Writing Resources I Recommend

Over the course of writing my novel, I've realized how much "other stuff" goes into writing a book than just the act of writing. There are different applications for writing, different ones for formatting, and too many websites to count for advice and building a community and so on. Today, I want to go through the resources I use/have used that I'd recommend to another writer.

General Resources:

Writer Beware - Writer Beware reports on scams and other shady behavior in writing and publishing. It also has articles with great advice for newbie writers. If you ever come across some advertisement or offer that sounds too good to be true, Writer Beware is a good first place to check and see if it's legitimate.

The Creative Penn - The Creative Penn, run by Joanna Penn, has a wealth of helpful resources and advice for authors, particularly authors in the self-publishing space. Joanna shares tools, tutorials and more, plus there are plenty of podcast episodes delving into not only her indie writing experience, but others' as well.

Reedsy - The Reedsy Blog has dozens of articles about writing, publishing, marketing and more. They also offer free email courses, where you receive a daily email with lessons about a particular topic, such as mastering the all-important "show, don't tell" and how to self-edit your work.

Writing Software:

Reedsy Studio - The Reedsy Studio site allows you to both write and format your book, all in one place. It tracks how much you write each day, and if you want to finish by a set deadline, will tell you how many words you'd need to write to make that deadline. And it's free, which is always a plus. There are only a handful of style options for your formatted manuscript, but the interface is very easy to navigate.

Atticus - The Atticus software also allows you to write and format your book in one place. The style options are a little more varied as well. Atticus costs a one-time payment of $147 and works on both Mac and PC. If you're working on multiple projects, you can also save Master Pages, such as your author bio or list of other works.

Cold Turkey - Cold Turkey is a software that "turns your computer into a typewriter" for writers who find it hard to focus on writing, and not get distracted by social media, YouTube, Netflix, etc. You set either a time limit or word count, and cannot exit the program until you either hit the word count or your time has expired. There is a free option, or a $9 paid version.

Finding Freelancers (Editors, Cover Artists, etc):

Social Media - It should go without saying that you can find plenty of freelancer editors, artists and more on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, etc. I found both my line editor and artists for character art on Instagram. I would urge caution if someone reaches out to you, out of the blue, to ask for samples of their work, or a sample edit, as needed.

Reedsy Marketplace - Reedsy has a marketplace where you can find editors, cover designers, marketers and so on. On their platform, you submit a brief and a writing sample, and can send it to up to five freelancers at a time. You can also check their previous work, and see reviews from other clients. Using Reedsy is how I found my developmental editor.

Books I Recommend:

Save the Cat! Writes A Novel by Jessica Brody - This book is great for knowing how to put a story together and pace it well. It's not an end-all-be-all resource, but it's a great starting point for knowing how to craft stories in a digestible way.

Charlie N. Holmberg's Book of Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg - This is a concise, but easy to follow resource on how to create and write magic systems. It breaks down the elements of magic, for both "hard" and "soft" magic systems, and makes you consider questions as you create them.

For Character Names:

Behind The Name - This website has a name generator, which is handy for coming up with character names, with plenty of filters to get the kind of name you want. It also provides history and other information about every name in its database. It's especially useful if you want to give characters symbolic names.

Random Name Generator - If you need to name a random one-off character, and you can't think of one, this website is simple and easy to navigate. You can generate a list of names, and pick and choose from there.

For Beta Readers:

Google Forms - I used Google forms to both find beta readers, by having them complete a questionnaire, and to get their feedback on my manuscript. You can review all of their feedback in one place, and review their responses on a question-by-question basis to spot any patterns.

Marketing:

Canva - I use Canva to create social media graphics, such as my Instagram posts and some other promotional materials. I also use one of their whiteboard templates for brainstorming and keeping track of my ideas.

MailerLite - I send my newsletter out via MailerLite, and I've found the website easy to navigate. If you have a pretty straightforward design for your newsletter, like I do, it's easy to create a professional-looking and engaging newsletter. For the free plan, you can have up to 1,000 subscribers and send out a maximum of 12,000 monthly emails.

What other writing resources would you suggest?

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