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The 25 Best Writing Websites for Authors in 2024

POSTED ON Feb 12, 2024

Written by Linda Cartwright

There are many writing websites that are useful hubs of information for aspiring authors of all types and genres.

Apart from the desire to become an author and a bit of determination, what makes a successful writer? According to veterans of the industry, it’s lots of reading, writing, and a supportive community . 

The writing websites in this blog can provide you with all three. So, without further ado and in no particular order, let me introduce these top book writing websites to learn more about the craft, stay up-to-date with industry news, and find fellow writers in your network.

The blog on the best writing websites will cover:

The 25 best writing websites.

Here are our favorite writing websites that can help you perfect your craft:

1. selfpublishing.com

What kind of writing website would we be if we didn't include ourselves in this list of writing websites?

At selfpublishing.com , we are proud of our educational blog and are always creating new content to help writers turn their dream of publishing a book into reality.

If you're looking to improve your writing skills, learn how to self-publish a book , market a book , or even create your own author website – this is the ideal place to learn.

2. Self-Publishing School

Self-Publishing School is the leading educational self-publishing company . It's our second choice for the best writing websites to keep on your radar.

If you're interested in learning all about Amazon self-publishing to how to create an online course to build your author brand, Self-Publishing School produces informational articles, videos, and podcast content on a variety of topics.

In addition, there are several author education programs offered, depending on what your goals look like.

3. Self-Publishing Advice

Self-Publishing Advice is a watchdog community organized by the Alliance of Independent Authors. It aims to protect self-publishing writers from untrustworthy publishers. It also reviews other writing websites (mostly in the independent and self-publishing services spaces).

The site has a collection of reviews on various publishers, with rating scores ranging from “excellent” to “watchdog advisory”. The authors themselves report dishonest publishers and regularly update their base. However, the site’s usefulness isn’t restricted to that. 

There is also a blog with loads of advice on self-publishing (obviously!), audiobook creation, inspiration, and everything of interest to an indie author.

4. The Book Designer

Joel Friedlander is a graphic designer with an extensive background in book design and advertising. He has created The Book Designer , which is a treasure trove of articles on book marketing, self-publishing, and, of course, book design (including book covers , typography basics, and text layout).

His series “eBook Cover Design Awards” is particularly instructive, since every nominated book cover is dissected with respect to genre aesthetics, intended audience, and all the minute details that can make a difference between a bestseller and an obscure title no one notices.

Even if you don’t create covers yourself, it’s always good to know what to look for when you outsource the task to a designer, which is what makes this one of the best writing websites.

Apart from valuable advice, Friedlander shares free book cover templates, a book launch toolkit, and a media kit for authors to optimize the marketing of your book.

5. Paper Help

Typos are the worst. I have yet to meet a writer who could be 100 percent sure their text was absolutely typo-free, even after rounds of editing. Because it never is.

Authors are notorious for their typo blindness because by the third draft, they know the text like the back of their hand and familiarization handicaps your ability to pick out mistakes.

That’s why we need editors – or at least editing services that will comb through the text for misspelled words and other pesky oopsies. 

Paper Help is a service that specializes in writing and editing of all sorts of papers. If you need a second pair of eyes to go through your manuscript before its debut, it can be a nice low-cost compromise between a literary editor and doing it yourself, which has earned it a spot on our list of the best writing websites.

6. Grammar Girl

Of course, to make your editing less of a struggle, it’s better to make fewer mistakes in the first place. That’s why one has to have go-to writing websites for all things grammar. Mignon Fogarty’s blog is just the right sort of resource for that. 

Grammar Girl is a section on the Quick and Dirty Tips portal devoted to everything that a writer needs to know about spelling and grammar.

You can read your daily dose of nicely summed-up linguistic wisdom and build your competency bit by bit – and have lots of fun in the process.

7. AutoCrit

Okay, with grammar off the table, you still need to edit your drafts with regard to consistency, adverbs, repetition, readability, useless filler words, etc. Here is where AutoCrit comes in.

This is not so much a book writing website, but a word-processing tool with editing features and guidance based on real-world publishing standards.

AutoCrit makes our list of writing websites because it analyzes your text and gives recommendations on how to improve it. For example, it can flag poor dialogue , misuse of adverbs, or relying on clichés. This tool has subscription plans with more robust professional features, but they also offer a free option with essentials that every author needs. 

Plus, the site has a collection of articles with tips about the craft and the business of writing, from adding depth to your characters to DIY proofreading techniques.

8. Janice Hardy’s Fiction University

Janice Hardy, a teen fantasy novelist, is the founder of Fiction University . With the help of fellow writers and guest contributors, she has amassed more than 2,500 articles on fiction writing. They deal with every stage of penning a novel – from brainstorming ideas and developing a story to self-publishing your finished opus.

Starting soon the creators of the website plan to organize workshops where they will introduce some practice to go with the theory. Still, the scope of the material on the website is impressive as is, making it one of the best writing websites.

Fiction University is comprehensively organized by relevant topics, making it a true writing encyclopedia and a go-to place for anyone who starts their writing career or simply wishes to improve their skills.

9. 750 Words

You know what makes you a better writer? More writing. 750 Words is a simple website for writers that has just one goal – helping you to build a good habit of writing every day. 

You have probably heard about the technique called “morning pages”. Morning pages are three pages of text (or 750 words) that you write, preferably in the morning to get everything distracting out of your head and shift focus on putting thoughts into words.

With gamification devices like badges and competitiveness (via anonymous statistics), 750 Words encourages you to stick to a schedule and write those pages every day. It’s minimalistic and private – no one will see your writing but you.

10. Build Book Buzz

Marketing strategy is often overlooked by self-publishing authors. Too bad, even the best books don’t sell themselves.

This website for writers has some tips on how to prepare the launch and how to promote a book when it’s already out and about. The blog section is full of detailed how-to guides on working with beta readers, coming up with promotion strategy, boosting sales via various social media channels, partnering up with influencers, and more.

Build Book Buzz is one of the best writing websites with just the right ratio of figures and statistics vs. insider tips on how to build an online presence.

11. Language is a Virus

With writing games and exercises galore, Language is a Virus makes a perfect playground for word enthusiasts. It never fails to spark imagination and get your creative juices flowing.

From the prompt of the day greeting you on the homepage, to avant-garde techniques of Jack Kerouac and Salvador Dali, this is one of those writing websites that is truly committed to getting you writing.

Poem visualization, surrealistic word definitions, generating reverse poetry from your text, or adding your line to a never-ending story by thousands of other writers – not one bizarrely mesmerizing activity here will leave you indifferent.

So next time you need a little writer's block help , don’t waste your time and head here straight away.

12. Six-Words Memoirs

Six-Word Memoirs is a charming little project with a big goal. It aims to inspire the participants to get to the essence of who they are and what matters most. To do that, they have to answer some pretty existential questions in six words – no more, no less.

This can be quite a challenge even for experienced writers, which means it's a great writing tool to get down to the basics. Sci-fi and fantasy stories in six words, seismic shifts in six words, your personal paradise in six words – a nice exercise in eloquence and one of the best writer’s block remedies I’ve seen. 

13. The Writing Cooperative

The Writing Cooperative is a diverse resource for writers by writers. A piece of advice on any situation under the sun from writer’s block to existential crisis and burnout. Everything is specifically tailored for a fellow writer like yourself, so this is a true hub for diverse topics.

Anyone with something to say can submit a post and the community is quite diverse and supportive. There are also some secrets of the craft shared here, from where it is best to share your writing to why digression can sometimes be a boon for your story. These tips make The Writing Cooperative one of the best writing websites.

14. The Write Life

At first glance, The Write Life seems geared more towards bloggers and freelancers, yet it has much to offer to anyone whose livelihood depends on their writing talent. How to come up with great titles, how to find a critic to improve your text, how to self-publish your book, how to market it, how to hire a freelance editor , how to prevent burnout, and other secrets of the craft.

In the tools section, there are eBooks and courses for writing professionals as well as some handy tools, such as editing apps, invoicing software, marketplaces, and communities for freelance writers.

15. Helping Writers Become Authors

For those of you who have long been creating content for a living but never dipped your toes into long-form prose, Helping Writers Become Authors is a perfect boot camp.

Award-winning author K.M. Weiland tells how to create a compelling character with a story arc, what mistakes authors most often make, how to make readers love every page of your novel, and why even movies falling short of our expectations is always a bad writing problem.

