The Best Book Writing Software isn’t just about putting down words on a page. You need to be able to and structure your book. You need to be able to look at research (ideally offline!), and your When you get further into the process, you’ll realise that your word processor just isn’t made for the job. You’ll get to a stage where your document is unmanageable and you’ll lose track of the structure of your book. With a typical word processor, you can’t ‘see’ the book in its entirety, nor can you move easily between different sections or chapters. I have seen this again and again, I’ve experienced it myself, and I hope that you don’t have to.

• Book Writing Application The Best Writing Apps For Mac

But, when it comes to choosing the best writing software, it can be hard to pick the right one. Different writers need different aids, and it all depends on your format, your writing style, and your own personal preferences.

Luckily for us, there are far better solutions for writing books, and we’ve selected from the many to bring you a shortlist of our favourites: six of the best writing software on the market. There are some differences between them, so the choice is down to your personal preference and budget (although they are all very affordable). Let’s take a look 1. Scrivener The ‘big daddy’ of writing software, and the #1 choice of writing software here at Author Unlimited, is. It helps you organise your work, keep track or it (you can set word count targets), and you can also output a print-ready version of your book. It’s a programme so you download it to your computer.

Great for staying off the wifi. And this is a key distinction between the different software we showcase here, so if being distraction-free is important, then rule out those that rely on you being online (like Noisli and Book Writer). Scrivener is what to write the 4 Hour Body and the 4 Hour Chef, and most professionals agree it’s the best writing software on the market for both professionals and amateurs. You can buy a, or a and it has the most amazing free trial (I’ll let you check that out for yourself but suffice to say that two participants on my last workshop planned to write their whole book during the free trial!). With a corkboard-and-index-cards approach to organisation, Scrivener works exactly the way we might plan a book on paper.

You can break your writing down into manageable chunks without losing the thread. Where it comes out on top is chapter sidebar and outline screen that allow you to always keep a visual tab on the development of your novel, and add in notes and ideas on the fly. You can keep your research in separate documents from the manuscript, and you have a choice of views — including a full screen view to help you stay away from internet temptation. Scrivener also allows you to recall past work, deleted paragraphs, a previous drafts without much effort. The main disadvantage of Scrivener is that it comes with a bit of a learning curve, and (and this is true for all the software we reviewed) you can’t do the spell and grammar checks that you can in Word. But, really, that’s not a reason to use Word for writing a book! YWriter If Scrivener looks a little daunting, then may be an easier place to start.

Book Writing Application The Best Writing Apps For Mac

It’s free, which is always good which means that if you’re not sure that you even want or need writing software, then it’s a good place to start. (but do check out the trial — as you can see I’m a little biased here!) Although it’s designed with novelist in mind, non-fiction authors will also find it easy to use and fit for purpose. It’s main attraction is its simplicity — it doesn’t come with fancy ‘extras’ to distract you from you writing – and it’s downloadable which means you can switch the wifi off (I personally prefer this option with whatever software I choose), and get rid of the temptation to check Facebook or your email, or go off on the web doing ‘research’. Second to its simplicity is the way it keeps your work organised. This is an important part of any process because a book becomes too big to see and edit in a single document (to say nothing of the risk of losing it unsaved if Word crashes!) yWriter breaks your writing into chapters and then further into workable chunk sized scenes (or sections for us non-fiction writers), and keeps a tab on where everything is – something you’ll appreciate when you’re hitting the 10,000 word mark and wondering how you’re ever going to get out of this alive. I like the focus on scenes because it’s a very manageable piece to write, and, in non-fiction, you can take similar types of sections together in the writing process, or you can just dip in and out when you have time. But you can this way as well.

And, if you’re still undecided, there is a thorough comparison between yWriter and Scrivener, in. Has easy-to-use navigational tabs so can move between chapters and there are no hidden secrets that take time to learn.

Simple, functional, does what is says on the tin. The storyboard function is nice for novelists, and non-fiction writers may like see the visual flow of their book.

