Free Book Writing Software For Beginners

Book Writing Software to Help You Create, Organize, and Edit Your Manuscript

Book Writing Software

Writing a book is no cakewalk. I ought to know—I've done it nearly 200 times.

But plenty of quality tools help make this challenge easier.

The right book writing software can help you:

Organize your writing
Gain self-confidence
Write more crisply

Software writing programs you may want to check out:

(Full disclosure: If you buy any of these, I get a small commission at no cost to you. But these tools have helped enough writers to where I would recommend them even if I didn't get a dime!)

15 Book Writing Software Programs That Can Make Your Life Easier

1. Scrivener

Scrivener is the ultimate book-organization tool.

It allows you to view your notes, research, outline, and writing all in one place, and you can print your whole manuscript with the click of your mouse.

There's a bit of a learning curve, but Scrivener comes with tutorials, and many other such aids are easily found online.

It may look overwhelming at first (I'm still learning it myself), but it's worth the time and effort.

Just give yourself time to get familiar with the basics.

Pros:

Virtual corkboard feature for note cards organization
Drag & drop outliner
Works with Windows, Mac, iPad, and iPhone
Easily applicable within Microsoft Word and many other programs

Cons:

Steep learning curve*

*I benefited from great teaching programs like Learn Scrivener Fast, plus Scrivener itself comes with a built-in tutorial.

Price: $49 for Mac and $40 for PC

Click here to buy Scrivener.

2. Google Docs

Google Docs is a great collaborative tool. My team and I are literally a thousand miles from each other, and we use this program virtually every day.

It's a free, standard word processor that allows multiple people to work on the same document simultaneously. I'm working on this document in Google Docs right now.

Just as with Track Changes in Word, an agent or editor or accountability partner can help fine-tune your work-in-progress in Suggestion Mode. You accept or reject the suggestions, and you can both comment in the margin.

Other advantages:

Easily share your work-in-progress via email or a link
Access from any device
Free

Cons:

Performance slows when tracking changes on documents of 80 or more pages
Unable to toggle between Tracked Changes and Final Version without accepting all the changes

Price: Free

Click here to start using Google Docs.

3. Freedom

Freedom allows you to temporarily block apps, websites, and social media across all your devices so you can focus on writing (don't worry, people can still reach you in an emergency).

You can even schedule the app to work automatically when you need it most — when you're writing.

If you're like me, you'll be glad for the freedom from online distractions where "just a few seconds" turns into hours of unproductive net surfing. Freedom can help you focus and increase your productivity.

And it works on all devices.

Cost: $6.99 per month, $29 per year, or a $129 lifetime fee.

Want to block distractions while you write?

Click here to get Freedom.

4. ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid offers grammar, style, and writing suggestions as you write—for you to accept — or reject — at the click of a button.

It integrates with the apps and programs you use most, like:

Google Docs
Google Chrome
Microsoft Word
Scrivener

Other pros:

Detailed explanations
Built-in Thesaurus
Context-focused grammar checker
Free version

Con:

You need a premium account to access its best features

Price: $50 for 1 year, $75 for 2 years, $100 for 3 years, or $175 for life

I recommend trying the free version first.

Click here to get more info on ProWritingAid.

5. Grammarly

Similar to ProWritingAid, Grammarly can help fine-tune your writing.

It automatically checks spelling and grammar, whether you're writing a book or an email.

The premium version also:

Checks sentence structure
Monitors word choice
Guards against plagiarism
Examines style
And much more

Other pros:

Free version
Google Chrome plugin for easy use on the web

Cons:

No Scrivener integration
Doesn't work on mobile devices
You need a premium account to access its best features

Cost: $29.95 per month, $59.95 per quarter, or $139.95 per year.

Try the free version first.

Click here to get Grammarly.

6. Novel Factory

A creative writing software that guides you through the novel writing process.

Novel Factory prompts you to:

Write your story's premise
Develop characters
Make notes
Follow the Hero's Journey outline

It offers:

A built-in word processor
A split screen view

Novel Factory is designed for Windows and is currently unavailable for Mac.

Cost: $39.99

Click here to start using Novel Factory.

