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The 15 Best Book Writing Software Tools

15 Best Book Writing Software Options in 2024

POSTED ON Feb 9, 2024

Written by Charity Jerop

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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Home » 12 Best Book Writing Software 2024 | Reviews and Pricing

12 Best Book Writing Software 2024 | Reviews and Pricing

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Table of contents.

We all have amazing stories to tell, but not everyone can pen down their thoughts in a captivating way. To become a successful author, there are many prerequisites – with determination being most important. And while creativity can’t be manufactured, it can help to have a book writing software.

Let’s face it: Writing isn’t exactly easy. So far, I’ve published over a 1,000 blog posts and 5 books, and I still find myself struggling to come up with words and get those creative juices flowing.

If you’re currently in the same boat, keep reading. In this article, I’ll review 12 of the best book writing software ruling the market in 2024 (along with their pricing details).

Let’s dive right in.

The 12 Best Book Writing Software Online and Offline

Before delving into the list, I’d like to make one thing clear:

A book writing software won’t write a book for you (there are a few AI text generators out there, but we’re not talking about them).

These book writing programs can help you in other ways, by:

• Providing you with special templates
• Assisting you with the publishing format
• Providing other tools needed to make you a productive writer

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the best book writing software to try right now:

1. Squibler

Squibler  is the book writing software that I created –  designed specifically for writers who struggle with consistency.

It enables you to write faster with more organization for your thoughts. It has everything from assigning notes to chapters and scenes, cork-board layout to see all your notes at once, and hundreds of templates for different writing styles.

Squibler presents a new type of book writing software that makes writing feel easy. 

Here are the key features of Squibler that make it so great:

• Organizing – you can easily organize your chapters, notes, ideas/thoughts with the simple drag-and-drop feature.
• 30+ Outline Template – with Squibler, you don’t have to start your draft from scratch. Simply select an outline for a template that’s closest to what you have in mind and get started right away.
• Native Grammar Checker – this built-in feature removes the need for a third-party grammar checking tool, making editing a breeze.
• Corkboard – an essential feature for any book writing software. It lets you organize, plan, and watch your draft come to life.
• Publishing – when the time comes, Squibler will format your book to publish. You can easily export your work via Kindle and PDF and preview to ensure it looks good.

All in all, Squibler can help with:

• Brainstorming
• Character sketching
• Setting and location
• Storyboarding
• Word count goals

It’s easily one of the best software designed for modern-day writers, by modern-day writers.

Squibler Pricing

Squibler is priced at $9.99 per month, billed monthly with 14 days free.

You can visit Squibler’s website here

2. Scrivener

I had used Scrivener before stumbling back on this idea to create a book writing software.

At first, I found the product’s learning curve to be too steep, especially since the UI was a little confusing.

However, I soon learned that this was the main alternative to Microsoft Word for writing books, and for good reason.

Moreover, they’ve had over 800,000 customers.

Here is a quick sneak-peek of the main features it has to offer:

• Collect Your Material – the software provides a single platform to manage your manuscript.
• Corkboard – a virtual board where you can keep track of your changes and plan ahead.
• Outliner – create super-detailed outlines for every chapter and easily reorganize sections.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg – in addition to the above, Scrivener also lets you compared documents side-by-side, offers formatting presets, and much more.

Again, the only downside is its difficult interface.

I write technical documentation on software for a living and even I think this writing software is complex.

Moreover, it lacks the fundamental benefits of being an online app. This includes a better onboarding flow, community, personalizing experiences, and the ability to understand your users’ pain point in their customer journey using data.

With that said, it is still one of the best alternatives to a basic drafting program like MS Word.

Scrivener Pricing

Four packages with one-time payments are available:

• Standard License – $49 for macOS and Windows
• Educational License – $49 for macOS and Windows
• iOS – $19.99 for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch
• Bundle – $80 for both macOS and Windows

When I first came across Novlr, I realized it was the closest thing to what we were aiming for with Squibler. In fact, I thought “why build our product if this already exists?”

When I tried the product, I came across the same feeling of clunkiness. I got the feeling that it was made by coders for writers rather than writers for writers .

If you ignore the learning curve, it’s one of the leading book writing software at the end of the day.

Here’s a quick overview of its main features:

• Offline Writing – you don’t necessarily need an internet connection to write and save your progress.
• Focus Mode – remove all kinds of distractions and stay focused on writing and editing.
• Sync – the tool can automatically sync with both Google Drive and Dropbox.
• Editing – get smart suggestions, grammar enhancements, and more.
• Stats – track your writing progress and set personal milestones.

Another down-side of Novlr is that there aren’t any blog posts, videos, or community where you can learn more about writing.

The experience won’t feel very streamlined either. Instead, I felt they were saying, “If you think Scrivener is too complicated, well, we’re the best alternative to them.”

Novlr Pricing

Novlr is available in three pricing plans:

• Free – $0 for two weeks, upgradable
• Monthly – $10 per month
• Yearly – $8.33 per month, billed annually

Ulysses is one of my favorite book writing software. It’s almost everything I’d want out of a mobile and desktop app. However, they lack some key functionality by not having an online presence and not making the product specifically for writing books.

With that said, they perfected the minimalist design for writing – even better than how Medium did it.

Let’s see what’s under the hood:

• Markup-Based Editor – by adding a few characters, you can format your text however you want (like add examples) without lifting your fingers from the keyword.
• Themes – you have complete control over the color of your editor. Select from a wide range of color schemes (whatever helps you stay focused and more productive).
• Library/History – this will help you organize everything you write .
• Auto-Save – never lose any progress, as Ulysses automatically saves your work in its library.
• Sharing – not exactly for “book authors,” but Ulysses lets you schedule and publish posts on WordPress and Medium.

There are a ton of other features in addition to those above.

I like Ulysses for taking notes, but I didn’t feel like it offered everything a book writer would need today in order to be successful.

They were missing not only the educational component but the community and online onboarding experience that can enrich products.

Ulysses Pricing

The following pricing plans are available:

• Ulysses – $5.99 monthly or $49.99 yearly
• Ulysses For Students – $10.99 for six months

5. Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is the “OG” of the space. They have a desktop and online version for you to write your books.

The program packs a ton of features to help you improve your writing and many writers are familiar with the product.

The downside is similar to Scrivener – they wanted to be everything to everyone. Moreover, there’s no personalized experience.

As a result, if you’re looking to write a book with the product, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. There’s also little education and community around their product for writers interested in connecting with each other.

Here are the main features:

• Custom Styles – you can customize the different levels of headings and the body text however you like.
• Cross-Referencing – easily refer to any piece of text to support whatever you’re writing.
• Custom Layouts – you can also customize the layout of your pages however you want.
• Table of Contents – easily create a table of contents to your liking.
• Mailing – need to shoot your draft to an editor? With Word, you can mail your document to multiple recipients right there in the program.
• Track Changes – easily track, accept, and reject the changes/additions you or someone else makes to your draft.

That’s just a glimpse of what the software has to offer.

Word has almost every feature you’d need to write books, but they remind me of why people choose Canva over Adobe Photoshop – it’s the shorter learning curve and simplicity that your users value more than a large selection of features.

Microsoft Word Pricing

It’s available in three versions of Microsoft 365 with separate pricing plans.

Microsoft 356 for Home

Here are the details:

• Microsoft 365 Family – free for one month; $9.99 monthly or $99.99 yearly
• Microsoft 365 Personal – $6.99 monthly or $69.99 yearly
• Office Home & Student 2019 – $149.99 one-time purchase for Mac and PC

Microsoft 356 for Business

Pricing is mentioned below:

• Microsoft 365 Business Basic – $5 per user monthly, billed annually
• Standard – free for one month; $12.50 per user per month, billed annually
• Mic Premium – free for one month; $20 per user per month, billed annually
• Microsoft 365 Apps – an app-only package for $8.25 per user per month, billed annually

Microsoft 365 for Enterprise

Pricing is listed below:

• Microsoft 365 E3 – $32 per user per month, billed annually
• E5 – $57 per user per month, billed annually
• F3 – $10 per user per month, billed annually

Enterprises can get a quote by contacting the sales team through the Microsoft 365 website.

6. Google Docs

I’ve written my last four books in Google Docs. I like the simplicity and that it already integrates with my workspace. But it’s not easy to use. I have to create a new document for each chapter, then have one main doc linking all the individual chapters to keep them organized. The reason I can’t just write the book out in one long Google Doc like in the example below is because I need a place for my synopsis and notes. With that said, it still makes for a good book writing software.

Here are some of the many features it has to offer:

• Ability to Add Fonts – a great thing about Google Docs is that it lets you add fonts right there on the app (no need to download and install them separately).
• Voice Typing – don’t feel like typing? No problem. Simply turn on the voice typing feature and start recording your draft.
• Styles – like Microsoft Word, Google Docs lets you conveniently use different styles throughout your text.
• Research Tool – need to do some quick research for your book? Google Docs has a native feature that can get you images, quotes, meanings, and much more about any topic.
• Suggesting – this is essentially the same thing as the “Track Changes” feature of Microsoft Word.

It’s hard to point out the flaws in Google Docs when it is a free product. In addition, there are many benefits to Google Docs, including easy collaboration with live chat and sharing your document with an editor. It also has a quick learning curve.

Google Docs Pricing

It comes in two versions:

• Google Docs – this is absolutely free.

7. Hemingway App

Hemingway  is a simple yet effective readability scanner. It doesn’t offer a list of complex features and tools. However, it does provide a detailed overview of your content and help you make your text more understandable.

The app comes in two versions, an online free version and a paid desktop app for Windows and Mac operating systems. 

The online version scans your writing for complex phrases, hard-to-read sentences, passive voices in text, irrelevant use of adverbs, etc. 

These issues are highlighted in your text in different colors, along with suggestions to improve them. Furthermore, Hemingway also scores your content’s readability according to the academic standards. 

For example, if your content has complex vocabulary, long sentences, and hard-to-read sentences, it will give you a 10th or 11th-grade score. On the other hand, it will rate it as 5th or 6th-grade content if it is simple and easy-to-read. 

Typically, content scored for lower grades (because of easiness and simplicity) has a higher reach and engagement. Therefore, editing your content on the Hemingway app may help you achieve a huge reader base. 

in addition to the above features, the paid version of this book writing software has much more to offer. Let’s take a look.

• Offline usability  – you can download the desktop version on your Windows or Mac computer and use the Hemingway app offline. Even in the offline mode, the app reviews your content and gives all the required suggestions.
• Text formatting  – with the Hemingway desktop app, you can format your text for webpages or any other blogging platforms.
• Export feature  – you can export your content as HTML, Microsoft Word, other text editors, and share with your colleagues.
• Direct publish  – it lets you publish your content directly to blogging platforms like WordPress and Medium. 

Above everything else, both the online and desktop versions of the app have a user-friendly and easy-to-follow interface.

Hemingway App Pricing

You can access the free online version on your web browsers and enjoy all the basic features without paying a single dime. 

Download version 3.0 of the desktop app for a one-time payment of $19.99. 

8. Grammarly

Every piece of content requires proofreading for spelling mistakes, grammatical issues, out-of-context sentences, etc. An experienced writer can pretty much improve their drafts themselves. However, it’s a lot more challenging for a beginner to detect complex grammatical errors or point out their vocabulary issues.

Fortunately, there are some software that help content creators compose and edit content. Among the top book writing software, we have Grammarly.

Grammarly  comes in two versions, a free version, and a premium version. The free version offers various features, including grammar and spell check, integration with web browsers to assess social media posts, emails, etc., and integration with Google Docs (currently in beta testing stage).

The free version may be ideal for some writers. However, if you want to become an efficient writer and improve your accuracy, you need the premium version. 

Aside from the basic features offered by the free version, Grammarly’s premium version offers the following key features:

• Genre-specific writing style  – after pasting your content in Grammarly, it prompts a questionnaire form with a series of questions about your writing style, intent, audience, etc. Once you choose the desired options, Grammarly gives tailored writing suggestions based on your set goals and audience.
• Plagiarism detector  – with this feature, you can cross-check your content against (approximately) 16 billion web pages. 
• Vocabulary enhancer  – Grammarly suggests synonyms, gives definitions, lets you add words to your dictionary, and gives you an explanation of grammar rules. Not only will this enrich your vocabulary, but also boost your creative juices.

On top of it all, Grammarly helps you become a better writer by enabling advanced grammar checks and laying out your performance stats via email.

Grammarly Pricing

As mentioned earlier, the free version doesn’t require a single penny from the user. However, to unlock the premium version’s advanced features, you have to choose from the following plans.

• Monthly  – $29.95/ month
• Quarterly  – $19.98/ month (billed as a single payment of $59.95)
• Yearly  – $11.66/ month (billed as a single payment of $139.95)

The pricing works on a subscription basis, and making an upfront payment at once breaks it down to a reasonable monthly price. 

9. ProWritingAid

Among the other top book writing software,  ProWritingAid  is a widely used tool, popular in the writers’ community.  

You can use the free version of this software to optimize your content efficiently. However, it has some limitations to it. For example, the free version only scans 500 words of your text at a time. Other than that, the free version doesn’t integrate with other programs and can only be accessed online. 

Nonetheless, despite its limitation, it is a go-to tool for many writers. Here’s why:

• Extensive reports  – unlike any other software, ProWriting Aid offers 20 reports highlighting elements like redundancy, vague wording, sentence length variation, over-dependence on adverbs, and more.
• Writing mentor  – with this software, you can compare your work with an accomplished writer’s work in your genre.

To use its advanced features, you need to subscribe to the paid version of this app, which unlocks the following features.

• Additional reports  – the paid version offers 25 reports unveiling deep insights about your content . 
• Ease of use  – with the paid version, you can evaluate any length of content in the desktop app.

Other than that, the most appealing feature is easy payment plans. As opposed to other software, it has flexible yearly subscription plans. 

ProWritingAid Pricing

You can purchase the premium version of this software in affordable price packages listed below:

• One year  – $60
• Two years  – $90
• Three years  – $120
• Lifetime  – $210

As you can see, the prices are quite reasonable. Furthermore, if you like the tool and want to use it for the long-term, you can buy their lifetime plan.

10. FastPencil

FastPencil  is another useful book writing software in our list with an easily navigable dashboard, collaborative editing feature, and many more. 

Just like Google Docs, it’s entirely a web-based platform that can’t be accessed without the internet. However, it offers some useful features that make up for this inconvenience.

• Collaborative editing  – with Fast Pencil, you can invite collaborators, assign them tasks, track each other’s tasks, and upload mutually accessible assets.
• Different layout templates  – once you’re done with your book, you can preview it in different layouts like  business, fiction, memoir , etc. This will allow you to have an idea of how your published book will look like.
• Sell your books  – distribute your e-books to Amazon, Apple, Ingram, Kobo, etc., and track your sales.

Furthermore, you can also track the channels that bring you the most sales and royalties and maximize your focus there.

FastPencil Pricing

They offer a vast array of services to the authors, including managing writing projects, book design, marketing, and publishing. The pricing for each service is mentioned below.

• Editorial services – for basic and advanced project setup, they charge $299 and $499, respectively. Get a quote from the team for additional services like transcription, content editing, manuscript evaluation, etc.
• Design services – purchase design services starting from $50.
• Marketing services – get premium marketing packages starting from $75.
• Publishing services – purchase different publishing services for a price range between $9 to $599.

Visit the website to learn about the detailed pricing plan for different services.

11. Write or Die

Sometimes, writers need a push to keep working and stay away from distractions. What if I tell you that there’s a tool that starts producing a mayday signal the moment you stop typing? 

Yes, you read it right.

There’s a tool that goes by the name  Write or Die .

Write or Die is an online web application that fights writer’s block and compels the writers to keep working on their project.

If the writer stops typing, the application starts making a loud noise and turning the screen red. Furthermore, it lets the users punish themselves if they lag behind their set goals – which is an extreme step but often a necessity to fight procrastination. However, this feature makes this app playful and motivates the writer to achieve their goal in a fun way.

Here are a few features of Write or Die that make it unique and useful for the writer.