If for some reason blog is not your preferred format, there are instructional eBooks, vlogs, and a podcast.

16. Association of Ghostwriters

If you want to find a ghostwriter or are just curious to know more about this particular specialization, Association of Ghostwriters has answers to your questions. Although it has paid membership plans, lots of valuable information is free for grabs, making it one of the best writing websites.

How to write a memoir , what to do when your work on a big project slows down, and why ghostwriting might be an intermediate step between freelancing and getting a good publishing deal on your own book. If you want to learn how to publish a book traditionally, Association of Ghostwriters has you covered. 

17. NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo (National Novel-Writing Month) is an epic creative writing event where participants work towards writing a 50,000-word novel in the month of November. Although professional writers are ambiguous about this marathon, it can work for some authors who understand how speed drafts fit into the entire writing process.

The NaNoWriMo website was created especially for the event. Here you can track your progress, set milestones, and get pep talks and support from other writers in an ever-growing community. There are online and offline events that help you finish your novel.

Whether you are a seasoned writer or an enthusiastic beginner, NaNoWriMo is one of the best writing websites, with inspirational posts, a company of fellow contestants, tips, tools, resources, and encouragement. Just remember, if your word count is lower and you didn’t get that badge – you are still a writer. It’s only a game!

18. Scribophile

Every writer needs feedback to improve, and it’s always better when this feedback is detailed, informed, and comes from someone who knows what they are talking about.

Better still, if you get this feedback before you publish your work and start receiving bad reviews from underwhelmed readers. (That’s what beta-readers and writing workshops are for.)

At Scribophile , you will find a supportive community of writers like yourself. Here, they are willing to give you feedback to improve your text with their critique instead of tearing you down.

If you are still tentative, there are writing tutorials and publishing tips available without even signing in.

Do clichés and passive voice actually have a place in your prose?

How to start writing poetry if you never had done it before?

Come and have a look at one of the best writing websites.

19. Self-Publishing Formula

Mark Dawson is an author who makes a living by self-publishing . On Self-Publishing Formula , he shares his journey with other writers who want to take this path.

Blog posts with valuable tips, resources, and guides are available for everyone and there are free, paid, or limited-access courses you can subscribe to.

Mark also co-hosts weekly free podcasts with James Blatch where they interview top-selling indie authors, successful debutants from traditional publishing , and industry insiders to shed light on the process of publishing and promoting a book independently.

20. Almost An Author

Almost An Author provides a wealth of resources for writers at various stages of their careers. It has new content every day, from writing tips and craft advice to publishing insights and author interviews. You can get genre-specific advice or emotional support to get you through your publishing journey.

21. Creativity Portal

As the name suggests, Creativity Portal is a treasure trove of inspiration and resources for writers looking to tap into their creativity. It offers writing prompts, exercises, and articles on topics like mindfulness and overcoming creative blocks, making it an invaluable resource for writers and one of the best writing websites around.

22. Writer's Digest

Writer's Digest might just have more resources than any of the other writing websites on this list. It's like an encyclopedia of knowledge for writers, after all, the magazine has been around for almost a century! You'll discover a plethora of articles, events, competitions, webinars, templates, tutorials, and various other resources neatly organized by genre and vocation.

23. Insecure Writer's Support Group

Writing can be a solitary and often daunting endeavor, and the Insecure Writer's Support Group aims to provide a supportive community for writers grappling with self-doubt and insecurity.

Through blog posts, forums, and online events, members of the group can connect with fellow writers, share their experiences, and receive encouragement and advice, creating a nurturing environment for writers to grow and thrive.

24. LitReactor

With its focus on the craft and business of writing, LitReactor offers a range of courses, workshops, and articles designed to help writers hone their skills and navigate the publishing industry. Whether you're looking to improve your writing craft, learn about the latest trends in publishing, or connect with other writers, LitReactor provides a valuable platform for writers at all levels.

25. Now Novel

Now Novel is a comprehensive platform that helps writers plan, outline, and write their novels. With tools like step-by-step writing courses, personalized feedback from experienced coaches, and a supportive community of fellow writers, Now Novel provides the structure and guidance that writers need to turn their ideas into finished manuscripts.

Make use of the best websites for writers

So there you have it! Those are 25 writing websites that you should absolutely be following.

Of course, in the sea of online blogs, there are plenty of other valuable writing websites to follow. We just had to choose our favorites.

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Learn how to write a book with help from writing coaches, story outlining tools and your now novel peers., develop story ideas and drafts, supported by people who have done it before, and learn from writing craft courses, videos and guides..

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Typewriter. Ring-binder. Scrapbook. Scrivener combines all the tools you need to craft your first draft, from nascent notion to final full stop.

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See the forest or the trees

Whether you plan or plunge, Scrivener works your way: hammer out every last detail before typing a word, or carve out a draft and restructure later. Or mix your methods and do a bit of both. In Scrivener, everything you write is integrated into an easy-to-use project outline. So working with an overview of your manuscript is only ever a click away, and turning Chapter Four into Chapter One is as simple as drag and drop.

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Need to refer to research? In Scrivener, your background material is always at hand, and you can open it right next to your work. Write a description based on a photograph. Transcribe an interview. Take notes about a PDF file or web page. Or check for consistency by referencing an earlier chapter alongside the one in progress.

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Once you're ready to share your work with the world, compile everything into a single document for printing, self-publishing, or exporting to popular formats such as Word, PDF, Final Draft or plain text. You can even share using different formatting, so that you can write in your favorite font and still satisfy those submission guidelines.

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• Autobiographers
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I genuinely think this is the biggest software advance for writers since the word processor. Michael Marshall Smith , NYT best-selling author.

Scrivener gives you the freedom to make a mess, the confidence to know you’ll clean it up, and the semantic relationships to tie it all together in whatever way makes the most sense to you. Merlin Mann , indie writer, speaker, and broadcaster.

If there was a list of the top five greatest apps of all time in the Mac App Store, it would start with Scrivener and then there would be four other things. Andy Ihnatko , technology columnist.

As a writer's application, Scrivener is damn near perfect; it means outlines, treatments and then first drafts can be put together in the same application. Neil Cross , author and screenwriter.

Scrivener is worth every penny: quite simply, it’s the best writers tool there is. Zoe Margolis , best-selling author.

Scrivener is the biggest leap forward in writing software since the venerable days of WordPerfect, and believe me, I’ve tried them all. Antony Johnston , comics writer and novelist.

Scrivener has so many useful features, there’s almost too many to list. Mike Sussman , Writer-Producer.

I'd thought it was yet another hobby app at first but this is genuinely for working writers with real deadlines and monster workloads. Karen Traviss , #1 NYT best-selling author.

Scrivener 1.2.4 Requires iOS 12+ Release Notes

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What is Pencil Publishing?

Pencil publishing is the world’s first incubated & accelerated publishing module. The Pencil writing platform is a free platform that enables authors to create, publish, and distribute their books worldwide in paperback and eBook format. Pencil aims to empower writers with a variety of tools:

• Pencil is the first free publishing platform that aids Omni distribution, i.e; your paperback book is available on all major retailers like
• Amazon, Flipkart, Barnes & Noble, and several more. Also, your eBook is made available on Amazon Kindle, Google Play Books, Apple Books, and Kobo, to name a few.
• Pencil’s royalty and sales reports are transparent and available to the author on a monthly basis.
• Pencil helps the writer create, build, and increase the reading audience.
• In addition to this, Pencil offers editing and designing services to enhance the books’ quality, where needed.
• Pencil’s dashboard enables writers to get real-time analytics to how their content is
• being consumed. (Note: This is when the book is being consumed on the Pencil Reader App).
• Pencil enables authors to make real-time changes through dynamic editing where the author can create newer versions of the book,to
• improve the chances of its commercial success.
• Pencil enables the writers to write in more formats than just the book and keep their fans and audiences engaged. Also, helps in
• content discovery.

How much time does it take to publish a book via Pencil?

While the publishing process on Pencil takes up to an hour in case you have a ready manuscript and cover design, once you digitally sign the author-publisher agreement, the submitted book has to undergo a quality check process to be published further.

Once verified, the book is available on the Pencil Reader App within 24-48 hours. In the case of eBook distribution to other retailers, it takes up to 10-14 days and in the case of paperback distribution to Indian and international retailers, it takes up to 6-8 weeks. These timelines are subject to various factors in the quality assurance process including but not limited to, plagiarism errors, copyright errors, file errors, and other platform-mandated guidelines.

