Writing can be a lonely pursuit, but with the proliferation of active, engaged and even “in-person” online writing communities, writers no longer have to go at it alone.
Joining an online writing community can provide a wealth of benefits for writers of all genres and at all stages of their development, from getting motivation when that first draft is fighting your every paragraph all the way to being your launch team when that writing is ready to share with readers.
Every year, new communities are born and finding the one that’s right for you can be overwhelming, especially if you’re hoping to find writing colleagues to meet with in real time or write in a specific niche or sub-genre and want to connect with people who share your passion for the kinds of stories or non-fiction you write.
If you’re not part of an online writer’s community, this post will help you understand all the different ways being a joiner can benefit you.
And then, once you’re convinced that a community is the right move for you, we’ve gathered some of 2023’s most active and promising places for you to find authorly camaraderie, improve your writing, and make industry connections.
Being part of an online writing community is as invaluable a tool for aspiring authors as a laptop and an idea worth sharing.
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Best Online Writing & Author Communties
1. Booklinker FB Community - Best for New Authors
The first writing community on our list is going to be the Booklinker Facebook community. For those unaware, Booklinker is a link management tool for authors that helps increase book sales, but that’s outside the scope of this article.
The Facebook group is an incredible place for authors to learn about book marketing, as well as post questions to the community about anything their struggling with or working on.
Regardless of whether or you’re a beginner or veteran author, this community will welcome you with open arms.
As far as the rules of the group go, the main thing are to avoid any direct self promotion, and of course to be polite to all members of the writing community.
2. Author Ever After - Best for Prepublished Romance Writers
Author Ever After is the one-stop, happily ever after shop for romance writers who are tired of breaking up with their manuscript and committed to becoming published romance authors.
If you’re a passionate romance writer looking to take your writing to the next level this community offers one-to-one and one-to-many guidance and support, workshops and focused challenges, and most importantly, the connections you need to go the distance with your story.
Avoid the common pitfalls that aspiring authors face when they don’t know what they don’t know.
Build your confidence and knowledge in supportive weekly meetings just for romance writers.
Get beta readers, advice, peer and professional support as you learn, grow, and make connections to help you indie publish your romance novel.
Click on Community in the top menu bar to learn more.
Introducing:
Booklinker Collections
One landing page for all your books. 100% free.
One link for easy sharing of your books across your backmatter, websites, emails, and social media.
3. Critique Circle - Best for Manuscript Feedback
Improve your writing skills in one of the largest and longest-running writing communities on the web—Critique Circle.
Finding critique partners is hard—if you don’t belong to a writing group.
Sure, you can throw your words out to a stranger in a Facebook group but as anyone who’s had an insensitive or ignorant critique of early words, early in their writing career will tell you: it’s really not a risk worth taking.
Critique Circle is one of the most organized places online to get your words critiqued by other writers who understand how to give and take critiques.
Although this is an asynchronous community, it does have a community feel and it is possible to build meaningful relationships with other authors as you help each other improve your manuscripts and connect in discussion groups on nearly every topic under the sun.
4. Author Nation - Best for Early Stage Nonfiction
Author Nation offers a road map for nonfiction authors from idea to published book.
97% of authors-to-be never finish their manuscript which means they are missing out on the visibility, expert positioning, and business building opportunities that come with being a published author.
Those who succeed, get the support they need.
At Author Nation, you’ll get all your questions answered along the way, get the structure to succeed, and be held accountable to the process.
5. The Novel Smithy's Forge - Best for Character and Plot Development
The Novel Smithy’s Forge community offers support, education, and camaraderie to up-and-coming authors looking to get serious about their writing practice.
Ideal for genre fiction authors of all kinds, especially those ready to level up their storytelling craft in order to write the best novel possible (whether in pursuit of a traditional publishing deal or with an eye towards self-publishing).
This community will guide you through every stage of the writing process, from brainstorming to publication, so you can write your novel with confidence rather than overwhelm.
The Forge is currently closed to new members until late-Spring 2023.
Keep an eye on The Novel Smithy for news, or join their weekly writing newsletter to hear when doors open and grab a free character interview questionnaire to tide you over until May!
6. 4Thewords.com - Best Gamified Writing Community
Defeat writer’s block and have fun doing it!
That’s the claim of 4TheWords.com and if you’re a gamer, then this community might be exactly what you need to get your butt into your chair and your fingers flying across the keyboard.
Defeat monsters, complete quests, earn Items, level up your hero and explore a game world built by writers, for writers.
Connect with peers, make new friends, give and receive feedback, read, learn, and lend a helping hand. 4The Words is a community of warriors helping each other write and share stories.
7. Pages & Platforms - Best for Author Mindset
Pages & Platforms helps writers build the best book possible and find an audience for it with a range of marketing, editing, and coaching services for writers, including the Happily Ever Author Club, an online membership community.
The Happily Ever Author Club welcomes authors from all genres who are serious about finishing their books and finding their audience.
Their team helps authors break through by getting a handle on their mindset, their marketing, and their manuscript with four weekly calls, a monthly mindset call, the Story Path course, and an extensive bundle of writing and marketing resources.
8. Scribophile - Best for Beta Readers
Scribophile is one of the web’s largest online writing communities, celebrating 15 years of helping writers get published.
Scribophile is a place for writers across all genres and at any stage of their writing journey to meet, make friends, talk shop, and get feedback on their writing from writers from all over the world, meet beta readers, and take writing classes from bestselling and award-winning authors.
Joining is free, but there are costs to take classes.
9. Creative Academy for Writers - One Stop Shop Author Community
The Creative Academy for Writers offers online coaching, support and community to writers of all genres and at all levels.
They offer regular craft, business, genre discussions and writing sprints as well as forums where authors can interact in a supportive online environment.
If that sounds like a good fit for you, visit the JOIN US tab on the Creative Academy for Writers website.
10. Wattpad - Best Social Storytelling Platform
Wattpad is arguably the world’s most-loved social storytelling platform.
Wattpad connects a global community of 90 million readers and writers through the power of story. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
1. Share your story.
2. Click with your community.
3. Create connections and find fans, grow your audience, and get rewarded for your creativity.
11. 20Books Vegas - Best Author Conference
20Books Vegas is the one community that meets live and in-person but it’s such a fantastic conference we couldn’t not share it. It’s billed as the greatest gathering of independent authors in the world.
This annual conference takes place each year in November, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Almost every major publishing industry service provider attends this event so you can get first-hand info from audiobook producers, publishers, and dozens of other publishing professionals.
And that’s when you’re not attending as many of the 200 (or so) presentations, panels, and sessions designed to help you take your writing and publishing to the next level.
Already have books published?
They bring thousands of readers and fans to you in a mass book signing event.
Introducing:
Booklinker Collections
One landing page for all your books. 100% free.
One link for easy sharing of your books across your backmatter, websites, emails, and social media.
