Beta testers for the Fictate™ app!

Y’all, I’ve rarely been more excited to post about something publicly than this…

For years, I’ve shared about how I write my novels by speaking them instead of typing. And for just as long (and longer), I've watched authors try dictation and bounce off the technology: tools built for doctors and lawyers that butcher character names, garble dialogue, and leave you with a cleanup job longer than the drafting.

So I finally designed the tool I always wanted:

Fictate™

It's the only app I know of built specifically for dictating fiction authors. Hence the name! And I intend for it to become the best dictation app for fiction authors in the world. You speak your story, and Fictate™ hands you the cleanest possible transcript, ready for you to drop into Scrivener or Word or whatever your primary writing tool is.

The feature I'm most excited for you to try: your own dictionary. Add your character names, invented places, and unusual terms once, and Fictate™ transcribes them your way, every time, in any language you're writing. That one thing removes the biggest frustration that's kept fiction writers away from dictation, and it will save you oodles of time you'd otherwise spend hunting down every misspelled name.

It launches publicly this August. Right now it's in beta, and the app is totally free while we're in beta. Becoming the best doesn't happen in a vacuum—it happens with real authors dictating real stories and telling me what they need. That's you:

✓ Full access to Fictate™ during the beta, at no cost

✓ Your feedback shapes the app before launch—straight to me from inside the app

✓ Works on iPhone, Android, and in your browser on Mac or PC

Right now, during the beta, Fictate™ is completely free for you if you join as a tester. That changes once it launches publicly in August and pricing kicks in for everyone, including beta testers. Take advantage of it now!

Never dictated before? The beta is the no-pressure way to try. Speak a scene, a character sketch, a journal entry—you might be surprised how naturally it comes once the tech stops fighting you…

“I've only used this app for about a day, but I'm already so impressed with it! I previously had to use multiple apps/tools (with multiple subscriptions) to do what Fictate does — and Fictate does it better. Loving this app so much!!”—Laura, author

“It just works. Rather than fidgeting with the app, I'm able to just login and start dictating and transcribing. It's great for beginners like me.”—Cliff Hamrick, LPC-S, author

“Wow! This is the only dictation app I've ever tried that coped completely with my northern British accent! It's WONDERFUL! Every word I said, spelt correctly too. It worked out of the box! Well done!”—Sharon, UK, author

I'm looking for more authors to put it through its paces before it opens to the public. Takes about a minute to apply:

fictateapp.com/beta?src=authormedia

Beta sign-ups close Monday, August 3. Would love to hear what y’all think!