• Preference settings  – before starting any piece, the writer can set word goals, timer, grace period before the alarm goes off, and runtime calculation of words written in a minute. 
• Kamikaze mode – when this mode is on, your words will get deleted one by one from the app if you take too long of a pause from writing. This will nudge the writer to keep writing and achieve their daily goals.

Once you’re done, you can save your work in a text file and begin another writing session if you’re feeling motivated.

Write or Die Pricing

All the features listed above are free to use. However, if you want to log your statistics, gain experience, project metrics, and more, buy the pro plan for $20.

12. IA Writer

As compared to Write or Die,  IA Writer  is a milder distraction-free book writing software. Its minimalist interface adds to its grace and cuts out the noise that generally distracts a writer. 

What makes it unique is this software’s availability on Mac OS, Windows, Android, and iOS, making it the most accessible tool in our list.

Here are the key features IA Writer has to offer:

• Focus mode  – this mode lets the writer focus on the sentence they’re writing by blurring out everything else in the document. 
• Flexible content blocks – this feature lets you build flexible blocks of text, swap them around, add media files, and more to your content. Once you’re done, you can combine separate content pieces into one master file.
• Parallel PDF preview  – as you’re writing/editing your content, this app lets you see your content in the paginated PDF view. This feature lets you rectify the format changes when your content is translated from a text file to a PDF file. 

In addition to the above features, this app also allows a fluid integration with Microsoft Word.

IA Writer Pricing

IA writer app is available for the aforementioned operating systems. The pricing for each version is listed below.

• macOS  – you can purchase the IA Writer app for your Mac systems for $29.99. This version comes with a 14-day free trial.
• iOS and iPadOS  – buy this version for your iOS devices at the same price of $29.99. However, it doesn’t offer a free trial.
• Android  – you can purchase a yearly subscription of $4.99 for your android devices or make an upfront payment of $29.99 at once. You get a 30-day in-app trial for this version, which upon satisfaction, you can turn into a yearly or lifetime subscription.
• Windows  – buy IA Writer for your Windows systems for $29.99 with a 14-day free trial.

You can get price reductions and discounts for this app as well. Visit their website to learn more about that. 

What is the Best Book Writing Software?

I noticed there was a HUGE market need for a more seamless and personalized onboarding personalization and education with a book writing software. Moreover, an online book writing software that catered to minimalist design demands of those who want to become authors and experienced authors. The best part: by personalizing the experience, we could provide a minimalist experience while giving book writers exactly what they wanted while helping them succeed every step of the way with our educational component.

The world of creating software has seen a lot of changes over the last couple of years. Not long ago, most book writing software such as Scrivener or Ulysses was built on desktop. These founders had little choice as the internet was yet to be explored.

As the internet matured, online creators were enabled. They adopted easy-to-use coding languages and tools for building online software. This led to the realization that they could build companies online without a huge investment.

The online software world exploded for thousands of industries, yet many industries still found difficulty with placing a foothold in it. One such industry included the professional writing industry. That’s why I founded  Squibler , a book writing software that finally cracks the code.

Why a Book Writing Software Hasn’t Found its Foothold

As I’ve interviewed writers and authors, the answer was clear. The majority of professional writers are over the age of thirty. Most over forty. They expressed their hesitancy to try new writing software as they aren’t technology enthusiasts.

One ghostwriter noted,  “I live in Microsoft Word. And I’m old. I have no desire to learn more software.”

Even though she was only forty-three years old, she couldn’t bear learning another software program especially with her three kids running around.

The problem isn’t that she didn’t want to learn another writing software, but the book writing software alternatives to Microsoft Word weren’t easy to learn. For example, the number one book writing software outside of Microsoft Word is Scrivener. And the number one complaint about Scrivener is that the learning curve is too high.

This Amazon review comparing Scrivener to Adobe is particularly interesting. The reason is Canva, a design tool now valued at over a billion dollars, aimed to be the easier version of Adobe for designers. It accomplished this through the effective use of personalization with onboarding and templates. Personalization keeps users engaged, delighted, increases word-of-mouth referrals and much more.

The stats around what makes a SaaS company successful say personalization is at the forefront. It creates a deeper relationship with your customers and increases activation and retention rates which directly lead to more revenue.

Improving activation—which takes place when users first experience the value you promised—by only 25% can result in a  34.30% lift in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) .

For users who aren’t technology-savvy, this increase in activation through personalization has a much more valuable outcome. If you’re already scared to try a new writing software, then there’s only one way to get you to adopt it. It’s an onboarding experience that provides a feeling that every step is personalized to your exact needs and gets you your first win fast.

Based on how the writing software personalizes this journey, you may receive a drip campaign that incorporates relevant articles, tutorials, webinars, and case studies. This will help onboard new trial users deep into understanding your software and community.

Final Thoughts

When picking the right book writing software, it’s important to first ask yourself what you need.

Anyone can start preparing a draft on Google Docs, which is free.

But does it have everything that an average writer needs to make the process easier? Not necessarily.

A modern software should be able to at least provide you with flexible personalization, outlining, and productivity tools – packaged in a highly intuitive user-interface.

And all things considered, Squibler is the only option that ticks all of those boxes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some other common questions about book writing software:

What is the best free software for writing a book?

The best free software for writing a book is Google Docs. It’s a great option if you don’t need to organize your writing in sections, and it also allows changes without saving them first – which could be helpful for people who are always making adjustments and updates as they go along with their book-writing process.

Can you write a book in Microsoft Word?

You can write a book in Microsoft Word if you are writing a book that is less than 80 pages. If you’re looking for something with more robust features, Squibler may be a better option – but keep in mind it only allows changes without saving them first, so this could pose some problems if you like to make adjustments as you go along the way.

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Published in Writing Software

Atticus Review: Is This Book Writing Software Your Writing and Formatting Solution?

by Joe Bunting | 2 comments

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You’ve fought through the first draft. You’ve worked with your editor to complete all the passes needed to make your book the best it can be. It’s ready to become a book. Now what? Read on to see if you could benefit from Atticus, a new book writing software. 

I had an acquaintance who self-published a book last year. She brought me a copy and asked me to take a look.

The cover was absolutely perfect. She’d hired a designer and it showed.

But as soon as I flipped through it, I knew she had skipped some critical steps. What tipped me off? The interior formatting. 

The last leg of getting your book into the hands of your readers includes a number of smaller steps that will make all the difference in how your book looks to readers. Most writers know they have to get a great cover, but many don’t realize the interior is just as important. 

What’s interior formatting and why does my book need it?

Open a book and take a look at how things are organized. Title pages look different than chapter openings. Look at where the page numbers fall (especially on chapter opening pages). Notice how the headings work on each page—some have the author on one side and the title of the book or chapter on the other. 

Then look at the body text. Look at the spacing. The fonts and size.

This is where I noticed my friend’s oversight. It looked like a Word document that had been formatted for a school report—not a book.

All of these details are a part of the interior formatting, meaning the way the words are laid out on the page, and your book needs interior formatting to look professional. Publishers pay professionals to do interior formatting, but as an indie or self-published author, how can you make sure your book looks just as professional without spending thousands of dollars?  

Thankfully, formatting is one area that is easy to learn if you have the right software. Up until now, Vellum has been the go-to for Mac users, but Atticus is a new option for writing and formatting, especially for those working on PCs.

Atticus is not only for book formatting. It’s a solid piece of book writing software as well, and in this post I’ll share my thoughts on the software, along with an overview of the features I love the most, so you can decide if Atticus is a good fit for your book writing software needs. 

For transparency: I was not paid for my review, and the links below are not affiliate links. Just passing along a review of a great tool. Now, let's look at Atticus !

What is Atticus?

Atticus is a writing and formatting tool built to be an all-in-one solution for writers. Imagine if an advanced online word processor (think Scrivener meets Google Docs) and Vellum got together in one program—you’d have Atticus. 

Atticus is created by Dave Chesson, who is also the mind behind Publisher Rocket (see our review for Publisher Rocket here ), which means this is coming from a team who really understands authors and the publishing industry.

So let’s start with the features that would have helped my self-published friend with her book’s interior. Atticus excels as a formatting tool, and its features allow you to:

• Create unique chapter design themes
• Adjust your book size, font size, line spacing, and font styles
• Quickly add back and front matter (like copyright pages, epigraph pages, title and half title pages, and more)
• Generate e-books and print books with the click of a button
• Preview how it all looks on different reading devices like Kindle, iPhone, and print

As I have played with Atticus, I’ve found that it’s both intuitive and fairly advanced. You can easily pick a formatting template and leave it at that, but if you want to adjust every single font style or size for every element on the page, you can do that too. 

Why Consider Atticus?

One of the reasons I think Atticus might be a game-changer for authors is that it runs on multiple operating systems. Vellum has only ever been for Mac, and their own website says that they do not have plans for a PC version. 

As a Mac user, that’s been fine for me personally, and I’ve designed more than a dozen books on Vellum. But I also hear from many authors in our community who’d love an option to format beautiful books regardless of their operating system.

Also, Vellum is a little expensive, even for established authors.

This is where Atticus comes in.

• It costs $147 , which is $100 less than you would pay for the same capabilities on Vellum.
• It is available on virtually every platform, including PC, Mac, Linux, and Chromebook.

I'll also add that the current version of Atticus is just the beginning. I know that Dave and the Atticus team have future plans for the software that will be even cooler for authors, which I’ll talk about more later in this review.

The Important Atticus Features

Here are the key areas we’ll focus on for this review:

• Book formatting
• Writing in Atticus
• Chapter theme builder
• Cloud and offline use
• Future features I'm excited about

Let's dive into these one by one.

1. Book Formatting

Honestly, the formatting is currently Atticus's best feature. It has everything you need to make beautifully designed print and ebooks, including the same features you’d find in a formatting program like Vellum. These include:

• Full customization : You can customize almost anything, from font face, font size, titles and subtitles, images, and spacing.
• Ornamental breaks : You can choose from a variety of provided ornamental breaks or you can upload your own.
• Export options : You can export to EPUB, print-ready PDFs, and DOCX.
• Import options : You can also import DOCX and RTF files to easily load your book. It would be nice to have more formats supported, but I understand they’re working on this.
• Device previewer : If you want to see what your book will look when it’s published, there’s a handy previewer that displays your book in various formats, from print to iPhone to Kindle and others.
• Large print options : If you want to format a large print book (which is more than just changing the font size), Atticus has pre-built settings for this as well.
• Full bleed images : If you want to have images that extend to the edges of your page, you can set those up as well.

I could go on with some of the smaller features, but those are the big ones.

2. Book Writing

As a writing program, Atticus boasts an entirely different set of features:

• Word processor: Atticus has a standard word processor with everything you would expect (i.e. boldface, italics, headings, etc.).
• Reusable elements : One cool feature with Atticus is that you can create reusable elements such as an author bio page so you can use it again in other books. And you can set it to update all books when you make a change to that element. Huge time-saver for authors of many different books!
• ProWritingAid integration and spell check : Atticus has its own standard spell check already built in, but if you own ProWritingAid, it integrates, which is great when editing your books. To see our review on ProWritingAid, click here . 
• Word count : You can easily see your word count by selection, chapter, or the entire book.
• Front and back matter : Atticus uses chapter elements to easily understand what goes in the front matter, what goes in the main body of your text, and what goes in the back matter.
• Goal setting : Atticus has a nifty feature that lets you track your goals and writing habits to gamify the whole process.

3. Chapter Theme Builder

One book formatting feature Atticus includes that I haven’t mentioned is the ability to build beautiful chapter themes. 

Not only can you customize every element on your chapter page, including the chapter title, subtitle, number, headers, and page numbers, but you can also add images.

There are two types of images that you can add: image elements and full-bleed images .

Image elements can be placed among your title and subtitle elements, and full-bleed images can extend to the edges of your page, assuming you are formatting it for a print book.

In other words, there are some beautiful possibilities using this thing, and I'm excited to try out all the features they’ve added.

4. Cloud and Offline Use

Atticus is primarily a cloud-based book writing software, which comes with a pro and a con:

• Pro: you have an instant backup of all your work. 
• Con: you must have internet access to use it. 

While you can download the software and use it offline, you will need to be online to log in and to export your books.

This also is what allows Atticus to be multi-platform, running on MacOS, Windows, Chrome, and other platforms. Also, some of the upcoming features (collaboration in particular) require an online connection. 

5. Upcoming Features and the Future of Atticus

Atticus is still in the early days of development, and there are other features in the works that will make this book writing program even better for authors. 

• Collaboration : This is the big one. With Atticus, you will be able to collaborate with other authors, editors, and even book formatters all within the program. No more sending files back and forth to your co-author. Google docs has always been my standard for collaboration, but Atticus will make the process much easier and more effective for authors. 
• Volumes and parts : This is one feature where Vellum is currently ahead. Volumes and parts allow you to create more complicated books that are divided into parts. This is also important for creating box sets. This feature should be coming soon. 
• Dark mode : Great news for authors who like writing in dark mode. 
• Plotting tools : This would allow you to plot and organize your pre-writing work, as well as potentially integrate with other third-party plotting tools.

It will be fun to see how Atticus evolves. Keep an eye on this review as we track the changes and how this software improves. 

Atticus Review: Is Atticus Right for Me?

Atticus is still new to the book writing software scene, but while I still use Vellum and Scrivener for most writing projects, I can see myself more and more relying on Atticus for writing, formatting, and soon collaboration. 

For non-Mac users though, it could become your go-to book formatting tool, which is great news. 

I also know that given Dave Chesson's track record with Publisher Rocket, Atticus will only get better for any writer who wants a single, inexpensive solution to writing and formatting.

Atticus will help you:

• Format a beautiful book on any platform
• Write and edit a great book 
• Give you the creative tools for your book to stand out

As with Publisher Rocket, Atticus has excellent customer support, so if you do run into any problems, or need help, you can easily get the help you need.

And they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you decide it isn't for you, you can get your money back.

Think Atticus is right for you? Download it here or read on for my final review.

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.

• 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
• 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.

My Final Atticus Review

Yes, I recommend Atticus, especially for PC users. 

Vellum was a huge advancement in self-publishing, making the process of formatting so much easier. But it was for Mac only and fairly expensive. 

Atticus promises to make the process just as easy, cheaper, and available on any platform. 

Even better, given Atticus’s writing and (soon) collaboration features, it could soon be a go-to word processor as well. Not bad!

Long story short, my friend’s book would have definitely benefited from this software, and she could have avoided paying an interior designer to fix the text. 

Ready to give Atticus a try? Want an all-in-one software solution for writing, formatting, and collaborating on your book?

Get Atticus

If you decide Atticus isn't right for you, you can get a full refund with their 30-day money-back guarantee. If you're looking to publish a beautiful book, though, this could be just the tool you need.

Have you tried Atticus? What do you think? Let us know in the comments .

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.

I bought Atticus for my novel Path of Relics and I’m very satisfied with the results. I use scrivener for writing and tried to format using that program and hoo boy! That was a fiasco.

So when I got Atticus and everything was so simple to format it was great. I think the program still has some quirks here and there and unfortunately I’m seeing a few issues from my document that I transferred over from Scrivner, but overall definitely worth it. Plus when I contacted support about the issues they were very responsive.

I’ve persisted with Atticus and have the ePub formatting close to what I want. The benefits of Atticus over Scrivener as I see them: 1. I can easily set a beginning page whereas Scrivener can’t 2. The Custom Themes are an easier way to set the eBook layout Scrivener is better as follows: 1. The final ePub file including all internal images and cover is compiled at 870kb whereas Atticus is 1.5Mb (which is important when Amazon charges 0.15c per Mb for download) Also, I’ve encountered the following problems with Atticus: 1. Blank lines and leading spaces were removed when importing my manuscript from a .docx. This meant I had to manually re-insert them in Atticus. Time consuming. 2. The on-line app seems to want to save continuously to the point where it constantly freezes for up to 2 minutes when editing (I’m on 42/19Mbps internet speed). At present I can’t effectively use Atticus as an editor, only an ePub compiler. 3. Would be nice if there was an option to remove item numbers in the TOC 4. Would be nice if Front Matter items could be flagged to include/exclude from TOC. (ie Dedication is currently included as .Chapter unless I change it to Custom) 5. I’ve minimized the size of all images. Even removing them all only reduces the file size from 1.5Mb to 1.2Mb. Is there anything else that will reduce the .ePub file size similar to Scrivener? 6. I use Calibre to insert missing metadata (Rating, Tags (eg Science Fiction), IDs (ie ISBNs)). Would be nice if Atticus could add this metadata to the ePub file 7. I’m still using Scrivener -> Word to set up the printed book due to compiling anomalies in Atticus. Also my hardback formatting is different to paperback formatting. Hyphenation – not across page breaks or proper nouns etc, Unexplained hyphenations

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Last updated on Feb 07, 2023

The Best Book Writing Software of 2024: Scrivener, yWriter, and More

There isn’t any writing software that can miraculously make you a professional author. However, plenty of digital tools can help you improve your writing, become more productive and publish a book. To help you sort through a sea of apps available on PC, Mac, and mobile, we’ll run through some of the best book writing software available today.

