Hands down the best visual plotting app. Outline ahead of time or retrospectively. I use it to see my overall plot, arcs, and scene info. It also comes with character and notes sections to build your book bible. Does not contain AI (but they also own Storysnap, which does).

I have used Scrivener for more than a decade. Its notebook style helps me keep my research and ideas organized, and its cork board function helps me visualize my scenes with tags and color coding. It comes with some templates, but there are hundreds of others available to help keep your writing organized. Does not contain AI.

Ellipsus is a new writing app with extensive tools for co-writing and revisions. It’s best feature, however, is the ability to share a protected copy with your editor or beta readers. Free while in beta and does not contain AI (they are strongly anti generative AI, which is why I’m so adamant in sharing them).

Made for academics and loved by authors, Zotero is a database to help you keep track of all your research. That YouTube video about character development? Filed in your ‘craft’ folder. That blog post about 19th  century etiquette for a head cook in love with the house steward? Saved in your ‘Novel’ folder, ‘Courtship’ sub-folder, ‘Servants ‘ sub-sub-folder. Never go hunting for your references again. Does not contain AI.

AutoCrit is as much a community as it is a drafting and editing tool. It has groups, writing sessions, and courses on top of its word processor. The reports are similar to ProWritingAid, making your rounds with your editor cheaper. The real magic is their fiction analyzer, which is now coupled with a marketing your book. It is AI powered (has been for years), but does not write for you or use your writing for training.

ProWritingAid, made for and by writers, outperforms Grammarly in editing for fiction writers, in speed, and in integration. Its free version can be used up to 500 words at a time, but has annual sales on subscriptions. The native app won’t slow down your computer and integrates smoothly with Word, Pages, Scrivener, Atticus, and Notion.

This book-formatting tool is from the same people who made Publisher Rocket. It comes with lots of templates, or you can make your own. You can also create page templates for things like your ‘Also By’ and your newsletter signup. It can be buggy, but you can use it on any computer and is less dear than Vellum.

For Mac only.
Vellum is the incomparable book-formatting tool. I’ve know people to buy a Mac just to have access to Vellum (they fall into the ‘more money than sense’ category). That said, there is no better author-specific software for making beautiful books.

A book-specific graphics tool that is perfect for marketing materials, covers, 3D mock-ups, and box set image creation. They now offer done-for-you services. If you go down to the ‘Books’ section you’ll see the book mock-up’s handiwork.

An extensive tool for researching keywords and categories on Amazon. Search keyword popularity and see suggestions for similar terms. See what categories books are listed under. What percent of any category is self-published. They are always adding new features, and updates are free to those who have already purchased.

This browser plugin is a lightweight cousin to Publisher Rocket with price to match. If all you need is to research keywords and categories without regard to optimizing Amazon Ads, this is the tool for you.

My incomparable delivery system for books, be it for direct sales or reader magnates. It also provides a platform for finding author swaps and group promos. Higher level membership allows it to integrate seamlessly with your newsletter.

by Becca Syme

by Lucy von Smit

by Rosanne Bane

by Lisa Cron

by Angeline Trevena

by Donald Maas

by Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty

by Bruce Lincolm

by Richard Kearney

by Constance Hale

Teachery was built for online courses but capable of so much more. Perfect for hosting reader hubs, managing street teams, and teaching. If you know CSS, it’s 100% customizable for a look that’s all you.

Formerly ConvertKit, this is so mich more than newsletter hosting. Their Creator network makes it easy for people to find you. Connect it to BookBub Author Wesbites and easily sell your books directly to your audience (unlike Substack).

This is for all the graphics that BookBrush doesn’t cover… but also whiteboards, slide decks, and recording the courses I offer through Teachery. I even host my one-page author website through them.

If you have lots of books to sell or plenty of extra content to share with your readers, Squarespace is an easy-to-use but flexible web builder. Most important, it’s stable. It comes with lots of free templates and the Business Plan comes with an e-commerce store so you can sell your books direct.

Selling books means minding your royalties. Monarch is the best app for personal and business finance. See all your accounts, plan your monthly budget, and visualize your income and expenses. It’s only set up to show in USD, but it can still connect to lots of banks worldwide.

Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a must for international authors. Have royalties paid into your account from hundreds of currencies worldwide. You can also set up a high yield savings account. I use it for getting paid in USD and converting it to Euros, but also for earning high interest on my 18-month emergency fund, and for investing.

Writing is an act of resistance, so why not show off what it can do? Comes in beautiful rainbow colors.

Mojo as in ‘motivational,’ this planner is my favorite. Gorgeously bound in soft faux-leather, it’s a treat to write in. It does come from New Zealand, so if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, shipping can be pretty dear.

I love this planner for tracking writing, editing, sales, and all sorts. Comes with monthly, quarterly, and annual reviews and sections for tracking projects, marketing, even expenses. Come in digital, perfect bound, or spiral bound. She also does a dated version.

Would you like to wear your novel to its launch party? Or snuggle up under it with a cup of tea on a rainy day? Or add a chapter one as an infinity scarf to your next giveaway? Litographs, known for beautiful literary clothing, will custom print your novel excerpt onto shirts, scarves, blankets, and pillows.

And they’re remarkably soft.

I cannot live without my reMarkable 2 paper tablet; it goes with me everywhere. It satisfies my need to write by hand and my hatred of typing up afterward. The handwriting-to-text conversion is my most-used feature.

Full disclosure, I do not have one of these. I desperately want one. It’s my reward for the next book launch. I hear it is the smoothest typewriter-style bluetooth keyboard on the market.

What ‘fun stuff’ section is complete without literary-inspired trifles?

This tarot deck was painted by Erin Morgenstern as she wrote The Night Circus, one of my favorite novels.

‘Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: A Boardgame of English Magic’ is based on my top favorite novel of the same name by Susanna Clarke. Her writing is magic itself and playing this game means getting to live in that world just a little longer.

An exclusive of the Jane Austen Centre in Bath, this set of love tokens are pre-printed with Regency illustrations and come with instructions on how to fold them to become its own envelope. Perfect for slipping a brief but incendiary love note into the hand of your intended.

I always wanted to write more letters. This makes much more fun.