Alternative book writing software on Linux
Even though Linux is one of the most popular operating systems on the planet and has a very (very!) dedicated userbase, it - ironically - also gets forgotten about for big-name software. Unfortunately, that isn't any different for creative writers and authors. The popular book writing software like Scriviner and Ulysses aren't available on Linux, and most likely never will. But, here's what you can do about finding book writing software that you can use on Linux!
Why do you need special book writing software to create your novel?
It's true that you can write a book using any old app that will save your text, but it's also true that you can hammer a nail using a brick. In fact, we wrote an entire article on why you need specialized book-writing software. There are a lot of factors we discuss, but some key points is that book writing software help organise your writing projects (specifically, your scenes and notes), which makes it easier to move around your scenes, make edits, go back and find lore details you can't quite remember, etc.
So, sure, you can totally use Vim or Emacs to type in your words, but you're going to regret it when it comes time to edit your 100,000 word epic fantasy.
Why aren't the writing apps on LInux?
Honestly? This comes down to the laziness of the developers and a lack of understanding of the market. A huge number of people in the entertainment industry (be they producers or screen writers) use Macs and other Apple products, so that's what many of these software developers target, forgetting that the rest of us exist.
(In fact, this is a hude reason that Scene One runs in your browser: because it shouldn't matter which operating system or piece of hardware you're working on when you're writing you books!)
But it gets even worse, because even once they do put their apps on Linux or Windows, those versions often lag behind in terms of security updates and feature releases (Scrivener on Windows is always lagging behind), so you're missing out anyway.
So what is the best book writing software alternative for Linux?
We believe that Scene One is the best alternative for any other piece of book writing software for Linux uses. Our Features page can help tell you why. And if you're currently already using an app to write your books, click through this list to see how Scene One compares to them.
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