This post will help you find the best app for your particular needs as a writer.

Developing your craft

The best way to become a better writer is simply to write prolifically. But it might also help to have a kindly electronic tutor looking over your shoulder.

Price: Free online, or $19.99 to download the desktop app

The Hemingway app is for authors who want to bring out their inner Ernest by writing prose that’s “bold and clear.”

To help you improve your writing in real-time, the app highlights text with colors that indicate run-on sentences, passive voice, qualifiers, adverbs, and complex phrasing to reduce. Our full Hemingway app review discusses these functions in more detail, but one drawback is that it doesn’t exist as an extension to browsers and word processors. You either have to write your book elsewhere and import it onto Hemingway for an edit, or you write on Hemingway and forfeit other book-related functions like formatting tools and goal-tracking.

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ProWritingAid

Price: $120/year

ProWritingAid aims to improve your writing by providing language-checking features that spot not only grammar mistakes but also stylistic weaknesses like purple prose or passive voice — though these should be taken with a grain of salt. The app has integrations to most major word processors and browsers, so you can easily apply it to book writing software like Word or the Reedsy Book Editor. For a more in-depth analysis of its functions and uses (plus a discount code!), head to our ProWritingAid review .

Writing productivity

Inspiration is nothing without the discipline to complete your first drafts. The features on these apps are designed to help you become more productive writers.

FocusWriter

Price: Free

Sometimes even word processors like the ones discussed so far feel overwhelming and distracting with all of its formatting tools and features. What if you just want a clean slate with absolutely nothing to distract you from the flow of your words — not even a toolbar with unnecessary functions? FocusWriter can provide you with a virtual sheet of paper (cloaked in the theme of your choice). 

Now, you can access a toolbar with several features like a timer for writing sprints, and a daily goal tracker — but in its default state, this writing software tucks them safely out of view. Recent updates have made it possible to save your work as Word files, which means you can write with FocusWriter and easily share your manuscript with others for feedback.

Reedsy Book Editor

Designed to meet the key needs of authors, our Reedsy Book Editor is a free, all-in-one piece of book writing software . On its unobtrusive interface, you can write your book with the help of a built-in spell-check system (tailored to your preferred language) and a goal-tracking feature that will help you hit your deadlines. Simply enter your target length, tell the RBE which days of the week you intend to write, and the app will automatically set your daily word count goals .

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Price: $39.96/year

If you’re struggling to find enough discipline to make the Pomodoro method work, it might be time to call in the distraction-busting big guns. You can install freedom on one or all of your devices, and during your writing sprints, the app will cut off your access to your apps, the entire internet, or a self-selected collection of ‘distracting websites’ (Facebook, Instagram, OK Cupid, etc.).

Planning your story

Many writers love plotting out their books on corkboards and spiral-bound notebooks. But if you’re looking for tidier alternatives (or programs that can prompt you in the right direction), you may want to check these out.

Price : Free

yWriter looks a bit dated, and it’s not yet available to Mac users, but it’s a formidable piece of writing software for anyone writing science fiction or fantasy — or any project with a lot of complex worldbuilding details. By dividing your work into scenes (on which you can tag relevant characters and locations), yWriter helps you track every development in the manuscript as you write. 

Campfire Write

Price: Starting at $1.50 per month 

Another option for science fiction and fantasy writers is Campfire Write. Created with these genres in mind, this web-based book writing software lets you map your story by Elements (characters, locations, maps, species, cultures, philosophies, etc.), which can be purchased individually, as needed. Say you only subscribe to the manuscript writing feature, it’ll cost $1.50 a month. If you want to have several character profiles, a culture outline, and a couple of interactive maps, you can expect to pay $5.25 a month. 

Your work here can also be shared with an editor (who can leave comments on your work) or with the Campfire writing community at large. While it takes some time to familiarize yourself with its many details, Campfire can be a useful and fun tool for writers to build their universes. We've also reviewed Campfire Write in more detail.

For 20% off all lifetime purchases on Campfire, use the promo code REEDSY20 at checkout.

Price: $49 

Scrivener is a favorite among authors in no small part because it is one of the first writing programs created with authors in mind. With its corkboard function that allows you to see your whole project in one view, its split-screen mode for you to reference research as you write, and its clean-cut filing system, Scrivener gives authors a good workspace whether they need to outline their book before writing or figure out the big picture as they write.

Formatting your book

If you’re looking to join the self-publishing revolution and become the next big author on Kindle, you’ll need a way to turn your manuscript into a professional-grade ebook and paperback. Thankfully, there’s an app for that!

Oh look! A second appearance for the Reedsy Book Editor. But hey-ho: our site, our rules. 

With the RBE’s formatting abilities, you can import your manuscript from a .docx file and apply stylistic flourishes in minutes. Simply click ‘Export’ and choose a style — the Reedsy Book Editor will take care of aligning the text, inserting drop caps and chapter titles, and turning your work into an elegant EPUB or PDF file that can immediately be uploaded to ebook distribution platforms or printing services. It’s an effortless process that allows self-publishing authors to spend time and resources on other parts of their publishing projects.

At the end of the day, no app is going to be fully able to outline, write, or edit your book for you — but with these book writing software options in mind, you’ll at least be able to find something that makes the process easier, streamlined, and more enjoyable. Now get out there and start creating!

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Best Book Writing Software: Top 15 Programs for Writers

Hannah Yang

If you’d been born a few centuries ago, you might have written books using little more than a quill, an inkwell, and a scroll of parchment.

You can still write your book with a quill if you want to—but these days you have a lot more options at your fingertips. There are digital apps you can use that will help you organize your writing projects, catch grammar mistakes, collaborate with others, and so much more.

With so many different options to choose from, it can be hard to figure out which software is right for you.

So, what’s the best writing software to help you write your book?

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the best book writing software options that every writer should know about.

1. ProWritingAid (Best Writing Software for Books)

2. scrivener, 3. google docs, 4. novelpad, 5. reedsy book editor, 6. squibler, 7. microsoft word, 8. grammarly, 9. hemingway, 10. the novel factory, 11. ulysses, 12. atticus, 14. publisher rocket, 15. fictionary, benefits of book writing software, why prowritingaid is loved by book writers, conclusion on the best book writing software.

ProWritingAid is the best book writing software currently available to writers.

It’s a popular writing aid that helps you transform your work in progress into publication-ready prose.

At the most basic level, the software acts as a second set of eyes to catch mistakes you might not spot on your own, such as typos and grammar errors.

On a more advanced level, it also makes style suggestions to help you improve weaknesses like passive voice, the overuse of adverbs, and repetitive sentence starts.

What makes ProWritingAid stand out from the crowd is the depth and quality of analysis it offers. There are over 20 different writing reports that show you the strengths and weaknesses of your book.

Here are just a few examples of the reports you get with ProWritingAid:

• The Clichés and Redundancies Report highlights overused phrases in your prose, so you can choose more unique ways to express ideas
• The Pacing Check monitors the balance between fast-paced sections, such as dialogue and character action, versus slow-paced sections, such as introspection and backstory
• The Dialogue Tags Check analyzes your dialogue tags, such as “She said” and “He whispered,” to make sure they’re necessary and effective

ProWritingAid also includes a built-in plagiarism checker that will tell you if any passages in your book overlap with existing written work.

The free version lets you try out all the basic features, but you’ll need the Premium version to unlock the advanced analysis reports. If you’re working on a full-length book, it’s worth the investment.

Cost: Free, or around $70/year for the Premium version

• Analyzes your book in more detail than any other grammar checker on the market
• Integrates with web browsers (such as Chrome and Firefox) and desktop apps (such as Microsoft Word and Scrivener)
• Lets you scan up to 100,000 words at a time
• Requires a subscription to scan more than 500 words (the free trial limit)

Scrivener is a book writing software specifically designed for writing long-form projects, such as novels, textbooks, and screenplays.

It’s great for organizing large writing projects because it lets you arrange your manuscript in a “binder,” where you can easily rearrange scenes or chapters by dragging and dropping them.

You can see a bird’s-eye view of your book using the corkboard mode, which looks like a physical corkboard full of index cards. You can also toggle to the outline mode, which formats your chapter summaries as an outline.

You can then set targets for your project, such as the word counts you want to hit by certain deadlines. This feature makes it easy to track your progress.

And you can turn on focus mode, which displays only the text you’re currently working on, so you can write without distraction.

There’s a steep learning curve to use all of Scrivener’s advanced features, but many writers love this app, and there are plenty of tutorials online for how to make Scrivener work for you.

Cost: $49/lifetime

• Lets you organize a large project with ease
• Gives you a bird’s-eye view of your book
• Helps you track your progress with targets and deadlines
• Has a steep learning curve for new users
• Lacks real-time collaboration options
• Requires a one-time payment

Writing can be a solitary task, but the process of writing an entire book requires a lot of collaboration. Authors might need to collect feedback from beta readers, view suggestions from editors, and more.

Google Docs is the best free writing software for collaboration. It allows others to leave comments, suggestions, and even emoji reactions on your book.

Multiple people can edit the same document simultaneously in Google Docs, allowing for real-time collaboration.

Google Docs also automatically uploads your work to the cloud, so you don’t run the risk of losing any of your files. Best of all, it’s free.

One downside is that Google Docs isn’t a perfect book writing software because it is hard to organize a large project using it. We recommend creating a new Doc for each chapter or section of your book, so you don’t have to scroll for minutes on end to get from one section of your book to another.

Another downside is that Google Docs works best when you have an internet connection. It might not be the best tool if you prefer to work offline or on the move.

• Allows real-time collaboration with beta readers, editors, and more
• Automatically saves your work to the cloud
• Free to use
• Lacks organizational options for large writing projects
• Requires an internet connection for full functionality

NovelPad, first launched in 2020, is one of the newest book writing software tools on our list. It’s a novel writing software designed by and for novelists.

Like Scrivener, NovelPad is a word processing tool that lets you rearrange scenes and story beats by dragging and dropping them. In addition to being a word processor, it also comes with many other book writing tools.

One useful feature is character tracking, which lets you jump to all sections where a specific character’s name appears. That way, you can make sure that characters act consistently throughout the book.

Another useful feature is its adaptive progress tracker. NovelPad lets you set different daily word count goals depending on how much time you can spend writing, and it will even readjust your daily goals to account for how much you’ve already written.

You can also color code your scenes, so you can easily see which ones you’re drafting, revising, copyediting, etc.

Best of all, the user interface is extremely intuitive, so this writing program isn’t as hard to learn as Scrivener.

One downside is that there’s no desktop app version of NovelPad, so you can only use it in a web browser. As a result, the offline mode doesn’t always work well.

Cost: $8/month or $60/year

• Easy to use and navigate
• Offers character boards and scene boards specifically designed for novels
• Lacks an app option and can only be used in-browser
• Not tailored for writing nonfiction books
• Requires a subscription

The Reedsy Book Editor is a free book writing software that also handles formatting for publication while you write.

This online editor is one of the few writing programs that lets you see what the published version of your book will look like while you’re still writing it. It has fantastic editing features compared to most other free writing software tools.

Once you’ve finished your final draft, you can export your book as an EPUB or PDF file, in a format that looks beautiful and clean.

It’s a free alternative to expensive writing programs like Atticus, which format your book for a large fee.

Another advantage is that, similar to Google Docs, the Reedsy Book Editor allows multiple people to work on a document at the same time. If you’re working with a co-writer , this free website might be a great option.

• Allows real-time collaboration
• Formats your book for publication
• Lacks the advanced features you can get with more expensive writing software

Squibler is a book writing software that helps you streamline your creative process. It’s designed to make the writing process easier, so you can hit your writing goals.

It lets you set to-do lists to increase productivity, and is specifically tailored to help you with project management.

It’s also a very versatile writing software. You can use Squibler for writing a book, crafting a screenplay, or just for writing practice.

If you’re struggling with writer’s block and don’t know what to work on next, you can use Squibler’s Plot Generator, which will give you writing prompts. These machine-generated prompts are a handy tool to help you get the creative juices going.

Cost: $9.99/month

• Helps with project management
• Lets you set to-do lists and goals
• Gives you fun prompts to spark creativity

Microsoft Word remains the default word processor used by most writers today. It’s a simple word processor, but it’s still a useful book writing software, especially if it’s an option you already have access to.

One benefit of MS Word is that the user interface is very easy to use. Whatever you see on the screen is the same as what your book will look like when you print it out, so you can make formatting adjustments along the way.

Since most people are already familiar with MS Word, it’s still an industry standard in many contexts. For example, if you send your book to a copyeditor, there’s a good chance they’ll send it back as a MS Word document.

The Track Changes feature makes it easy to edit other people’s stories while giving them the choice to accept or reject those changes.

The downside of MS Word is that it’s not designed to handle extremely large projects, like books. It takes time to scroll from Chapter One to Chapter Ten, and it’s even harder to move a scene from one part of the book to another.

Cost: around $100/year for the entire Microsoft Office suite depending on the site you buy from (includes Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

• Creates simple, ubiquitous document formats like .doc and .docx
• Can be slow to load large files

Grammarly is a grammar checker that focuses primarily on catching errors, such as typos, grammatical mistakes, and misused punctuation. It also offers style suggestions related to wordy sentences, repetitive words, incorrect comma usage, and other similar fixes.

Some of Grammarly’s top features include its plagiarism detector, its spell check, and its grammar check. It also offers a readability score, which gives you a score from 1 to 100 based on readability factors like word length and sentence length.

The main downside of Grammarly is that it works better with short-form content than long-form content. If you try to scan more than 10,000 words, it slows down significantly. It also doesn’t integrate with popular book writing apps, such as Scrivener and Final Draft.

The free version can catch grammar and spelling mistakes, but you’ll need to pay for the Premium version in order to use the rest of the tool.

Cost: Free, or $30/month, $60/quarter, or $144/year for the Premium version

• Catches mistakes and typos well
• Quickly scans short emails and blog posts
• Offers fewer reports and less in-depth analysis than ProWritingAid
• Only lets you scan 10,000–20,000 words at a time without a significant reduction in speed
• Requires an expensive subscription

Read our ProWritingAid vs Grammarly comparison article here.

The Hemingway app is a free writing software that focuses on checking readability. It gives your writing a readability score, so you know how well you're communicating.

It highlights sentences that are dense or overly complex, so you can find ways to shorten them. It also highlights passive voice, overused adverbs, and any other weaknesses that might make your work harder to read.

The downside is that not all of Hemingway’s suggestions are useful. They’re all automatically generated based on fairly simple criteria, so it can be a bit hit-or-miss.

Still, since it’s free software, there’s no downside to running your book through the Hemingway app to see if it offers any useful suggestions.

Cost: Free!

• Gives your writing a readability score
• Suggests ways to make your work more digestible for readers
• Sometimes gives arbitrary or unhelpful advice

The Novel Factory is a great book writing software for fiction writers.

In addition to being a word processor, it can also help you with the creative process when you’re coming up with ideas.

It includes several interesting writing tools that you can’t find elsewhere.

For example, it comes with a Plot Manager, which includes plot templates for popular genres.

The Novel Factory also helps you develop your characters, with prompts to flesh out your character’s archetype, motivation, and more.

Overall, the Novel Factory is a great book writing software for creative writers who want some help with the ideation process.