In conclusion, it’s perfect for the writer who likes no-frills organisation and is less concerned about the look of their software. The main disadvantages are that it looks rather old-fashioned, and it’s only available on PC at the time of writing. Fast Pencil’s Book Writer For collaborative projects, smaller and more frequent work, and easy marketing, Book Writer is a well-developed application that is easy to use and comes with different advantages to the other software we are reviewing here. Firstly, you can automatically update to your Facebook page or Twitter timeline whenever you start or finish a new project. This sits well with the philosophy of we adopt here at Author Unlimited. And it’s also good because you are seeding the idea of your book as you go.

You keep your followers updated on your progress and gets engagement with your process (especially if you are also ). The editing software is easy to use, and there are plenty of helpful ‘how-to’ videos if you get lost. One of the main selling points of Book Writer is the collaborative nature of it — you can share your work with other writers, as well as beta readers, editors, or publishers (including service providers you might work with to self-publish). They can log-in from any device as long as there is an internet connection. For editing and tracking changes, it incorporates an auto-edit tracking device. The main disadvantage of Book Writer is the cost is the added cost of formatting and publishing through them. The price jumps from $9.99 to access the writing software, to $675 to publish your manuscript (correct at the time of writing).

And, with Fast Pencil, as soon as you decide to format your book outside of their templates, costs mount. There will be costs involved however you decide to publish, but at least know what you are in for before you decide to go this route.

Especially when comparing it with, say, Scrivener, which can export your manuscript in many publishing formats at no additional cost. The collaborative nature of this software will be just perfect for some of your projects, but if you don’t need that, plus the fact that you have to be logged in to the internet (which you know I don’t like), means that, although we do like it as a publishing software, it probably isn’t our top pick for the writing. Ommwriter The writer’s haven. Or so it says in the marketing material.

And is my favourite tool to use alongside (or instead of) Scrivener. It’s basically a text editor (as are many of these programmes) but what makes it unique amongst the writing software packages is the addition of music and a calming, and simple, environment. Right on your desktop. There is a small price tag here — it’s a ‘pay what you want’ price with a minimum of $4.11, and the creators suggest your offer ends in a 1. I think it’s well worth the investment if it’s going to help you stay focused and enjoy the writing. (which it does for me!) You download the package to your computer which means you can disconnect and work offline (and you know I highly recommend this!).

And then you can choose from 7 meditative tracks carefully chosen to keep your focus, and a selection of relaxing coloured backgrounds. And you simply write. You press save from time to time and your work is saved as a omm file (or you can choose a text file). And if you like the sound of tapping keys you can also choose a keyboard sound. Normally we tune this out but you’d be surprised that as soon as you put your attention on it then it starts to jar. The background designs (or chromatherapy) are designed to make the screen easier on the eye and to complement the mood you are creating. I love the simplicity of Ommwriter, and the meditative philosophy behind it.

The very fact you can’t format as you go means you are probably less likely to edit (the writer’s curse!). Which means that important first draft gets done more quickly, and with composure. The main drawback of Ommwriter is the flip side of what makes is so attractive – it’s simplicity. You can only write and then export a text file. So all the work formatting still needs to be done either in a publishing software like Sigil, back into a more sophisticated tool like, or by outsourcing.

Is my current favourite writing software for blogs and smaller pieces. For a book project, I would go with every time.

Noisli I want to give a passing mention because it has one feature that I like to recommend to writers, and that I use when I’m writing, and that is a timer. Its very similar to, but online, which is a bonus or a disadvantge depending on your perspective. It’s simple to log-in through your web browser, create an account and just write. You can download your work as a text file to your computer or to dropbox (which is nice if you’re working on a tablet for example). And you can set a timer.

Personally I like being offline, and I prefer the music that comes with Ommwriter, plus I have a timer, so, for me, Ommwriter still ranks above Noisli. But those are completely personal preferences and you might find the splashing water or the white noise of trains suits you well. Plus that timer! Sigil If you plan to publish your own e-book, and you don’t (for some unknown reason!) get along with Scrivener, then is a strong option for both complete beginners and those of you who are more advanced in the art of coding your e-books. Is a free, open-source software for making e-books that can make simple or more complicated formatting for your digital book. A bit of a techie option, but if that’s you and you want to format your own books, then you’ll love Sigil. With a book browser, a document viewer and table of contents all on the same page, the layout is intuitive and is easy to learn.

