We could all use a little help sometimes.
That’s why our team put together this list of the best writing websites to help you learn more, improve your writing skills, and grow your writing career.
Here’s our list of sites that can help writers of all stripes and colors improve their craft, including fiction writers, nonfiction writers, bloggers, and copywriters.
Some of these sites are incredibly educational, some are just fun to read, and others may help you attract more readers, fans, beta readers, critique partners … and maybe even find you a publisher.
1. Wattpad
Wattpad is the largest online reading platform. It’s like the YouTube of writing; it allows writers and authors to share their work worldwide for free, and attract millions of followers and readers.
Many authors have amassed thousands of readers and fans on Wattpad, and some have even gotten great book deals from major publishers because of their success on the platform.
2. Teen Ink
Teen Ink is a literary magazine and website for teens that helps them use their voice and make a difference through writing. This great site is devoted entirely to writing, art, and photos by teens. This site is best for teens who are interested in writing nonfiction essays, articles, poems, and short stories.
3. One Teen Story
One Teen Story is a nonprofit monthly magazine. It features young adult authors’ writing and other creative content.
4. NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month is a yearly event during which writers spend the entirety of November trying to write a 50K-word book. The blog associated with this event provides inspirational posts for writer’s blocked authors and offers guidelines for everything from the publishing a book to getting feedback on your writing skills.
5. Tumblr
Tumblr is a blogging platform and a wonderful place for self-expression, and doubles as one of the go-to hub for young bookworms and writers to collaborate and share their work with others.
6. Write It Sideways
Write It Sideways outlines real-life advice for writers, like author branding, writing grants, and gift buying, as well as writing tips and tricks like dialogue mistakes and how to build tension in a scene.
7. Helping Writers Become Authors
Helping Writers Become Authors features creative writing advice on story structure, character arcs, and common writing mistakes.
8. Inklyo.com
Inklyo.com offers great advice for authors, bloggers, business people, and students. The site also offers a wealth of practical tips for finding work, honing your writing skills, and staying productive.
If you’re looking for in-depth instruction, this site also provides a range of courses and eBooks aimed at helping you learn how to write anything well.
9. Warrior Writers
Warrior Writers is run by best-selling author Kristen Lamb, who guides writers with detailed and comprehensive posts in humorous and easy-to-read fashion.
10. Fantasy Author’s Handbook
Fantasy Author’s Handbook is a writing blog by Philip Athans, a New York Times best-selling fantasy author. The blog is filled with great advice for writers of all types.
11. Abidemi.tv
Abidemi.tv shares insight and knowledge of the writing and publishing world to help people become better authors. This site offers free resources in a blog as well as writing courses.
12. Write to Done
Write to Done is a resource on all kinds of useful topics for writers like finding a pen name, imposter syndrome, and recovering from destructive criticism.
13. Brain Pickings
Brain Pickings shares writings on culture, books, and other eclectic subjects. This blog is extremely interesting reading for any writer with time to spare.
14. Novelicious
Novelicious is more of a book website than a writing website. It also has advice for writers on retreats and for writing serialized novels.
15. The Authors’ Nook
The Authors’ Nook offers relatable posts for writers along with advice on being a writer. It also allows a blend of good fun and useful advice for writing breaks.
16. The Write Life
The Write Life is a writing website that offers solid ideas for blogging. It includes advice on working from home, guest posting, and pitching ideas. If you want to be a freelance writer, this blog will help.
17. Goins Writer
Goins Writer is the creation of author Jeff Goins, who shares real-life experiences and reflections about engaging a community in the Internet age, building an audience online, and select shortcuts to success.
18. The Book Designer
The Book Designer is a site that gives practical advice to help build better books. It includes hundreds of articles for writers on everything from using social media efficiently, writing creative disclaimers, and choosing the right platforms for publishing a book.
19. Angela Booth
Angela Booth is a ghostwriter, author, copywriter, marketer, and writing coach. She writes ample posts to help guide you on how to ensure a book will be a financial success and improve your book sales.