Cost: $75/year for the basic version, $198/year for the standard version, or $600/year for the Premium version

• Offers plot templates and a detailed Plot Manager
• Helps with character development, worldbuilding, and other creative elements

Ulysses is a note taking app that lets you sync between all your devices.

Let’s say you come up with some brilliant ideas for your book while you’re commuting home from work, so you type out your ideas on your phone.

Once you get home, you can’t wait to incorporate those ideas into your project—but first, you have to go through the hassle of switching all your notes from your phone to your laptop.

Syncing all your notes can be a real drag, especially if you like to think about your book while you’re on the go.

Ulysses also has a binder-like sidebar that lets you move documents around easily. It’s no replacement for Scrivener, since it’s not designed specifically for writing books. But if you just need a way to take notes and keep track of ideas with minimal stress, it’s a great option.

Common alternatives to Ulysses include Evernote and Bear.

Cost: $5.99/month or $39.99/year

• Syncs notes between all your devices
• Lets you easily take notes on the go
• Only available for Mac
• Not designed specifically for writing books

Atticus is a book formatting tool that helps you turn your manuscript into a publication-ready file.

It includes easy-to-use templates you can customize to suit your preferences. With these templates, you can export your book in beautiful formats for both print and eBook.

In addition to formatting your books, Atticus also functions as a word processor, so you can start writing directly in the program if you want to. It even lets you track word count goals as you go, just like Scrivener and NovelPad.

If you’re self-publishing and you’re not planning to hire someone to format your manuscript, a book writing software like Atticus is a must-have so you can make sure your manuscript is ready for publication.

Cost: $147/lifetime

• Formats manuscripts for print and eBook
• Works for every platform (Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome)
• Requires an internet connection
• Requires an expensive one-time payment

Vellum helps you create a beautifully formatted eBook. Like Atticus, it’s well-known for having gorgeous aesthetics.

Many of the word processors on our list can format eBooks, including Scrivener and Microsoft Word, but most of them don’t produce such beautiful books. Vellum, in particular, focuses on how your book looks.

With the previewer, you can see exactly how your eBooks will appear on Kindle, iPhone, Nook, and other eReaders.

Cost: $199 for eBook generation, $249 for paperback formatting

• Easy to learn and navigate
• Offers beautiful and unique aesthetics

Publisher Rocket serves a different function from all the other programs in our list.

Instead of helping you write your book, it helps you figure out what kind of book to write—or how to market the book you’re writing, once it’s done.

Essentially, Publisher Rocket is a book marketing research tool that gives you a breakdown of what readers are looking for.

For example, Publisher Rocket can tell you how much money readers are spending on certain niches, such as historical romance. It can also tell you what phrases Amazon buyers are searching for right now, so you can see topics that are trending with readers.

One useful feature is that it can tell you how much money specific books are making per month, so if you know of books that are similar to yours, it can give you a sense of how well your manuscript will perform in the market.

Best of all, it can give you advice for how to market your book to the right audience, which can significantly improve sales.

Cost: $97/lifetime

• Helps you market your book
• Gives you a sense of how well your book can sell
• Has a steep learning curve

Fictionary is for fiction writers looking to improve the plot, characters and setting of their stories.

The AI-powered software makes story editing faster by analyzing your manuscript from start to finish and creating powerful visuals of your plotline, scenes, and POVs.

Their structured approach to story editing takes writers through 38 story elements, including how to write conflict, tension, hooks, backstory, emotional impact, and more.

Cost: $19/month or $169/year

• Packed full of practical, actionable information
• Generates impressive visualizations of your writing
• Makes editing more systematic and less daunting
• Works best with a completed first draft
• Longer learning curve due to so many elements

If you already have the tools you need to write a book, you might be reluctant to learn how to use new ones. So, why bother investing in book writing software? Here are some key benefits:

• Help you stay focused on your project
• Allow you to work more quickly and efficiently
• Give you organizational tools to manage your ideas
• Make it easier to share your material with others
• Correct weaknesses in your prose
• Improve the quality of your overall book

If you find the right book writing software for you, you’ll be able to finish a stronger manuscript in a shorter span of time. It’s well worth the investment!

ProWritingAid offers higher quality analysis than any other software on the market.

It’s particularly well-suited for creative writers because it goes beyond looking for basic mistakes and actually improves writing style. Other grammar checkers can transform bad writing into good writing, but ProWritingAid’s style suggestions can transform good writing into great writing.

The more you use ProWritingAid, the more you’ll be able to spot the patterns in your writing. It’s a book writing software that can help you actually improve your writing skills over time.

It’s also extremely easy to integrate ProWritingAid into your current writing process, whether you prefer to write in Scrivener, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or any other popular word processor.

You can check ProWritingAid’s suggestions, make your edits, and save the file directly in your favorite writing app.

If you want writing software that will holistically improve your book, ProWritingAid is one of the best places to start.

There you have it—our top 15 picks for the best writing software options on the market today. You can use these tools to draft your book, edit your prose, format your manuscript, and more.

It’s important to remember that every writer is unique, so a piece of writing software that works well for others might not be the best option for you. Ultimately, the only way to figure out your favorite book writing software is to try some out for yourself.

Most of the book writing software options on our list have free trials you can use to help figure out if that app works for you or not. For example, you can use ProWritingAid right now, no credit card required.

Let us know what your favorite book writing software is. Happy writing!

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Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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MAXQDA The All-in-one Literature Review Software

MAXQDA is the best choice for a comprehensive literature review. It works with a wide range of data types and offers powerful tools for literature review, such as reference management, qualitative, vocabulary, text analysis tools, and more.

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As your all-in-one literature review software, MAXQDA can be used to manage your entire research project. Easily import data from texts, interviews, focus groups, PDFs, web pages, spreadsheets, articles, e-books, and even social media data. Connect the reference management system of your choice with MAXQDA to easily import bibliographic data. Organize your data in groups, link relevant quotes to each other, keep track of your literature summaries, and share and compare work with your team members. Your project file stays flexible and you can expand and refine your category system as you go to suit your research.

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With a literature review software like MAXQDA, you can easily import bibliographic data from reference management programs for your literature review. MAXQDA can work with all reference management programs that can export their databases in RIS-format which is a standard format for bibliographic information. Like MAXQDA, these reference managers use project files, containing all collected bibliographic information, such as author, title, links to websites, keywords, abstracts, and other information. In addition, you can easily import the corresponding full texts. Upon import, all documents will be automatically pre-coded to facilitate your literature review at a later stage.

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Great ideas will often occur to you while you’re doing your literature review. Using MAXQDA as your literature review software, you can create memos to store your ideas, such as research questions and objectives, or you can use memos for paraphrasing passages into your own words. By attaching memos like post-it notes to text passages, texts, document groups, images, audio/video clips, and of course codes, you can easily retrieve them at a later stage. Particularly useful for literature reviews are free memos written during the course of work from which passages can be copied and inserted into the final text.

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Quantitative aspects can also be relevant when conducting a literature review analysis. Using MAXQDA as your literature review software enables you to employ a vast range of procedures for the quantitative evaluation of your material. You can sort sources according to document variables, compare amounts with frequency tables and charts, and much more. Make sure you don’t miss the word frequency tools of MAXQDA’s add-on module for quantitative content analysis. Included are tools for visual text exploration, content analysis, vocabulary analysis, dictionary-based analysis, and more that facilitate the quantitative analysis of terms and their semantic contexts.

Visualize your literature review

As an all-in-one literature review software, MAXQDA offers a variety of visual tools that are tailor-made for qualitative research and literature reviews. Create stunning visualizations to analyze your material. Of course, you can export your visualizations in various formats to enrich your literature review analysis report. Work with word clouds to explore the central themes of a text and key terms that are used, create charts to easily compare the occurrences of concepts and important keywords, or make use of the graphical representation possibilities of MAXMaps, which in particular permit the creation of concept maps. Thanks to the interactive connection between your visualizations with your MAXQDA data, you’ll never lose sight of the big picture.

AI Assist: literature review software meets AI

AI Assist – your virtual research assistant – supports your literature review with various tools. AI Assist simplifies your work by automatically analyzing and summarizing elements of your research project and by generating suggestions for subcodes. No matter which AI tool you use – you can customize your results to suit your needs.

Free tutorials and guides on literature review

MAXQDA offers a variety of free learning resources for literature review, making it easy for both beginners and advanced users to learn how to use the software. From free video tutorials and webinars to step-by-step guides and sample projects, these resources provide a wealth of information to help you understand the features and functionality of MAXQDA for literature review. For beginners, the software’s user-friendly interface and comprehensive help center make it easy to get started with your data analysis, while advanced users will appreciate the detailed guides and tutorials that cover more complex features and techniques. Whether you’re just starting out or are an experienced researcher, MAXQDA’s free learning resources will help you get the most out of your literature review.

Free MAXQDA Trial for Windows and Mac

Get your maxqda license, compare the features of maxqda and maxqda analytics pro, faq: literature review software.

Literature review software is a tool designed to help researchers efficiently manage and analyze the existing body of literature relevant to their research topic. MAXQDA, a versatile qualitative data analysis tool, can be instrumental in this process.

Literature review software, like MAXQDA, typically includes features such as data import and organization, coding and categorization, advanced search capabilities, data visualization tools, and collaboration features. These features facilitate the systematic review and analysis of relevant literature.

Literature review software, including MAXQDA, can assist in qualitative data interpretation by enabling researchers to organize, code, and categorize relevant literature. This organized data can then be analyzed to identify trends, patterns, and themes, helping researchers draw meaningful insights from the literature they’ve reviewed.

Yes, literature review software like MAXQDA is suitable for researchers of all levels of experience. It offers user-friendly interfaces and extensive support resources, making it accessible to beginners while providing advanced features that cater to the needs of experienced researchers.

Getting started with literature review software, such as MAXQDA, typically involves downloading and installing the software, importing your relevant literature, and exploring the available features. Many software providers offer tutorials and documentation to help users get started quickly.

For students, MAXQDA can be an excellent literature review software choice. Its user-friendly interface, comprehensive feature set, and educational discounts make it a valuable tool for students conducting literature reviews as part of their academic research.

MAXQDA is available for both Windows and Mac users, making it a suitable choice for Mac users looking for literature review software. It offers a consistent and feature-rich experience on Mac operating systems.

When it comes to literature review software, MAXQDA is widely regarded as one of the best choices. Its robust feature set, user-friendly interface, and versatility make it a top pick for researchers conducting literature reviews.

Yes, literature reviews can be conducted without software. However, using literature review software like MAXQDA can significantly streamline and enhance the process by providing tools for efficient data management, analysis, and visualization.

Write and Format Stunning Books

Create professional print books and eBooks easily with the all-in-one book writing software.

Works on all platforms:

Chrome book

What can atticus do for you.

Write your book in the only editor built by authors for authors.

Prepare your book for publishing with easy to use and customizable templates.

Write your book in the editor built for authors

Format Professional Books in Three Easy Steps

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Finished writing your book on another program, or want to start formatting previous works? No problem! Just import your work with a couple of clicks.

Then you can either keep writing, or begin turning your book into a beautifully formatted work of art.

Choose the look and feel of your book

Use one of our templates or design your own custom theme to create a unique look for your book.

• 17 templates
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See what your book will look like on different devices

Preview your book on a variety of devices to see what your book looks like before you publish.

Glowlight 3

Your export will work with ANY book market and platform

and more…

A Safe and Secure Place for Your Writing

Works online and offline.

Write from here, there or anywhere. Work online, offline, in a plane or on a train – Atticus works no matter where you are.

You own your data and we keep it safe

Atticus will automatically save your words as you write and will back it up on the cloud so you don’t have to worry.

Why Choose Atticus

We’re paws down the best companion for any author.

Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook

Exporting Options

EPUB, MOBI, PDF, DOCX

EPUB, PDF, DOCX

Importing Options

Number of chapter themes, number of fonts supported, full bleed images, custom chapter theme builder, volumes and parts, large print (all features), version control.

Coming Soon

Callout Boxes

Cloud storage and backups.

$249 eBook and Print

$147 eBook and Print

Made by Authors for Authors

Whether you’re a fiction or non-fiction writer, Atticus was made with you in mind.

Works on any desktop or tablet device

We built Atticus as a Progressive Web App (PWA) which means it works on all devices with a browser, whether you’re online or not!

See what people are saying about Atticus

It’s a call worth answering..

Once upon a time, Luke Skywalker was just a farmer. Humble beginnings. Full of dreams. Then Frodo got called to carry the One Ring. Now Atticus rises, inviting authors to create and publish better-crafted books.

Jeremy Bursey Author

It’s an innovative breath of fresh air

Atticus is definitely the writing app to watch. It makes beautiful ebooks possible for everyone, and it’s an innovative breath of fresh air.

Michael La Ronn Author

One App To Rule Them All

After using Atticus to publish two books I realized how laborious my previous setup was. Atticus replaced all of the software packages I was using. With Atticus I can now write, format and export from one system.

Robb Wallace Author

Great For New Writers

I’m a new writer, and I love this program. It’s easy to use, and it’s fun. Not only that, but it’s also professional in appearance. They really have done a fantastic job, with this program. The support team is helpful and friendly.

Romantically Van Author

I’m really impressed!

My questions were answered promptly, factually, in great detail and in a friendly and encouraging manner. I find Atticus itself very appealing due to the intuitive way it works and the choices it gives.

Kay Von Randow Author

Five stars!

Atticus is easy to use and gives me so much time back by simplifying the formatting process for each new project. The team is super responsive for suggestions and troubleshooting and I’m really impressed with the end product.

Bee Murray Author

30-Day Money Back Guarantee

Love it or your money back.

We’re so confident Atticus will help you save time on Book Formatting, that we’re willing to offer you a full 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee – no questions asked!

Try it for yourself, and if you don’t see the value it gives you in the first 30 days, just let us know and we’ll refund your money in full right on the spot. What do you have to lose?

Founder of Kindlepreneur & Publisher Rocket

Save time on book formatting and get back to writing

We think authors should own their tools, so when you download Atticus, you own it. No forced subscriptions or compatibility concerns. Your work, your files, your app.

• Instant Access to Atticus – Format your book on any desktop device, with or without an internet connection.
• Ongoing Updates for Life – Pay once and you’ll receive ongoing updates, including new features and improvements – forever!
• 30-Day Money Back Guarantee – if you’re not 100% satisfied you can get your money back, no questions asked.

Price: $147

One time payment (No monthly fees. Forever.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can’t find it here? Check out our support page

Can I use Atticus on both my PC and my Mac?

Great question! Yes – you can use Atticus anywhere that has a browser or a machine that is capable of downloading software, including not just PCs and Macs, but also your tablets and even smartphones.

You can also login to Atticus from any secure device, any time.

Is it an annual subscription or a one-time cost?

Atticus is a one-time purchase and will include all future updates at no additional cost!

Do I have to be a professional formatter to use Atticus, or even tech savvy?

You definitely don’t need to be a professional formatter or designer to use Atticus. Basic computer skills are all you need to get started, and our tutorials will walk you through the entire process of formatting your book. If you get stuck, you can always get in touch with our great customer success team for more personalized support.

Is there a limit to how many books (or pen names) I can format?

You can format as many books under as many pen names as you can write – there are no limits!

Can I create both eBook and Print books?

Yes, with Atticus you can use the same file to export to both ePub and PDF for your digital and print-ready books, or you can create duplicate versions of your book to make custom adjustments unique to each version.

Write and Format Unlimited Books and Ebooks For Only $147

Do You Need Reviews And Testimonials? It’s This Simple...

You can’t sell your books, products or programs without positive reviews. you can’t get a flood of real positive reviews without this....

Watch this For An Update In The Review Getting Business

Get Instant Access And Start Getting More Reviews Today!

The truth is...you need reviews.

These are the facts:

• 85% of Amazon Kindle readers look to book reviews before deciding to purchase. (angelad.me)
• Consumers read an average of 7 reviews before trusting a business in 2017, up from 6 reviews in 2016. 
• Customers who interact, see reviews and answers to buyers questions are 105% more likely to buy. (Bazaarvoice, Conversation Index, Q2 2011)  
• Consumer reviews are about 12 times more trusted than messages directly from the seller. (eMarketer, February 2010)
• Reviews produce an average of 18% uplift in sales. (Reevoo)

SOCIAL PROOF IS EVERYTHING WHEN YOU’RE ONLINE – AND IT’S MORE THAN EVERYTHING WHEN YOU’RE AN AUTHOR.

