I’ve been squirreling away information on apps that writers could find helpful.
After adding to it for a couple months, the list is sufficiently long to make it public. You can see it here: Twitter here: Apps for Writers.
I use the word “apps” very loosely. Some of them are software programs that live online. Others are “apps” in the true sense of the word, in that they’re programs you’d use on a smartphone, iPad or other mobile device.
The 65+ apps cover a lot of territory. You’ll find:
- Popular social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter
- Web-based file storage and sharing services such as DropBox, Box.net and Shoeboxed
- Writer portfolio services such as Contently and Cuttings.me
- Organizer apps such as Evernote and GQueues
- Publishing apps such as Writer.ly, BookbyteDigital and Working Press
- Sourcing apps to help you find sources for stories, including
- Productivity apps like StayFocused so you don’t spend all day on Facebook
I used Twitter to create the Apps for Writers list for a few reasons. I’m a long-time fan of Twitter lists (as you can see if you look at my Twitter profile). I wanted to make the apps list public so other writers could see and use it. Making it a public list on Twitter also means that Twitter users can subscribe to it. As of today, 20 people have subscribed to this list. If you subscribe, tweets from the individuals or companies that manage the Twitter accounts for these apps will appear in your tweetstream.
I realize that there are a lot more than 60-something apps for writers out there. If you have suggestions for apps I should add, let me know by leaving a comment.
H(app)y writing!
Michelle, thanks for compiling this great resource! I like Twitter lists, too, especially for organizing sources around various subject expertise. However, I wish that Twitter supported lists on its mobile and tablet apps. On my trip to Vermont and Montreal last week, I spent hours in the car reading RSS and Twitter and I would have loved to have been able to access lists for a more targeted experience. Hopefully that will come in the future.
Susan:
Which Twitter mobile app do you use? I’ve got version 3.4.2 for Android smartphones and it definitely supports Lists. From your profile page, go to Me and then scroll down past Following and Followers and you’ll see the link for Lists. Click on it, and you’ll see all your Lists. Click on one and you’ll see all the tweets from the people or groups you’ve added to that list.
Michelle
I’m on the iPhone. Gosh, you’re right, Michelle! Wish I’d found that last week but now I know for the future. I’d heard from someone who uses the iPad app that it doesn’t support lists either but perhaps he just couldn’t find it.
Glad to be of service.
MVR
I’ve found the browser extension QuickNote offers a very simple, no-frills way to take notes online. It’s a great tool to collect and source text from the Web for things like short blog posts where more complex software isn’t necessary.