Welcome creatives!
This page includes writing, editing, marketing, and self-publishing resources I’ve used in my author journey, along with some random favourites.
Enjoy! And if you have anything to add, please send me an email.
- Jane Friedman – lots of free resources on the book publishing industry, helping authors understand the business.
www.janefriedman.com - Joanna Penn – longtime self-published author, futurist, and podcaster. Craft & business advice.
www.thecreativepenn.com - David Gaughron – longtime self-published author, less techie, with some dated info. But still a goldmine.
https://davidgaughran.com/
- The Spun Yarn:
https://thespunyarn.com/ - The Great BETA Reader Matchup
https://www.biancamarais.com/beta-reader-match-up.html - Local to British Columbia, Canada – Bette Kosmolak
- https://www.kosmolak.com/
- Gretchen Rubin – how to put down your phone
https://gretchenrubin.com/articles/tips-to-put-down-your-phone/ - Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport – managing digital distractions
https://calnewport.com/on-digital-minimalism/ - Stolen Focus by Johann Hari – why you can’t pay attention, and how to think deeply again
https://johannhari.com/
https://stolenfocusbook.com/buy-the-book/
- Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody – 15 essential plot points
https://www.jessicabrody.com/books/non-fiction/save-cat-writes-novel/ - StoryGrid by Shawn Coyne – the 5 commandments and much more!
https://store.storygrid.com/books/ - The Emotion Thesaurus by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman
https://writershelpingwriters.net/the-emotion-thesaurus-a-writers-guide-to-character-expression/ - K.M. Weiland’s story structure analysis of dozens of popular books & movies
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/book-storystructure/story-structure-database-index/
- Jane Friedman [Electric Speed] – 2x / month sharing the best digital tools for writers
https://janefriedman.com/free-newsletters/
- Insight Timer – free meditations
https://insighttimer.com/ - EveryDollar – free zero sum budgeting app
https://www.ramseysolutions.com/ramseyplus/everydollar - Stand Up! The work break timer
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stand-up-the-work-break-timer/id828244687 - The New York Times Games – wordle and few others, but you can only do one of each!
https://www.nytimes.com/subscription/games
- On Writing by Stephen King – a memoir of the craft
- The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – morning pages
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert – embracing creativity without fear or judgement
- Never Play It Safe by Chase Jarvix – A practical guide to freedom, creativity, and a life you love
- Yoga with Adriene – free yoga with a playlist for every need
https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene - The Minimal Mom – for inspiration to simplify your life
https://www.youtube.com/@TheMinimalMom - Alecia at WILDR – for sport conditioning
https://www.youtube.com/@wildrfitness - First Line Frenzy by Reedsy with Rebecca Heyman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c-1SlOKPN8&list=PLeNEAJ6hQSShLMwmM7p7EpU_ZgHBsnDct&index=16 - Adviice – Easy & powerful financial planning for Canadians
https://www.youtube.com/@adviice_ca - – Easy & powerful financial planning for Canadians
https://www.youtube.com/@adviice_ca
- Book cover specialists:
https://ineedabookcover.com/book-covers/ - 99Designs:
https://99designs.ca/book-cover-design - Fiverr:
https://www.fiverr.com/categories/graphics-design/book-design/cover - Reedsy:
https://reedsy.com/hire/us/book-designers/ - Ingram Spark:
https://www.ingramspark.com/how-to-design-a-book
- Book Award & Contest Ratings by ALLi
https://selfpublishingadvice.org/author-awards-contests-rated-reviewed/
- Library & Archives of Canada – Apply for an ISBN (for Canadians!)