How do I start writing on Pencil?

Once you create your account and log in on our writing platform, you will be directed to our main dashboard. At this stage, you can either select the option to ‘Start Writing’ to write using our editor or add the manuscript or short to the editor.

Are there any minimum requirements to distribute my book in eBook and Paperback format?

In the case of eBook distribution, your book’s character count should be more than 15000 characters. However, in the case of Paperback distribution, please note that your book’s page count should be at least 50 pages. For paperback distribution, we would recommend avoiding image-heavy or color-heavy text since we use a standard 5X8, Black & White Print-on-demand model for distribution.

When will I receive my royalty earnings?

In the case of eBook sales on Pencil Reader App, the royalty will be credited within 30 days from the month of sale. In the case of sales of your book in eBook and Paperback format across Third-party Domestic and International retailers, the royalty received from these platforms will be credited within 90 days from the month of sale.

What is the age criteria to register on Pencil?

While there are no age criteria for registering on Pencil, but in case of account holders below the age of 16, parental guidance is advised. In case you are a minor publishing a book, we might need a legal guardian to sign the agreement.

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Leave your word processor in the dust. Spend less time planning and organizing documents. Spend more time growing your ideas into books, novels, and screenplays.

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Quickly access notes, elements, goals, comments, and more from the sidebar. Everything on one screen means uninterrupted writing.

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No more moving files, text, and post-its to organize your manuscripts. Get a god's-eye view of your writing. Intuitively drag and drop to plot. Manage your manuscript elements . Compile your research . All in one place.

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We believe great writing comes from an authentic human experience. But we do believe AI can assist you in writing and barreling through creative blocks.

Our AI Outline Generator helps you structure your books effortlessly. It offers a range of templates from Hero's Journey to Romancing the Beat, to Screenplays and Academic theses. It provides a guided approach to organizing your narrative, ensuring that your stories and books are well-structured and coherent. You can feed the Outline Generator as little or as much information as you want and it will give you a plot structure and outline specifically tailored to you and your elements, with your chosen template.

Our AI does not and will never store your data, it is deleted on every session. Your data will never be used to train our AI.

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You won’t find this in any other writing app.

LivingWriter stores all your elements and auto-suggests them in your manuscript.

As you type any character names, location, objects, etc. our editor will auto-suggest your elements.

Clicking on your elements will allow you to quickly access notes and other info for each element.

Plot Quickly with Time-Tested Manuscript Outlines

You can use the same outlines used in world famous stories and movies right inside LivingWriter. We'll lead you through each step with detailed instructions.

With our AI Outline Feature, you can even use these templates to get assistance creating a narrative just from basic ideas you haven’t fleshed out yet!

No other writing app out there will do that for you.

The outlines include, the Three Act Structure, The Hero's Journey, The Story Circle, Romancing the Beat, and many more!

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Writing goals helps you create a vision for your manuscripts. Visually seeing your goals will make a difference in your writing pace. There's no novel writing software that shows you your goals as beautifully as we do. Goals and deadlines don't have to be scary, they can be motivating!

Chapter Goals

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Manuscript Goals

Beyond word counts, you can add deadlines to your manuscript to keep yourself on track

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Track your word counts automatically per writing session

Keep everything in one place. Your plot, research, and elements.

With the Plot Board, you get an intuitive, modern way to organize your plot. Simply drag and drop plot points, elements, and any other plot data you want into the board. Watch your manuscript map come to life in a clear, visual way.

Outlines Board

With the Outline Board, you get an intuitive, modern way to view your manuscript. Simply drag and drop anything inside the board to rearrange your book , change up your plot or just marvel at how much you've written so far.

Research Board

With the Research Board, you can add research sections for each topic in your book. In each section you can add files, images, notes, documents, and more. Simply drag and drop to arrange and rearrange.

Elements Board

With the Element Board, you can see all the elements in your manuscript for quick editing in detailed and simple views. In addition, you have access to freeform element boards to create family trees, branching timelines, and anything else you can imagine!

Tailored To Your Tastes

LivingWriter comes in both light and dark modes. You can easily switch between them with one click. This will come in handy when you're on a writing binge at night and your eyes start to hurt. You can keep using the best writing app in the world straight through to sunrise. In addition, LivingWriter offers various color theme options so you can customize the application to look the way you want it to.

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Many writing apps out there don't link to the cloud, so you're stuck working on just one device. But we know that writing novels online , and on any device is the future. LivingWriter doesn't lock your imagination to one place. With iOS/Android/MacOS and Windows apps completely synced to the web version, write wherever and whenever.

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You're midway through your thrilling murder mystery, but you get the feeling it's not suspenseful enough. Don't worry. LivingWriter is the only novel writing software with easy sharing and co-authoring features. Share your manuscript for just viewing or allow editing.

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With one click of a button share your whole book or individual chapters with your friends or an editor.

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Your notes for your chapters and elements can be shared as well.

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We make it easy to export your manuscripts in any format you’d like. Currently we offer PDF, DOCX, direct to Google Drive and Dropbox, as well as Amazon Manuscript (which gives you Amazon Manuscript sizes to send direct to Amazon KDP). Export your entire manuscript, just your elements, notes, or specific chapter, easily and intuitively.

Seamless Imports Of Your Existing Work

Wrote half of your book already? All good. Import your existing manuscripts from other programs with a couple of clicks, and see how much easier it is to finish your second half on LivingWriter. If you're coming from other writing apps like Scrivener, don't worry. You'll be able to pick up on LivingWriter right where you left off.

No Lagging , No Matter The Length

Other writing programs weren't meant to hold your 100,000 word masterpiece. You’d have to split your book up into separate docs to keep it from loading forever. With LivingWriter, each chapter and subchapter is self-contained, meaning a speedy load of your whole manuscript every time.

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LivingWriter automatically saves every letter you type. Writing software that's cloud-based is the future!

Your work gets saved constantly, safely, into our Amazon Cloud Infrastructure and then we back it up for you every 10 minutes.

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Guides • Book Marketing

Last updated on Oct 25, 2022

13 Author Websites That Get It Right

Most professional authors will have their own website , both as a way to market themselves and connect with their readership. It's the one corner of the internet that the author fully controls — without interference from publishers or social media rules.

In this short guide, we'll show you some examples of effective author websites before giving you a step-by-step process for building your own. By the end, you'll be ready to take on the world (wide web).

Here are 13 examples of excellent author websites: 

1. Austin Kleon

New York Times bestselling author Austin Kleon identifies himself as “an author who draws” and uses his website to talk not only about his own books, but also about art and writing in general, offering creative inspiration to fans and casual visitors alike. 

Simple to navigate, and signposting all the relevant information — from blog posts, to his books, a newsletter mailing list , an author bio , and contact information — one of the main advantages of Kleon’s website is that it’s kept up-to-date with seasonal posts and frequent life updates. 

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How to Build Your Author Mailing List

Learn how to connect with your audience and sell more books with email.

Takeaway: Keep your website up-to-date

Knock, knock. Who’s there? You should be. Unless you’ve got a ghostwriter on your team or you can uncannily churn out quality books constantly, you probably won’t always have new bookish updates. However, when people visit your site, you don’t want it to seem like it’s been idly collecting dust for years between publication dates. You want it to seem as though someone is home.

Austin Kleon’s website achieves this with fresh blog posts displayed front and center. Straight away, you know that he’s active behind the keyboard. Not only does it feel like he’s talking directly to you, but it also incentivizes you to come back, which can be handy for your next book launch . Studies confirm this: businesses that run blogs have 55% more website visitors than those that don’t.

Something as simple as an up-to-date Twitter feed or a list of upcoming events can keep your website fresh and show that you’re committed to interacting with your readers. If you're able to blog regularly, all the better! If your blog gets popular enough, it could become the foundation for your next book . 

How to Build an Amazing Author Blog

10 lessons to help you start your blog and boost your book sales.

2. Rupi Kaur

You’d expect nothing less than a well-designed website from the queen of Instapoetry herself, Rupi Kaur . Her elegant homepage immediately exudes “Rupi Kaur” and the message she wants her readers to receive. It’s on brand — aesthetically pleasing, with short guiding phrases, and creative with form (here through typography ) — and much like her poetry, it sticks to the essentials to deliver a core message in just a few words.

But make no mistake; this is no minimalist, bare-bones version of a website. With customized stickers, an integrated webshop for merchandise, and links to both an Amazon Prime special and a world tour, it’s clear that Kaur has invested some time and dollars on making this a comfortable browsing experience for her readers.