20. Carly Watters
Carly Watters is a literary agent who advises writers of all stripes on how to get published. Her useful posts are great for any writer, especially if you’re looking for a literary agent.
21. Jane Friedman
Jane Friedman provides informative articles on both the writing process and the publishing process. She’s one of the rare writers with extensive experience in both traditional publishing and self-publishing.
22. The Creative Penn
The Creative Penn is run by best-selling author Joanna Penn. Her site offers articles and other resources related to marketing books, writing, and publishing. She also has an incredible podcast on writing, so check that out as well.
23. Alan Rinzler
Alan Rinzler is a consulting editor that helps writers understand what goes on behind the scenes of the publishing process.
24. Publetariat
Publetariat is a site that gives practical information on author websites, networking, and the publishing process. This site also shares links about big news stories in the world of publishing.
25. The Independent Publishing Magazine
The Independent Publishing Magazine is a site that posts about many different parts of the publishing process, including finding the right editor, growing a following, and avoiding the many pitfalls that come with being an independent author.
26. WritingPrompts.com
Writing Prompts is a site that offers inspiration for writers in all genres. It focuses on breaking through writer’s block, building characters, and refining your dialogue-writing skills. It’s a great site for any aspiring novelist.
27. Positive Writer
Positive Writer is a site created for writers with doubt. Created by Bryan Hutchinson, the site provides inspirational posts that will help you stay positive, keep writing, and overcome limiting beliefs that could hold you back from becoming a successful and productive writer.
28. Blots and Plots
Blots and Plots is a site that instructs writers to stay in the habit of writing. It’ll help you stay on track and solve all kinds of writing problems. It also demonstrates how it’s possible to write a novel even while working a full-time job.
29. Writer’s Digest
Writer’s Digest is a well-known and comprehensive site that offers countless resources for authors and all manner of advice for the aspiring and experienced writer alike.
30. Qwiklit
Qwiklit is a site that offers fun and accessible articles about reading and writing.
31. Writing Prompts That Don’t Suck
Writing Prompts That Don’t Suck is a site that provides fun and interesting posts to keep you inspired to write something new. Its myriad writing prompts are funny, spooky, and always unique…and never suck.
32. Scribophile
Scribophile is a well-respected online writing community. It gives detailed, friendly, and helpful critiques for writing of all kinds, as well as free advice and articles on the craft of writing.
33. The Society of Authors
The Society of Authors is a membership organization with over 9,000 members. Anyone is eligible to join as soon as they have been offered a contract from a publisher, broadcaster, or agent.
34. Books by Women
Books by Women is an online literary magazine about contemporary women writers. Their mission is to encourage and promote the visibility of female writers.
35. The Writers’ Guild
The Writers’ Guild is the trade union representing writers in books, poetry, film, TV, radio, theatre, and video games.
36. Apples and Snakes
Apples and Snakes is one of leading organizations for performance poetry in England. It has a national reputation for producing great spoken word performances.
37. HubSpot
HubSpot is a great place for business, sales, and marketing-focused writers. It keeps you updated on the latest research, insights, and strategies for connecting with the audience and making them fall in love with your brand.
If you want to be a professional blogger, freelance writer, copywriter, or marketer, you’ll love Hubspot’s articles and resources.
38. BookCrossing
BookCrossing is a social network for books and book lovers. It’s basically like geocaching, but for books, and it can be a fun way to interact with other readers and authors.
39. Now Novel
Now Novel is a book writing website that provides help for aspiring writers and offers writing tips and advice.
40. Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg offers over 42,000 free eBooks. You can choose among free kindle books or free epub books, and you can read them online or download them. It’s pretty neat, and you can pick up all kinds of great classic books there for free.
41. Bookanista
Bookanista is a web magazine featuring author interviews, new fiction, extracts, book recommendations, essays, picture stories, diary pieces, and blogs about the published word.
