30 Books to Improve Your Writing

Writing is everywhere. Whether you’re an aspiring writer, a blogger, or just someone with a regular 9–5, you need to know how to write properly. We live in a content-driven world, and only those who face that reality and learn to make the best of it will get ahead in life. In a world filled with snappy headlines because nobody has time, character-limited tweets because nobody can focus, and 7-second videos because our attention span is virtually gone, writing is what makes the difference.

To help you improve your writing, I put together a list of 30 of the best books on the subject. They are not sorted in any particular order because I think it’s important to get inspired and browse the shelves like you would in a library. But know that those 30 books fall in 2 main categories: general writing (whether fiction or not), and marketing writing (blogging, branding…)

Hope you enjoy, let’s get to it!

Disclaimer: I do not make any money from links included in this article. The links are only here to make it easy for you to check out the book if you’re interested. To see a book on Amazon, simply click on its cover image.


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1. The Sense of Style

Pinker shows how writing depends on imagination, empathy, coherence, grammatical knowhow, and an ability to savor and reverse engineer the good prose of others. He replaces dogma about usage with reason and evidence, allowing writers and editors to apply the guidelines judiciously, rather than robotically, being mindful of what they are designed to accomplish. Filled with amazing examples, Pinker shows us how the art of writing can be pleasurable, but also good for the brain.


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2. 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost

This is the one guide that anyone who writes — whether student, business person, or professional writer — should put on the desk beside pencil, pen, typewriter, or word processor. Filled with professional tips and a wealth of instructive examples, this valuable, easy-to-use handbook can help you solve most (if not all) of the writing challenges you face every day.


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3. On Writing

Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this book is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must-have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his life as a writer. King is also a great example of the “overnight success” legend. He had to work low-paying jobs for years before hitting it big. It seems like he was just meant to become a world-famous author, but the truth is that he had to work extremely hard on his craft. This book is your guide to doing the same.


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4. Bird by Bird

Another book on being a writer and living the writer’s life. If you have ever wondered what it actually takes to be a writer, what it means to be a writer, then this book is for you. From faith, love, and grace to pain, jealousy, and fear, Lamott insists that you keep your eyes open, and then shows you how to survive. Then, your life as an artist will become your life, period.


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5. Revising Prose

THIS COMPLETE LIST WILL HELP YOU WORK ON ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS OF THE CENTURY

This book deals with revising, not with an original composition. A rather academic guide, it enables writers to work on their own at a steady, detailed revision. While it is designed for students who have to write reports, thesis, and the likes, anyone trying to better their writing will appreciate this guide. This text has been used with success at every level of higher education, in all disciplines, wherever extensive writing is required.


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6. Writing Down the Bones

For more than twenty years Natalie Goldberg has been challenging and cheering on writers with her books and workshops. In her first book, she brings together Zen meditation and writing in a new way. In her opinion, writing practice is no different from other forms of Zen practice — “it is backed by two thousand years of studying the mind.” A really interesting parallel for anyone looking to pair writing with a mindful practice.


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7. Stein On Writing

Useful advice for all writers of fiction and nonfiction, whether newcomers or established professionals, students, or instructors… As Stein says himself: “This is not a book of theory. It is a book of usable solutions — how to fix writing that is flawed, how to improve writing that is good, how to create interesting writing in the first place.” The book is filled with amazing examples from bestsellers as well as from students’ drafts. The review details are great too, with sections on characterisation, dialogue, pacing, flashbacks, trimming away useless wording, the “triage” method of revision, and much more. A must-read.


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8. The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need

Produce writing that is clear, concise, and grammatically excellent. Whether you’re creating perfect professional documents, school papers, personal letters, or even blog articles, you’ll find this handbook invaluable. From word choice to punctuation to organisation, English teacher Susan Thurman guides you through getting your thoughts on paper with polish, and articulation.


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9. The Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition)

In the 1890s, a proofreader at the University of Chicago Press prepared a single sheet of typographic fundamentals intended as a guide for the University community. That sheet grew into a pamphlet, and the pamphlet grew into a book. Sixteen editions later, the same book offers the wisdom of. over a hundred years of editorial practice while including a wealth of new topics and updated perspectives. For anyone who works with words, whether on a page or computer screen, this continues to be a reference book you simply must-have.


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10. The Elements of Style (4th Edition)

A short and efficient guide (105 pages) on style and writing skills. The emphasis is on promoting a plain English style and removing unnecessary information. Make your sentences lighter, communicate more effectively, stay true to English.


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11. Writing Tools

One of America’s most influential writing teachers offers a toolbox from which writers of all kinds can draw practical inspiration. Everything from the most basic tools (like removing adverbs) to the more complex ones. The book includes more than 200 examples from literature and journalism to illustrate all the tools and concepts. Whether you want to write a blog, a book, an email, a memo, or even a Powerpoint presentation, this book is a must-read.


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12. Zen in the Art of Writing

Another book that brings out the mindful side of writing. It is more than just a how-to manual. It is a celebration of the act of writing itself that will delight, impassion, and inspire the writer in you. Bradbury encourages us to follow the unique path of our instincts and enthusiasms to the place where our inner genius lies, and he shows that success as a writer depends on how well you know one subject: your own life.


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13. On Writing Well

A book for everybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some writing to get through the day, as almost everybody does in these modern times (e-mail, text messages…). Whatever subject you want to write about, this books offers fundamental principles as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher. With more than a million copies sold, you can’t go wrong with this guide.