It has a WYSIWYG editor (what you see is what you get), so you see how your book looks before you export. You can import a HTML file and Sigil will tidy it up and erase any errors in the script, and it also allows for inserting images and graphs throughout the book (which is often a tricky part of formatting your ebook). Mind you, Scrivener does this as well. It also has options for chapter breaks and spell checks. It’s a bare-bones approach to the actual ‘writing’ part, but it could be combined with Noisli or Ommwriter if that takes your fancy. If your book is uncomplicated and easy to structure and layout, don’t shy away from using Sigil to help you do it.

Do you have a favourite? When you’re thinking about, you need to realise that no writing software, no matter how perfect, can actually write it for you, but it’s definitely worth finding one that can help you along the way. As you can see, we like and, but there are other options that fit your wallet and your personal preferences. Don’t get caught up in deciding between all the options – as with writing — it’s better to just start. Choose one and take a test drive, and then you can progress to a more advanced or sophisticated when you’ve mastered the ins and outs of writing software. Cathy Presland Editor-in-Chief We’ve shared ours, now we’d love to hear your what’s your top pick for the best writing software. Let us know on social media!

Before we start talking about the writing apps for Mac, let me make it clear, no writing app can improve your writing magically, that can only be achieved with a lot of practice. Having said that, using a good writing app will assist you in writing, so that you can get the words out of your mind and onto the proverbial paper. A good writing app does that by providing a writer with an aesthetically pleasing and easy to traverse work environment. It is also distraction free and helps you focus on what are you writing. Most importantly, it has all the essential features which are hidden when you are writing and only show up when you need them. It also makes exporting your text as easy as writing them.

Basically, it lets you focus on the art of writing itself and handles the rest. Now, no one app can fulfil all these criteria for everyone as each one of us follow a different form of writing. Some are bloggers and dabble in small-form writing while others are looking to write full-fledged novels. Some of us are aspiring scriptwriters while others are trying to complete their thesis and papers. That is why we have tried to include different apps which will suit different requirements. So, let’s find out the best writing apps for macOS you can get today: Best Apps for Novel or Blog Writing 1. Ulysses Some apps are best suited for short-form writing while others focus more on the long-form content creation.

Ulysses is the only app which is equally good at both of them. You can as easily write a novel on Ulysses as you can a blog post. Ulysses achieves this feat by creating a perfect amalgamation of features and usability.

When you launch the app for the first time, you are greeted by an interface which is simple and yet so powerful. The interface is divided into three major panes. The left pane is called the Library which houses your main navigation area including folders, trash, and storage options. You can choose to save the files on either iCloud drive or locally on Mac. You can even store files on other cloud storage spaces such as Dropbox using the external folder. The Middle pane is called sheets and holds all your individual documents.

The right pane is the text editor and it’s where all the magic happens. At any given time, you can hide the panes and only use the text editor to get a distraction-free environment. The text-editor supports markdown formatting, meaning you can use certain symbols to format your text.

The idea here is that a writer does not have to use anything other than the keyboard to interact with the app. You can use different themes to customize the look and feel of Ulysses, I personally love to use it in the dark mode. One of my favourite features of Ulysses is its exporting capabilities. You can export any document into Text, PDF, HTML, ePub, and Docx formats. You can even link your WordPress and Medium account and directly publish your articles without living the app. Other features include goal setting, photo attachment, keyword search, and inbuilt notes. What makes Ulysses also good at long-form writing is its organisational structure.

You can create a multi-hierarchal structure by nesting folders inside the folders. The easy drag and drop tool to arrange the sheets is another feature which really comes in handy. There are a lot more features which we cannot cover, as this is not a full review, but know this, even though it is a costly software, it is worth every penny. I write all my articles on Ulysses and have no qualms in recommending this to anyone. Install: 2. Scrivener While Ulysses does well in the long-form writing arena, Scrivener is surely the reigning king here.

