Resources: Recommended Products, Services and Courses
This is a list of my favourite resources and things that have helped me along the way in my journey as a self-published author. If you have read a number of my posts, then you have likely come across most of these and seen me mention them.
Services & Tools
Fiverr is a website that connects people who provide services to do things like edit writing, proof-reading, voiceovers, illustration, or cover design with people who need those services.
What really makes Fiverr stand apart from its competition is that it’s (mostly) honest people doing honest work and enthusiastic about what they’re doing. I love this platform as you can find some real gems on there for some very competitive prices. I have recommended Fiverr in several blog posts for the above services.
My first book was designed by an illustrator on Fiverr!
Canva is a web-based program that makes graphic design easy and accessible to everyone, not just professionals. I use Canva for 95% of the graphics you see on this site as it is quick and easy to use and also comes with a library of millions of royalty-free stock photos!
Of recent, I have also used Canva to compile some children’s books for print (works for projects under 100 pages) and to create logos.
Canva is both an online software and mobile application that enables users to create their own designs for projects in minutes. If you are not familiar with more complex design programs like Photoshop or Illustrator, Canva is a good shout!
You can also use it to build images with preformatted layouts and templates.
Grammarly is an AI writing assistant that identifies grammatical errors and spelling errors for ultimate clarity. It is presently the world’s most accurate grammar checker.
Many authors, myself included, use Grammarly to help edit and proofread books, so it is an invaluable tool in any author’s toolbox.
It provides suggestions for corrections both on-screen and in a written document space, underlines potential issues within the text with a dotted red line or green underline according to how likely the issue could be an error, tells writers when they have used words incorrectly – automatically suggesting replacements from its global synonym resource bank of 25 million word pairs.
Adobe InDesign is a powerful book formatting tool that gives you complete control over the look and feel of your book. With InDesign, you can easily set margins, add pages, and insert images and other illustrations.
You can also create bookmarks and hyperlinks, so readers can quickly navigate your book. In addition, InDesign allows you to export your book in a variety of formats, including PDF and ePUB.
IngramSpark is a platform that allows you to self-publish and distribute your book. They also walk you through each step of the process and break everything down for you. Although my go-to publishing platform is Amazon KDP, I also highly recommend IngramSpark, especially for first-time authors.
You will learn all about getting your books on bookstore shelves, and in libraries, too!
Videos are an amazing book marketing tool that most authors aren’t using. I use Vyond to create video trailers for my books and the results have been incredible. In just a few minutes, I am able to create videos that grab attention and get people excited about my books.
The best part is that Vyond makes it easy to share your Videos on social media and embed them on your website or blog. If you’re not using Videos to market your books, you’re missing out on a powerful way to connect with readers and build excitement for your work.
My Tools For Illustration
Of course, there is better and newer on the market but these are what I use and have created many books on. They have not steered me wrong yet!
- Apple iOS 10, A10X Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture Embedded M10 coprocessor
- 10.5 inch Retina Display, 2224 x 1668 Resolution, Wide Color and True Tone Display
- 23 MP iSight Camera, True Tone Flash, Panorama (up to 63MP), Four-Speaker Audio
- Apple Pencil features the precision, responsiveness, and natural fluidity of a traditional writing instrument and the versatility to become so much more.
- With Apple Pencil, you can turn iPad into your notepad, canvas, or just about anything else you can imagine.
- Pad Air (3rd generation), iPad mini (5th generation), iPad (6th, 7th, 8th and 9th generations), iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (1st and 2nd generations), iPad Pro 10.5‑inch and iPad Pro 9.7‑inch
Last update on 2022-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
