Additional Tools for Writers

I offer formatting services for fiction authors, but there is a lot more that goes into preparing your book for release into the world. As a self-published author, you have to wear many hats:

• Editing
• Proofreading
• Cover Design
• Marketing

These are but a few. Because I've been doing this for a while, I've managed to pull together a list of trusted tools and professionals who make my job as a self-published author easier. I'm including some links here to help new authors navigate the publishing waters. Bear in mind, most of these particular professionals specialize in fiction, specifically the fantasy and romance genres. 

Editing

I am fortunate that I have a built-in editor in the family, but many don't have this option and must rely on either combing through online listings or recommendations from others (see my listing for proofreading below). Because I haven't used anyone else for editing, I can only recommend what I've heard from other writers, and that is the most reliable place to find an editor is Reedsy. Because Reedsy meticulously vets all their professionals, you can count on finding someone who is trustworthy and capable. Unless you have a personal recommendation, I would consider them a good first stop.

Reedsy

Proofreading

I found my proofreader through BookSirens, believe it or not. She was an ARC reader for one of my books and took it upon herself to proof the book for me, finding things three rounds of edits and beta readers did not. Her name is Kat Elley, and she's terrific. You can find her through her Facebook page.

Kat's Corner Proofreading, Editing, and PA Services

Cover Design

There are a lot of great cover designers out there in a wide variety of price ranges, depending on what you're willing or able to spend. I'm listing a few that I know.

If you're on a budget, you can't go wrong with GetCovers. At $35 for a premium ebook/print book package, they're the least expensive option. I've used them for several of my covers and have found them extremely easy to work with. As long as you have a clear idea of what you're looking for (I would suggest looking through their portfolio and finding a few examples for them), they will give you a professional cover at a price you can afford.

Another great cover artist I found is Gigi Koa of G-Cat Graphics Design Services. She's very easy to work with and her designs are beautiful. She also offers a lot of sales on her premade covers (some as low as $35 for an ebook cover). You can keep up on her sales through her Facebook group (link is on her website).

Another cover artists whose designs I like is Rebecca Frank of Bewitching Book Covers. I haven't used her myself but have admired her designs.

Covers by JV Arts offers beautiful exterior and interior art. These are getting more into the pricey side, but the designs are spectacular and I'm sure you would recognize some of these covers from best selling authors.

Lastly, Fay Lane Book Cover Witch is another recognizable artist. She does a lot of work for small press books and most of her designs are unique.

Publishing

As far as getting a pretty special edition book with sprayed edges, foiled covers, 3-D dust jackets, and all the other fancy bells and whistles, the most popular vendor in the US is 48 Hour Books. They do all the custom printing and binding you can't get from print-on-demand publishers like KDP and IngramSpark.

Marketing

There are a lot of book promotion sites out there, some more successful than others. One of the best sites for vetting them, along with anything writerly, is Kindlepreneur. Dave Chesson has put together a bevy of instructional videos and articles, along with software to make your life easier. Helpful free tools include a book description generator, QR code generator, and hashtag generator.

One of the paid pieces of software from Kindlepreneur every writer should have in their toolbox is Publisher Rocket. From finding the best categories and keywords for listing your book to researching successful Amazon ad language, this tool pays for itself tenfold.

For those of you who either don't want to or can't afford to invest in Publisher Rocket, there is another free tool you can use to research book categories. BkLnk is a way to find listed categories for any book on Amazon's site, which will help you find the best categories for listing your books. There's a bit of a learning curve to using it, but reading through the information on the site should get you started.

Conclusion

This is just a short list of resources I've found. There are hundreds more out there, but if you're new to the self-publishing world, this should get you started.