Resources
Gear and Tech for Self-Publishers and Writers
Self-Publishing
Vellum
One of the most important things you can do as a self-published author is treat your reader right by giving them a book with high-quality formatting. The best tool for this is Vellum. It has a clean UI, is relatively simple to use, and when you know it well, can allow you to create beautifully formatted books without the hassle of other programs.
Canva
If you’re serious about making a living as writer, you’ll need to develop a personal brand. That means YouTube banners, website design, and a whole host of other things. For this, I use the paid version of Canva. Canva may be simple and easy to use, but it’s also an incredibly powerful graphic design tool.
Publisher Rocket
A program that allows you to see the demand and market for books you’ve written or might be thinking about writing. Type in some keywords, and you’ll be able to see all kinds of valuable information, like the average page count, average monthly earnings, and the estimated Amazon searches per month. Writing shouldn’t be all about the money, but we don’t want to be starving artists here, either.
KD Spy
Similar to Publisher Rocket but a browser extension, KD Spy allows you to search keywords on Amazon, and then see the data relating to those keywords. KD Spy is quite similar to Publisher Rocket, but both can be used in conjunction with one another to give you a full-spectrum understanding of your niche.
Writing
Scrivener
Whether you’re a non-fiction or fiction writer, Scrivener should be your go-to tool for developing, writing, and editing. It’s a powerful off-the cloud tool that really isn’t as treacherous or hard to use as you might imagine. Once you spend quite a few hours in it, that is.
Microsoft Word
I would say Microsoft Word and PowerPoint are essential programs to understand in today’s digital age. And although Word may not be specific for writers, it is a completely capable program in which to write your first book, especially if you already have it installed and want to give writing a try without spending $60.00 for Scrivener.
ProWriting Aid
Lord Willing, you’re eventually going to get your book finished. Or, should I say, mostly done. Because after you’ve written it, you’ll need to edit it and remove grammatical errors. You need to fine tune your work before sending it out to the world, after all. And ProWriting Aid is the perfect tool for the job, especially considering that it has special features that may prove helpful to us writers.
Leuchtturm 1917
Although I use this notebook for personal planning, if you are more of a “longhander” when it comes to developing or writing your books, Leuchtturm is a great way to go. The paper is smooth and thick with a little over 200 pages.
Muji Gel Pen
This pen has a very fine line, and may be good for handwritten edits to your work, whether written in a notebook or printed on paper.
Pilot Gel Pen
Every writer should have a good pen with steady black ink. That’s why you should use gel pens over the typical ballpoint pens you can find at your local bank. Affordable and reliable, these Pilot pens are a great bang for the buck. You should definitely give these pens a try if you haven’t already jumped on the gel pen wagon.
Dixon Ticonderoga Black Pencil
I first saw these pencils on a History Channel documentary show. Why use these? For when you want the feel of an old-school pencil without the look of an old-school pencil. Or when you just want to feel sophisticated for no real reason. I mean, after all, it's just a pencil... Or is it?