7. Hemingway Editor

Focuses less on grammar and spelling and more on writing style.

It highlights:

Sentences to be edited, whether lengthy and complex, passive, or unnecessary
Overused words

Pros:

Easy to understand and use
Suggests alternatives to overused words
Allows text formatting
Teaches much more concise, straightforward writing
Suggests edits and offers tips to improve overall writing style
Ranks your writing by grade level

Cons:

Eliminates most adverbs
Doesn't take voice or style into account

Cost: Free if used on the Hemingway Editor website (you can then copy/paste into your document), $19.99 to purchase your own version.

Click here to start using Hemingway Editor.

8. Evernote

A note taking app that allows you to:

Sync with other devices
Share notes with anyone who has access to your account
Save screenshots, web articles, and PDFs in one place
Search easily within the program
Customize templates
Scan and save documents
Integrate with other programs (like Google Docs)

Cost: Basic Evernote free, Premium $7.99/month, Business $14.99/month

Click here to start using Evernote.

9. yWriter

The program:

Tracks words per chapter and total word count
Allows for the breakdown of scenes, note-taking, character description, and scene details and goals under separate tabs within each chapter

YWriter currently runs only within Windows.

Cost: Free

Click here to start using yWriter.

10. Ulysses

A simple word processing software for Mac users.

Pros:

A distraction-free interface
Saves all your writing in one spot
Easily sync documents with other devices
Split-screen view
Auto-save and backup
Allows you to set and track writing goals
Allows you to publish directly to WordPress and Medium

Con: does not assist in developing characters or plot.

Cost: App download free, subscription $4.99/month or $39.99/year

Click here to start using Ulysses.

11. Vellum

Allows your to professionally format books for publication.

Available for Mac users only, the software is free, but you must purchase a package before exporting a file for publication.

Pros:

Allows you to design and format a book
A variety of styles
Easy import capabilities
Editing within the app
Allows preview of print or e-books
Easy export
Allows unlimited exports, depending on program purchased

Cons:

Not word processor
More expensive than similar tools
Available only for Mac

Cost: $199.99 for publishing unlimited e-books, $249.99 for publishing unlimited e-books and paperbacks

Click here to start using Vellum.

12. Focus Writer

A bare-bones word processor.

In full-screen mode, toolbars disappear until you scroll over them.

Pros:

Simple, customizable design
Autosave
Allows you to track writing goals (by time or word count)

Cons:

Available for text only
No spell check

Cost: Free

Click here to start using FocusWriter.

13. Milanote

Hailed as "Evernote for creatives," a visual story-telling tool for Mac users.

It enables you to:

Organize notes all in one place
Use as a whiteboard or storyboard
Upload images
Save images, text, and weblinks
Upload images and text from your phone

Other Pros:

Flexible drag and drop
Allows team collaboration

Cons:

Limited export options: PDF, PNG image, Word file, or plain text
Available only on Mac and the web

Cost: Basic version free, premium version $9.99/month

Click here to start using Milanote.

14. FastPencil

Offers tools for self-publishing.

Pros:

Write within the platform or upload a manuscript
Format your book
Publish in e-book and print (ISBN and retail barcode included)
Distribute and sell your book worldwide
Manage sales and royalties

Cons:

Cannot use offline
Expensive beyond writing, designing, and formatting

Cost: Free, with additional paid publishing packages

Click here to start using FastPencil.

15. bibisco

…an all in one project management tool for your novel.

It acts as a word processor, organizer, and a creativity guide all at the same time.

For Outliners, bibisco allows creativity in your organization. You can interview your characters, create a timeline of events, and track your chapters in one place.

It works for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Pros:

Creative tools to flesh out characters, places, items, and events in your story world
Free version without many restrictions
Easy to use, almost no learning curve
Simple design
Great organizational tool for Outliners
30-day money-back return policy

Cons:

Paid version says "pay what you want," but the minimum is 15 euro, which will be a little more in US dollars
Open-source software still receiving updates (be sure to save often, even with the autosave feature)
No mobile app

bibisco has a free version and a premium version that starts at 15 euro for a one-time purchase.

Click here to start using bibisco .