Tools and Resources I Use and Recommend
People often ask me what tools and resources I use for my writing business, and because I want to help as many aspiring writers become published authors as I can, I’ve gone ahead and gathered them all here in one place.
You can also check out my recommended books by frequently visiting my Book Reviews Blog (Which will be growing BIG TIME in the year 2016!)
You can also check out my recommended books by frequently visiting my Book Reviews Blog (Which will be growing BIG TIME in the year 2016!)
Note: Some of these resources are free, and some aren’t. Those that are paid resources are affiliate products or services, meaning if you buy them, I get a commission at no extra cost to you. Be advised, I use all these products and services myself and only recommend those I trust, so I hope they are useful and you can always google them if you don’t want to use my link. Thanks!
Every writer, author, and blogger needs great resources. Here are some that I use and recommend. Hopefully, they’ll add great value to you as they have to me.
For Writing
Scrivener. I’ve just recently come across this amazing tool and will be talking more about it in future blogs posts and articles, but for now, I find this as a God-send and highly recommend it! Especially for self-publishing authors. It’s an amazing writing software, with brilliant drag and drop functionality.
It also has a Compile function which means you can format your own .mobi files for Kindle and .epub files for Kobo, iBookstore and everywhere else. You don’t have to pay a book formatter, and you can update your files with new book files etc. This saves self-publishers SO much money and also time to publication. All for just $45. Amazing.Try it here for Mac and here for Windows. 
Scrivener Training
If you want to optimize your Scrivener usage, e.g. understand which fields do what when you compile your files, then I highly recommend the Learn Scrivener Fast training which is brilliant and can aid you through the learning curve considerably. By The Way... (Here are some writing books every writer should have in their library)
You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One): This best-selling eBook by Jeff Goins, it truly offers practical tips and inspiration for how you can start living the dream and become a real writer by believing you already are one. Bird by Bird: Anne Lamott has a wonderfully unique and frank way of describing life, faith, and writing. This book is worth it if for no other reason than it helps you understand that every first draft is terrible. The job of a writer is to keep going. The War of Art: I don’t know why I went so long without reading this book. Quite simply, this book is a must-read for any aspiring writer. Beware: it will kick your butt. The Writer’s Studio: An hour-long, professionally-recorded audio program Jeff Goins did with a friend about how to build a platform, brand yourself as a writer, and get published. On Writing Well: This writing classic is a must-read for any aspiring author who wants to write nonfiction. Frankly, I’m ashamed it took so long before I picked it up. It’s accessible, challenging, and relevant even after being in publication for several decades. And some say William Zinsser never found his true voice until he wrote this piece. On Writing: This more contemporary approach to writing, by Stephen King, is essential for anyone who wants to be a novelist or writer of fiction. Similar to Zinsser, King pulls no punches and forces you to focus on no-fluff writing that gets to the heart of your message or story. Social Media ManagementBufferapp. If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll know how many articles I share. About 80% of my twitter stream is scheduled, using this tool, usually from my smartphone in between meetings, or on go, etc.
Bufferapp is essentially a scheduling tool, so with a couple of clicks I can add content to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+. By bundling my social media time, I get more done! MarketingPermission Marketing: Seth Godin is renowned for turning traditional business thinking on its head. In his classic, Permission Marketing, he puts the customers, not the marketers, in control of how products are advertised. It’s a classic.
Platform: Michael Hyatt tells you exactly how to build a powerful platform that will get you heard in today’s noisy world. Magnetic Marketing
Want to know how to attract your ideal clients? What to know how to become so irresistible to your potential clients that they become magnetically attracted to you?
Click the image above for information on how you can never have to worry about getting new clients to take interest in your business ever again! And this works for whatever business you may be involved in. Also, check out the Magnetic Marketing Training videos at MagneticMarketingTraining.com. |
For PublishingPersonally, I go direct to Amazon KDP for my eBooks. For print on demand I use Friesen Press (Contact me HERE to get 10% off on your first publishing package!).
Writing a Winning Book Proposal: Publishing veteran Michael Hyatt walks you through the process of crafting a great proposal for your book (whether it’s a novel or the next nonfiction best seller). For Print Formating 
For print formatting, I recommend Joel Friedlander’s Book Design Templates – which can be used for eBooks as well as print. For Web-Hosting and DesignI highly recommend that all aspiring writers and authors, who are serious about a long term writing career, have a self-hosted, professional looking website.
For hosting and designing, I highly recommend Weebly because their learning curve is much easier to get over then it is to learn and master WordPress. Plus, they have great customer service and an easy transfer process if you already have a site. Click here to check out the Weebly options. Email Marketing
For email list management with scalable pricing that is compliant with anti-spam laws, I have found Mailchimp to be invaluable. It is super easy to use and free for the first 2,000 subscribers. Ideal for writers and authors who just want to share their passion and work. Growing a list of fans who want to buy your book is probably the number 1 long term marketing goal for authors and publishing companies. I’ve been using Mailchimp for years and it’s been consistently good. Authors: For the best advice on growing your email list, check out the free video training series on finding your first 10,000 readers from Nick Stephenson. By The Way... I also recommend SumoMe, which is an easy to use tool for growing your email list. It allows you to embed pop ups, scroll boxes, header bars etc. on your Weebly hosted site or any website that allows you to insert a snippet of code. Plus, it works with Mailchimp, Aweber and other email providers. Communities and CoursesTribe Writers: This course is brought to you by bestselling author Jeff Goins and designed for writers and authors and offers a mix of marketing and writing tips that will help you grow in your craft and get your message heard. It’s eight weeks of Jeff's most powerful lessons on how to find your tribe.
Intentional Blogging: This free, 12-week email course delivers a new lesson on blogging every week, straight to your inbox. In this series, Mr. Goins shares his top lessons on the subject. My 500 Words: This is a free Facebook group Jeff Goins started to help people build the habit of daily writing. Online Shopping Carts and Product Distributions SystemsE-Junkie: Easy-to-use online shopping cart. Great for selling eBooks and other simple products. Super cheap and has an easy-to-use affiliate program to help sell other people’s stuff.
Paypal: Basically an online bank account that makes it easy for you to receive payments. SamCart: All I can say at this point is you just got to go check it out for yourself. Think of it as LeadPages for your shopping cart. 
Blogging Tools31 Days to Building a Better Blog: This month-long workbook by Darren Rowse has helped thousands of people get better at blogging, learn how to reach an audience, and start making a profit with their blogs. Whether you’re starting out or ready to go the next level with your blog, this book is worth it.
Compfight: This is the resource I use every day to illustrate my blog posts with beautiful photos that don’t cost me a dime. SumoMe: I have found SumoMe to be invaluable. This resource allows you to take advantage of tools to create sign up forms to gather email addresses, Google Analytics to keep track with where your site traffic is coming from, and so much more. |
