Contents
- 1 Why Choose a Writer Friendly Platform?
- 2 Our Top Choices for Writer Friendly Platforms
- 3 Choose Your Writing Platform
- 4 What's Next?
Why Choose a Writer Friendly Platform?
Are you looking for simplicity in your blogging journey?
Or
Do you want a platform that allows you to maintain a focus on writing and developing your own unique ideas to share with the world?
Did you know…..
Some blogging platforms can actually deter you from producing work at your maximum potential because of how distracting they can be. This is especially true when dealing with a blogging platform that requires downloads, uploads, and installations.
While it’s true that we recommend platforms like WordPress and they work really well for those who are in the need of tons of variety and customization. However, this it isn’t always the best route for everyone.
When there are so many bells and whistles that require your attention in terms of creating a blog people often lose focus on what matters – their writing!
Are you an aspiring writer? Do you want your articles to be the main focus of your blog?
Let go of the unlimited edits and major customization overhauls. It’s time to pursue your talents in writing thoughtful, insightful, and interesting content using writer-friendly platforms.
Let’s dive in and examine 5 of the best blogging platforms that will let you do just that!
Our Top Choices for Writer Friendly Platforms
1. Ghost: “The Professional Publishing Platform”
Ghost’s platform is open-sourced and dedicated to the everyday blogger. You’ll have the option to either download their platform to install it on your own server (much like WordPress) or you can simply work with their online alternative.
Warning: If you do decide to download the platform, you’ll have a bit more work on your hands but nothing you can’t manage with a little help from the internet. You will also have to spend money on VPS, security and backup services. Ghost's package plans include all these items, making it the better way to go!
Ghost has a lot of features and designs for you to modify and make your blog look great. Yet, not so many features that it will take time away from your writing.
A unique feature with Ghost is that while you write content for your blog, you will be able to preview your work in real time with their split pane screen. With their platform, you can also throw down your ideas and format them instantly.
Furthermore, their dashboard will manage your blog by pulling your most valuable data and organizing it into one convenient spot. All you need to do is drag and drop to make any modifications you see fit.
What’s The Cost?
Free if downloaded, but you will save time and money if you go for one of their plans. As a new blogger we suggest signing up for Ghost Pro Personal plan it’s only $19.99 a month. We think this is a pretty fair price since it's all you’ll need to get started.
Features
Ghost offers you a nice variety of useful features. So many we thought we would let them tell you about themselves. Check out the list below and click on the image to find out more about what ghost has to offer.
Our Final Thoughts on Ghost
Ghost is definitely one of the best blogging platforms for writers. Not only does it look amazing due to it’s minimalist appearance, but it also gives you the freedom to spend more time on your writing and less time on designing your blog. The price is right as well , especially since it gives you everything you need to start a blog.
2. Postach.io: “The Easiest Way to Blog”
Do you have Evernote notebook?
If so, Postach.io is the platform for you! It links to your Evernote account thus accessing your notes and notebooks. All you need to do is decide on a URL and pick your blog name. It’s as simple as that!
When it comes to publishing your work, all you’ll need to do is create a new notebook or select one of your pre-existing notebooks that contain your content and label it as “published” thereby allowing the Postach.io platform to upload the content to your blog.
Postach’s unique approach to blogging allows you to store your work in DropBox, Evernote, or both!
Postach.io works in unison with Evernote as a merged content management system (CMS) that offers the ability to utilize commenting tools such as Disqus, as well as support Google Analytics and Markdown. The only problem is that it’s limited to these tools, so you have no other options but to use them.
Because these two platforms work in unison, you have a lot of advantages using Postach.io over another service. In addition to being able to use Evernote apps which are extremely helpful for a successful blog, you can jazz up your blog with some videos embedded from YouTube and Vimeo.
Linking most social media channels is possible too!
Is having theme choices important to you?
If so, this platform might be the wrong choice. It only offers 13 options and only one options for the free account. You’ll also have to know some code if you want to customize a theme. However, the themes available are actually quite attractive and should be enough for a content driven site.
What’s The Cost?
Free or with a premium plan spend up to $9/month. Choosing the plan is your best choice because it comes equipped with everything needed to run your blog.
Features
• One Click installation for themes
• No limitations on the amount of storage available and unlimited uploads with the premium plan
• A help center that will cover many of the basic questions you’ll have and responsive email support
• Simple Google Analytics integration
• You can connect your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google + accounts for quick publishing
Our Final Thoughts on Postach.io
If you use Evernote already, it could be a great platform. It’s nice that the two work together and is super simple to use content you have already written in Evernote.
Just remember: If you require any sort of theme, tools or customization options this platform is not going to work for you.
Medium: “Home to Unique Ideas From the World’s Smart Minds.”
Medium is great for the blogger that hasn’t really found an audience within their niche yet and wishes to do so with effective writing. With very minimal distractions and limited customization, their platform is designed to help you maintain a productive path of writing for your blog.
It’s not just a great platform for blogging, it also acts as a blog in itself by providing their audience with an online space to read and publish relevant and insightful content. That being said, it’s aimed towards those who are producing creative write-ups, stories, trending articles and narrative essays, not for someone who is trying to start their own business.
What’s makes Medium a good choice?
