As well as being a professional proofreader and editor, I'm an indie author which is almost a small business in itself. I am creator, publisher, marketer and promoter of my own work.
On this page, I share with you tools, services and websites that I use day-to-day and find invaluable in my writing career.
(Some of the links below are affiliate links which means if you join up for that service via my link, I get a tiny payment from that service.)
On this page, I share with you tools, services and websites that I use day-to-day and find invaluable in my writing career.
(Some of the links below are affiliate links which means if you join up for that service via my link, I get a tiny payment from that service.)
What every business needs is a great website, right?
I’m using Weebly to customise my professional website. Use my referral link and you’ll get 10% off when you subscribe to a paid plan. Can’t wait to see what you make!
What else does every good business need? Professional indemnity insurance. Maybe not top of your To-Do list, but it is vital to the integrity of your business. I use PolicyBee
Publishing A Paperback
I publish my paperbacks with Feedaread.com. It's free to publish, though there is a small charge if you want to make changes once the paperback is produced. What I love about Feedaread is they have a fabulous distribution package to get your book out to booksellers, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Waterstones. There is a one-off fee for this and then a small annual renewal to keep the book in distribution, but it means you don't have to do lots of work yourself on this. In addition, they provide your ISBN number free as part of the original free publication package.
Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)
The professional body for indie authors provides lots of useful stuff:
Click the link below for more information
The professional body for indie authors provides lots of useful stuff:
- Searchable database of recommended Author Services, from the big operations like Amazon and Apple to local freelance designers and editors.
- Author Advice Centre and free ebooks for members
- Multiple ways to connect with, and learn from, other members
- Great discounts and deals
- International Rights Services for members, including a dedicated literary agent for translation rights
- Online database and members' showcase (Read-ALLi), telling the world about members' books.
- Free monthly online education events, including ALLi-Insights monthly advice seminar and monthly Ask-ALLi Q&A with Orna Ross and Joanna Penn, answering questions live, on Google Hangout.
- Code of Standards and Ethical Author campaign
- Rights & Contracts Advice.
- Watchdog.
- Ambassadors in eight publishing territories across the world, so we can cross-connect
- Indie Author Fringe: annual online and live indie conference and indie author fair.
Click the link below for more information
Building A Mailing List
A mailing list is vital to every indie author. This is how you gain direct access to readers who already love your work.
I grow my mailing list continually by offering free sneak peeks of my books in exchange for a reader's email address. I then add that address to my mailing list and send a regular newsletter to my subscribers. I include in the newsletter links to free ebook giveaways and also features about fellow authors and their books. And, of course, every edition has reviews of and links to buy my books.
A really useful site to help build your mailing list is Story Origin.
Along similar lines is ProlificWorks.com
I use both these fabulous services to create and distribute my sneak peeks and book links via their many group giveaways. Both services integrate with Mailchimp and collect subscribers' email addresses for you. It's so easy!
A mailing list is vital to every indie author. This is how you gain direct access to readers who already love your work.
I grow my mailing list continually by offering free sneak peeks of my books in exchange for a reader's email address. I then add that address to my mailing list and send a regular newsletter to my subscribers. I include in the newsletter links to free ebook giveaways and also features about fellow authors and their books. And, of course, every edition has reviews of and links to buy my books.
A really useful site to help build your mailing list is Story Origin.
Along similar lines is ProlificWorks.com
I use both these fabulous services to create and distribute my sneak peeks and book links via their many group giveaways. Both services integrate with Mailchimp and collect subscribers' email addresses for you. It's so easy!
Mailchimp.com
I integrate StoryOrigin and Prolific Works with Mailchimp which means they collate my subscriber email addresses then send them to Mailchimp. In Mailchimp, I can create newsletters and send them out to all my subscribers with just one click. No need to collect and record each individual email address. It's all automated and easy to use.
Click on the tiny 'Powered by MailChimp' link below to find out more.
I integrate StoryOrigin and Prolific Works with Mailchimp which means they collate my subscriber email addresses then send them to Mailchimp. In Mailchimp, I can create newsletters and send them out to all my subscribers with just one click. No need to collect and record each individual email address. It's all automated and easy to use.
Click on the tiny 'Powered by MailChimp' link below to find out more.
My final, and most important, writing tip for you is to engage a really good fiction-editor and proofreader. Click here to find out why.
If you want to chat about how I use any or all of these tools, contact me.
