Every great writer needs great resources. Here are a list of the ones I use and recommend. I hope they help you as much as they have help me.
Some of these resources are free, some of them are not. The paid items below are known as Affiliate product and services, meaning if you buy them, I get a commission at no extra cost to you. Please note that I have personally used all the resources below and that is why I can honestly recommend them to you.
I absolutely love this writing program. I think I was one of the first people to start using it back in 2014. After sampling Scrivener’s free trial for 30 days I was hooked. This program not only allow you to write and compose your next great american novel with ease, it gives you complete control of the formatting. It also has a feature to convert your written words into an ebook ready document in minutes! Scrivener also comes a tutorial section to get you started and familiarizing yourself with the ins and outs. The best part is it’s only a one time fee of $45. Try it out today, guaranteed you will like it.
Every writer needs an editor. Weather it is a real person or a software program. This is something you should not skip. Grammarly is a great online editor to have. It is easy and affordable. They have plans where you can pay monthly, quarterly or annually. They allow you to try it free for 7 days. I guarantee you will be hooked. Don’t publish without an editor of some kind.
I absolutely love this keyword research tool. I honestly believe this was one of the main components that helped me sell over 100k copies of my very first series My Man’s Best Friend on Amazon. KDP Rocket is a self-publishing software that will that will help you find kindle keywords and profitable book ideas by showing you how many people are interested and how much you can make with each as well as the level of competition. It’s risk free and comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. Try it out!
Of course Amazon is the largest product distributor in the world, reaching millions of customers each day. If you are serious about selling your novel online then placing it on Amazon is the way to go. Kindle has become the number one seller of ebooks worldwide.
The Nook Press is also a platform that writers can benefit from uploading their books online. Selling your books on Barnes and Noble may not be as lucrative as Amazon, but I say, every little bit helps and you should never put all your eggs into one basket.
This is another great platform to upload your book on. As a global publisher and distributor, Smashwords can distribute your books to the Apple iBookstore (32 countries), Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Using online distributors is a great way to get your book multiple online bookstores, reaching hundreds and thousands of readers.
WordPress – All of my blogs use WordPress. The #1 blog Publishing platform. The best part about WordPress is that it is free and very easy to use.
Genesis Framework – Premium themes are all the rage right now. If you are thinking of taking your writing and blogging to the next level, I highly recommend investing in a premium theme. Genesis is a great choice; they have tons of themes to pick from. They are also known to give away themes for free. Go and check them out.
ConvertKit – They target a section of the market affectionally called “creators”. So, people like vloggers, bloggers, authors, Instagram stars, course creators and more.
One of its biggest selling points is how easy it is to create email automation workflows. It relies upon a visual builder, so you can actually see how your email sequences will play out.
Mail chimp – Mail Chimp is a simple to use email marketing tool for bloggers and smaller websites as it comes with a free plan.
Mail Chimp not only has a cute company mascot, but they’re one of the leading email marketing providers, with over 1 billion emails sent a day using their service.
Fiverr – This site is a great resource for writers on a budget. Every gig is pretty much five dollars. They offer a variety of services, but as a writer, you can use it for outsourcing article writing, e-book editing, cover design as well as formatting. I have used this site many times and had lots of success.
Upwork – Formally known as ODesk, Upwork is a freelancing platform for writers, editors and designers. I have used this platform for a lot of my blogging needs. You can set your own fee and people will submit their resume. They have all levels of writers on this platform to chose from. Also, if you’d like to make some extra money as a writer, this is a great site to become a freelancer yourself. Head over to the site and check them out.
99 Designs – This is a great site if you ever think you may need a logo for your company or blog. The way 99Designs works is that you submit your request, then designers bid on your work. If you are looking for a variety of styles from multiple designers than give this sit a try. I have used them in the past for a few book coves and it was a good experience.
Write to Market – A no-nonsense guide for writers, filled with lots of information on how to pick an appropriate subject matter to write to attract an audience and reviews.
On Writing Well – If you’ve ever thought about writing non- fiction (which I have) this is an excellent book to pick up. A friend recommended this book to and I am grateful for it.
On Writing – One of the best books on writing out there. It’s no secret that Stephen King is the king of fiction. I highly recommend this for your library.
Writing Down The Bones – I read this book a few years ago when I was in a slump. This book takes you from being unmotivated to productive by the end of the book. The author is motivational and insightful. I learned a lot reading this book and I know you will too.
Creating Unforgettable Characters – This book is an absolute must for all writers who want to create characters that jump off the page. Character development is extremely important in the success of your book, something that no writer should take lightly. This is a definite oldie but a goodie and may only be available in paperback.
The First Five Pages – If you want your novel to stand out then you need this book. I read this book before I started on my journey as an author. This book explains the importance of creating the best first 5 pages you can muster up to capture and hook your reader for the long haul. Everything hinges on those first 5 pages.
Save The Cat – Novelist Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story-structure guide for novelists that applies the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of novel writing. Revealing the 15 “beats” (plot points) that comprise a successful story–from the opening image to the finale