Takeaway: Invest in branding and user experience

Granted, not every author can inject cash into a website like social media sensation Rupi Kaur. However, her online presence features several practices that are good takeaways for any author website. Kaur, for instance, doesn’t send her subscribers “newsletters” like Kleon does. Instead, she sends “love notes”. Readers can also follow the journey of her third book, Home Body , as it travels across the US, “sisterhood of the traveling pants” style. These touches make her website feel authentic and true to her brand. 

Paying a bit extra to get a custom-made website that fits your needs perfectly and appeals to your target audience can improve user experience significantly, making it not only pleasing to the eye, but also easy to navigate.

Tell us about your book and we'll match you with a website style!

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You can make your website stand out from the crowd by adding dynamic and interactive elements, and self-published author LJ Ross is no stranger to this strategy. Just like in her bestselling mystery series DCI Ryan, LJ Ross’s website takes inspiration from the atmospheric landscape of Lindisfarne (also known as Holy Island), located on the northeast coast of England. 

This eye-catching website is brought to life with some well-chosen dynamic elements: a bird flying across the landing page, mist rolling in as you hover your cursor, and a hamburger menu that folds out to direct you where you need to go, to name a few. 

LJ Ross also gets a bonus point for subverting the expectations for what a crime and mystery author’s website should look like, with a sunny background picture and a lighter color scale throughout the site. 

Takeaway: Bring your site to life

If your site is a pretty-but-static thing, you may be missing an opportunity. With some simple dynamic elements that draw the eyes, you can elevate your website and give visitors a reason to extend their session on your site. And the longer they stay, the more likely they are to engage with what your website offers. 

Start by capturing people’s attention with cool visuals, highlighting what you want visitors to see first (in this case: Ross’s different books series and a link to an audio drama production on Audible), and then invite them to engage by linking to your social media.

4. Miquel Reina

Another author who incorporates some movement into their author website to really bring it to life is Miquel Reina . This can be a risky maneuver — more often than not, flashy gifs and scrolling text scream “tacky.” But when it pays off, it creates a beautiful effect that will impress and entrance readers who stumble upon your page.

Upon first glance at the homepage of Miquel Reina's author website, nothing appears out of the ordinary... until the first image begins to change. As you can see, each translation ( and gorgeous new cover ) of Reina's book Lights on the Sea morphs into the next, providing a beautifully comprehensive sense of his accomplishments.

If you’re not a web designer , this tactic could easily go awry, but Reina ensures that all his images are carefully sized and timed to create a calibrated effect. The transitions are calmly paced to give you enough time with each cover, but not so slow that you risk missing the effect entirely. He also wisely avoids cluttering the rest of his homepage with additional text and images, so the viewer focuses solely on the slow-moving book covers.

Takeaway: Keep it simple (but sophisticated)

Again, it's easy to go overboard with this tactic; you don't want your author website to look like a carnival. To keep things interesting yet professional, bring your site to life with just one or two smoothly transitioning GIFs.

Fun fact: You can find Miquel Reina, who designed his own website (!), right here on Reedsy. Click here to check out his other projects .

💡Pro tip: Keep site speed in mind! On the technical side, a simple setup will help your site load faster. Heavy images will slow a site down and frustrate visitors. They came to find out about your book, not wait around watching their fingernails grow.

5. David Sedaris

Authors sometimes make the mistake of thinking that people visit their websites just to read their bio. Are you, the author, important? Sure, but your books are way more important. Let people know they’re on an author’s website by making your product the star of the show, as David Sedaris does. A minimalist setup makes it impossible not to notice the main event: Sedaris’ newest book.

Takeaway: Put your book front and center

If a reader visits your site and doesn’t immediately realize that you’re an author with a book to sell, you’re probably doing something wrong. Placing your book front and center announces that, whatever else you may be offering through your site, you’re first and foremost an author who wants to share their stories with the world. 

Also important: are the buttons that urge people to buy your book and steer folks to their retailer of choice. To build the perfect author website , it’s important to generate retailer links to your books and make sure people can easily add them to their basket.

6. Brit Bennett

Another author who has embraced the idea of putting their book front and center is Brit Bennett . Her hugely successful upmarket fiction novel The Vanishing Half is clearly the star of the show as you enter her landing page, and unlike David Sedaris’ lengthy book description, Bennett focuses on some strong endorsements in the form of quotes to sell her book. 

Takeaway: Include testimonials and reviews

There’s nothing quite as effective as word-of-mouth marketing when it comes to book sales. With a well-chosen quote from the right person, you may see your book sales soar, so it would be wasteful not to use the prime real estate of your website to let others highlight your writing prowess through testimonials and reviews. 

💡Pro tip: Testimonials and reviews are a great way to market your work and authorship so make sure to leave some space for that on your website.

For more marketing insights, check out our course on the fundamentals of book marketing:

Book Marketing 101

Learn seven tried-and-true strategies for boosting book sales.

7. Lesley M. M. Blume

When you first land on Lesley M.M. Blume’s website , you are met with an old, faded picture of an atomic bomb, held up by tape and a short journalistic description This documentary approach quickly envelopes readers into the topic material that Blume — an award-winning journalist — has written about in her latest book, Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-up and the Reporter Who Revealed it to the World . 

Within moments of arriving on Lesley’s site, you become aware that she is a writer and journalist. This quick preview of her book grabs your attention and sets the tone.

Takeaway: Give readers a visual taste of your book

As an author, your medium of choice is often the written word, but your website is an excellent opportunity to expand on the imagery you’re trying to capture and make your messaging more vivid. By focusing on the visual aspects of your website rather than the textual, you allow readers to get an idea of what your book is all about straight off the bat — and you can present it in a way that is quicker and easier to consume than a full synopsis. 

Is your book a fluffy romcom, or is it hard facts? Offer a glimpse of what readers can expect of your writing, and don’t fall for the temptation to clutter your website with too much text; instead, use the power of images to elevate your message.

8. Maggie Stiefvater

Your author website should always include a good reason or two for visitors to offer up their email addresses. When you navigate your way to Maggie Steifvater’s website , you’re immediately presented with the opportunity to sign up for her newsletter. But the opt-in choices on her email list are plenty. For instance, you can sign up for an 8-hour seminar to improve your writing craft, led by Stiefvater herself! 

In marketing, this is known as lead magnets 一 offering something of genuine value in return for an email address — a marketing strategy we highly encourage authors to use..

Takeaway: Use a lead magnet

In publishing, a lead magnet usually means offering free content in exchange for an email address, such as downloadable PDF prints, exclusive interviews, or bonus chapters of your upcoming release. This helps you build your mailing list so that when you publish another book, you already have a group of people to advertise it to. 

💡Pro tip: A free sample does more than just incentivize people to offer their contact info. If you’ve read our Reedsy Learning course on how to run a price promotion , you’ll know that offering a free book is also a great way to hook readers and create a loyal fanbase for future publications. A free preview can work similarly, giving readers a commitment-free chance to get drawn into your book, leaving them more likely to pay to read the rest.

9. Megan McDonald and Peter H. Reynolds (Judy Moody)

Using images is perhaps even more essential when you’re in the picture book genre. The illustrative style on the Judy Moody website gets the brand across almost immediately: fun children’s books! And if there were ever any doubts, it cements the message that the best author websites are extensions of the author’s novels and wider brand. 

The creators of the website know the Judy Moody audience, with nudges and winks in the direction of teachers and parents, as well as younger readers with playful phrasing such as “Way-Not-Boring Stuff,” which links to several fun lead magnets, in the shape of games and downloadable PDFs, perfect for kids’ birthday parties. 

Takeaway: Speak to your target audience

When designing your own website, some of the questions you should ask yourself, like Judy Moody’s publicist clearly has, are all about personal branding: 

• Are you branding yourself or a series? 
• What’s the voice and tone of your book?
• Who is your target audience ; and 
• Would your site resonate with them? 

Judy Moody's authors have chosen to highlight the eponymous character of the series rather than themselvces, but whichever way you lean, there should always be a recognizable red thread that runs between your books and your website. Keep the voice and tone of your website distinctive and consistent, so people immediately recognize the relation to your work. 

🎨 If you’re thinking about how you can develop your own author brand, check out this article about how Lara Coates enlisted a Reedsy designer to help establish hers.