It’s the first thing people see, and they’re trying to figure out, before they know the title and the description and the fancy cover – whether this book is going to deliver on what it promises. A book can have all the best packaging in the world, but with no reviews, nobody trusts it.  

NOT ONLY DO YOU NEED HONEST, POSITIVE REVIEWS… YOU NEED LOTS OF THEM AND FAST.

Because the better your reviews are, and the faster they come in, the more help that Amazon gives you in your category. 

I care a lot about you reaching your goals as an author… but Amazon doesn’t. They just want to sell books.

So it’s natural that the books that are getting views, reviews and sales get a bump on Amazon’s algorithm , and the ones that are struggling get left behind on the deeper, darker pages. 

They even get extra space in the “top rated” category. When you throw in the fact that (usually) only the well-reviewed books show up in the “Customers Also Bought” tabs, and get in front of your readers eyes over and over again, it becomes clear…

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. 

And it’s very tough to get those reviews ethically. I’ve been there – glued to my chair on launch day, hitting refresh every fifteen seconds, hoping for a new sale, hoping for a positive review, but even among the people that buy, there’s just a crippling APATHY.  

Most people, once they’ve bought a book, they’ve already GOT what they want. They’re onto their own busy lives and they’re going to forget all about you. 

And in the face of that, you can try SO many different things…

Beg your friends and family

Go on Forums and Facebook groups and ask for review

Go on Fiverr or other like sites and buy reviews  

(THEY’LL BAN YOU FOR THIS TOO)  

More About The Plan

Here are the additional features that are included so you can sell more books ( and have an advantage ) 👇👇, now it's easier than ever to get video reviews which means total credibility for you and your business..

Adding reviews can be a highly effective way of increasing your sales. Reviews mean credibility, period. But reviews aren’t just about volume, they’re about quality. You want your customers to tell stories show the real emotional impact and real results your book has had.

Where can you use video testimonials?  

• Amazon (videos make your book stand out from the rest!)
• Your Websites 
• Squeeze Pages  
•   YouTube (Testimonials rank really well on Google) 
• Other Websites  

The problem is, asking people for a video could be tough...until now. Vidmonial gives your reviewers the technology to easily create videos right from tool. This is a set and forget process for you with little to no work on your part! 

Here's How It Works  

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All bonuses guarantee more reviews (comes with both plans).

Review Sneaky Secrets

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Amazon banned author review swaps. I show you a legitimate way to do review swaps with other authors that is completely above board with Amazon! $197 VAL UE 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can My VA help? A: Yes, your Virtual Assistant can certainly get access as well BEST in the industry review training. This is highly valuable exclusive legacy training.  

Q: Does this work for both fiction and non-fiction? A: Yes Absolutely! You can find reviewers for any book and that means both fiction and non-fiction.  

Q: How do I deliver my book, products to reviewers? A: I show you that inside...what are you waiting for?

Q. What Happened To Book Review Targeter Software? A: Since Amazon stopped showing email addresses back in 2017, we don't provide those anymore. However, the true value of the program is to get your next 5 reviews which can easily be done by contacting reviewers through their social platforms and websites (and sometimes email). We also have the new social template wizard that makes contacting very simple and fast! 

Q: Is there a refund policy? A: The refund policy is there are no refunds. We value our members and once you get in your first month, you will have a wealth of access to people to swap reviews. You can cancel your subscription at any time and you won't be billed again. .

Q: Do you guarantee reviews? A: We cannot guarantee your success. It depends on your work ethic and having great products that people wouln't mind leaving positive reviews for!  

Q: The Page I was referred by said this was a software that finds reviews for my books. Is this still true? A: The Book Review Targeter tool has been around since 2012! There is NO WAY we can control what pages are out there that sent you to this page. What is CURRENTLY on this page RIGHT NOW is the update on what the program is.

Take A Look At These Testimonials

Get inside now.

P.S. This is the best way to get more reviews. You would be crazy to do this manually! Have Book Review Targeter do the searching for you!  

 P.P.S You are well on your way to getting highly targeted reviewers for your books without begging friends and family! This means more book sales in your future! Take action now!  

To Your Success!...

© Copyright Bee Fresh Publishing - All rights reserved.

We do not use any AI writing tools. All our content is written by humans, not robots. See our editorial process .

Best Book Writing Software

Writing a book is a long-term project made up of many different tasks. Using the right software tool can help you stay motivated, keep you on track, and streamline the process. Which app is the best? That depends on what you need the most help with. Do you already have one you’re comfortable writing in? Are you working as an individual or a team? Do you need help selling and distributing the final product?

In this article, we focus on the task of writing books. If you’re writing a novel or screenplay, we have writeups that deal with those genres specifically. They’re linked below. In this roundup, we look at book writing as a whole.

The best app overall is  Scrivener . It’s prevalent among long-form writers of all kinds. Scrivener will help you structure, research, and write your book. Its powerful Compile feature will create an ebook or print-ready PDF. One significant disadvantage: it won’t let you collaborate with other writers or an editor.

For that, you’ll need to export your book as a DOCX file.  Microsoft Word  is the program required by many editors and agencies. Its writing aids aren’t as powerful as Scrivener’s, but its Track Changes feature is second-to-none.

Alternatively, you could edit your book yourself with the help of  AutoCrit ’s artificial intelligence. It will help you improve your writing in numerous ways, including producing a style that matches your book’s genre.  Vellum  will help you fine-tune your book’s layout and export it to the correct print or electronic book format. It will also help you sell and distribute your book.

Which software tool is best for you? You could choose a single app that does everything you need or several that work together to help you produce a completed book. Read on to learn which apps will meet your needs and which won’t.

Table of Contents

Why Trust Me for This Software Guide

What writing a book entails, best overall: scrivener, best for self-editing: autocrit, best for working with a human editor: microsoft word, best for selling and distributing your book: vellum.

• LivingWriter
• Google Docs
• SmartEdit Writer
• Manuscripts
• Reedsy Book Editor

Best Book Writing Software: How We Tested and Picked

My name is Adrian Try, and I’ve made my living by writing since 2009. I’ve used and tested many writing apps over those years. My favorite is Ulysses . While it’s one of the programs we cover in this roundup, it’s not everyone’s favorite. Some of its competitors perform specific tasks much more effectively. I reviewed many of these apps over the last year and got to know them very well.

In this roundup, I’ll describe their differences, strengths, and limitations to help you make your own decision. But first, we’ll explore what book writers need from a software tool. What does writing a book entail?

Writing a book is a long, complex project made up of many parts. Writing’s a big part of it—arguably the hardest part—but the job isn’t finished when you type the last page.

In fact, the writing itself is more than a single step. Before you start, you need to do some planning, brainstorming, and research. While writing, you need to maintain momentum and avoid distractions. You may also need to keep an eye on your word count and any looming deadlines.

Once you finish the first draft, the revision stage begins. You’ll polish the manuscript by improving its wording, clarifying, adding or removing content, and rearranging its structure.

After that comes the editing stage. This step may involve work with a professional editor. Editors don’t just look for mistakes—they evaluate your writing’s effectiveness, including how clear and engaging it is, and suggest how to improve it.

They may suggest specific changes. That’s where Word’s “track changes” becomes incredibly useful. At a glance, you can see proposed edits and accept them, reject them, or come up with your own way of improving the text.

Once that’s done, it’s time to consider the appearance and layout of the book. You could take your manuscript to a professional or export the final ebook or print-ready PDF yourself. Then how will people get access to your book? Is it for internal use in your company? Will you make it available on your website? Will you sell it on an existing e-commerce channel? Some apps will distribute your book at the click of a button.

The right software will streamline this entire process. You don’t have to use one app. You can use a collection of more common apps to do it:

• a mindmap or outliner app for planning structure
• distraction-blocking apps to keep you focused
• a note-taking app to store your research
• a word processor for the main task—writing
• a word count tracker or spreadsheet to measure your progress
• proofreading software and/or professional editor
• desktop publishing application or professional service

But if you’re going to give yourself the best chance of successfully finishing such a gigantic project, at least take a look at the tools that are designed to help you succeed. Many have been developed by writers who were dissatisfied with traditional tools.

Next, let’s look at how we tested and evaluated the software tools included in our roundup.

Best Book Writing Software: The Winners

Scrivener is “the go-to app for writers of all kinds.” If you write alone, it will do virtually everything you need but doesn’t offer collaboration features. It’s available for Mac, Windows, and iOS. We cover it in detail in a full Scrivener review .

Scrivener’s greatest strength is its flexibility. It offers somewhere for you to gather reference material but doesn’t impose a structure on you. It offers several ways to create structure and get a birds-eye-view of your document. It offers goal-tracking features to keep you on schedule. And its Compile feature provides a flexible way to produce ebooks and print-ready PDFs.

$49 (Mac) or $45 (Windows) from the developer’s website (one-time fee). $44.99 from the Mac App Store. $19.99 (iOS) from the App Store.

• Word processor: Yes
• Distraction-free: Yes
• Proofreading: Spell check
• Revision: No
• Progress: Word count goals for each section, deadline
• Research: Research outline
• Structure: Outliner, Corkboard
• Collaboration: No
• Track changes: No
• Publishing: Yes
• Sales & distribution: No

Alternatives: Other great programs for a writer working alone include Ulysses and Storyist . Manuscripts is a free app for writers working alone.

AutoCrit is “the best self-editing platform available for a writer.” It is an online app that facilitates self-editing, substituting a human editor with artificial intelligence. Its focus is on improving your writing, making it more engaging, and making sure it matches your chosen genre’s expected style.

Understandably, it doesn’t include any collaboration features, nor does it offer publishing or distribution features. Its word processing features are not the strongest in the bunch, either. But if you’re working on your own and want to produce the best writing you’re capable of, this app outshines all others.

A free plan is available from the official website, or you gain access to all features by subscribing for $30/month or $297/year.

• Distraction-free: No
• Proofreading: Spelling and grammar checker
• Revision: Tools and reports to improve writing
• Progress: AutoCrit Summary Score shows “how closely your writing matches the standards of your chosen genre”
• Research: No
• Structure: No
• Publishing: No

Alternatives: Other apps that help with the revision process include Ulysses and Squibler. Free apps include Manuskript and SmartEdit Writer. Or you can add similar features to other writing apps with a Grammarly Premium or ProWritingAid subscription.

Microsoft Word is “built for the creation of polished documents.” We’re all familiar with it, and it runs online, on the desktop (Mac and Windows), and on mobile (iOS and Android). It’s the world’s most popular word processor. It’s often used for writing books and novels, though other apps are arguably better during the writing stage. Where it shines is when working with editors; many will insist you use this app.

Word also offers great collaboration features and can export your manuscript as a PDF. Because it’s a common document format, your printer is likely to accept your manuscript in a DOCX file as a starting point.

But it falls short of the writing features offered by the other apps in this roundup. It includes a functional outliner but can’t track goals and deadlines, store your research, and suggest how you can improve your writing.

Purchase outright for $139.99 from the Microsoft Store (one-time fee), or subscribe to Microsoft 365 from $6.99/month.

• Proofreading: Spell and grammar check
• Progress: Word count
• Structure: Outliner
• Collaboration: Yes
• Track changes: Yes

Alternatives: Many agencies and editors insist that you use Microsoft Word. If you have the choice, Google Docs, Mellel, LivingWriter, and Squibler offer similar track changes features. A free alternative is Manuskript.

Vellum is a Mac app that was developed so you can “create beautiful books” and is useful at the end of the book writing process. It won’t help you do the actual writing—your first step will be to import your finished Word document—but it will create a beautiful printed or electronic book.

You can browse through available book styles to find the right look for yours, then generate print and paper editions in a single step that takes just minutes. Kindle, Kobo, and iBook formats are supported. The app offers the ability to assemble box sets for book series, produce advanced copies, and connect to social media so you can promote your book.

Use the app for free, then pay $199.99 for the ability to publish ebooks or $249.99 to publish both ebooks and paperbacks.

• Word processor: No
• Proofreading: No
• Progress: No
• Sales & distribution: Yes

Alternatives: Vellum is for Mac users only. Apps that include similar functionality include FastPencil and the Reedsy Book Editor. These work online and can be used on computers running any operating system.

Best Book Writing Software: The Competition

Ulysses is “the ultimate writing app” and runs on Mac and iOS. It’s my personal favorite and a great competitor of Scrivener. It doesn’t offer any collaboration features, but it’s superb in every other area. When you’re ready to work with an editor, just export your manuscript as a Microsoft Word file. Read our full Ulysses review here.

Unlock all features with an in-app subscription costing $5.99/month or $49.99/year.

• Proofreading: Spelling and grammar check
• Revision: style check using the LanguageTool Plus service
• Research: Material sheets
• Structure: Sheets and groups
• Publishing: Flexible export to PDF, ePub, and more

Storyist is “a powerful writing environment for novelists and screenwriters.” Like Ulysses, it runs on Mac and iOS and provides just about every feature you need except collaboration. Unlike Scrivener and Ulysses, Storyist offers story sheets that help you work out the details of your characters, locations, and plot.

Purchase for $59 from the official website (one-time fee) or download for free from the Mac App Store and choose the $59.99 in-app purchase. Also available for iOS from the App Store for $19.

• Progress: Word count goals and deadlines
• Research: Story Sheets for characters, locations, and plot ideas
• Structure: Outliner, Storyboard
• Publishing: Book Editor

Dabble is “where authors go to write” and is available online and for Mac and Windows. It’s firmly aimed at fiction writers and offers tools to plot your story, develop your characters, and view it all on a timeline.

Sign up for a free 14-day trial on the official website, then choose a plan to subscribe to. Basic $10/month, Standard $15/month, Premium $20/month. You can also purchase a lifetime license for $399.

• Progress: Word count goal and deadline
• Research: Plotting tool, story notes
• Structure: The Plus—a basic outliner

Mellel is “a real word processor” for Mac and the iPad, and many of its features will appeal to academics. It integrates with the Bookends reference manager from the same developer, and it supports mathematical equations and a variety of other languages.

Buy the Mac version direct from the developer’s website for $49, or the Mac App Store for $48.99. The iPad version costs $19.99 from the App Store.

• Progress: Document statistics
• Publishing: Layout tools

LivingWriter is “the #1 writing app for authors and novelists.” Use it online or on mobile (iOS and Android). It lets you collaborate with other writers and editors and includes ready-made book templates for easy publishing.

Start your 30-day free trial at the official website, then subscribe for $9.99/month or $96/year.

• Progress: Word count goals per section, deadline
• Research: Story elements
• Structure: Outliner, The Board
• Track changes: Commenting
• Publishing: Export to DOCX and PDF using Amazon manuscript formats

Squibler “makes the writing process easy” by offering a distraction-free writing environment, providing you with outline and corkboard views of your manuscript, helping generate your story’s plot, and facilitating collaboration with other writers. It works online, and Windows, Mac, and iPad versions are available.

Sign up for a free 14-day trial on the official website, then pay $9.99/month for continued use.

• Proofreading: Grammar checker
• Revision: Auto-suggested grammar improvements
• Progress: Word count goals
• Research: Detailed guidance including plot generators
• Publishing: Book formatting, export to PDF or Kindle

Google Docs lets you “write, edit, and collaborate wherever you are.” It’s a web app; mobile apps are available for Android and iOS. It allows editors to suggest edits similar to Word’s track changes feature and is commonly used by those creating content for the web.

Google Docs is free and is also included with a GSuite subscription (from $6/month).

• Structure: Auto-generated TOC

FastPencil offers “self-publishing in the cloud.” It’s an online service that empowers you to write, collaborate, format, distribute, and sell your book using a full-featured web application, including sales and distribution.

Sign up for free on the official website, then choose a plan: Starter free, Personal $4.95/month, Pro $14.95/month.

• Structure: Navigation pane
• Collaboration: Yes (not with free plan)
• Publishing: Supports Print (paperback and hardcover), PDF, ePub 3.0, and Mobi formats

Free Alternatives

Manuskript is an “open-source tool for writers. It’s available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Use Manuskript to research and plan your book or novel, as well as improve your writing. It’s full-featured and rivals the functionality of our winners, if not their good looks. This app and the Reedsy Book Editor give you a way of collaborating with writers and editors for free.

