It is easy to feel isolated when your passion is reading or writing because they can often be treated as solitary activities. But with the prevalence of the internet, many online platforms are bringing people from the reading and writing communities together. In this post, I've assembled a list of some of these spaces that might interest you. This is post number one in a four-part series.
Some things to think about when deciding which platform to join include:
- your preferred genre/s (romance, horror, etc.)
- your preferred formats (books, serials, poems, manga, etc.)
- monetization options (if you are a writer)
- pricing tiers (for example: some platforms charge writers who wish to monetize their work)
- available platforms (desktop, Apple, Android, etc.)
- The type of community you seek
**Please note that I have not tested all of these platforms, and the way they opperate may change at any time. Writers are encouraged to do their own research when deciding which platform is best for them as the contracts that each platform puts forth differ.
Image Description: A Caucasian man with short, brown hair sits on a wooden bench while reading a book. He looks like he is deep in thought. He wears a dark jacket and a watch with a red wristband. He is surrounded by tall, green-gold grasses. In the distance is a vast body of water.
Credit: Ben White / Unsplash
Online Communities for Readers & Writers
- Wattpad: Wattpad is well-known for its fan fiction, but it also hosts original work in a wide range of genres. However, romance is the most popular and successful genre on this platform. It has become a little oversaturated, so it's hard for new writers to build their readership, but it entices writers with its monetization program and options for further publication (open to writers who are among the most popular on the platform. For readers, there are millions of ebooks to sift through and enjoy. Wattpad recently removed the option to communicate with other community members via direct message, so the only ways to communicate with others on the platform are by commenting on a specific piece of work or on the writer's conversation page.
- Neobook: Neobook is designed as a social network for writers and readers. Once you've set up a login and profile, you can post poems, books, stories, and blog posts. You are able to interact with others on the platform by commenting on one another's work, commenting on blog posts, and by direct messaging each other. There are no ads and it is available on desktop and mobile devices. Writers who would like to monetize can do so by paying a subscription fee and then placing their content behind a paywall. I personally have found this platform to be generally quiet and supportive.
- Booksie: You can read and write for free on this popular platform, although there are subscription and monetization options as well. Booksie hosts a wide range of genres and allows readers and writers to communicate with each other by direct messages or by commenting on each other's work. I personally, appreciate that this platform allows writers to see how many fews each of their works has received as well as other data without a paid subscription. However, the paid subscriptions allow writers to view more robust data, to upload audio recordings of their work, and to link to their published work on sites like Amazon.
- Inkitt: Free and available on any device, Inkitt supports writer monetization and welcomes all genres. Readers commonly use this space to seek feedback on their work.
- Miraquill: Miraquill is available on any device and has no monetization features. It allows all genres, but seems better designed for poetry and stories. It also supports all languages.
- Sweek: Open to all genres, Sweek supports writer monetization and is available on any device.
- Commaful: This platform has closed to writers and is now read only. Popular for poetry, you may continue to read the archived content at the time of writing this post.
- Character Hub: made by the creators of Commaful, Character Hub is a platform that helps you organize and share your original characters with others in the community.
- Harlequin: With a primary focus on romance, Harlequin is available for free on any device and does not allow monetization for authors. Some reads are available for free while others are subscription-based. Writers respond to submission calls in order to share their work on the platform.
- Penana: Open to any genre, there is a monetization option for writers, and it is free and available on any device. It focuses on stories, short pieces, and contests.
More online communties for readers and writers coming next week!
Sources
- Miraquill: https://www.miraquill.com/
- Sweek: https://sweek.com/
- Commaful: https://commaful.com/
- Character Hub: https://characterhub.com/
- Inkitt: https://www.inkitt.com/
- Harlequin: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/index.html
- Penana: https://www.penana.com/home.php
- Movellas: https://movellas.com/
- Scary Chat Stories: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.addictedapp.addicted&hl=en&gl=US
- NovelCat: https://www.novel-cat.com/
- 10 Best Wattpad Alternatives for Readers & Writers (Launchspace): https://launchspace.net/general/wattpad-alternatives/
- Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/home
- Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/
- Booksie: https://www.booksie.com/
- 7 Wattpad Aternatives That Readers and Writers Should Consider Using (Make Use Of): https://www.makeuseof.com/wattpad-alternatives-readers-and-writers-consider-using/
- 19 Best Sites Like Wattpad for Readrs and Writers in 2024 (ecomsay): https://www.ecomsay.com/sites-like-wattpad/
- AnyStories: https://www.anystories.app/
- WebNovel: https://www.webnovel.com/
- YepNovel: https://www.yepnovel.com/
- Tapas: https://tapas.io/
- FictionMe: https://fictionme.net/
- GoodNovel: https://www.goodnovel.com/
- Radish Fiction: https://radishfiction.com/
- Neovel: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/neovel/id1605618123
- Medium: https://medium.com/
- Neobook: https://neobook.org/
- Writing.com: https://www.writing.com/?i=1
- Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/
- 5 Best Wattpad Alternatives for Readers and Writers (Medium): https://medium.com/@JasmineDawsonWriter/5-best-wattpad-alternatives-for-readers-and-writers-3800f3a941ef
- 14 Best Apps Like Wattpad in 2024 (RankRed): https://www.rankred.com/best-apps-like-wattpad/
- Readict: https://www.readictnovel.com/
- NovelCat: https://www.novel-cat.com/
- NovelToon: https://noveltoon.mobi/en/history
- MangaToon: https://mangatoon.mobi/en
- Spirit Fancition and Stories: https://www.spiritfanfiction.com/
- Webfic: https://www.webfic.com/
- Tappytoon: https://www.tappytoon.com/en/comics/home
- Galatea: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.colt
- WriterSky: https://www.writersky.com/
- Belletristica: https://belletristica.com/en
- Best Wattpad Alternatives (Altvark): https://altvark.com/best-wattpad-alternatives/
- Geeke: https://geeke.app/signup
- What is Geeke (AlternativeTo): https://alternativeto.net/software/geeke/about/
- Alternative To Wattpad (AlternativeTo): https://alternativeto.net/software/wattpad/
- Shorti: https://appadvice.com/app/shorti-tell-a-story/1130596937
- Apps Like Wattpad for Avid Readers (Capitalize My Title): https://appadvice.com/app/shorti-tell-a-story/1130596937
- Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/
- Poetizer: https://poetizer.com/
- Top 7 Best Apps and Websites Like Wattpad (Tech Review Pro): https://techreviewpro.com/apps-websites-like-wattpad/#3_Poetizer
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