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Check out other publications to gain access to more digital resources if you are just starting out with Flux Resource.
Also contact us today to optimize your business(s)/Brand(s) for Search Engines