The app is free (open-source) and can be downloaded from the official website. If you’d like to support the app, you can contribute in various ways.

• Revision: Frequency analyzer
• Research: Novel assistant to develop characters, plots, and the world
• Structure: Outliner, Storyline, index cards
• Publishing: Compile and export to PDF, ePub, and other formats

SmartEdit Writer (formerly Atomic Scribbler) is “free software for novel and short story writers.” Originally an add-on for Microsoft Word, it’s now a standalone Windows app that helps you plan, write, edit, and polish your book. Like Manuskript, it includes many of the features of our winners but is only available for Windows.

Download for free from the official website. The Word add-on is still available for $77, while a Pro version of the add-on costs $139.

• Revision: SmartEdit helps improve your writing
• Progress: Daily word count
• Research: Full-featured research outline

Manuscripts enables you to “make it your best work.” It’s an online service for serious writing and lets authors plan, edit, and share their work. It includes features that will appeal to academics.

It’s a free (open-source) Mac application that can be downloaded from the official website.

• Publishing: Creates publication-ready manuscripts

Sigil is “a multi-platform EPUB ebook editor” that runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux. While it includes word processing features, its real strengths lie in preparing and exporting ebooks, including an automatic table of contents generator.

Sigil is free (under the GPLv3 license) and can be downloaded from the official website.

• Proofreading: Spell checker
• Publishing: Creates ePub books

Reedsy Book Editor enables you to “write and export a beautifully typeset book.” The online app is completely free. You can write, edit, and typeset your book within the app. The company makes its money from a marketplace where you can pay for professional assistance, including proofreaders, editors, and cover designers. They also make it easy for you to sell and distribute your book with Blurb, Amazon, and other third parties.

Get started by signing up for a free account on the official website.

• Publishing: Typeset to PDF and ePub
• Sales & distribution: Yes, via Blurb, Amazon, and other third parties, including physical books

Does the Software Work on Your Computer or Device?

Many writing tools are web apps. Therefore, they work on most computers and mobile devices. Others are desktop apps that may or may not work on your operating system of choice. Here are the apps that function on each major platform.

• Microsoft Word

Does the Software Offer A Friction-Free Writing Environment?

Every app in our roundup (except Vellum) offers a word processor that’s likely to meet your needs. When writing, you don’t need a lot of features to distract you. Keep it simple! Academic writers may value support for multiple languages and mathematical notation. Most writing apps include proofreading tools, such as a spell-check.

Some of them offer a distraction-free mode that removes tools and other apps from sight. You see only the words you are typing, which can be a great help for maintaining focus.

These apps offer a distraction-free typing experience:

Does the Software Help You Revise Your First Draft?

Some programs go beyond basic proofreading tools to help improve the quality of your writing. They give feedback about unclear passages, overly-long sentences, and words you use too often.

This list is quite small. If you value this feature, be sure to include these apps on your shortlist:

• AutoCrit: improving your writing is the main focus of this app
• Ulysses: checks your writing style using the integrated LanguageTool Plus service
• SmartEdit Writer: checks for issues where your writing style can be improved
• Squibler: auto-suggests grammar improvements that enhance readability and engagement
• Manuskript: the frequency analyzer helps identify the words you use most often

If you choose a program that’s not on this list, you can subscribe to a separate service like Grammarly or ProWritingAid to identify issues that make your writing less effective. We have a full roundup of the best grammar checker apps here.

Does the Software Help You Track Your Progress?

When writing a book, you will often need to work to a deadline and meet specific word count requirements. Some apps offer features designed to help you track your progress:

• Scrivener: Word count goals for each section, deadlines
• Ulysses: Word count goals for each section, deadlines
• LivingWriter: Word count goals for each section, deadlines
• Storyist: Word count goals, deadlines
• Dabble: Word count goals, deadlines
• AutoCrit: AutoCrit Summary Score shows “how closely your writing matches the standards of your chosen genre”
• Squibler: Word count goals
• Manuscript: Word count goals
• SmartEdit Writer: Daily word count

Other apps track the total word count without allowing you to set goals:

Does the Software Help with Reference & Research?

It’s handy to be able to quickly refer to your reference and research while writing. Some apps provide a dedicated space for this information that isn’t included in your manuscript’s word count and won’t be exported as part of your book.

Some apps guide you through the process of developing your novel’s characters and the world they live in. Apps like these are useful to fiction book writers:

• Storyist: Story Sheets for characters, locations, and plot ideas
• Dabble: Plotting tool, story notes
• LivingWriter: Story elements
• Squibler: Detailed guidance including plot generators
• Manuskript: Novel assistant to develop characters, plots, and your story’s world

Other apps simply provide a free-form reference section where you can store the information you need. These apps are better for non-fiction writers, though some fiction writers may also appreciate the freedom they offer:

• Scrivener: Research outline
• Ulysses: Material sheets
• SmartEdit Writer: Research outline

If you choose a program without a reference section, you’ll need another app to store it. Evernote, OneNote, and Bear are three good options.

Does the Software Help You Create and Rearrange Your Book’s Structure?

A book is a huge project that is best tackled piece by piece. Writing apps let you work on one piece at a time. This process aids motivation and makes it easier to create and rearrange your book’s structure.

Various programs give you an overview of your book as an outline, a set of index cards, a timeline, or a storyboard. They let you rearrange the order of each piece via drag-and-drop. Here are the apps with features that assist with structure and navigation:

• Scrivener: Outliner, Corkboard
• Ulysses: Sheets and groups
• Storyist: Outliner, Storyboard
• LivingWriter: Outliner, The Board
• Squibler: Outliner, Corkboard
• Manuskript: Outliner, Storyline, index cards
• Dabble: The Plus—a basic outliner
• SmartEdit Writer: Outliner
• Mellel: Outliner
• Microsoft Word: Outliner
• Google Docs: Auto-generated table of contents
• FastPencil: Navigation pane
• Manuscripts: Outliner
• Reedsy Book Editor: Navigation pane

Does the Software Allow You to Collaborate with Others?

Will you be writing this book on your own or as part of a team? Will you be hiring a professional editor or revising it on your own? Would you appreciate being offered a marketplace of professionals, like editors and cover designers? Your answers to those questions will help you further narrow down your shortlist.

These apps offer no collaboration at all:

These apps allow you to collaborate with other writers:

These apps allow you to collaborate with a human editor by offering features like track changes and commenting:

• LivingWriter (commenting)

These apps offer a marketplace of professionals, such as editors and cover designers:

Does the Software Help You Publish and Distribute Your Book?

Once you’ve written your book and had it edited, it’s time to produce the final product: a printed or electronic book. You can hire someone to do the layout work so that it’s ready to be printed or turned into an ebook, or you could do it yourself. If you’re in the latter camp, here are the apps you’ll find helpful:

• Vellum: This app is focused on creating paperback and electronic books
• FastPencil: Supports Print (paperback and hardcover), PDF, ePub 3.0, and Mobi formats
• Reedsy Book Editor: Typeset to PDF and ePub
• Sigil: Creates ePub books
• Scrivener: Compile print and electronic books
• Storyist: Book Editor
• Ulysses: Flexible export to PDF, ePub, and more
• Mellel: Layout tools
• LivingWriter: Export to DOCX and PDF using Amazon manuscript formats
• Squibler: Book formatting, export to PDF or Kindle
• Manuskript: Compile and export to PDF, ePub, and other formats
• Manuscripts: Creates publication-ready manuscripts

Three of those apps will take the next step for you as well, looking after sales and distribution:

• Reedsy Book Editor (via Blurb, Amazon, and other third parties, including physical books)

Summary of Features

Before we get onto the topic of how much these apps cost, let’s take a brief, big-picture look at the features each one offers. This chart summarizes the major features of each tool included in our roundup.

Quick summary: the first six apps are general-purpose writing apps that offer a wide range of features—but not collaboration. They allow an individual writer to perform most of the tasks required to create a book. The first three even export a finished ebook or print-ready PDF.

The seventh app, AutoCrit, focuses on revision—polishing your first draft until the rough edges are gone, matching the style of its intended genre, and ensuring it’s readable and engaging. A few other apps include revision features, but not to the extent of AutoCrit.

Ulysses has recently added LanguageTool Plus’s style check, while Manuskript can warn of overly used words. SmartEdit Writer and Squibler also suggest how you can improve your writing. With other apps, you’ll need to use a separate service like Grammarly Premium or ProWritingAid.

The next six apps (Mellel to Google Docs) are for collaboration. They allow you to write as part of a team, sharing the writing load. Most (though not Squibler and Manuscripts) let you work with an editor, tracking the changes they suggest and deciding whether or not to implement them. Two of the apps, FastPencil and Reedsy Book Editor, even help you find an editor.

Many of the apps on this list will create the published version of your book, either as an ebook or print-ready PDF. The final three apps also facilitate the printing of physical books and help with sales and distribution. Vellum and FastPencil offer their own sales channels, while Reedsy Book Editor takes the effort out of selling on Blurb, Amazon, and elsewhere.

How Much Does the Software Cost?

Finally, the cost of these apps covers quite a range, so for many authors, it will be another factor that determines your choice. Some apps are free, some can be purchased outright, and others are subscription services.

These apps are completely free:

These offer a free (feature-limited) plan:

• FastPencil: Starter free
• AutoCrit: Free

These apps can be purchased outright:

• Scrivener: $49 Mac, $45 Windows
• Mellel: Mac $49 direct, $48.99 Mac App Store
• Storyist: $59
• Microsoft Word: $139.99
• Vellum: Ebooks $199.99, Ebooks and paperbacks $249.99
• Dabble: Lifetime $399

These apps require ongoing subscriptions:

• FastPencil: Personal $4.95/month, Pro $14.95/month
• Ulysses: $5.99/month, $49.99/year
• Google Docs with GSuite: From $6/month
• Microsoft Word with Microsoft 365: $6.99/month
• LivingWriter: $9.99/month or $96/year
• Squibler: $9.99/month
• Dabble: $10/month, Standard $15/month, Premium $20/month
• AutoCrit Pro: $30/month or $297/year

Any other good book writing software or apps that deserve to be on this list? Leave a comment and let us know.

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Home / Book Writing / The Best Software to Plot or Outline Your Book

The Best Software to Plot or Outline Your Book

Writing a book , fiction or nonfiction, isn’t easy, and planning what you want to write before you start can help you write faster and get books to market sooner. That’s why we personally tested four of the best pieces of story outline software on the market—tools and apps that can help you outline your books and even write them .

In this review, we'll be breaking down each of the products according to who they're best suited for—with an overview of their features and prices.

And we’ll be deciding which story software is the best for different types of writers, whether they’re fiction writers or non-fiction writers.

In this article, you will find our picks for:

• The best outline software overalls
• The best outline software for nonfiction authors
• Other great options you might want to check out

Table of contents

• #1. My Favorite Outline Software: Plottr
• #2. My Second Favorite: Plot Factory
• #3. The Novel Factory
• #4. Best Nonfiction Outline: Scrivener
• Put Plotting Into Practice

Just so you know–there will be affiliate links in this article. It helps me keep the coffee fund topped up, but it doesn't detract from the quality of the software we're about to discuss. What you're going to get is an unbiased view of the different software and who they're best suited to. So… let's check them out!

#1 . My Favorite Outline Software: Plottr

Plottr is a versatile software that allows you to visually plan your books . It's simple and easy to use, and it cuts out the trouble of a steep learning curve that's so often present when it comes to working with new applications. Here's a summary of what it has to offer:

• Downloadable software that's always available, online or offline
• Highly customizable plotting
• Ease of use
• An amazing character creation tool
• Plot templates
• Character templates
• Drag and drop features for organizing plots and subplots
• Different timeline and outline views
• Tag and character filtering
• Multiple views
• Customizable series pages
• Syncs with online version through Plottr Pro

Plottr's no-frills approach makes it a great application for authors looking to up their productivity, which is one of the reasons why it's my favorite.

Not only is it simple and easy to navigate, it also does just about everything you would need, especially when writing fiction.

Plottr Summary

Let's take a look at the pros and cons of Plottr and figure out if it's the right tool for you.

Plottr Pros

• Easy to use–a guided tour
• Highly customizable
• Character and plot templates
• Lifetime pricing available

Plottr Cons

• No space for writing the actual draft
• World-building and tagging could be better

Pricing: 30-Day Free Trial // Windows and Mac Version–$25-$65 per year // Lifetime Version–$99

Want more information? Click here to read our full review of Plottr.

#2 . My Second Favorite: Plot Factory

This software is great for all fiction writers. This doesn't mean it trumps all the others. Just that it is a software that any author of fiction or nonfiction could use without missing out on too many features.

And while I wouldn't necessarily rank it above Plottr, it still has a lot of great features, and might work better for some writers.

Plot Factory is exactly what you think it is… a great place for you to craft your plots. It's an online software –subscription-based–that allows authors to create outlines from templates, create universes and characters , track their word count goals, and more. If you're looking for a piece of software that's not focused on one specific thing, but is a great all-rounder when it comes to planning a book , Plot Factory is the right software for you.

Here's what's on offer:

• Outlining with set templates
• An online experience that's smooth and streamlined
• Distraction-free plotting
• Plotting with your own templates or free-form
• Character creation templates
• Universe creation templates
• A name generator
• Word count tracking and statistics
• Story sharing and narration
• Story creation

Plot Factory is super easy to use for authors who are both fiction and nonfiction, and the plotting features are pretty cool. You can create multiple stories, export them, and use plot templates or create your own.

Plot Factory Summary

To figure out how versatile Plot Factory is for authors, and whether it's a good all-round solution for both fiction and nonfiction writers, let's take a look at where its strong and where its weak.

Plot Factory Pros

• Amazing plot templates to use
• Easy to upload your own template or free-form plot
• Good character creation system

Plot Factory Cons

• No downloadable software
• Not as good when it comes to world-building
• Not as guided as some other tools

Pricing: Basic–FREE // Hobbyist per month/year–$9/$90 // Enthusiast per month/year–$14/$140 // Novelist per month/year–$19/$190

SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR KINDLEPRENEUR READERS… You can grab your subscription to Plot Factory now, and get 35% off for 12 months using the following discount code: kpnr-35

All you have to do is enter the coupon code on checkout.

Want more information? Click here to read our full review of Plot Factory.

#3 . The Novel Factory

Fiction authors need outlining software that either guides them through the plotting process or allows them to create plots on their own unhindered. While most of the outlining software on this list does exactly that, The Novel Factory is unique in that it has a serious compilation of guiding articles and videos to help authors plot.

The Novel Factory offers authors:

• A guided plotting roadmap to help authors plot their novels
• Plotting templates that are tailored toward specific genres or beats
• The ability to upload outlining templates if you have one you already use
• Freeform outlining utility–you can outline as you see fit in the software online
• Character creation
• World and object creation
• An entire section to write all the drafts of your novel
• Daily word count tracking statistics
• Submissions tracker (if you're going the traditional route)
• A light and dark mode to minimize strain on your eyes

In short, this software provides everything a budding (or experienced) fiction author might need to create their novel from start to finish, including useful tips on publishing traditionally and independently. It comes in both an online subscription and a desktop download format.

Here's an example of what it's like to outline with the Novel Factory…

The Novel Factory Summary

As you can see, it's easy to edit, change, move around, and create your outline using The Novel Factory. But surely, it can't all be good, right? No software is made perfect, so… what are the pros and cons of using The Novel Factory for outlining your work?

The Novel Factory Pros:

• Provides a guided plan for authors to follow if they don't know how to plot
• Plotting is fully customizable (drag, drop, create, use a template or don't)
• You can write your entire story in the app and export it–your work is never held hostage by the app

The Novel Factory Cons:

• Costlier than some of the other software on this list
• The cost of the online app is directly related to how much storage you use
• You have to have an internet connection to use the online software
• The desktop software doesn't work on Macs

With all of this taken into consideration, it's no wonder this is the best software around for fiction authors. But how much does it cost?

