Tools and Resources Recommended by Expert Author 411
The number of tools, apps and other resources for writers is enormous. On this page, I’ve collected all of the ones I use in my business. If you’ve found others and would like to share them with the Expert Author 411 community, simply send me an email with the specifics in order to be considered for our Reader Recommended Section.Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I might earn a small commission. Please note that these are resources and tools, that I’ve either used in the past, or continue to use personally in my business. LGG
Writing and Editing Tools
Scrivener – This is what I use to write my books. The tool was built for writers and makes it easy to outline, write, and compile your book for print
Grammarly – Scans your text for common and complex grammatical mistakes, spanning everything from subject-verb agreement to article use to modifier placement. I recommend it as a self-edit prior to sending to your Beta Readers.
Prowriting Aid Editing tool – Another excellent editing tool for your first draft edit.
Author Platform Tools
Host Monster – Web hosting company to house your Author Platform. You will enjoy one-click WordPress installation. Your annual fee includes a free domain name and excellent customer support in the form of videos, live chat, and phone support
WordPress – There are many free and premium templates to make your author website match your brand.
Email Marketing and List Building
- Aweber – A paid email marketing service that gives you lots of flexibility.
- Mailchimp – If you are looking for a very low learning curve product, start with MailChimp. The first 2000 email addresses are free.
Freelance Services
Fiverr – With prices starting at just $5.00, what’s not to like about this freelance marketplace? I’ve used the service to find everything from graphic artists to proofreaders.
Cabbage Tree Transcription – You can use transcription services to transform audio content into text and add to your manuscript. You can also use it if you’re better at speaking than writing and want an alternative.
Productivity Tools
Evernote – The best web clipper and all around organizer I’ve found. Excellent to capture all of your research, marketing activities and more in convenient notebooks that are automatically synced between the web, desktop, and mobile versions of the tool.
Dropbox – Like Evernote, this tool will sync between your desktop, web, and mobile devices. I use it to house photos and other files related to my business such as letters, and spreadsheets. You can also share individual folders with others which is great for working with a virtual assistant
Selling your books, products, and services
Paypal – Easy to set up an account and Buy buttons to place on your website. Recognized universally as a safe and reliable way to accept credit card payments at a relatively low cost to the seller.