10. Fonda Lee

One way to ensure that you’re speaking to your target audience is to match your website to the genre you’re writing in. Fonda Lee leaves no room for doubt with her Y2K style logo and dark color pallet. But just in case you missed it, she makes sure to signpost herself as a “science fiction and fantasy author,” and uses a gallery of pictures to highlight her catalog of published works. 

Takeaway: Signpost your genre

While many visitors to your website may already know what genre you’re working in, it’s always a good idea to make sure you match your website to the content you’re publishing. This goes hand in hand with author branding, but the visual elements of your website can also add another dimension to the worlds you’re building in your books. 

11. Neon Yang

Whether you’re a maximalist or a minimalist when it comes to design, the use of bold or contrasting colors is another way to make your website pop and highlight something particularly important you want to draw attention to. And you don’t have to have a name like Neon Yang in order to do so. But choose your colors wisely, and stick to one or two for the best effect.

Takeaway: Be selective in your use of colors

The psychology of color can have a big impact on how people perceive something, but don’t make the mistake of trying to catch ‘em all; using all of the colors of the rainbow together at once is unlikely to have the desired effect of drawing the eye to one thing. Instead, too many colors can be distracting and more confusing than helpful, making the message you want to communicate murky and sometimes even hard to read. 

When using bold colors, one or two is enough to draw visitors’ focus toward the most important things. Neon Yang fittingly uses neon lime green to contrast against a darker background, which effectively highlights key information, fits their unique brand, and adds a tongue-in-cheek touch to the whole website. 

💡Pro tip: When using accent colors, choose them carefully, and avoid writing huge chunks of texts in colors that are hard to read to make your website more accessible to all visitors.

12. Brené Brown

Speaking of accessibility, no matter how beautiful and well-crafted your homepage is, or how nicely your logo fits on the corner of that picture you’ve chosen, here’s your official reminder to make your website compatible with all types of devices. Brené Brown has made sure her website will meet everyone’s needs, regardless of their browsing weapon of choice:

Takeaway: Optimize for mobile navigation

Nothing is as frustrating as a clunky website that you can’t read, especially when you’re on the go. Today mobile traffic accounts for almost 60% of all web traffic , so your website should be made to fit all devices to make it as easy as possible for visitors to explore.

13. Angie Thomas

Finally, one of the biggest reasons people visit author websites is to get a better sense of who the person behind the words on the page is, so don’t be afraid to show your face. Angie Thomas goes straight for the kill with a beautiful, professional headshot that is both inviting and confident. This, paired with some hand-picked words to the left, is a strong introduction to Thomas both as a person and as an author. 

Takeaway: Show your face

Whether you want your brand to focus on you as an author or on your books, it’s a good rule of thumb to use your website to introduce yourself to the world. Unless, of course you’re a ghostwriter or writing under a pen name and prefer to work in anonymity. But even then, your writing website should include an avatar at the very least.

You don’t have to place your author photo front and center, but your site should contain some indication that your work was written by an actual human and not an AI . Your ‘About’ section is a good place to start, but sprinkling a few photos that show who you are throughout your different sections is a good way to make your readers feel connected to you. 

In the next part of this guide, we'll show you how to create your very own website using some of the most popular tools in the internet.

11 responses

Brent Jones says:

02/06/2017 – 12:29

Well, never did I ever think I'd appear on the same list of authors as JK Rowling for something. Wow! You guys over at Reedsy made my day. Thanks!

Kristen Steele says:

21/06/2017 – 15:29

Great examples! Branding is a powerful element, but works best if all of your books follow a specific theme.

arushi says:

30/08/2018 – 05:47

Nice Article www.booksoul.in

Zain Khan says:

06/12/2018 – 09:28

Thanks for the awesome blog post. keep it up. Recycling Media

Michael Barrett says:

05/03/2019 – 15:00

mbbarrett.com

christopher sparacino says:

08/05/2019 – 12:28

I wrote a book i'm trying to get out there, feel free to read it! it's free, about 70 pages... http://bit.ly/evolveordiebook enjoy

Oohgirlbybk says:

Good info! Thank you! My website is live, but I will be contacting my web designer :)

Sayli@digitalmarketing says:

22/05/2019 – 10:25

This the list every digital marketer and web designer should have! Thanks for this amazing list!

Paul Nieto says:

23/05/2019 – 17:00

Thank you for the ideas and examples. I signed up for the checklist also.

amber says:

05/09/2019 – 09:50

wow, what a great example. branding is the most powerful tool. I am also an author

David Evans says:

17/11/2019 – 10:05

The Lesley M. M. Blume site and the Austin Kleon site are pretty good , i often find that alot of sites go for design over typography which mostly doesnt work , your right about having blog posts front and centre , problem is most authors ive encountered never want that ( customer is always right etc ) .. which is a shame

Comments are currently closed.

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5 AI-Powered Book Recommendation Sites and Apps to Find Your Next Read

C an ChatGPT find the best next book that you will love to read? These AI-powered book recommendation engines take your detailed prompts or deduce your preferred tastes to suggest the perfect page-turner for you.

1. Find Your Next Book (Web): Book Suggestions From ChatGPT Prompts

Find Your Next Book (FYNB) calls it an AI-powered librarian. The bot, based on OpenAI, has "read" a large database of books and can now recommend what you should read based on any query. It processes natural language and urges you to specify your queries in detail. So rather than writing something like "a murder mystery," write an effective ChatGPT prompt like "a murder mystery set in the future but not in a dystopian world."

FYNB will take a few minutes to process your request and then give you one recommendation at a time. The recommendation page includes a summary of why the AI thinks the book's topics match what you are looking to read, as well as a non-AI-generated description of the book, like what you're likely to find on the back cover. If you aren't happy with the result, click the "Next Book" button for another recommendation with the same prompt.

2. Sona (Web): Quickly Browse a Long List of AI-Recommended Books

Sona is a "book-loving AI assistant" from one of our favorite new book recommendation sites , Read This Twice. Read This Twice collects which titles celebrities and influential personalities have said everyone should read, with rankings for the most commonly recommended reads.

You can write long and specific prompts, and Sona's recommendations improve if you add more details about what you're looking for. The results are a long scroll with two columns of recommendations, showing you the book cover, title, author, and description. Among the AI-powered book recommendation apps, it's the quickest way to browse the many suggested titles.

However, in the results, Sona disappointingly doesn't rely on Read This Twice's core expertise by showing which books are recommended by someone influential. There is a workaround to that, though. If you register on the site, you'll be able to add these books to your personal library and go there to see who has promoted the book.

3. Next Three Books (Web): Filter Book Recommendations by Type, Genre, Length, Style

Developer Anukrit Jain believes that when someone is looking for a book recommendation, it's not helpful to overwhelm them with too many choices. Instead, having three choices gives you a balance of variety and simplicity. That's what you get from Next Three Books and its AI-powered book suggestions.

Before you write a prompt for the AI, you'll first need to choose a few things:

• Type of book: Business, self-help, biography, or novel
• Genre: Mystery, romance, fantasy, horror, science fiction, historical fiction, or crime
• Length: Short, medium, long, or any length
• Writing style: Lighthearted, suspenseful, whimsical, dark, poetic, imaginative, or action-packed

In the prompt, Next Three Books allows you to be a little different from other AI-powered book recommendation engines. It wants you to share your favorite books and even personal details such as age, profession, or industry.

Once it analyzes your input, the results are three simple cards that include the book title, author's name, and a two-line description. If the book was recommended by someone famous or another author, Next Three Books will add that context to the card.

4. Readow (Web): AI Book Recommendations Based on Your Likes

Most AI-powered book recommendation sites want to use the power of ChatGPT to let you write a simple sentence about what you're looking for, just like you would ask a friend. But figuring out the right prompt can be difficult if you're not used to this. If you're struggling with the other apps, try Readow.

Readow simply wants you to tell its AI what your favorite books are, and it'll start suggesting recommendations based on your preferences. There is no limit on how many books you can add; in fact, the more books you add, the better it understands your taste and suggests results accordingly.

Whenever you add or remove a personal favorite, Readow will update the results with 30 book recommendations. You can like books from the recommendations to add them to your favorites or delete them from the recommendations to indicate to the AI that it shouldn't suggest similar titles.

5. BooksAI (Android, iOS): Got Recommendations? Read Spoiler-Free AI Summaries

BooksAI isn't a book recommendation engine, but is an invaluable tool for finding a book you'll like to read. If you've used any of the above sites and are intrigued by a title, search for it on BooksAI to read an AI-generated summary of its content.