Don’t get me wrong, Ulysses does come really close but for someone whose sole focus is on creating lengthy content such as novels, Scrivener still remains the go-to tool. I will be the first to admit that Scrivener is not as intuitive as Ulysses and has a little bit of learning curve attached to it. You will at least need a couple of hours to get familiar with the interface while unlocking its full potential will require some serious usage. The inbuilt tutorial does help a lot to learn the basics. When you launch the app, you will be asked to create a project. There are a few templates which can help you get started.

A project is where everything will take place. For this article, I chose the novel template. Now, I cannot go deep into all the features of Scrivener but I will cover some cool features which make it best suited for long-form writing. The first feature which Scrivener does better than any other app out there is the organisation of your documents. You can create folders and nest folders inside other folders to create multi-layered organisational structure. But the best part is how easy it makes managing and finding your content.

You can search your text by tags, characters, and keywords. You can use the outlining feature to create an outline. The cork board view helps in getting the essence of your work. There’s also a separate section for research, where you can keep all your research (texts, links, pictures). There’s a place where you can create your character’s sketch.

Lastly, Scrivener allows you to export your work in different publishing format, which is really helpful, to say the least. You can export your work as a simple manuscript, a hardcover novel, ePub for iBooks, and MOBI for Kindle.

You just have to feed the required information and it will take care of the formatting for you. If you are a long-form content writer especially focusing on novels, this is the best tool you can get today.

As Ulysses, it is also costly but worth every penny. Install: 3. IA Writer If you are looking for an option which is similar in functionality to Ulysses but does not cost as much, give iA Writer a try. IA Writer gets the basics right. It has a fluid and good looking interface which helps you avoid distractions and focus more on the writing itself. You can use the syntax (Markdown) to format your text.

You can also create sheets and search between the sheets using keywords. When you launch the app, you will only see a single editor window and you can start typing immediately. To get to the navigation pane, just slide from left to right. Sliding from right to left will give you a view of how your text will look in an actual document. One cool feature is that when you are writing only the current line is highlighted while the rest of the text is greyed out.

This helps you focus more on what are you writing. This feature is also present in Ulysses but is not enabled by default. It also has a dark theme to go with it. Where iA Writer falls behind Ulysses is in its organisational features.

The export feature is limited to text formats only. The goal setting feature is also missing.

However, whatever it does do, it does best. The writing environment is fabulous and the app is very light and never lags.

IA Writer can be a great alternative to Ulysses if you are ready to give it a try. Install: 4.

Bear Just when you start to think, there’s nothing left to innovate in a certain category of app, there comes a new player which changes the game and Bear has earned its place among them. It combines note taking and small prose writing and put them into an interface which is not only fun to use but is also very effective. Maybe that’s why Bear has won the Apple’s best design award for 2017. Just like Ulysses, the interface is divided into three panes. One houses your groups, one your notes and one acts as your editing panel.

However, Bear’s organisational structure is a little different from Ulysses’. You don’t create folder rather you organise your notes using tags. Any note can have n number of tags. This is a free form organisation and best when you need to show a single note in multiple groups. Probably the best feature of Bear is its iOS client.

Although Ulysses also has an iOS app, Bear’s app is more intuitive and easy to use. At first glance, Bear might feel like that it’s a note taking app which is not wrong but at the same time it is much more than that. Bear handles writing and editing short-form content like articles and blog posts like a breeze. It also has better theming capabilities than any other app on the list. The only major drawback is that it follows a subscription model. It will cost you $15/year to unlock the pro version, which unlocks its best features like theming, exporting and cross-device syncing. Still, it’s a small price to pay for what you are getting.

Don’t just listen to me, try the free version and then decide if it is worth your time or not. Install: (, Pro version for $14.99/year) Best Apps for Screenplay Writing 1. FadeIn I don’t claim to be an expert in screen-writing, however, I have my fair share of experience in it. For the most part, I have found FadeIn to be the best screenwriting app out there.

The interface is easy to understand and you can start as soon as you launch the app. You will learn the pro features along the way. The best part about FadeIn is its predictive typing experience. Most of the times it figures out correctly if you are about to write a scene heading, a character or a dialogue. In cases, if it does fail to predict correctly, you can use the tab key to simply move between the options. This makes formatting your screenplay very easy. Our main theme for picking apps today has been selecting the apps which help you getting your words onto the paper and FadeIN does just that.

