We asked established authors what tools they use, trust and recommend as part of their author platform. Here are their top 5 author tools…
Writers have always used tools of some kind from the humble paper and pen, to the keyboard, which has grown into laptops, double screen desktops with ergonomic gamer chairs, to sit behind large desks topped with pine-coffee-soy-scented candles to offset their extreme lighting, while listening to the Tibetan Sound bath for motivational music.
Um, maybe not so extreme.
But there are various tools authors use when it comes to building and maintaining their author platform.
The following are not in any order, but we’ll start with an important one – what do we write with…
1: MICROSOFT WORD
Microsoft Word is a tool used for all forms of writing.
Most mentioned Microsoft’s annual plan, which comes with a handy cloud backup that has been a relief to some when accidentally deleting their manuscripts, or when their PC has a hissy fit.
Many mentioned that they also find it easy to access Word from all areas beyond their PC, phone, tablet etc making it handy to do some quick editing while out and about.
The next close contenders were Google Docs and Scrivener.
2. BLUEHOST & WORDPRESS
Every professional author has a website of some kind and there are many who use WordPress and Bluehost.
Although, many agreed it was a HUGE learning curve, where days were spent swearing profusely over the keyboard!
Let’s just say it’s a challenge when you first start.
But once clued in, many found the ease of adding to your author’s website, where it can grow as your author career grows, like building your ow bookstore.
Extra points mentioned over Bluehost were:
The auto-renewal of the domain name:
Never get caught out not having your domain name registered, which has happened to a few authors.
Even the 30th Australian Prime Minister forgot to renew his own domain name where a random stranger bought it for $50 and had a blast – it made the news!
The Professional Email Addresses:
When you join Bluehost, included in the package are professional email addresses that you can turn into whatever you like, such as:
- hello@author.com
- reception@yourauthorname.com
- Imtoobusytoansweryourcall@famousauthoraname.com
Makes you feel like the real deal, huh?
3. MAILERLITE
Mailerlite was a popular choice for the author newsletter with its easy-to-follow video tutorials.
The extra touches that made Mailerlite popular with authors were:
Landing pages:
Mailerlite’s landing pages came in as a big plus for authors who wanted to run limited-time book competitions.
The Links:
Mailerlite has all of the author links you could need like Goodreads, Bookbub and Amazon to help you gain more reviews and sell more books!
4. CANVA
No secret we love CANVA and went into detail on their pros and cons HERE.
And it seems our secret is out!
Many authors take advantage of this tool that allows them to create video book ads, Instagram reels, book covers, TikTok spiels etc. all while keeping in line with their author brand.
Oh, and now you can schedule your social media content (those fancy book ads you made from Canva to then post them directly onto your social media feeds!
5. PROWRITING AID
Prowriting Aid is an online editing tool that many use directly in Word.
Although many use Grammarly when online, it was surprising that Prowriting Aid came out on top as one of the most preferred tools for online editing.
We use both.
So you be the judge.
WHICH AUTHOR TOOL IS FOR YOU?
There are so many author tools out there, with more being created daily that we like testing these new gadgets, and we’re happy to share the results.
For those we recommend, use and trust, they earn a place on the AUTHOR’S TOOLKIT PAGE HERE.
The beauty is most of these author tools are free. Some may work for you, some may not, but their job is to make life easier for you.
Of course, like that new pair of shoes, there is always an adjustment period, so we recommend you try out the various author tools.
And if you have a favourite author tool we haven’t mentioned, let us know.
MORE FREE AUTHOR TOOLS:
We couldn’t let you go until we shared these easy-to-use author tools you can access almost anywhere. And they’re free.
All you have to do is tell us where to send them…
🟠To help grow & maintain your author platform try the Author’s Masterlist
🟠Keep on track with your author goals with this Author’s Wordcount Tool
🟠Author Monthly Goals Kit- because we all want to be more organised!