Unlike many other AI book summarizers powered by ChatGPT, BooksAI has introduced three ways of getting to know what the book is about. First, you can ask the AI to give you a spoiler-free summary that's more detailed than the book jacket but doesn't give out major plot points or twists. If you're fine with spoilers, you can go for the detailed summary or the chapter-wise summary for a breakdown of each chapter.

BooksAI also gives you these summaries in nine languages and not just English, making it perfect for non-native speakers. The app also has lists of recommended readings from celebrities and influential minds.

Download: BooksAI for Android | iOS (Free)

Give Serendipity a Chance

These AI-powered book recommendation engines can be astonishingly good at figuring out what you would like. But some might feel that this robs us of the experience of walking into a bookstore, picking up a random novel, and discovering an interesting read. Just so you know, you can give that serendipity a chance online too.

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8 New Books We Recommend This Week

Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times.

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Violence and its impact on writers anchor three of our recommended books this week: Michael Korda offers a group biography of the soldier-poets of World War I, while Kristine Ervin writes about her mother’s murder and Salman Rushdie relives the knife attack that almost took his life two years ago.

We also recommend a history of immigration detention in America and, in fiction, new novels by Leigh Bardugo, Terese Svoboda, Caoilinn Hughes and Julia Alvarez. Happy reading. — Gregory Cowles

KNIFE: Meditations After an Attempted Murder Salman Rushdie

In his candid, plain-spoken and gripping new memoir, Rushdie recalls the attempted assassination he survived in 2022 during a presentation about keeping the world’s writers safe from harm. His attacker had piranhic energy. He also had a knife. Rushdie lost an eye, but he has slowly recovered thanks to the attentive care of doctors and the wife he celebrates here.

“A clarifying book. It reminds us of the threats the free world faces. It reminds us of the things worth fighting for.”

From Dwight Garner’s review

Random House | $28

THE FAMILIAR Leigh Bardugo

A lowly servant girl in 16th-century Spain has a secret: There’s magic in her fingertips, perhaps the kind that anxious kings and other assorted schemers would kill for. The best-selling fantasist Bardugo (“Shadow and Bone”) infuses her new standalone novel with both rich historical detail and a heady sense of place and romance.

“Her prose mirrors the Baroque setting, her sentences lush and embroidered with pearls. ... Reading Bardugo is an immersive, sensual experience”

From Danielle Trussoni’s review

Flatiron | $29.99

ROXY AND COCO Terese Svoboda

The titular sisters in Svoboda’s new novel are modern-day harpies, of mythological renown: half-woman, half-bird, fearsome creatures. They’re also social workers, and their very long life’s work is the consideration of children who have been abandoned, neglected or worse.

“Svoboda’s novel comes close to suggesting that people really are for the birds. And yet, some of the most moving moments in ‘Roxy and Coco’ happen between creatures who are desperate for care.”

From Hilary Leichter's review

West Virginia University Press | Paperback, $21.99

IN THE SHADOW OF LIBERTY: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States Ana Raquel Minian

The American government has a long record of detaining migrants in places that are, legally speaking, black sites. Minian traces immigration detention from the late 1800s through the present via the stories of four figures, showing how absurd and arbitrary the system can be.

“Storytelling allows Minian to convey the physical and emotional toll of detention with potent specificity. The result is a book-length plea against dehumanization, at least for those who are willing to listen.”

From Jennifer Szalai’s review

Viking | $32

THE ALTERNATIVES Caoilinn Hughes

This novel features four 30-something Irish sisters, all with Ph.D.s and all lonely or a little bit lost in some way. When the oldest of them goes (voluntarily) missing and her younger sisters team up to investigate, Hughes has the catalyst for a witty, bittersweet and often stylistically bold exploration of blood ties and chosen family.

“‘The Alternatives’ is a bold, beautiful, complex novel, and I can’t wait to read what Hughes writes next. She, too, is an unstoppable force.”

From S. Kirk Walsh’s review

Riverhead | $28

THE CEMETERY OF UNTOLD STORIES Julia Alvarez

Returning to her Dominican homeland after decades in America, a weary novelist decides to build a literal graveyard for all her failed and unrealized tales in the lively latest from Alvarez (“In the Time of the Butterflies”), who continues to fuse magical realism with warm humanism.

“Lively, joyous, full of modern details and old tall tales. Any reader with roots and ancestors in other lands lives in a multiple-narrative story, one that we try to share with everyone, though we have to translate it.”

From Luis Alberto Urrea’s review

Algonquin | $28

RABBIT HEART: A Mother’s Murder, a Daughter’s Story Kristine S. Ervin

When Ervin was 8 years old, her mother was abducted from a mall parking lot; her body was found several days later. This gruesome reality is just the beginning of Ervin’s riveting tale, which resists society’s insistence on conflating both her own and her mothers’ identity with victimhood, even as it marks every facet of her life. A lacerating, bracing read that reminds us not just of the actual people behind the true crime genre, but of our own complicity in its consumption.

“Ervin writes with painful clarity about the instability of a childhood defined by public tragedy. The unanswered questions surrounding her mother’s death meant that even the most familiar of places became potential crime scenes, familiar objects indexes of loss.”

From Alissa Bennett’s review

Counterpoint | $27

MUSE OF FIRE: World War I as Seen Through the Lives of the Soldier Poets Michael Korda

In this erudite and often funny group biography of the Allied soldiers who turned their battlefield experiences into verse during the Great War, Korda tracks the whole arc of public opinion as the conflict progressed, from romantic enthusiasm to incandescent rage.

“Korda’s group portrait of soldier poets skillfully depicts how different classes of men experienced the Western Front and offers an entry point into a rich seam of under-read war poetry.”

From Alice Winn’s review

Liveright | $29.99

Explore More in Books

Want to know about the best books to read and the latest news start here..

As book bans have surged in Florida, the novelist Lauren Groff has opened a bookstore called The Lynx, a hub for author readings, book club gatherings and workshops , where banned titles are prominently displayed.

Eighteen books were recognized as winners or finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, in the categories of history, memoir, poetry, general nonfiction, fiction and biography, which had two winners. Here’s a full list of the winners .

Montreal is a city as appealing for its beauty as for its shadows. Here, t he novelist Mona Awad recommends books  that are “both dreamy and uncompromising.”

The complicated, generous life  of Paul Auster, who died on April 30 , yielded a body of work of staggering scope and variety .

Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

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10 best apps and websites for downloading free books in 2024

Reading is a pastime that has only benefited from the expansion of smart devices like phones , tablets , and e-book readers . No longer chained to the confines of flimsy paperbacks and weighty hardcovers, you can carry your favorite reads on any number of your devices without worrying about weighing yourself down, damaging the fragile paper, or just losing them.

There’s also no shortage of e-books to read, with nearly every bestseller and classic now available in a digital format for your perusing pleasure. But free e-books ? That’s a different ballgame altogether. finding them can be on the tougher side. Thankfully, there are a number of apps and websites that either specialize in providing free e-books or have sections where you can find them.

While you’re unlikely to find the latest bestsellers for free, you are likely to find some public domain classics and some newer, but less well-known titles. Go find your next read with the help of one of these services.

• Best Kindle deals: Get Kindle Unlimited for free
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• Audible free trial: Listen to best-sellers free for 30 days

The king of the e-book reader is, unsurprisingly, one of the most solid ways to get a hold of free books. It’s also one of the best ways to get free e-books for a Kindle since they’ll be delivered straight to your device, unlike with a number of these other apps and websites.

Finding free books on Amazon isn’t the easiest process in the world, but it’s also far from the most difficult. If you’re using the website, then you can head to a category of books, then select Best sellers , then  Top 100 free to see a breakdown of the most popular titles in that particular category. You can also search for “free books” to find a list you can look through or narrow down to a certain category. It’s also possible to do this on the Amazon app, but keep in mind you can’t currently purchase e-books through the app due to disputes with Google and Apple.

It’s also worth mentioning there are Amazon services that furnish you with free books. Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service that gives you access to a vast range of e-books, as does Prime Reading as part of the Amazon Prime subscription. While neither is technically free, Prime Reading is a good bonus if you’re already subscribed to Amazon Prime, while Kindle Unlimited may be worth it for people who can read through multiple books a month or even a week.