42. The Electric Typewriter
The Electric Typewriter is a site that produces great articles and essays by some of the world’s best journalists and writers.
43. Copyblogger
Copyblogger is an online library of free eBooks, articles, and resources for professional writers. This site is a leading resource for professional blogging from the creators of the Rainmaker Platform for digital marketing.
44. LitRejections
LitRejections helps writers persevere through rejection with the ability to publish their own stories of rejection on the site.
45. Write-Track
Write-Track is a writing productivity tool that allows writers to join an online community of other writers, track their writing, and set personal writing goals.
46. Be a Freelance Blogger
Be a Freelance Blogger is a site that teaches how to take freelance blogging skills to the professional level. It will help you increase your blogging income and become an expert in your niche.
47. Booksie
Booksie is a free site that lets you publish any kind of writing online, from short articles to entire novels. This site also allows readers to read and comment on others’ work to support them.
48. Create If Writing
Create If Writing is a writing website that shares tips and tools on how to build an authentic platform for your creative brand.
If you liked this post, here are some other articles you might love:
- 5 Writing Resources Every Pro Writer Should Have At Their Fingertips
- Complete Guide to Beta Readers: How to Find and Work with Early Reviewers to Improve Your Writing
- The Best Novel Writing Software: Tools Every Fiction Writer Should Use in 2018
Tom Corson-Knowles is the founder of TCK Publishing, and the bestselling author of 27 books including Secrets of the Six-Figure author. He is also the host of the Publishing Profits Podcast show where we interview successful authors and publishing industry experts to share their tips for creating a successful writing career.
i just started content writing and it helps me alot in doing my work more conveniently, thanks for sharing
hi KAELYN am looking for a site where they can help me publish an edcucational book , well in soft copy form
am all the way in kenya,AFRICA
COULD YOU KINDLY DIRECT ME TO THE RIGHT WEBSITE
thanks in advance
I strongly recommend avoiding Royal Road. It is a truly toxic site, with moderators that freely trade private information, and do almost anything for a dime.
Hi,
My 2 daughters are avid readers and for the last couple of years they have been writing their own stories on scrap paper, in notebooks, on the family PC, iPad notes etc
I’m looking for a website where they can upload their stories, share etc
However they are only 8 yrs and 10yrs old so need an age appropriate site.
Any suggestions? The list you provided was great but nothing stood out to me – if you have young children under 12 then this is the site for you.
Thanks
Hi Kirk, thanks for your question! I actually don’t know of any aimed specifically at kids, but I’ll do some research and work on a post about this :) As far as a place where they can store all their stories, an app/software like Evernote would let them take their work anywhere :)
Hi Kirk, how about Imagine Forest? It’s aimed at under 12 year olds and has a ton of free creative writing resources, as well as cool tools like a story builder.
Does anyone know about Good episodes writer’s platform… I’m failing to search for other people’s stories… Help
Hello, with only a quick glimpse of what is on this page, I’m now angry i never knew of it before…..Each and every one of these sites appeals to me in some way. The issue it creates now, is I HAVE QUESTIONS. Who can I contact and how can do it for quick response to a few questions? Thank you dbd
Hi Doug, what kind of questions do you have so I can direct you to the right contact?
I love this me too I have been writing stories in books and also my laptop. I don’t know which of these websites to pick from so I can become a pro too
wow, your writing is awesome I liked reading it. it was the best and also I am a 3rd grader in lashonacademy.org and I am 8 years old.
We’re glad you enjoyed the post! :)
This is really thoughtful of you. I also think you should check out http://www.gigdraft.com
It’s a marketplace for writers and they’re doing pretty well
I fully recommand use this website to read chinese novel : https://novelhi.com
this is really nice to read..informative post is very good to read..thanks a lot!
You’re very welcome Anna, we’re glad you found it helpful! :)
Hi Tom, great list! Thank you for including Now Novel.
Hi Jordan, you’re very welcome! We’re glad you found the list helpful