Are you interested in learning to become a better writer? It doesn’t matter what your profession or how you plan on making some money with this wonderful little tool we call the Internet–Quality writing helps you make your content more relatable and invigorating for the masses. That’s why we wanted to outline the best writing websites to help you understand the basics and beyond.
It doesn’t matter why you want to learn more about honing your writing craft. Maybe you want to expand your freelance writing client-base or start charging more money. Maybe you have a story, but want to learn how to craft compelling plot lines before committing to a book. Maybe you simply want to learn how to create better copy to sell more products online.
The options are endless, but one thing is certain: Grammar, spelling, story arc and connecting with your audience spans all writing areas. With these websites for writers you can check if you are using a word properly or even just learn how to format a blog post to engage more people.
The problem with most writing website lists is that they fill you up with hundreds of options, making it impossible to choose them all, and if you did, you wouldn’t get much writing done. So I wanted to focus on the best of the best for a few particular categories.
Let’s have a look.
The Best Websites for Freelance Writers
Make A Living Writing
Make a Living Writing is often one of the sites that pops up whenever you punch in a Google search for any particular topic involving freelance writing. Run by Carol Tice, she uses a combination of transparency and easy-to-grasp concepts to help you understand exactly how to go about succeeding in the freelance writing world.
Some of the reasons Make a Living Writing is one of the best writing websites for people trying to create a freelance business is because Carol loves bashing the ever so popular content mills. She knows, just like I eventually figured out, that working for a content mill just burns you out and ends with you having no money to show for it.
The site also outlines methods for cleaning up your copy and some of the best tips I have ever read about where and how to find the highest paying clients around. Not to mention, she even shares some of her client lists, how she managed to land those clients and what best practices she uses to spruce up pitches, letters and even your website.
Funds for Writers
The goal of becoming a freelance writer is to build a client list so you can make a solid living without pumping out 30 junk articles everyday.
There are job lists all over the place, most of them leading to low-paying jobs or a battle with thousands of other qualified writers. Funds for Writers takes an interesting approach by sending you an email every week with unique jobs for magazines, online publications and even trade publications.
The lists are huge, and they each offer links for applications, information on the publications and even rates so you can see if the job is worth it or not. The reason Funds for Writers blows many other freelance writing sites away is because it shows you niche jobs that you can’t find anywhere else. In my experience, it’s those who focus on a niche who become successfull freelancers.
Freelancers Union
Not only does Freelancers Union have a nice blog for improving your business, but it provides deals for freelancers on insurance, benefits, retirement plans and more. There’s no reason you should go at it alone when you start your own business, so use this site to interact with other freelancers and even find deals on business software if needed.
The Best Websites for Self-Publishing
Hugh Howey
Hugh Howey is the golden boy for self-publishing, and his own website features blog posts detailing his own creative process, along with some of his views on the publishing industry. Yes, this is his primary author page, so you see many posts about his books, but the more research you complete on Hugh, the more confident you become about publishing your own books.
Author Earnings
Author Earnings is actually a site created by Hugh Howey, and it’s one-of-a-kind. The site offers compiled information from the publishing industry and reveals clean reports with graphs to show you the state of the market.
You can find reports to see which genres are performing best, how self-publishing compares to regular publishing and how to understand Amazon and the potential earnings you can make from the platform.
JA Konrath – A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing
JA Konrath has written dozens of books, so the advice is coming from a seasoned veteran who pulls no punches and tells you exactly what you need to hear. It’s a refreshing take on publishing, instead of hearing all of these articles designed to make you buy more tutorials or books on learning to write.
The Best Websites for Blogging
ProBlogger
ProBlogger should be bookmarked on every blogger’s browser, because it includes one of the largest free feeds for simple tactics to improve how well your blog performs. Darren Rowse is the man behind the site, and he has managed several successful blogs such as Digital Photography School and the blog network, b5media.
The site shares tips on the blog, a forum for chatting with others, and of course, one of the best job boards to find legitimate blogging gigs.
Copyblogger
If you want to differentiate your blog in any way, bookmark the Copyblogger site. The company’s blog has plenty of great interviews, tips and guides, but the true value comes from the way they construct these posts. The stories they integrate with the blog posts are riveting, and you can just tell that the writers are always passionate and having fun.
Study the way they write blog posts to see how the masters handle it.
The Best Website for Grammar and Formatting
Grammar Girl
There are a few grammar sites out there, but Grammar Girl is your best bet. Mignon Fogarty tackles common, and often interesting writing dilemmas like “Is boughten a word?” and “How to choose between conscience and conscious.”
She also has a podcast for those who would rather listen.
Websites for Inspiration and Creativity
Brain Pickings
Reach into the minds of past creative masters on Brain Pickings. The posts are eloquently designed, with quotes from rare Hemingway passages and details about the average writer’s life from diary entries only found with deep research.
This site is also a training center for people who want to learn how to properly create a site that refers affiliate links. Brain Pickings shares interesting excerpts from books and then recommends the books through affiliate links.
Goins Writer
Jeff Goins shares his story about how he struggled with believing he was a writer. He shares some tips on blogging and building a business, but the true value shines through when he talks about his real life. His tenacity and heartfelt quotes and experiences push thousands of people to pursue their creative dreams.
For Those Interested in Writing for Children
KidLit411
Surprisingly, there aren’t that many sites that last long for children’s writers, but one of the best writing websites I’ve stumbled upon is KidLit 411. It features fun and creative images, along with interviews and guides to check your readability, grammar and formatting.
Let us know in the comments section below if you follow any of these top writing websites. Share if you can think of any other options that truly help your writing hobby or business.
Photo credit: Walt Stoneburner from flickr