Amazon is a solid way to get hold of free books, but it has some downsides. As you’d expect, it only really works for Kindle devices and the Kindle app, and you won’t be able to easily download these book files to send them to another device. It also requires an Amazon account and a checkout process of sorts, even if you’re not paying anything. Oddly, it’s also not particularly easy to find free books on the Kindle itself, as the storefront doesn’t really have the best browsing options.

Kindle Unlimited Prime Reading Free Books on Amazon

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is the place the go for free downloadable classics. The website, which stretches back to 1971, is the world’s oldest digital library and hosts over 70,000 titles. It’s the best place to look for titles in the public domain, and it’s here you’ll find a bunch of downloads for older classics, like Moby Dick , the collected works of Shakespeare, and even a lot of Agatha Christie’s books. The downloads are available in a number of formats, including simple EPUB files, as well as files tweaked to work on Amazon Kindles.

The sheer amount of file types on 0ffer can be a little confusing, though. Do you want the EPUB3, EPUB, or Kindle formats? Or is reading online better? And while you can find books in other languages here, most are in English. Some titles may also not be free to download outside of the U.S., so it’s sometimes not that straightforward. Finally, if you want an app, there’s no app here, as it only works as a website.

However, if you’re looking for an older classic, then this is where you should go first.

Google Play Books

Google Play Books is often seen as the poor cousin of Amazon’s Kindle service, but it’s nothing of the sort. If you’re looking to pivot away from Amazon’s seemingly all-encompassing monolith, then Google Play Books is a good alternative. It has a massive selection of e-books in general, but you can also find some great free options if you know where to look.

The first and principal place to find free books is the app’s home page. Scroll down to the eBook charts to can find a category marked  Free . Here, you’ll find the top 100 e-books that have been added to other people’s libraries, giving you a useful barometer of popularity. If none of these tickle your fancy, or if you’re looking for something in another genre, your options are unfortunately a little more limited. You can search for “free [genre]” to find books, or just search for your desired genre and then select Free  from the price filter. There’s no dedicated “free” section to browse, unfortunately.

However, there’s another big plus here, and it’s the selection of free audiobooks on offer. Yes, free audiobooks. They’re “auto-generated”, so not read by people, and are limited to just classics in the public domain. But that includes books you may have always wanted to read, like Dracula and  Frankenstein , or nonfiction like The Prince . Since they’re not read by a human, but a computer-generated voice, there’s a touch of uncanny valley about it, but if you can stomach that, this is a great option.

Downsides for Google Play Books include the aforementioned difficulty in finding free titles, but also keep in mind that it can be tough to get these titles onto e-book readers. Unless your e-book reader allows for third-party apps, you’re going to have to find a way to download the files and send them to your e-book reader of choice. Also, you’ll need a Google account to use and access the app.

Google Play Books website Google Play Books Android app Google Play Books iOS app Free audiobooks

The best way to get free books is from your local library — but it’s not like you can just walk in and take out a digital e-book. But what you  can do is use Libby to borrow e-books from your local library using your library card.

Libby is replacing the service previously known as OverDrive and functions much the same way. Get a library card from your local library and then sign up for Libby. Enter your library card details, and presto — it will let you know which books are available for loan. It’s simple and free, and if you’re in the U.S., it links up to Amazon Kindles, making it even easier to read them.

There are some problems with Libby, of course. If you’re not in the U.S. or don’t have a Kindle , then you’re restricted to reading your books using the Libby app, which may not be to your tastes or as easy as using an e-book reader. As it’s a library copy, there’s also a restricted number of licenses, meaning you may have to wait to get hold of a book, especially if it’s in demand.

Libby has some shortcomings that can make it a bit of a tougher sell, but if it’s free books you’re after, and you already have a compatible library card, then it costs you nothing to sign up and check out what you can get.

Libby website Libby Android app Libby iOS app

ManyBooks offers exactly what the name implies: It has many books, and they come from a wide variety of genres and times. ManyBooks offers over 50,000 titles on its website, and while there’s the usual selection of public domain classics to pick from, you’ll also find a whole heap of books from newer authors. You can download each book in multiple formats, so you can transfer them to your e-book reader, or you can read them using ManyBook’s online reader instead.

You’ll need a free account to download, or you’ll be sent over to Amazon instead, in which case you’ll need an Amazon account. Also, contrary to what the website states, not all of the books are available for free. However, those books are clearly marked and often available at a low price anyway, so it’s easy to forgive.

ManyBooks website ManyBooks Android app ManyBooks iOS app

Open Library

The Internet Archive holds a lot of great e-books, but it lacks an easy way of browsing those titles — and that’s why we have Open Library . Open Library pulls from the Internet Archive and presents it in a way that’s a lot more user-friendly and easy to browse. There are tons of titles here to pick from, including all the usual public domain classics, as well as some seriously famous books up for grabs — including A Game of Thrones  by George R. R. Martin and  Deep Six  by Clive Cussler. Granted, these more famous titles will only be available on a borrowing basis, but they are there and available if you want them.

Multiple download formats are available, and you can also search by language, which is a nice addition. However, it can be hard to find books available in your language, as sometimes a book will be listed as available, but only be borrowable in Spanish. This is fine if you speak Spanish, but not great if you don’t. Still, it’s definitely worth having on your radar. There are apps available for Android and iOS.

Open Library website Open Library Android app Open Library iOS app

Books aren’t the only way to read, and audiobooks are rapidly gaining interest for those who want a way to keep reading their favorite books while driving, walking, or doing chores. Getting free audiobooks can be a bit of a challenge, though, which is why it’s nice that LibriVox exists. LibriVox offers free audiobooks in a range of genres and languages. It’s especially good for children’s books, and while you’re again relying on public domain titles, it’s nice to have such a massive number of titles available for free.

It’s volunteer-run, which is why audiobooks can be offered for free. However, that’s a double-edged sword as quality can vary from book to book, with much depending on the individual skill of the volunteer who read that specific book. This can make it a bit of a tougher sell than you might originally think, but if you find the right audiobook, then all is forgiven. There’s a website and an app for Android and iOS.

Librivox website LibriVox Android app LibriVox iOS app

Free-ebooks.net

Another website that does exactly what it says on the tin, Free-ebooks.net offers, well, free e-books. There’s a massive selection to choose from here, with options ranging from classics to a whole bunch of newer titles you’ve probably never heard of. This wide variety also comes with some audiobooks as well, really boosting the options available to you.

The catch? You’ll need to register for free, and you can only download five books per month. That’ll be fine if you’re a slower reader, but if you devour books, then you’ll need to get more of your fix from elsewhere, too.

Free-ebooks.net website Free-ebooks.net Android app Free-ebooks.net iOS app

While eBooks.com is technically a marketplace, it doesn’t shy away from offering a bunch of books for free. Four hundred of them, to be exact, which is enough to keep even the most avid and active reader busy for a little while. They’re available to download or read online, though it’s worth keeping in mind that all of these free e-books come as an ACSM file, which means they’re locked down pretty tight with DRM and can only be read using Adobe’s software on a Mac or PC, or by using one of eBooks.com’s recommended reading apps on mobile. That’s a disappointment, but since you’re getting some solid free e-books, it’s hard to complain that they require a few small hoops to jump through.

eBooks.com website eBooks.com Android reader app eBooks.com iOS reader app

There’s something to be said for the benefits of quick and dirty, and Authorama is both of those. It’s stocked with pretty much just public domain books, but they’re well reproduced and high quality. The website itself is extremely simple and bare-bones to the extreme — it’s just a white space with an alphabetical list of titles. As a result, it’s very easy to use; just scroll down the list and find what you want.

The downsides? There aren’t very many options to pick from, and it lacks many books from languages other than English. It’s also not much to look at, and there are no advanced search features to be found here. It’s also largely restricted to just reading from the website, which can be a chore. But even with these downsides, it’s a good catalog of free books.

Authorama website

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Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient & Medieval History, which obviously makes him a shoo-in to write about technology for a living. He currently contributes to the Mobile section on Digital Trends, with a particular emphasis and expertise on exploring the weirder side of smartphones, from tiny rugged phones to massive gaming phones. You'll most often find him seeking out leaks and rumors on upcoming devices, and playing with a variety of new apps for both Android and iOS.

Kindle deals aren’t just restricted to discounts on the devices themselves but services relating to them too. Right now, you can sign up to three months of Kindle Unlimited for free so you don’t have to worry about the monthly fee of $12. That works out as a saving of $36 across the three months while also allowing you to check out a near-endless supply of books too. Whether you’ve just bought a Kindle or you’re settling down for better habits this year, this is a great deal for anyone who hasn’t already signed up for it in the past. Keen to learn more? Let’s take a look at what Kindle Unlimited has to offer.