https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/services/publishers/isbn/Pages/apply-isbn.aspx
- Matthew J Holmes – BookBub, Facebook & Amazon Ads Mastery for Authors
https://www.matthewjholmes.com/ - Download David Gaughran’s free ebook: Following: A Marketing Guide to Author Platform
https://davidgaughran.com/followingresources/ - Free WordPress tutorial
https://gocreate.teachable.com/p/create-an-author-website-on-wordpress - Look for interviews and info from Tammi L. Labrecque and read Newsletter Ninja: How to Become an Author Mailing List Expert
https://newsletterninja.net/
- Article by Sarah Nichols
https://bookriot.com/how-much-do-authors-make-per-book/ - Article by Jillian Medoff
https://lithub.com/if-it-wasnt-for-my-corporate-office-job-i-couldnt-be-a-novelist/ - Article by Naomi Kanakia
https://lithub.com/contemporary-literary-novels-are-haunted-by-the-absence-of-money/ - Article by Allison K Williams
https://janefriedman.com/earn-six-figures-as-a-writer-with-this-one-weird-trick/
- NotebookLM – a personalized AI research assistant
https://notebooklm.google/ - Perplexity – provides research with citations from the Internet
https://www.perplexity.ai/ - Natural Readers – free text to speech, great during the editing process
https://www.naturalreaders.com/online/ - ElevenLabs – a voice generator that can deliver high-quality, human-like speech in 32 languages, perfect for audiobooks.
https://elevenlabs.io/
- The Wealthy Barber – Canadian
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-wealthy-barber-podcast/id1762856638 - The Loonie Hour – Canadian
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-loonie-hour/id1591470469 - The Ramsey Show – American, 7 steps to get your financial life in order
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-ramsey-show/id77001367 - The Rational Reminder – Canadian, for financial “nerds”
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582
- Happier with Gretchen Rubin
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/happier-with-gretchen-rubin/id969519520 - The Tortoise with Brooke McAlary
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-tortoise-with-brooke-mcalary/id985005895 - Soul + Wit
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/soul-and-wit/id1489742667 - Moonshots – Tracking the future of technology and how it impacts humanity
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/moonshots-with-peter-diamandis/id1648228034https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/soul-and-wit/id1489742667
- The Creative Penn
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-creative-penn-podcast-for-writers/id309426367 - The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-shit-no-one-tells-you-about-writing/id1530250126 - Fiction Writing Made Easy
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/fiction-writing-made-easy/id1502307717 - Your Next Draft
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/your-next-draft/id1655583830 - Self-Publishing Advice & Inspiration
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/self-publishing-advice-inspirations/id1080135033 - Build Your Author Brand
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/build-your-author-brand-podcast/id1729188730 - Helping Writers Become Authors
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/helping-writers-become-authors/id319307387
- Alliance of Independent Authors
https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/ - Federation of BC Writers
https://bcwriters.ca/ - The Writers’ Union of Canada
https://www.writersunion.ca/ - Comox Valley Writers Society
https://cvwriterssociety.ca/
- Kindlepreneur article – publishers other than the big 5:
https://kindlepreneur.com/book-publishing-companies/ - Self-publishing advice by Alliance of Independent Authors:
https://selfpublishingadvice.org/best-self-publishing-services/ - On book formatting software:
https://kindlepreneur.com/book-formatting-software/ - How to self publish – a guide by Jane Friedman:
https://janefriedman.com/self-publish-your-book/ - Self-publishing tools by Ingram Spark
https://www.ingramspark.com/resources/tools - Draft2Digital partners:
https://www.draft2digital.com/partners/ - Author’s Guild Marketplace:
https://go.authorsguild.org/marketplace/
- First Line Frenzy by Reedsy with Rebecca Heyman:
https://readingandwritingwithrebecca.substack.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c-1SlOKPN8&list=PLeNEAJ6hQSShLMwmM7p7EpU_ZgHBsnDct&index=16 - Project 333 with Courtenay Carver – simplify your wardrobe to reduce mental load
https://bemorewithless.com/project-333/
- ProWritingAid – polish & elevate your writing
https://prowritingaid.com/ - Scrivener – typewriter, ring-binder, scrapbook. Everything you need to draft your first manuscript
https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview - Atticus – ebook & print formatting software
https://www.atticus.io/
- Alliance of Independent Authors watch dog service:
https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/watchdog/ - Writers Beware:
https://writerbeware.blog/ - Self Publishing Advice.org ratings:
https://selfpublishingadvice.org/best-self-publishing-services/
- Mailerlite – automate email sequences and manage your email list
https://www.mailerlite.com/why-lite - ConvertKit (Kit) – automate email sequences and manage your email list
https://kit.com/ - WordPress – website
https://wordpress.com/about/ - Nicholas Erik – indie publishing book marketing
https://nicholaserik.com/start/