Well, It’s extremely interactive with your targeted audience. You are able to communicate with them directly on the site and get more feedback and share posts or links to other articles. Medium allows your work to be extended to hundreds if not thousands of readers all over the world by combining unique algorithms and editorial curation taken directly from engagement and interest.
There are a couple of downfalls to Medium to keep in mind:
• You have to create a profile through a social media channel
• You can’t have you're own domain, you have to publish everything under your profile and Medium controls what you publish
• There aren’t any designs or extensions available.
What’s The Cost?
Free!
Features
• Hosting is covered by Medium
• Simply sign up through a social media channel and start publishing articles instantly
Our Final Thoughts on Medium
If you’re not internet famous yet, don’t sweat it!…..
Medium doesn’t care about who you are, it cares about your words and gives you the opportunity to spread your ideas.
Find your audience instantly with Medium, but keep in mind that you have no design options and they control you're publications.
4. SVBTLE: “A Blogging Platform Designed to Help You Think”
Svbtle used to be invite-only, but they’ve since becoming available to the public. It’s now quite easy to sign up and get started! All you need is a email address, your full name, a nickname and of course a password. Then you're good to go!
Their intuitive dashboard actually promotes your creative mind by allowing you to draft your ideas instantly and easily.
Brainstorm to your heart's content:
Svbtle acts like a brainstorming platform that opens up your writing capability allowing you to write more effectively on the topics you want to explore.
You are able to write ideas down and save them. You're screen is then split into two, on one side you can see unpublished ideas and on the other side the published ones.
Your probably thinking: “That doesn’t sound like much.”
Trust us it's a great feature! Once you have your ideas organized and presented in front of you, you'll have an easier time establishing your work.
There isn’t much customization ability with Svbtle but you can edit the accent colors of your theme, add a custom domain and avatars. Because there isn’t much to customize in terms of your blog’s aesthetic it lessens the distractions you’ll have when blogging. Which then let's your mind focus on your work and what you decide to publish.
Furthermore, Svbtle works a little like Medium in that they will present your work on their site to reach a large-scale audience.
Again, you don’t need a fancy title or to have 1 million followers to get your work distributed to other readers, Svbtle only cares about what you have to say.
What’s The Cost?
Free!
Features
Svbtle made an excellent list of all their features on their website. Check it out below and click on the image to find out more.
Our Final Thoughts on Svbtle
We put Svbtle on the list of the best blogging platforms because it's a true writer's platform. It allows you to easily come up with ideas and reach a ton of viewers with you're finished content.
There aren’t any extras, but if you are truly just wanting to work on you're writing craft Svbtle is a great choice.
5. Silvrback: “Providing Writers the Resources for Better Blogging”
Unlike platforms such as Medium or Svbtle, Silvrback is ideal for the blogger that is trying to brand themselves to start their own business. They have a modern user interface that gives you all the control you need. This includes many customizable features and the ability to link your blog with social media platforms and media from other sites.
A special bonus with Silvrback is that your site will never go down because they are built with AWS (Amazon Web Services).
While it’s a great platform for the entrepreneur in mind, one major negative about Silvrback is that it’s was sold a while back and it’s not quite the same in terms of quality as it was before.
What’s The Cost?
Complete access to all features for an annual cost of $29.99.
Features
Silvrback has also listed their features nicely on their site, so you know exactly what your getting. View the screenshot below to see everything Silvrback can offer you.
Our Final Word on Silvrback
Silvrback offers you just the right amount customization needed to make a clean clutter free blog that focuses on what’s important….
….your writing!
Don’t forget: You need to purchase a subscription to their services in order to get the ultimate experience, it may not be worth it to those on a super tight budget. However, we think the cost are minimal and Silvrback is totally worth the small investment.
Choose Your Writing Platform
In our humble opinion, these are the 5 best blogging platforms for writers in 2017. However, there are numerous others out there, all you need to do is find them!
Keep in mind: The best blogging platforms will vary between each blogger. Do your research and pick the best writer-friendly platform that suits your needs and the needs of your blog.
Don’t get discouraged by the mass number of options that are available at your fingertips. If it doesn’t work out or if you change your mind along the way, you can pick another route.
You’re not marrying your platform!
Yet, you take a close look at the platforms and examine a list of blogging sites to get the most information possible before you make a decision.
Ultimately, the end goal is for you to get a beautiful blog with minimal effort so you can focus on your writing and produce the best content possible…
…. because we believe you’re capable!
By doing this, the writing process for your blog will be painless and have minimal distractions. Resulting in you becoming an eager blogger that wants to write more and contribute quality content to your audience.
If you are a writer, there should be nothing stopping you now from starting a blog. Take our list of the best blogging platforms for writers, chose the best one for you and get writing!
Remember: if you are going to be doing more than writing, we suggest choosing WordPress for your blogging platform.
What's Next?
Have you ever used one of these writer friendly platforms? Or do you have some suggestions as to the best blogging platforms for writers? Let us know below in the comment section, we love hearing from our readers.
Maybe your not a writer and you want to know what platform is best for your needs. No problem, check out our guide “Getting You Site Ready to Go Live: Setting Up a Blog”. You will find a great section in there on blog platforms, plus tons of other valuable information.
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