Why you should sign up for Kindle Unlimited Kindle Unlimited is basically Amazon’s book-borrowing service. It works just like a virtual library allowing you to check out up to 10 items at once. Not just e-books are catered for here with audiobooks and comic books also available, along with many magazine subscriptions. It’s possible to borrow titles as often as you like with no due dates if you don’t return them by a set time.

Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and even Motorola have been coming out with fast new Android phones that match a number of lifestyles and design tastes. And that means you'll need apps that can take advantage of those larger screens and faster processors.  They're how we communicate with friends, watch movies, stay productive, and so much more. You can have the best Android phone on the market, but if you don't also pair it with the best Android apps, you're missing out.

There are millions of Android apps on the Play Store. Many of them are great, some are fine, and others are bogus. To help you sift through everything and focus on the apps you should actually care about, we've rounded up 50 of our favorite ones right here. If you're looking for games, check out our list of the best Android games. And if you are in the market for a new Android phone, make sure to check out our latest smartphone reviews.

The Apple iPhone keeps getting better each year with features and new hardware specs that companies can take advantage up, and we have the new Apple iPhone 15 just around the corner. Whether you just want to doomscroll all day, communicate with others, check the weather, or even find your next soulmate, there's going to be some kind of app to help you satisfy those digital cravings.

But the App Store is filled with thousands of apps — where do you even begin? Don't worry, we're here to help. We've gone through the many apps on Apple's digital storefront so you don't have to. Here are the best apps for your iPhone, whether it's an iPhone 11 or an iPhone 14 Pro.

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10 top book-to-screen tv and film adaptations on netflix.

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Mahershela Ali, Myha’la Herrold, Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke in 'Leave the World Behind' on ... [+] Netflix.

Netflix has had huge book-to-screen hits over the years. With nearly 270 million subscribers, the streamer can catapult a book’s popularity with a hit series or movie.

Many of the books the streamer’s titles are based upon end up back on bestseller lists years, even decades, after their original release dates. The Queen’s Gambit , Bridgerton , and Lupin had literary revivals following their corresponding book-to-screen adaptations, which turned into Netflix Netflix hits with A-list talent in front of and behind the cameras.

A recent book-to-screen premiere is the Jeff Daniels-helmed A Man In Full , a limited series based on the novel by Tom Wolfe, which premiered on May 2. If popular, this series could push sales for Wolfe’s 2010 book.

Other examples include recent hits 3 Body Problem and One Day . Cixin Liu’s novel The Three-Body Problem returned to the New York Times New York Times Best Seller list following the success of the Netflix series. Following the premiere of One Day, David Nicholls’ 15-year-old novel returned to No. 1 on The Sunday Times Bestsellers List. It also topped Amazon’s Amazon UK Bestsellers of 2024 List .

The Sandra Bullock-helmed 'Bird Box' is the most-viewed book-to-screen title on Netflix.

Here are 10 of the most-viewed book-to-screen titles on Netflix that led to a resurgence in book sales:

• Viewing numbers pulled from Netflix’s Global Most Popular lists put New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman’s novel Bird Box as the No. 1 book-to-screen film hit for the streamer. The 2018 Sandra Bullock-helmed movie had an incredible 157.6 million views following its release on the platform. This sci-fi thriller follows Bullock’s Malorie, a mother who must protect her children after a mysterious force drives most of society to suicide. The A-list cast includes Trevante Rhodes, Sarah Paulson, and John Malkovich, and was directed by Susanne Bier.
• The second most-viewed book-to-screen adaptation on Netflix is the film Leave the World Behind starring Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke, which amassed 143.4 million views following its release. Based on Rumaan Alam’s novel of the same name, this apocalyptic thriller from award-winning writer and director Sam Esmail ( Mr. Robot ), follows Amanda (Roberts) and her husband Clay (Hawke), who rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their children. Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers, G.H. (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter arrive with news of a mysterious cyberattack and seek refuge in the house they claim is theirs. The two families must reckon with a looming disaster in a collapsing world. Following the film’s debut, which sits at No. 5 on Netflix’s most popular list, there was more than a 20% increase in sales for Alam’s book per Nielsen.
• Third in line is the movie The Gray Man , which had 139.3 million views when it was released. Based on Mark Greaney’s novel of the same name, the story follows CIA operative Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling). Plucked from federal prison and recruited by his handler, Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton), Gentry was once a highly skilled, agency-sanctioned merchant of death. But now the tables have turned and he’s the target, hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a former cohort at the CIA, who will stop at nothing to take him out, but Agent Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas) has his back.
• The next spot goes to the action-packed edge-of-your-seat film Extraction, adapted for the screen by Joe Russo from a graphic novel he wrote with Ande Parks a decade ago entitled “​Ciudad.” Chris Hemsworth stars as Tyler Rake, a fearless black market mercenary with nothing left to lose when his skills are solicited to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. But in the murky underworld of weapons dealers and drug traffickers, an already deadly mission approaches the impossible, forever altering the lives of Rake and the boy. Following its release, the film had 135.7 million views.
• On the television side, Julia Quinn's bestselling novel, “Romancing Mr. Bridgerton,” serves as the basis for the Shonda Rhimes series Bridgerton , which was an immediate sensation for the streamer. Season one had 113.3 million views and the second season had 93.8 million views. The highly-anticipated third season will be released in two parts on May 16 and June 13.
• Netflix had huge success with The Queen’s Gambit , based on Walter Tevis’ novel of the same name. The seven-part limited series is set in 1950s Kentucky and tells the story of Beth Harmon, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, a young girl who learns she has an extraordinary talent for the game of chess. It was a smash hit with 112.8 million views that catapulted interest in chess and spiked book sales. Tevis’ book was first published in 1983 and tragically, he died soon after and never knew how much his book meant to readers.
• The Omar Sy-helmed Lupin is another book-to-television success for Netflix. Book fans couldn't wait for Part One of this series - Dans L’Ombre D’Arsène (In The Shadow Of Arsène) - which was inspired by the adventures of Arsène Lupin, a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise. The character was created by French author Maurice Leblanc in 1905 and his books have since been adapted into dozens of TV series and movies. The first season topped the streamer’s non-English series list with 99.5 million views. Leblanc’s original book gained international interest following the show’s three successful seasons. A fourth season is expected later this year.
• Based on Pablo Vierci’s novel of the same name, Society of the Snow broke records on the non-English film list with 98.5 million views. The story takes place in 1972 and follows Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, chartered to fly a rugby team to Chile after it catastrophically crashes on a glacier in the heart of the Andes. Only 29 of the 45 passengers survived the crash. They found themselves in one of the world’s toughest environments and were forced to resort to extreme measures to stay alive. After the film’s release, Vierci’s 2009 novel became the No. 1 seller on Amazon Spain’s Most Sold Chart. As of publication, the book is still No. 6 in biographies and No. 9 in "most gifted” on Amazon Spain Most Sold Charts, four months after the film’s release.
• Another huge TV hit is The Night Agent , based on Matthew Quirk’s novel of the same name. Immediately following its debut, season one landed in the No. 1 spot on the English TV List with 98.2 million hours viewed, making it the most-viewed title in its first week. In addition, the 10-episode FBI drama ranked No. 3 for the best premiere week of viewing across season one for any Netflix original, appearing in the Top 10 across 93 countries. The series comes from creator, showrunner, and executive producer Shawn Ryan ( The Shield, S.W.A.T. ). The story centers around Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), a low-level FBI agent who works in the basement of the White House, operating a phone that never rings until the night that it does. He’s immediately thrown into a conspiracy that leads to the Oval Office. Season two is expected to premiere later this year.
• Harlan Coben’s eight-episode mystery series Fool Me Once ties with The Night Agent at 98.2 million views. Everyone was talking about this one when it first premiered. The story centers on Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan) who is trying to come to terms with the brutal murder of her husband, Joe (Richard Armitage). But when Maya installs a nanny cam to keep an eye on her young daughter, she is shocked to see a man she recognizes in her house: Her husband, who she thought was dead.

WWE Raw Results Winners And Grades On May 13 2024

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Ryan Gosling in 'The Gray Man' on Netflix.

It’s all about good storytelling. As the numbers prove, readers and viewers have an insatiable appetite for intriguing plotlines that can go from the page and our imaginations to the screen.

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