There's an App for That
Indie authors tend to wear multiple hats, especially when hiring a professional isn't an option. While I will always advocate for hiring professionals, shoe strings budgets often don't allow the room for that. If you find yourself in that situation, here are some tools to have in your toolbox (or tool shed, as the case might be) to help you along your publishing journey.
*Please note that any AI tools listed are meant to be tools to assist and not to write your book for you.
Writer's Block/Plot Assistance
We all experience it at one point or another - the dreaded Writers Block. If you find yourself glaring at the blinking cursor on your screen or you have a plot hump you can't seem to get over, there's an app for that. Some tools create random ideas for you, some are more detailed, and some are basically you arguing with a robot for hours because SidewaysSiri just doesn't get you. Either way, these tools might help get your creative juices flowing.
Writing Software
Writing today is much different than the days of Jane Austen or even my tween days of writing on an old typewriter. Now, you can write books with your thumbs on smartphones with several different apps. Whether you're mobile or on a desktop, these are a few of the tools for writing available today.
Wattpad - Mobile/Desktop (Free)
Scrivener - Mobile for IOS/Desktop (Purchase)
Google Docs - Mobile/Desktop (Free)
Atticus - Desktop (Purchase)
Editing
Having a polished manuscript ready for publication is crucial to a book's success. The experience an editor can give you is priceless, but there are affordable tools to help you clean up your draft and get it ready for an editor or for your next phase of edits.
Formatting
When your book is ready to be published, making it pretty doesn't stop with the cover. It needs to look crisp and professional. Here are some tools to help you get your books in the best format for readers to devour.
Atticus (Purchase)