It can feel overwhelming to figure out what tools are worth your time and money. So today, I’m breaking it down to the essentials. These are the tools that will actually make your self-publishing journey smoother, more professional, and yes, even more fun.
Alright, starting with writing. If you’re still using plain old Word, that’s fine, but I have to recommend Scrivener. It’s built specifically for writers, and it’s a game-changer for organizing longer projects. You can move scenes around, store research in the same place as your manuscript, and basically keep everything tidy and accessible. And if Scrivener feels like too much, Google Docs is a great alternative for collaboration and easy access across devices.
Next up, editing. Self-editing is great, but at some point, you’re going to need a fresh pair of eyes—or software that acts like one. For grammar and style, tools like Grammarly or ProWritingAid are fantastic. They catch those small errors we all miss and help tighten up your writing. But, and this is important, they’re not a substitute for a professional editor. If your budget allows, hiring a human editor for at least a developmental or line edit is one of the best investments you can make.
Let’s move to book design. For your cover, Canva can work in a pinch, but I’ll be honest—if you’re serious about your book, hire a professional designer. A bad cover can sink even the best book. But for interior formatting, tools like Vellum are incredible, especially if you’re on a Mac. It’s super intuitive and creates beautifully formatted eBooks and print files with just a few clicks. If you’re on a PC, Atticus is a newer option that’s getting great reviews.
Now, let’s talk about publishing platforms. For most authors, Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is the go-to. It’s straightforward, and their reach is massive. If you’re going wide—meaning, selling on platforms beyond Amazon—look into Draft2Digital. It’s an aggregator that distributes your book to multiple platforms like Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, all from one dashboard.
When it comes to marketing, a good email service provider is a must. I mentioned this before, but MailerLite and ConvertKit are excellent options. They make it easy to create newsletters, track your readers, and build relationships. For social media, tools like Buffer or Hootsuite can help you schedule posts and stay consistent without feeling glued to your phone.
And speaking of staying organized, let’s not forget project management tools. Trello and Notion are two of my favorites. Trello is great for visual thinkers—you can create boards for different stages of your book project and move tasks around as you go. Notion is more flexible and lets you build out pages for literally anything—writing goals, character profiles, marketing plans—you name it.
Finally, analytics. Once your book is out there, you’ll want to track its performance. Amazon’s KDP dashboard gives you basic sales data, but if you want deeper insights, BookReport is a handy tool that visualizes your royalties in a super clear way. And for advertising, tools like Publisher Rocket can help you find the best keywords for Amazon ads or even figure out the right categories for your book.
So, those are the essentials. Scrivener for writing, Grammarly for editing, Vellum for formatting, KDP for publishing, MailerLite for email, and Trello or Notion for staying organized. Start with what makes sense for your budget and workflow, and add more as you go. Remember, tools are here to make your life easier, not more complicated. You’ve got this!