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14. Story Genius

Lisa Cron’s insights on how story structure is built into the architecture of the brain will show you the way from a raw idea in your brain to a scene-by-scene unfolding of a perfect story. Once you reach the end of Cron’s program, you will have both a blueprint that works and plenty of compelling writing suitable for your finished novel — allowing you to write forward with confidence.


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15. The Artist’s Way

The number one international bestseller on the subject of creativity. Millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life, whether in writing or other disciplines. Published over a decade ago, it is still extremely relevant, perhaps more than ever in an age where anyone can post their work online.


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16. Building a StoryBrand

New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller uses the seven universal elements of powerful stories to teach readers how to dramatically improve how they connect with customers and grow their businesses. This is definitely a marketing-oriented book for people who are looking to build a consumer audience more than a devoted reading audience. Miller’s method for connecting with customers provides readers with the ultimate competitive advantage, revealing the secret for helping their audience understand the compelling benefits of using their products, ideas, or services.


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17. How to Blog a Book

Create a blog book with a well-honed and uniquely angled subject and targeted posts, and ultimately build the audience necessary to convince agents and publishers to make your blog into a book. It’s a very interesting case study and is filled with a ton of marketing advice.


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18. Steal Like an Artist

Pablo Picasso said: “Good artists copy, great artists steal”. That’s exactly the core idea of the book. Creativity is a story of copying, modifying and merging things together to find your own style. But it’s never about you figuring out everything on your own, that’s impossible. You don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself. That’s the message from Austin Kleon. His book is filled with awesome illustrations to explain his concepts, and a ton of advice on how to couple your creativity with all the digital tools available in the modern age.


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19. Show Your Work!

Steal like an Artist (mentioned above) went on to become a New York Times bestseller. In this sequel, Austin Kleon shows us how to get exposure for that creativity we learned to master in his first book. Show Your Work! is about making your work easy to find, using the right networks, growing your audience, promoting your content… It’s also about realising that everything in showing your work is a process of self-discovery that will transform you as a creator.


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20. Everybody Writes

A go-to guide to attracting and retaining customers through online communication. In a content-driven world, everyone is a writer. If you have a website, you are a publisher. If you are on social media, you are in marketing. And that means that we are all relying on our words to carry our marketing messages. Writing matters now more than ever because it is everywhere, and you will need it to launch any type of online business. In Everybody Writes, top marketing veteran Ann Handley gives expert guidance and insight into the process and strategy of content creation, production and publishing.


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21. The War of Art

Steven Pressfield delivers a guide to inspire and support those who struggle to express their creativity. Pressfield believes that “resistance” is the greatest enemy, and he offers many unique and helpful ways to overcome it. Creativity is first and foremost about winning an inner battle with yourself. Once that war is over, then the creator in you will thrive.


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22. Reading Like a Writer

Just like the musician should always listen to music to get better at his craft, the writer should always read. When you pay attention to the work of others before you, you learn from the masters. Francine Prose takes you on a guided tour of the tools and the tricks of these masters to discover what makes their work so good and timeless. This book will inspire you to return to literature with a fresh eye and an eager heart.


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23. Eats Shoots & Leaves

Another guide to proper grammar. Lynne Truss is concerned about our current grammatical state. She’s a true believer in commas and semicolons and sees them as an absolute necessity when writing. Using examples from literature, history, neighborhood signage, and her own imagination, Truss shows how meaning is shaped by commas and apostrophes. The examples she uses are very funny and so striking you will definitely remember them.


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24. No Plot? No Problem!

Chris Baty is the founder of the National Novel Writing Month. His goal: to show you how to create a novel from scratch, through four exciting weeks of hardcore writing. Whether you’re a first-time novelist who just can’t seem to get pen to paper or a writer looking for a great creative challenge, this is the adventure for you.


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25. Steering the Craft

This book is a bestseller and has had 10 editions published to date. Le Guin lays out 10 chapters that address the most fundamental components of narrative, from the sound of language to sentence construction to point of view. Each chapter finishes off with great writing exercises. Le Guin also offers a comprehensive guide to working in writing groups, both physically and online.


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26. If You Want to Write

Brenda Ueland published six million words over the course of 93 years. Needless to say she knows a thing or two about writing. She’s had only 2 rules to follow without fail: to tell the truth, and not to do anything she didn’t want to do. Her integrity shines throughout If You Want to Write, her best-selling classic on the process of writing that has already inspired thousands to find their own creative center.


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27. Story Engineering

From story concept to character development to scene construction and beyond, this book helps you learn the big picture of storytelling at a professional level. It does so through a fresh approach on how to combine 4 core competencies: concept, character, theme, and story structure. This book is definitely aimed at people looking to fictional stories, and less at bloggers (unless you’re working on publishing your stories on a blog).


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28. Blog, Inc.

Another book definitely marketing oriented, for people looking to make a profit (or even a living) from their blog. This is not only about writing, but also about the technicalities of online blogging. Joy Cho gives expert advice on starting and growing a blog, from design and finance to overcoming blogger’s block, attracting readers, responding to comments, finding content for inspiration, developing an online tone of voice, partnering with sponsors…


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29. The One Hour Content Plan

While the title does sound like a quick-fix salesy course type of thing, I truly believe that intensive creative exercises like this one can make one a better writer. This guide will not only help you to come up with a ton of content ideas, but it will also determine your brand voice, introduce you to the 5 types of content your audience is looking for, and much more.


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30. Writing That Works

Now in its third edition, this completely updated classic has been expanded to include all new advice on e-mail and the e-writing world, plus a fresh point of view on political correctness. This business guide will help you write better for any content you may have to work with: presentations, memos, emails, letters, résumés, speeches…

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