Are you an author or aspiring author looking to improve your writing, boost productivity, and effectively promote your work?
In today’s digital age, countless online tools are available to help you achieve these goals. From writing and editing tools to productivity and marketing tools, there is no shortage of resources at your fingertips.
This post will explore some of the best online tools for authors, including Scrivener, Grammarly, Trello, BookBub, and the powerful AI-powered marketing platform Book Blaster. Utilizing these tools can enhance your writing and publishing journey, increase book sales, and grow your online presence.
Let’s dive in and discover how these tools can take your writing career to the next level!
Scrivener is a popular word processor and project management tool designed for writers. It allows you to organize your writing into manageable sections and keep track of your research and notes in one place. Scrivener also offers a range of formatting tools, making it easy to export your work to various file formats. While Scrivener is not free, it does provide a free trial, and it’s an excellent investment for serious writers who want to take their writing to the next level.
Google Docs is a free online document editor allowing you to create and share documents with others. It’s an excellent tool for collaborative writing, as multiple people can work on a document simultaneously. Google Docs also offers a range of formatting tools, making it easy to create professional-looking documents. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of some paid writing tools, Google Docs is an excellent option for authors on a budget.
Hemingway Editor is an online tool that helps you write better by highlighting common errors and making suggestions to improve your writing. It identifies sentences that are too long, words that are too complex, and other issues that can make your writing less clear and compelling. Hemingway Editor also provides a readability score, which can help you understand how easy or difficult your writing is to read. While the free version of Hemingway Editor is limited, it’s an excellent tool for authors who want to improve their writing.
ProWritingAid is a comprehensive writing editor that helps you improve your grammar, punctuation, and style. It identifies errors such as spelling mistakes, passive voice, and overused words and provides suggestions to help you improve your writing. ProWritingAid also offers a range of features to help you analyze your writing, including a readability score, a thesaurus, and a contextual thesaurus. While ProWritingAid is not free, it offers a free trial and a range of pricing plans to suit different budgets.
Grammarly is an automated proofreader and grammar checker that helps you identify and correct mistakes in your writing. It’s available as a browser extension or a desktop app, and it’s compatible with various writing platforms, including Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Scrivener. Grammarly not only checks for grammar and spelling errors, but it also suggests improvements to your writing style, helping you to write more clearly and effectively. While the free version of Grammarly is limited, it’s an excellent tool for authors who want to improve their writing on a budget.
Reedsy is a marketplace that connects authors with experienced editors, copy editors, and proofreaders. It also offers a range of other writing and publishing tools, including a book cover design tool, an ebook conversion tool, and a writing prompt generator. While Reedsy’s services are not free, it’s an excellent resource for authors on a budget who want to work with experienced professionals to improve their writing.
AutoCrit is an online editing tool that helps you identify and eliminate common errors such as typos, poor grammar, and incorrect punctuation. The tool provides instant feedback on your writing, highlighting areas for improvement in areas such as word choice, repetition, and pacing. AutoCrit also provides you with detailed reports on your writing, including readability scores, dialogue tags, and cliches, allowing you to fine-tune your work for maximum impact.
SmartEdit is a software program designed to help you identify and eliminate weak words and phrases in your writing. The tool analyzes your writing for common problems such as repeated words, overused adverbs, and sentence length variations. SmartEdit then provides you with a detailed report, allowing you to identify areas for improvement in your work easily. The tool also includes a range of other features, including a dialogue tag checker and a word frequency analyzer, to help you improve the overall quality of your writing.
Draft2Digital is a platform that helps you format, publish, and distribute your ebooks to major retailers. The tool allows you to easily convert your manuscript into a professionally formatted ebook that can be distributed to Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and other major retailers. Draft2Digital also provides a range of other author services, including author websites and book sales tracking, to help you manage your author business more efficiently.
Hemingway Editor is an online tool that helps you write better by highlighting common errors and making suggestions to improve your writing. The tool analyzes your writing for areas such as complex sentences, adverb overuse, and passive voice, and provides detailed feedback on improving your work. Hemingway Editor also includes a range of other features, including readability scores and word count tracking, to help you fine-tune your writing and achieve your goals as an author.
Trello:
This is a powerful project management tool that uses a card-based system to help you organize tasks and collaborate with others. Trello is great for authors because it can be used to plan and track writing projects, manage editorial calendars, and coordinate with cover designers and other collaborators.
This note-taking app is an essential tool for authors because it allows you to capture and store ideas, notes, and research materials in a single location. With Evernote, you can organize your notes using tags, notebooks, and stacks, and access your notes from any device.
This app is designed to help you track your time and identify patterns in your productivity. RescueTime runs in the background of your computer or mobile device, logging the time you spend on different apps and websites. At the end of the week, you can review detailed reports that show how you spent your time and identify areas where you can improve your focus and productivity.
This productivity app blocks distracting websites and apps to help you stay focused on your writing. With Freedom, you can create custom blocklists and schedules, set recurring sessions to block distractions during specific times of day, and use the app’s advanced features to tailor your blocking settings to your specific needs.
This software program helps you stay on track by blocking distracting websites and apps for a set period of time. With Cold Turkey, you can block specific websites and apps, set custom timers and schedules, and track your progress over time to identify areas where you can improve your productivity.
BookBub is a popular book discovery and promotion platform that connects authors with millions of readers. It offers a variety of book promotion options, including featured deals, new releases, and author profile pages. BookBub’s promotion options are based on its subscribers’ reading preferences, making it an effective way to reach the right readers for your book. However, BookBub’s promotion options can be expensive, so it may not be the best choice for authors on a budget.
Goodreads is a social networking platform for readers and authors owned by Amazon. It allows authors to create a profile and interact with readers through book reviews, Q&A sessions, and more. Goodreads also offers book giveaway contests, book recommendation tools, and advertising options. Goodreads is a great way to build a fan base and connect with readers interested in your genre. However, like BookBub, some of its advertising options can be expensive.
Canva is an online graphic design platform that allows authors to create eye-catching promotional materials such as social media graphics, book covers, and book trailers. It offers a wide variety of customizable templates, graphics, and fonts, and its drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to use even for those without design experience. Canva is free to use, with some premium features available for a fee.
Book Brush is a graphic design platform designed specifically for book promotion. It allows authors to create book covers, social media graphics, and book trailers. Book Brush offers a variety of customizable templates, graphics, and fonts, and its user-friendly interface makes it easy to use. However, it is a paid service, and its pricing plans may not be affordable for authors on a budget.
Book Funnel is a book delivery platform that allows authors to distribute their ebooks directly to readers. It offers a variety of customizable delivery options, including email, download codes, and direct download links. Book Funnel also provides tools for author mailing lists, reader analytics, and advanced reader management. It is a paid service, but its pricing plans are relatively affordable, especially for independent authors on a budget.
Book Blaster is an AI-powered book marketing platform that helps authors reach more readers and increase book sales. It provides a variety of marketing tools, including book promotion, social media management, and author website creation. Book Blaster is an affordable option for independent authors on a budget, with pricing plans starting at $29/month. Its AI technology can also help authors optimize their marketing strategies for maximum effectiveness.