Pricing: Basic Monthly–$7.50 // Standard Monthly–$20.00 // Premium Monthly–$60.00 with a discounted rate if you choose the yearly option.

Even better… The Novel Factory has offered a 20% discount to all Kindlepreneur customers. Simply use the coupon: KINDLEPRENEUR at check out to redeem your 20% off. (That means 20% off the monthly or yearly subscription!)

Want more information? Click here to read our full review of The Novel Factory.

#4 . Best Nonfiction Outline: Scrivener

Scrivener isn't just an outlining software… it's a way of life. But seriously, it's an amazing desktop application that helps authors organize their documents in one place. It's great for fiction and nonfiction authors, but we've chosen it for nonfiction outlining because of the ease of use with which an author can create an outline template.

Scrivener allows authors to:

• Populate a template that’s already laid out for you
• Create an entirely new template for your book and outline
• Add or delete files and folders
• Create your own character sketches or place sketches
• Upload other author templates
• Create collections of your work
• Sync your work to your mobile
• Write your entire book
• Format it for publishing
• View your story in three different modes
• Split the screen as you write so you can work on one screen while viewing the other
• Organize your work with a corkboard

Scrivener is incredibly versatile and that's precisely why it works for outlining nonfiction… and for writing it. In fact, I'd say you could use it for fiction too, as long as you have the right template available. Authors can fully customize their templates as they outline:

Scrivener Plotting Feature Summary

Scrivener is an incredibly versatile tool–it's no wonder it's so popular with independent authors. But can it be successfully used for plotting your work? And what are the pros and cons of doing so?

Scrivener Plotting Feature Pros

• Fully customizable
• Authors have complete control over how they plot or what they write
• All documents and files are available on their computer at all times
• A once-off purchase!

Scrivener Plotting Feature Cons

• No plotting guidance provided for new authors
• Steep learning curve when it comes to understanding how to use the software

Pricing: Windows Standard License–$49 // Mac Standard License–$49 // iOS Standard License–$19.99 // Mac and Windows License–$80

Want more information? Click here to read our full review of plotting inside Scrivener.

Formatting Has Never Been Easier

Write and format professional books with ease.  Never before has creating formatted books been easier.

If you are ready to jump into any of these tools and want to make sure you are plotting right, I recommend watching this mini masterclass by Jenna Moreci.

Jenna Moreci is a #1 bestselling author of dark fantasy, as well as a YouTube sensation with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. View more videos here .

Did We Miss Any Amazing Outlining Software?

These are the best story outline software applications we could find… But did we miss any in our search? Be sure to mention your favorites and your experiences on our contact page.

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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Titling your book can be hard…really hard. As you go through choosing your book title, use this checklist as your guide and make sure you have a title that will sell!

37 thoughts on “ The Best Software to Plot or Outline Your Book ”

Dave, I’m confused. Why is there a yearly price and a lifetime price per year? Wouldn’t the lifetime price be a one-time fee because it’s for life?

Whoops…great catch. Fixed. It’s just $99 for life.

Great recap, Dave, thanks. I use Scrivener and Plottr, and am still trying to figure out how to make Plottr easier to use than just doing it in Scriv. My only comment is that I bristle at the generalized “Scrivener has a steep learning curve” idea. It has an easy-medium learning curve for the basics–anyone can get started writing and using the index cards and such right off the bat. It’s using the full capabilities of the program that is very steep. I even took a class on formatting and compiling and it’s still difficult–no wonder I jumped to Vellum as soon as I heard about it! But overall, just to write and edit, Scrivener isn’t hard.

True…but if you were to compare the ease of Vellum as to the ease of Scrivener, I’d say one is very easy to use, and the other…not so much. I think Scrivener made way too many things too difficult to do and so they get a mark for it. It’s got a lot of capabilities, but most of those extra parts are not very intuitive.

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Righting Software, book review: Building blocks for software architects

Righting Software: A Method for System and Project Design • By Juval Löwy • Addison-Wesley Professional • 444 pages • ISBN: 9780136524007 • $49.99 / £37.99

In a world where low-code and no-code tools mean that pretty much anyone can build an app, most software is still inherently buggy. Much of it is rewritten repeatedly and hard to maintain, even though software development is always in motion. Death marches may have been exchanged for agile stories and continuous delivery, but deadlines and estimates for software still seem hard to pin down. 

As software of one sort or another now powers everything from cars to medical equipment to utility infrastructure to high-frequency stock trading, surely we can become better at building it?

The root cause of all this expensive, buggy, complex software that's delivered late, hard to maintain and doesn't do what it really needs to do? "Poor design, be it of the software system itself or the project used to build that system," says Juval Löwy in Righting Software: A Method for System and Project Design . Naturally, he has an alternative.

But don't be put off by the pages of fulsome praise for the author's classes that this book opens with (even before you get to the colophon or table of contents), which make what the author calls 'The Method' sound rather like a miracle diet or the latest herbal superfood. The rather brutal evaluation of the state of most software development in the preface is a much better introduction to a book that's not about coding, or even development, but structured, systems-based software engineering.

If the pun in the title sounds familiar, it dates back to a Microsoft Research paper about the static analysis tools in use at Microsoft in the early 2000s: Löwy's approach is on a completely different level, and it's about design.

The role of design generally in business -- as opposed to industrial design, typography or user interface creation -- has been getting a lot of attention in recent years, with everyone from Uber and Atlassian to IBM and McKinsey hiring designers en masse (or acquiring design firms) to bring 'design thinking' to more products.

At the highest level, The Method is straightforward: design the system in a few days, using a decision tree to make sure later design decisions don't derail things, and don't design to the requirements but deliver the smallest set of components that can deliver a distillation of the core use cases; then validate the design thoroughly, communicate clearly not only what the design is, but why it was chosen, and manage the project just as thoroughly.

Opinionated

Digging into the detail reveals that Löwy is very opinionated about some software design practices, from avoiding both functional and domain decomposition to service naming conventions. The first half of the book covers the software design principles, including a fairly novel idea he calls 'volatility' -- finding what's most likely to change and encapsulating that component so you can change it with the least impact on the rest of the software architecture. Be prepared for a certain amount of repetition; the author likes to introduce ideas and then circle back to build on them in a later chapter.

The 'real world' examples of all the worst ways to build a house are perhaps rather overdone (analogue metaphors for the digital realm aren't particularly useful), but they convey the idea that absurd amounts of reworking are routinely done in software development without getting bogged down in arguments about specific languages and frameworks. Much more useful is the sample system architecture based on an actual software development project the author's consultancy IDesign was involved with -- especially the way it covers communications and business alignment as part of the project, because software development isn't done in a vacuum.

What is DevOps? An executive guide to agile development and IT operations

To make the most of today's containers, servers, virtual machines, and clouds, you need to deploy DevOps in your enterprise. Or, you can let your rivals put you out of business. It's your choice.

In fact, the whole second half of the book delves into details of project design that are normally left to formal project managers: staffing plans, budgeting and estimating, critical path analysis, earned value planning and other techniques for understanding resource and time planning and cost management. None of these are new ideas in technology. As Löwy points out, they go back to DuPont production lines and what General Electric learned designing the GE-225 , arguably the first commercial transistor-based computer. But they will be novel to many developers and software architects.

Given the increasing understanding that software development is a team sport, it's disappointing that there's nothing on diversity or the human side of project management here. Non-technical managers are dismissed as not understanding how hard software design is, while the team of developers is treated as faceless resources; all we get is advice to assign interactive components to developers who work well together (which raises other issues about hiring for culture fit rather than skills).

Another question is how well you will understand something like risk after reading a single chapter on it. Also, the project design analysis of the sample system architecture is oddly split into one rather abstract and less relatable section and then a later, more detailed walk-through. The Method expects software architects to acquire skills that would often be certifications in another field, but again the wider questions of professionalising software engineering aren't really explored. Some of this material may well be more useful as part of one of the classes IDesign runs, or as an introduction to further research by the reader (it's a shame there isn't a suggested reading list for this in the book).

Self-referential

The footnotes contain too many references to both Wikipedia and Löwy's other writing, while the captions are cluttered by credits to stock image services for some reason. Also, Löwy's habit of coining his own terms for concepts like giving managers multiple options to choose from, and combining estimates from a wide group of people, means that you're suddenly reading about optionality and broadband with completely different meanings from their actual definition.

Many of the references are classics -- Parkinson's Law , Dunning-Kruger , Fred Brooks (of The Mythical Man-Month ), David Parnas inventing modular software design in 1972. In fact, apart from a reference to Brexit as an example of unexpected change that the sample software architecture had to cope with, and a thorough demolition of microservices as prone to excessive granularity (a point made by many proponents of microservices), there's little here that couldn't have been written 20 years ago. Löwy touches on actor patterns (as used in Project Orleans ) as an emerging trend, but there's no mention of DevOps , CI/CD pipelines, A/B testing , distributed systems or agile methodology . These are not necessarily incompatible with The Method -- they're just not the level of software architecture Löwy is talking about.

SEE:  Top IT certifications to increase your salary (free PDF)

This isn't simply formalised waterfall development though, despite the emphasis on initial design: it includes project management advice on dealing with the unexpected, although the assumption seems to be that most of this will come from management.

Righting Software  isn't just a book for those who have attended the classes that produced the encomiums that fill its opening pages. That said, either those classes or training on the project design techniques will probably give anyone adopting the structured and rigorous approach it documents a higher chance of success. The Method is very much aimed at systems engineering: it's not the only possible solution, but if your organisation doesn't have a successful system for software design and development, these 'tried and true' methods may dig you out of a hole -- even if you don't agree with all of the strong opinions. 

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13 Best Book Design Software in 2024

By Eva Williams 2 days ago, Apps and Software

If you want to create a book and save it in a digital format or print out, then you need to find the best book design software.

I have described top 13 software for such a purpose and the list includes programs that can satisfy experienced designers and beginners alike. Besides, there you can find both paid and free book design software which is good news for people with a limited budget.

Top 13 Book Design Software

• Adobe InDesign - Handles print and e-books
• QuarkXPress - Flexible layouts
• Bookemon - A variety of thematic book templates
• Affinity Publisher - Low-cost single purchase
• Adobe FrameMaker - For long & complex books
• FlipHTML5 - For creating flipbooks
• Reedsy Book Editor - For eBook formatting
• Blurb BookWright - For beginners
• Shutterstock Editor - For eBook cover designers
• Lulu - Allows distributing and retailing books
• Adobe Express - For creating book covers
• Scribus - For Linux users
• Canva - Sharing and collaboration tools

This overview is bound to give you a deep understanding of the best programs currently available, describing their strong and weak points. Either you need professional software or entry-level one, you can find a good variant here. Besides, the book creator examples presented below were selected to cater to the needs of users with different financial capabilities.

1. Adobe InDesign – Our Choice

• Top-tier interface and instruments
• Integration with other Adobe products
• Lots of downloadable fonts
• Customizable layouts
• Agile even on weak PC’s

Verdict: Adobe InDesign is a go-to tool for many designers and printing experts, who are interested in producing page layouts. It is equipped with all sorts of purpose-built tools that can satisfy both average and professional users.

The program is helpful when you need to create print or interactive documents, which significantly expands the scope of its application. Adobe InDesign can function as book cover software and it offers the necessary features for handling the inside pages. Choosing this program, you can precisely control the size of pages, typography aspects, and enjoy numerous export options.

2. QuarkXPress

• Intuitive palette and styles
• Amazing typography features
• Platform-optimized page layouts
• Handy extensions
• Remarkable customer support
• It is impossible to open multiple projects simultaneously

Verdict: Though QuarkXPress doesn’t top this list, it is still a worthy InDesign alternative , which you can rely on if you want to design a book.

It can assist you whether you need to work on the filling or external side of a book. The most notable feature of this software is “Flex Layouts”, which provide a graphical “WYSIWYG” interface that you can use in an efficient manner without learning HTML and CSS coding.

You can easily change the size or shape of the Flex Layouts, thus automatically affect the text and graphics on the page. This is a really helpful option, making it possible to see how the page will look on different devices with varied screen sizes.

3. Bookemon

• Streamlined interface
• Ready-made book templates
• Supports a range of formats
• A version for mobile devices
• Advanced options are paid

Verdict: Bookemon is a free service for designing books and preparing them for printing. You can use it to create books and share them with your friends, clients, or followers. This option will be especially useful for authors of biography books, children’s literature, poems, etc. Besides, you can use it to create a yearbook. This service has a mobile app for making photo book and can be used as a cookbook software .

When using Bookemon , you can customize the available templates or use files in Word, PDF, PPT and various image formats. You can also use your own photos to illustrate your book.

Whether you decide to use a version for macOS or Windows, you will have access to a variety of themes that can be edited even by beginners. You just need to click on a thumbnail to start working on your project. After designing a layout, you can select a book format and choose a cover.

4. Affinity Publisher

• Powerful program for publishing needs
• Can work in conjunction with other Affinity programs
• Subscription-free
• Handles large-scale documents
• User-friendly interface
• No INDD support

Verdict: What is the best software for book layout? Many people engaged in designing books, newspapers, magazines and other printed media believe that it is Affinity Publisher. The program has a straightforward UI and diverse features for performing even complicated tasks.

Here you can work with master pages, text wrapping, image frames, link text frames, tables, grids, and use numerous graphic and editing instruments. The StudioLink technology ensures smooth integration with other components of the Affinity suite. Thus, you can edit images, publication pages, and vector art without resorting to third-party apps.

5. Adobe FrameMaker

• Quick content transfer from Word
• Smooth work with long documents
• Creating engaging content using rich media
• Creates TOC and indexes across the whole book
• Effortless formatting of multiple paragraphs
• Not in the budgetary group

Verdict: This is the best book design software if you plan to work with long and complex files. The program is regularly used for creating non-fiction books and all types of technical documents.

Thanks to a broad range of publishing options, you can easily optimize and output your creations to different devices – generate PDF, Responsive HTML5 or export in extensions meant for Kindle. Anyway, this book layout software is ideal for work with long documents. You can use automatic settings for headers and footers, easily shift content from chapters and paragraphs, etc.

6. FlipHTML5

• Over 10 adjustable book design templates
• You can add multimedia to digital publications
• Custom domain for the book
• Free online hosting service
• For all platforms & devices
• No way to edit a flipbook once it is made
• Only for flipbooks

Verdict: Coming with more than 10 book layout templates and handy tools, this program can satisfy both beginner and seasoned designers. The online editing instrument is helpful if you need to add links, videos, text, hot spots, audio, sliders and other multimedia elements to your book.

Thanks to the possibility to own a custom domain for the book, you can use your own brand for HTML5 books instead of an embedded one. The free online hosting service allows you to share your books on the net even if you don’t have your personal website. The statistics section delivers timely info on the popularity of your book.

7. Reedsy Book Editor

• Time-saving collaboration tools
• Automated formatting
• Distribution ready exports
• No learning curve
• Professional themes
• Limited customization options

Verdict: Reedsy Book Editor is an extremely useful free tool for automatic ebooks formatting before publication. What makes it stand out is that it takes care of all the hard-to-remember typesetting rules, like margins, indents, spacing, etc. I like that it can be used on every device and browser, and is accessible for complete beginners.

With this tool, you no longer have to keep up with the editor’s or co-author’s revisions. Reedsy allows you to collaborate on your book's manuscript in real-time. You'll have the ability to track changes, edit text, and leave comments.

The file exported from Reedsy is ready for instant distribution to eBook marketplace. I also like that the tool has the option of connecting you with professional editors, marketers, designers, etc.

8. Blurb BookWright

• Templates can be edited
• Plug-in support
• Unique ISBNs for every book version at no cost
• Super easy alignment process
• Inconsistent color management feature

Verdict: This convenient free book layout software can tackle any printouts from photo albums to novels, including the creation of e-book versions. Many users are especially grateful for the free ISBN number they can obtain.

From the same file, you can simultaneously create a printed and an electronic version without the need for tedious separation processing. Among the free options, you won’t find such quality and flexibility supported by convenience of use that this software offers.

Especially since the program can recognize the plug-ins of the most popular Adobe programs and even work on portable devices through a designated app. Apart from being a popular text formatting instrument, it is also featured among the best photo book makers .

