25 Long-Form Publishing Platforms Every Photographer Should Know
We’re hooked on storytelling, and these online products make your photo essays sing
Long-form publishing for the independent creator used to be a tricky proposition. You needed either coding skills or a tolerance for images at 660 pixels wide. But, in the past few years, a flood of game-changing products have hit the marketplace. Incorporating full bleed images, long scroll, intuitive editing, easy UI and zero ads(!), this new breed of long-form publishing has freed writers creatives and photographers alike.
When stories are made easier to tell and share then more stories will be told and shared.
I argued recently that Instagram is a gateway drug for storytellers — people cut their chops using simple mobile apps, vids, Vines, images and snippets; get the storytelling bug; and move on to lengthier and more involved forms of the storytelling craft.
What distinguishes the platforms on this list from similar products of the past is that they all integrate to some degree across devices. They make storytelling easy. From anywhere.
Welcome to long-form mobile publishing.
This is not an exhaustive list but it’s a good start. Feel free to add your suggestions at the bottom. Hope this is useful!
Adobe Slate
Make a beautiful visual story. In minutes.
Atavist (Creatavist)
Compose brilliantly, design beautifully, publish easily, and even sell. No coding required.
Backspaces
What’s Your Story?
Explory
Explory makes it easy to tell rich, compelling stories. It’s a studio in your pocket.
Exposure
Do something meaningful with your photos.
Facebook Instant Articles
A new tool for publishers to create fast, interactive articles on Facebook.
Flame Blast
Record. Mix. Share.
Ghost
Ghost is a simple, powerful publishing platform that allows you to share your stories with the world.
Graft
Enabling digital storytellers to design & publish mobile content experiences.
LinkedIn Pulse
The news and insights you need to know.
Maptia
Welcome to a world of stories.
Medium
Medium connects people, stories, and ideas that matter to you.
Narrative.ly
Narratively is a platform devoted to untold human stories.
NewHive
We believe that your life is a blank canvas + you decide what goes on it.
Shadow Puppet
Easily capture and share student work.
Shorthand Social & Pro
Social: Create stories that are meant to be shared. Pro: The simple way to create powerful stories.
Showzee
Showzee lets you turn your photos & videos into short & beautiful experiences.
Sinapps
Create your website, publish your stories and build your community.
Stampsy
A single place to share, curate and discover visual content that tells a story.
Steller
Everyone has a story to tell. Tell yours with photos, videos, and text.
Storehouse
Capture, create, and explore the world around you with photos and videos.
Storied
Brand storytelling for the mobile age.
StoryAppy
Collaborative story writing for everyone.
Sway
Reimagine the way your ideas come to life.
VSCO Journal
A showcase of exceptional images from around the globe.
See a platform missing?
Let’s collectively make a long-form list of long-form storytelling platforms?Drop me an email or leave a recommendation in the Responses below. Thanks!
Cliff Englert is a creative and editorial consultant based in San Francisco. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