Install: 2. Final Draft 10 Final Draft is the most popular screenwriting software out there. However, I have kept it at second place because of two specific reasons.

Firstly, it costs a lot and every new version will set you back additional $99 to upgrade, which is just absurd. Secondly, over the years it has borrowed a lot of features from its competitors which have made it really complex. Hence, it has a steep learning curve associated with it. However, if you get over these shortcomings and I am not sure that I can, at its heart, it is a great piece of software aimed at professional scriptwriters. Like FadeIn, it also supports keyboard shortcuts to change the different script writing elements.

In fact, I have found its prediction to be more accurate than FadeIn. However, the premium it demands over FadeIn is not justified in my opinion.

Install: Best Apps for Journal Writing 1. Day One Day One is one of those few apps which make the experience of using the app more powerful than the purpose it serves. The app just looks beautiful.

From its design to its UI and its colour scheme to its typography, everything induces a sense of calm. The feature set is also huge. You can create multiple journals and each journal can hold infinite pages. Not only you can write inside the app, you can even attach photos to support your memories with visual cues. My favourite feature is the addition of geolocation data.

It helps you to see the places where you have recorded your journal entry. Day One serves as a multi-purpose tool.

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Apart from recording your days, you can use this as a dumping ground for your ideas. You can create tags and stars to sort your notes. It also has an inbuilt search feature which is lightning fast. The app is also password protected which helps in keeping your thoughts safe. The fact that it has apps for both iPhones and iPads makes this one a must for on the go journalism. There is so much to love here. If you are a regular journal writer, this one is a must have.

Install: 2. Journey If you are looking for a journaling app which is truly cross platform, Journey is where your search ends. It has an app for all the major OS platforms including Android and Windows.

The app is powerful and has a feature set which is comparable to that of Day One. It syncs across devices, supports photo attachment, markdown, and syntax editing and so on. However, I have two main problems with Journey which pushed it down to second place. First, it only uses Google Drive to sync your notes. I hope they add other popular cloud storages such as Dropbox in the future. Also, even when you buy the full app, there are certain features for which you still have to pay for, which is just outrageous. Other than that, it is a perfectly good app and you will not enjoy using it.

Install: Best Writing Apps for Students 1. Pages If you are a student, you don’t have to look any further than the app which comes preinstalled with every Apple Mac, Pages. There used to be a time when Pages felt like a cheap rip off of Microsoft Word. Now, things have changed and Pages has become one of the best word processor apps present in the market. The best thing about Pages, apart from the fact that it is totally free is that Apple keeps on improving releasing updates every few months. At the time of writing this article, Pages has received yet another big update. Now, you get a library of over 500 shapes, which are also customisable.

The auto-correction and text replacement features also get some needed improvements. But for me, the best new feature is the inclusion of threaded comments while collaborating with other people. All the comments can be seen in a threaded conversation format, which is updated on real time basis. Now you will be able to collaborate with your friends on a document without having to wait for your conversations to load. That is a huge improvement in my opinion.

If you are a student, Pages is the software for you. It’s good looking, it’s feature packed and it’s totally free. Install: 2. Microsoft Word Microsoft pretty much invented the modern word processor and Microsoft Word is still the best. Don’t get me wrong, over the years, Pages did catch up with Microsoft Word but it still has some distance to cover. In my opinion, Microsoft Word is still the easier of the two software while packing more features. The menus and sub-menus are easier to navigate and the inbuilt search functionality is also better. There’s pretty much nothing more I have to say about it, it’s Word.

If you have the cash to spend, this will be a purchase you will never regret. Install: SEE ALSO: The Best Apps for Writers on Mac As I said earlier, these writing apps can not improve your writing, however, what they can do is to assist you in improving your efficiency while writing. They create an environment where you can forget about technical stuff like formatting and focus more on the art of writing itself.

They are more like tools, which in the hands of right person can create wonders. Give these apps a try and let us know in the comments below which is your favourite. Also, do tell us which writing software do you use currently on your Mac and why.