10 Applications and Resources Self-Published Authors Should Consider Using
There are tons of lists out there that suggest all successful writers should use “x”. I don’t agree with that by any means–human persons are far too different to box in with such restrictions. There are also far too many tools out there to claim you know the very best of the best. These are just the ones that work for me (some free, some not).
Ready, set, the list!
- Scrivener — $50
I spend years compiling notes and ideas before I begin a novel. (For more info on my process, read this article.) If I didn’t have Scrivener, I’d have a document filled with line after line of notes to myself–broken thoughts and names of characters, half-written scenes and songs that should end up on a playlist one day. With Scrivener, I have labelled Text pages and Folders, even full-length websites saved as a screenshot.
Is that all it has to offer? Absolutely not. It’s got Sticky Notes, Dictation, a pretty neat voice that reads my work to me when I’m at that stage in editing, and a comment section that’s handier than any I’ve used.
Oh, and it saves in a bunch of formats in super customizable ways. I won’t go on too much because there are tons of how-to videos that will be much better at explaining that. But let’s just say, I’ve never gone without an update–even when it cost an additional $25 (which has happened once that I can recall in years).
2. Grammarly — free or $140 a year
If you’re like a lot of writers I know–myself included–you write faster than you think. Making sure your creativity gets on the page is more important (at first) than error-free work. “She’s on her way” may show up as “She’d in her way.” For a first draft, that’s fine. For a final, not so much. That’s where Grammarly comes in.
Okay, the free version is great. I have it on my phone and computer. My husband uses it, as does a good portion of everyone I know.
That being said, I suggest you consider upping your game and getting the Premium yearly subscription. I know. The price tag makes me cringe too. I won’t lie; I’ve asked for it for Christmas before when times were tight (Hubs is a teacher, and I’m disabled). That should tell you, though, how much value I see in it.
The goal setting with each new document alone is worth the cost. What’s your audience base: general public or academic? How formal is the work? What’s the tone? With those questions–and more–you get fewer comments on errors you’ll want to ignore, and every grammatical error pointed out will be more focused. But remember, it’s still a program. It will totally think your character named “Toporitha” is spelled wrong. Don’t get mad.
For more of my thoughts on editing (and my process) read my articles “Editing–My Least Favorite, Favorite Part” and “How I Write and Edit A novel In 23 Steps (Plus 4 More For Self-Publishing Authors)”.
3. Aeon Timeline — $50
If you’re like me, you mention times or dates in your novels–even in passing. Some readers are passive and won’t notice. Others definitely will. This timeline program is so comprehensive–with color-coded events, locking abilities, and a ton of things I haven’t used yet if I’m being honest.
I’ve only done the simple timeline with it thus far, but there are so many features I’m tinkering with. Each date has a note section so you can add quotes from your characters or reminders to yourself to go back and add something later on in the book about that moment in time. Oh, and it goes back to the beginning of time (ish) and into the future.
I’m a person who makes elaborate timelines–from the birth of my characters to the last second you see them in the book. Any memory they have has a day; any mention of an important character has a birthday too. What’s the reason I go into this much detail when no one but me sees it? I may use it later.
For instance, one of my characters mentions a memory in passing. Later, I may decide it would be a great moment to flesh out. But what of her age? What was her state of mind at that age? Would she have met the people she mentioned by then? Does she live in the same town? These are things that add richness to stories. Look back at some of your favorites, and you’ll see what I mean.
Even with brilliantly plotted timelines, things can still go wrong. You’ll miss something or have a typo. I know I’ve found one (in an already published work). Remember: “pobody’s nerfect” — The Good Place.
4. Hemingway — free or $20
Often I write sentences with two-dollar words, then follow it up with “See spot run.” It’s not on purpose, but it’s why first drafts need second ones. Hemingway is great for pointing out the readability of your work–to a fault sometimes. It will highlight the words it sees as a problem (as shown in the picture), then they are color-coded with options such as “adverbs,” “sentences very hard to read,” and “passive voice.”
This one is hit or miss, thus the word “consider” in the title of the article. First off, there is a small version online that you can test out for free. That version super limited, as it only allows for a few paragraphs at a time. If you’re a novelist, you’ll find it annoying–almost assuredly.
I’ve had some serious success with it. Hemingway was great at pointing my bad habit of using passive voice when I meant to use active. It’s also helped me focus in on which weak words I use more often than others–some I’ll probably never stop using.
On the other hand, it doesn’t like -ing words no matter if they are active or not. And it sometimes tries to dumb down those two-dollar words to a ludicrous level. As writers, we are good at ignoring things we don’t want to hear, though. So it’s worth checking out.
5. Unsplash — free
Ever want your website, book cover, marketing material, or social media platforms to look like Pinterest threw up on them? Of course you have. Well, Unsplash gives you those, royalty-free no less. There are no hidden fees, and you don’t even have to make a login if you don’t want to. The website is just beautiful images shared by beautiful souls who want you to put their work out into the world.
I can’t gush enough about how amazing their search feature is, how wonderful the images are, and how large and clear the downloads are. I just ask of you one thing–again, as someone who is truly getting nothing out of this–please give the photographers some love. I’ve known lots of them over the years, and that’s how they get noticed.
6. dafont — depends, but a ton are free
I’m obsessed with typography. And I mean obsessed. This website has a filter, so you can look for just the free fonts–unless you don’t mind paying (up to $100). Overall, I’ve got 154 fonts and have paid for one of them. I regret nothing about paying for the one but have used the others more than the paid ones. Font is so important in setting the tone for your novel.
If you have huge blocky letters on the cover of your historical romance novel, your readers may be confused.
You have mere seconds to get people’s attention. Seconds. That’s not a lot of time. You’re not Stephen King, so you don’t get an auto-click and synopsis read (or auto-buy). You want your cover to tell your audience, “Hello! My book is genre X.”
Sometimes, that’s not possible. My suspense novel gives mixed messages because there are candies and a ribbon on the cover. But the fonts are right, it says what I want, and it’s striking enough that people are clicking.
Just keep this all in mind, is what I’m saying. Don’t use squiggling letters that are unreadable because they remind you of that one horror movie either. Readability is important. If this seems of interest to enough people, I’ll share more insights in another article. Let me know!
7. Gimp — free
Photoshop is insanely expensive. Gimp is free. Book covers can get costly. With Gimp, royalty-free photos, and a really lovely font, you can save yourself some serious dough. There’s a bit of a learning curve. However, if you’re reading this article, you’ve already accepted learning new things as a part of the writing lifestyle.
8. Mockup Book Sites — free
You can make your book look beautiful, even before it exists with book mockups. I wrote a whole thing on it here, where there is a list of some of my favorites (all free).
9. Vellum (for Mac) — $250
I’ll make this one short and sweet: it makes formatting the inside of your novel so easy. It takes a little getting used to; after you get the hang of it, there’s nothing like it. True, it’s one huge lump sum that makes you turn away from the computer as you hit purchase. But look at it as an investment. No more paying people to format the insides for you or using online programs that don’t always work or rely on constant access to the internet, which we all know can go cattywampus at any moment.
10. Photopea — free
I use Gimp almost exclusively. However, some book mockup sites give you PSD files. If you aren’t familiar, they are specific to Photoshop. The easiest way to work with the system is to use this online, limited Photoshop. Essentially you open the PSD file via the website and use it as if it’s Gimp. There are tons of tutorials on it. I’m a firm believer in getting things for free, especially when they are offered that way to some of the population. This is how you become that part.
Note: I’m not partnered with any of these companies. I’m just a big believer in these tools.
