Are you looking for a writing program? This Novlr review is for you, creative writer. I know what it feels like to be a writer with an idea and no plan for action. It can be difficult to know how to move forward without a strategy.
Years ago, I wrote a fantasy novel with the guidance of a multi-bestselling author’s writing course. His course helped me stay on track and finish my novel by my self-imposed deadline. It wasn’t that I couldn’t write without guidance, but that the structure of a course helped me take doable steps on a daily basis.
Guess what? We’ve taught over 8,000 authors how to write, publish, and market their books over the last 10 years. Helping writers achieve their dreams is our passion, so today, we use this Novlr review to introduce you to another writing program.
We’ll discuss the pros and cons and details of what exactly it is so you can make an educated choice for yourself. Ready to get into it?
Novlr review: what’s covered
What is Novlr?
It’s crucial to start this Novlr review with describing exactly what it is: a creative writing workspace that supports your writing journey step by step.
Novlr does so by providing you with the tools you need to get those words on the page (and keep getting those words on the page!), then find readers and get published.
It’s origin story? Well, over a decade ago, Thomas wanted to write a novel. He asked Kim to help, but they quickly discovered they didn’t have what they needed to succeed.
Businesses are often borne out of pain points, and the same is true for this Novlr review. Thomas and Kim decided to create what they needed to succeed in writing a book, and thus, Novlr was born.
Created by writers, created for writers, this Novlr review will delve into the specifics of what makes this platform.
Is Novlr legit?
Yes, Novlr seems to be a legit creative writing service. They transitioned into being partially writer-owned in 2023, saying:
“Most other tech platforms are extractive. They take from their users, but provide only the service that they offer. What makes us at Novlr so unique is that we want to go further.”
What does being writer-owned mean in this Novlr review? Great question. Writers have a say in how Novlr develops, and Novlr says they will be “sharing our profits back to our writers when the time comes.”
This seems a bit vague, particularly because at the time of this writing, Novlr transitioned into being writer-owned two years ago. However, sometimes this transitions take time and they do have an email address where you can contact them with questions!
Additionally, they say when you decide to try Novlr, you’ll join 178K writers who have written 913M words in 308K novels. If you decide to try it after this Novlr review, you could be writer number 179,000.
As long as those numbers are legit, that’s quite a few writers. Novlr says they have one mission, which is “Empowering you to achieve your writing goals.” Let’s take a look at how they do so.
Is Novlr free?
This Novlr review needs to touch on price points, of which Novlr has many. This can make it accessible for a number of writers. Plus, like many writing softwares, Novlr does have a free version, called Starter.
We take a close look at what each of their four packages offer below, because is it even a good Novlr review if we don’t let you know what you’re paying for? Let’s take a look!
Starter
The Starter is free and includes the following:
- 5 projects with 7-day version history
- Add notes, share your work, and focus on your writing, without distraction
- Set goals, track your writing streaks, and get success nudges
- Write wherever you are on any device with seamless online word syncing
- Access to the Academy, Community, Writer Discounts, The Reading Room, and more
At first glance this offering may not seem like a substantial upgrade to simply writing in Microsoft Word, setting your own deadlines, and emailing your work to writing colleagues. But they offer access to their Academy and Community, and it is free, so worth trying.
Plus
Plus is $8/month or $6/month, billed annually.
The Plus package includes everything in the Starter, as well as:
- Unlimited projects with 30-day version history
- Detailed writing analytics to learn about your writing habits
- The opportunity to build a no-code author website to showcase your work
- Add comments to your projects
The point that drew my attention was the writing analytics. It would be interesting to see how Novlr reviews my writing habits. Aside from the analytics, building a no-code website is something most writers have access to, regardless of using Novlr.
I started using a free template on WordPress, then transitioned to Squarespace. I play around designing my website, but I also worked with a team in Greece to create the aesthetic I wanted.
And of course, Microsoft Word and Google Docs allow writers to add comments. Google Docs especially allows a version history.
Pro
The Pro plan is $18/month or $14/month if you pay annually. At the time of this writing, Novlr is running a Novlr Pro if you use their code, WELCOME30, within 30 days of signing up.
Pro includes everything in the Plus package, as well as some additional features, with a focus on the following:
- Unlimited projects and version history
- Launch an Author Website on a custom domain
- Improve your writing with a ProWritingAid powered proofreader, thesaurus, and grammar and style checker
- Create additional backups in Google Drive or Dropbox (optional)
- Publish your work to eBook
You may enjoy having these features all together in one program. Especially if you don’t have the opportunity to work with a book coach, this Novlr review shows you can access quite a bit through a singular platform.
Lifetime Pro
Their last package is the Lifetime Pro package, at a one-time payment of $499.
This package includes everything in the Pro, forever, plus you:
- Become a co-owner of Novlr
- Gain access to exclusive Discord channels
Depending on how long you want to use Novlr, this may be a cost-effective solution, particularly if you want access to Discord channels. While the co-ownership sounds like a big bonus, you may want to check in with the Novlr team to understand what this actually means.
What is the best program to write a novel on?
The best program for you depends on what a writing success story means to you. If you want to simply sit down and write, as much or as little as you want, whenever you want, you may want to simply open a blank Word Document.
If you want to share your writing with a writing friend and allow them to make suggestions, live, start a shared Google Doc.
However, if you feel that some of the features discussed in this Novlr review could help you write your book in a specific amount of time with specific help (particularly their community), Novlr may be worth a try.
For some writers, going out and finding how to build a website and signing up for ProWritingAid on top of writing their book in, say, a Word Document, feels like too much to keep track of.
If this is you, Novlr may be a great next step! You can access all of the above from a single platform, as well as the multiple other features they discuss.
Of course, I need to mention one more time their writing analytics feature. That by itself may be worth paying for a month of their Plus package.
Don’t forget, writing doesn’t follow a strict path. Writing your novel or nonfiction centers around your writing experience. If Novlr can aid in making your writing journey great, you may want to give it a try!
Plus, it may be fun to have versions of your writing all in one place as you craft your protagonist’s character traits, create your plot structure, or share your memoir.
Novlr reviews
Finally, let’s take a quick look at two Novlr reviews that appear on the website. One user says, “I fell in love with Novlr’s simple UI, and the ability to easily rename chapters/shift scenes around. Novlr helps me focus on the writing, not the ‘fluff,’ and I greatly appreciate that.”
Another user said, “I love Novlr. It is quite simply the most beautiful interface out there for writing tools, and I’ve tried them all. Scrivener, Atticus, Reedsy, Living Writer, you name it. I didn’t write the meat of this novel until I got settled and comfortable on a platform. I did more in two months with Novlr than I did in the prior two years with all other tools combined.”
In my research, I did find that the user interface (UI) was often praised. This can be extremely helpful to writers who feel they lack some tech skills and want a clean, easy format for writing their books!
Novlr review: take your next step
Now that you know all about Novlr, it’s time to take your next step in your author career! Use our free Book Outline Generator below to get started today!
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