Dear first time author #2...
…who's quietly panicking about All The Tech Stuff and wondering if “just writing the book” is actually the easy part
First of all: step away from Google search.
This part of the author journey—where every question spawns ten more and your browser history looks like the research notes of a publishing gremlin—is completely normal. Welcome to the club.
But if you’re wondering which tools are actually helpful and which ones are just another rabbit hole, today’s letter is for you. I’m sharing some of my favourite free and low-cost tools that can make your indie author journey easier, without requiring a second mortgage or a tech degree. These are the ones I’ve used, tested, or watched other authors rave about while I nodded from behind my steaming coffee mug.
You’ll find links to them all in my free Author Resource Hub, with ⭐ stars on my most-loved ones. (Check out the debuting authors while you’re there—you never know, you might find your new fav novel.)
Here’s a taster of the highlights:
Planning & Notetaking
Notion ⭐
My digital author brain and not-so-secret weapon, as I’m one of their UK ambassadors, but honestly I plan everything here—from outlines to world bibles to launch checklists. It’s also perfect for capturing random ideas, plot bunnies, and bits of dialogue you overheard in the supermarket queue as there is a great mobile app too. Oh and it’s FREE for everything you’ll need. (If you’re a Notion user too, take a look at my author templates for a quick and easy way to manage your author life).
Notion’s less sexy cousin but still a great way to organise all your writing notes. This is the app I used before I found Notion and while I don’t like that you have to pay for some of it, you can probably get by on the free version.
While I don’t use this one myself, so many indie authors adore it for visual planning that I had to include it. It’s like a Pinterest board fell in love with the whiteboard for your plot.
Writing & Formatting
I started my journey here—intuitive and cloud-based, it’s lovely for first drafts and works well across devices.
I tried this next. It’s a solid (free!) tool for writing and formatting, especially for beginners.
Atticus ⭐
Then I found Atticus and fell head over heels. Like the Swiss army knife of author tools, it combines writing, editing, and beautiful formatting for ebooks and paperbacks in one place—and it’s built specifically for indie authors. It’s a one time payment and you get every update they make forever. It even does boxsets (#goals).
Editing & Word Wizardry
Like Grammarly’s nerdier nephew who gives helpful writing advice and tells you when you’re overusing the word “suddenly.” It plays nicely with Atticus too, which is a bonus, and they’ve recently launched manuscript assessments (a bit like a pre-beta beta reader). There’s a free trial so you can drive it around your WIP and see what you think.
Endlessly useful when your brain goes blank and you can’t remember another word for “mysterious.” The free version is an always-open tab for me.
Self-Publishing & Distribution
ISBNs ⭐
In the UK? Use Nielsen ISBN Store.
In the US? Head to Bowker.
Yes, they cost money. Yes, you do need them if you’re publishing wide. (But not for Amazon-only.)
Still the biggest storefront for indies. Easy(ish) and free. You can publish ebooks and paperbacks here and even run promos later. Be aware of exclusivity if you enrol in Kindle Unlimited. Pro tip: Kindlepreneur has some great articles on getting started with KDP.
Draft2Digital & Kobo Writing Life ⭐
For wide distribution—getting your book on Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc. Kobo’s platform is especially user-friendly (plus they’re lovely humans). Fun fact: Canadians use Kobo more than Kindle apparently, probably because they have the library ebook market sown up.
Perfect for sending out ARC copies or reader magnets. Like a friendly postal service for your ebooks.
Design
Canva ⭐
Free (with a paid Pro option that I’ve never regretted), easy to use, and fab for cover mock-ups, social graphics, book videos or inspirational vision boards when you're procrastinating.
Made just for authors. Create promo images, 3D book mock-ups, and more. Slight learning curve, but lots of templates to get you going.
Podcasts/videocasts
The Creative Penn podcast with author Joanna Penn ⭐ - my go-to podcast to stay updated on everything in the publishing industry. There’s also a Patreon membership which is well worth joining for the price of a cup of coffee a month.
Abbie Emmons - a treasure trove of writing tips and inspiration
Indie Writers Club - a UK light-hearted weekly podcast with author Cara Clare and James Blatch (from The Self Publishing Show).
Behind The Debut - ahem, just dropping in my podcast too for chats with new authors about their journey from idea to publication 😍
Pop over to the Author Resource Hub to check out all the tools I’ve mentioned here - there are also sections on websites, books, courses, querying/finding an agent, creating audiobooks and waaay more.
A Little Reminder
You don’t need all of these tools. And you certainly don’t need them right now. Start with one or two that sound fun or helpful, then build your toolkit slowly, one step at a time. This isn't a race—it's a messy, wonderful creative process, and you're absolutely allowed to figure it out as you go without bankrupting yourself.
The truth is, writing, publishing and marketing a book can be hard. But you’re here, showing up, learning, trying. That’s more than most people ever do.
You’ve got this—and if you want a cheerleader in your inbox? I’m here. And I brought links. 😄
Cheering you on (and quietly updating my own ISBN spreadsheet),
Michelle 💙
P.S. I’d love to know: what tools or tips have helped you most so far? Drop me a reply or comment—I’m updating the Author Resource Hub and would love to share your discoveries too.
New here?
✨Find out what Chapters & Checklists is about
✨Check out the Authors Resource Hub and Behind the Debut podcast
✨Need more writing help? Download my Notion Simple Author Templates
This is such a brilliant resource! I hadn’t heard of quite a few of these sites, so I’m bookmarking for later!!
'It's like a Pinterest board fell in love with the whiteboard for your plot.' Love this description of Plottr, Michelle! Also a big fan of Notion. Great read.