9. Shutterstock Editor

• Extensive library of templates and images
• Simple to use
• Online access
• Adaptive workflow
• Just the basic toolkit
• Requires a Shutterstock account

Verdict: This multi-purpose layout software from Shutterstock is a great program for assembling the book and its cover for print single-handedly.

Though you’ll be using templates, the library you’re getting access to, in combination with the instruments for customizing, will result in a perfectly unique design. For more elaborate work, you will find better options on this list.

If you’re in a rush to have everything done, this is just what you need for doing a decent design in little time. Since this free book design software is powered by the huge stock photography platform, you need an account to have access to the editor.

• Easy distribution
• Impressive customization
• Themes provided in abundance
• Restricted ability to design
• Shaves too much off author royalties

Verdict: This is not only the best book cover design maker but also a great program for independent authors. It allows assembling and putting out for sale a book quickly and with little investment.

You can take care of the style and layout of the text and when the result is satisfactory, there are two options. You can either put it out for sale on the platform as an eBook, or print the physical volumes. In the first case, the service is free, in the second, you pay a flexible price that reduces for larger volumes.

11. Adobe Express

• Wonderful designs and layouts
• Lovely typography
• Available on iOS, Android, or online
• Helpful tutorials for newbies
• A watermark added to your projects
• Icon and text inserting is too basic

Verdict: Adobe Express is popular free graphic design software . It has a multitude of templates that can further be enhanced in any way that your creativity suggests. Thus, the results can be truly unique each time.

Many claim this is the best book cover design software because of the incredible fonts that were professionally designed and set out for free use. Between the available images, fonts, colors, layouts, and instruments for adjusting them, you will feel unrestricted possibility to create.

12. Scribus

• Advanced color management
• Convenient for print documents and interactive PDFs
• Thought-out interface
• Takes little space
• Pro-level typesetting
• No recognition of native DTP file formats

Verdict: This program is featured as the best InDesign for Linux alternative and can be added to this list as the best book design software with an open-source code. This is not a new unreliable program, the first version appeared 13 years ago. You can assemble and refine books, magazines, posters, and any typographical item.

It is friendly to unexperienced users and yet allows achieving quite professional-looking results. It even supports working with scripts and has several pre-made ones. For example, you can set items to be automatically expanded to the page’s full size in a click.

Even introducing your own things, like fonts, is possible. Unfortunately, it doesn’t yet recognize the proprietary file types, but otherwise, the program is outstanding. If you need to find a service with a wider choice of interactive features, you may also use Publuu - Ebook creator that allows adding a realistic flip effect.

• Operating on a range of OS
• Simple cover maker
• Access to endless stock photos
• Striking default layouts
• 30-page limit
• No Kindle support

Verdict: This book cover creator software can set you off with a perfectly balanced default layout. If you are following particular branding, however, all the components can be tweaked to match it. The same goes for special creative visions that you will be able to bring to life.

If there is a particular palette you’re going for, enter the hex codes to get the precise colors. With the immense library of stock photos created by professionals, you can represent any idea on the cover.

This program is particularly helpful for several specialists working on the same project because everything is stored in the cloud and users can access the content with different permissions. This can also be convenient for those, who switch devices often.

• Top book design software

• Video Editing Services
• Virtual Staging Services
• Outsource Photo Editing
• Retouching Tips
• Photo Editing Freebies
• Free Raw Images for Retouching
• Free Photoshop Actions
• Free Lightroom Presets
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Asus Zenbook Duo (2024) review: A great dual-screen laptop

T he Asus Zenbook Duo gets its name from one key feature: Nestled beneath its gray aluminum deck yields a display identical to its primary, resulting in two 1920 x 1200-pixel touchscreen OLED panels side-by-side. And as soon as you decide you no longer need both, you can magnetically attach its included keyboard to the deck. 

But beyond its dual screen functionality, does the Zenbook Duo find its own ground? The short answer is yes, offering phenomenal processing speeds, a surprisingly clicky keyboard, and solid battery life in a decently affordable package. It will definitely make our best Asus laptops list. If you want the longer answer, let's jump right into whether or not the Zenbook Duo is right for you.

Asus Zenbook Duo price and configuration 

Our review unit of the Asus Zenbook Duo is built with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, integrated Intel Arc graphics, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, and two 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution OLED touchscreens. It’s available at XOTIC PC for $1,499 .

The most expensive model boosts the processor to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, increases RAM to 32GB, and pushes the screen resolution to 2880 x 1800. It’s available on XOTIC PC for $1,749 .

Asus Zenbook Duo design 

On the surface, the Zenbook Duo appears like any other mainstream laptop you could find on the market, perhaps with just a slightly bulkier deck. You might think nothing of the device when lifting its Inkwell Gray lid, but if you place your fingers at its sides, you’ll notice an indent halfway down. Lift that up and viola, a second 16:10 screen with the same OLED panel and 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution appears.

While the design is fantastic on paper and works surprisingly well, you should expect a small delay between taking the keyboard off and placing it back on. It’ll always need a moment to register its new mode, but beyond that, I wish removing the deck was easier. It’s a bit of a struggle every time I do so, without a convenient place to latch onto, forcing me to slightly jimmy the thing to get it off. Outside of its “Duo” namesake, the design is minimalist with a few diagonal lines traveling across the lid and a Asus Zenbook logo in the top left.

The Asus Zenbook Duo also comes with Asus Pen 2.0, a pressure sensitive pen that works with both of the laptop's touchscreens. It's sold for $99 on its own and comes with a USB-C charging port, four pen tips, and a Bluetooth pair button. It also has three shortcut buttons, one on top for customized shortcuts, while the other two can mouse click and erase.

It’s probably no surprise that the Zenbook Duo is a bit heavier than larger laptops thanks to its unique functionality, coming in at 3.6 pounds and measuring 12.3 x 8.6 x 0.6~0.8 inches. Even then, competitors like the MacBook Pro 14 M3 (3.4 pounds, 12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6-inches), HP Spectre x360 14 (3.2 pounds, 12.4 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches), and MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo (3.3 pounds, 14.1 x 10 x 0.7 inches) are all in a similar ballpark in weight and size. 

Asus Zenbook Duo security and durability 

The Zenbook Duo is surprisingly sturdy, featuring military grade certification through the US MIL-STD 810H standard. This means that it has been put through rough conditions and still remained intact, potentially including high or low temperatures, moisture, shock and more. While the hinge itself can be a bit wobbly, the aluminum deck and chassis are nice and firm. It also comes with an IR camera compatible with Windows Hello and TPM 2.0.

Asus Zenbook Duo ports 

Built with a decent selection of ports , the Zenbook Duo should be more than capable of handling your needs, especially if you’re a big fan of Thunderbolt 4. On its left side, it has two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a USB 3.2 Type-A. On its right there’s an HDMI 2.1 and a 3.5mm audio jack. 

Asus Zenbook Duo display 

Not only does the Zenbook Duo have a 14-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution glossy touch screen at a 60Hz refresh rate, but a duplicate is nestled beneath its keyboard. The first screen is always on when the magnetic keyboard is attached, but once removed, the other comes to life after a few seconds.

I watched the trailer for The Fall Guy and as it cut to slow-motion shots on a set of an alien planet, the intense orange and yellow smoke of explosions against a faded open sky overwhelmed with spaceships looked both colorful and bright. With the harsh white lights of my office put to its maximum brightness, I could still see the screen perfectly clear. I noticed a subtle reflection, but I had to focus on it to become visible.

However, I had seen this trailer on my Alienware AW2725DF OLED monitor and quickly noticed that everything on the Duo looked too orange. Other OLED laptops often have an issue highlighting intense vivid colors over accuracy, but the Duo took things to a whole other level. I went into the MyAsus settings and was able to change the Color Gamut from Native to either sRGB (for web content), DCI-P3 (for cinema) and a custom Display P3, which is designed to provide “wider true-to-life colors.” Each looked a little too intense, but my favorites were the DCI-P3 setting for film and sRGB for everything else.

But the key feature of the Duo is its second display. Lifting the magnetically attached keyboard will automatically duplicate any contents of one screen onto the other. It works flawlessly, with everything on one happening on the other, making it perfect for larger groups of people who need to huddle over one project and work together on it.

It’s also perfect if you’re an artist seeking to emulate using a drawing tablet without having to look down at the lower screen, as everything is instantly duplicated on the upper screen, allowing you to illustrate with eyes upwards. And since both displays are the same specifications in every way, there are no discrepancies.

Alternatively, you can press F7 if the keyboard is still attached and swap to Extend. If you don’t have the keyboard attached anymore, go to System > Display > and then swap Duplicate these displays to Extend these displays to have two separate screens operating at once. Having a second screen available is great for productivity, but it’s especially good for artists who need visible references while working on the second screen.

The Zenbook Duo did decently on our color tests, reproducing 80.5% of the DCI-P3 color gamut . While this is an okay score in general, it’s surprisingly average for an OLED display. This is way below the 98.5% premium laptop average, which also includes non-OLED devices. It’s also worse than what’s seen on the MacBook Pro (81.3%), Prestige 16 (137.9%), and Spectre x360 14 (85.8%).

It did a little better on our brightness tests, hitting a peak of 351 nits on average, which is also lower than the 436 nits mainstream laptop average. Again, this puts it behind the MacBook Pro (558 nits), Prestige 16 (368 nits) and Spectre x360 14 (366 nits), but it is pretty close to the last two competitors.

Asus Zenbook Duo keyboard and trackpad

Considering the Duo is a laptop with a detachable keyboard, I’m impressed by how clicky and satisfying it is to use with its 1.4mm travel. I typically expect companies to cheap out when it comes to this, but if you were to give this to the average consumer, they probably wouldn’t even be able to tell there’s a second screen underneath the keyboard just because of how good it feels to use.

I took the 10fastfingers typing test and managed 111 words per minute with a 98.5% accuracy. I can normally score anywhere from 110 to 120 words per minute with a 95 to 99% accuracy on my mechanical keyboard, so this is pretty much indistinguishable from my normal performance, which once again goes to show how good the keyboard feels.

Beyond type feel, the FN keys can project the display, mute the microphone, connect the keyboard via Bluetooth, bring up a list of emojis, quickly go to MyAsus, and turn off the second screen. Since the keyboard itself is detachable, it features a little switch on its side to turn the Bluetooth setting on. It can be used wirelessly and then recharged using a USB-C port on the side.

The 3 by 5.3-inch trackpad is equally satisfying, allowing me to browse the internet and move files from folder to folder without feeling too sluggish. Multi-gesture actions were also no issue, I used three fingers to reveal and hide everything with ease, alongside swapping tabs with no issue.

Asus Zenbook Duo audio

The Zenbook Duo’s speaker system is far from great, but it’ll get the job done for the less picky listeners. It’s loud, offers clear vocals, and can be sufficiently punchy, but the balance is all off. Certain sounds will drown others out, and some will feature a bass that seems to wildly overcompensate for what the speaker can handle.

I began listening to Blood Mary by Lady Gaga at maximum volume and was  blown away by how loud this thing could get, and while it was clearly prioritizing Gaga’s voice over certain elements like the bass and the background vocals, it still sounded pretty good. The explosive chorus’ punchy sound had me uncontrollably bang my head, but I do wish the system provided a greater balance to some of the electronic instruments lost in the noise.

I then moved onto my latest obsession, O Children by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, which I’ve been listening to non-stop for the last month. It’s a complex song with lots of instruments that can easily be lost beneath one another, and this is where I got less impressed by the quality of the speakers.

While the opening droning noise sounded great, the acoustic guitar that followed shortly after was hollow and flat. And then when the vocals and percussion jumped in, they were accompanied by an overwhelming amount of bass, and it felt as if the speaker system was pushing itself to its limits. Even then, by the time the final stretch came through, the high volume and clear vocals were enough to carry it to a decent auditory experience.

Asus Zenbook Duo performance 

The Zenbook Duo is built with a Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage. Considering it’s utilizing the latest Intel Ultra processors, it’s safe to say you shouldn’t expect any less than the best from this laptop in terms of performance. You can have dozens of YouTube videos on at once, with Twitch streams and Spotify running in the background with little to no issue.

On the Geekbench 6.2 overall performance test, the Zenbook Duo’s multi-core score of 12,873 is fantastic. This puts it far above the category average of 8,423. The MacBook Pro (M3, 11,870)  and Spectre x360 14 (Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 12,358) stood no chance, but it was defeated by the Prestige 16 (Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 13,310).

While converting a 4K video into 1080p using the HandBrake app, the Zenbook Duo managed to accomplish the task in 8 minutes and 56 seconds. Unfortunately, this is slower than the 8 minute and 13 second category average. The MacBook Pro (5:38), Prestige 16 (5:17), and Spectre x360 14 (7:30) all performed the task quicker.

The Zenbook Duo duplicated 25GB of multimedia files in 20 seconds at a transfer rate of 1,349 megabytes per second, which is slower than the 1,410MBps category average. The MacBook Pro (512GB SSD, 4,752MBps) was miles ahead, but the Prestige 16 (1TB SSD, 1,400MBps) and Spectre x360 14 (1TB SSD, 1,362MBps) were just barely better.

Asus Zenbook Duo gaming and graphics 

The Zenbook Duo is not built for gaming by any means, including nothing but its integrated Intel Arc graphics. And even if you’re looking for a laptop to fire up some casual gaming, you might want to look elsewhere.

During the Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm test at 1080p, the Duo achieved a pretty underwhelming 34 frames per second (which is technically playable). Its competition mostly blew it out of the water, with the MacBook Pro (51 fps) and Prestige 16 (66 fps) doing pretty well, while the Spectre x360 14 (36 fps) was in the same lane.

Asus Zenbook Duo battery life 

During Laptop Mag battery life test, which involves continuous web browsing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits, the Zenbook Duo lasted 10 hours and 34 minutes in laptop mode, which is pretty solid and pushes a bit above the 10 hour and 30 minute average. And even when having both screens on simultaneously, the laptop still hit 8 hours and 22 minutes, surpassing our 8-hour minimum threshold. While this is pretty good, it couldn’t quite compete with the MacBook Pro (17:16), Prestige 16 (13:22), and Spectre x360 14 (11:01).  

Asus Zenbook Duo webcam 

The Zenbook Duo won’t make it to the top of any best laptop webcams lists, but it does a good enough job with its 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution. I was pretty impressed with how it accurately portrayed the vibrancy of my pink walls and white ceiling, with the harsh white lights in my room not turning into an overexposed mess. But it did turn my lamp’s light blinding. You probably won’t need to purchase an external webcam, but if you need one, check out our best webcams . 

Asus Zenbook Duo heat 

The Zenbook Duo exceeded our 95-degree comfort threshold, with it reaching 113 degrees at its hottest point both in laptop mode and with dual screens on. We normally perform heat tests on the keyboard and touchpad, but neither of them are actually part of the machine, so there’s not much getting hot except the back of the machine itself.  

Asus Zenbook Duo software and warranty 

While installed with Windows 11 , the Zenbook Duo also features MyAsus, which provides a bunch of useful software and settings. You can view metrics for battery, CPU load, memory, hard disk space, warranty information, run system diagnostics, and update software. Further settings to modify audio and visuals are also available, like increasing the warmth of the screen or changing the color profile.

The Zenbook Duo comes with a one-year limited warranty. You can see how X did in our Tech Support Showdown special report.  

Bottom line 

The Asus Zenbook Duo strives to fulfill a specific purpose and does that exceptionally well. Anyone who needs a new machine with a satisfying keyboard that can seamlessly be swapped into a dual-screen setup for artistic projects will not be disappointed. Alongside exceptionally high performance metrics and solid battery life within a surprisingly affordable package, it is a great pick for artists and creators.

But it’s far from perfect, with its least offensive aspects being its underwhelming audio and difficult-to-remove magnetic keyboard. What really sets this laptop back is an OLED display that doesn’t meet our expectations in color, even when compared to non-OLED displays. If you’re on the lookout for a great laptop and can do without the dual-displays, the MSI Prestige AI Evo 16 provides phenomenal performance at a slightly lower cost. Otherwise, we recommend the Zenbook Duo for anyone who loves the appeal of its dual-screen configuration.