What Are the Best Self-Publishing Tools for the Savvy Authorpreneur?

You’re a writer — you were made to create, and share your creations.

Whether you’re a published author or you’re just setting out on your writing journey, there are a number of things to consider when it comes to drafting the perfect story.

And, there’s no sugarcoating it, the self-publishing process can be overwhelming. You have a lot to balance in order to bring your book to fruition.

While building your story, there can be a lot of anxiety and fear around the success and reception of your book, well before publishing. This alone can create barriers in the completion of a self-published book.

Now, add to that editing, designing, formatting, finalizing, publishing, and distributing your book. It’s quite the task to take on.

Many writers seek out the best self-publishing companies for varying needs, but there are a lot of businesses and programs to sift through. What’s especially tough is finding easy-to-use services at an affordable price.

Of course, no one company or program will meet every single self-publishing need you have. Many are specialized, requiring shopping around for a mix of the best options. As you embark on this journey, be sure you’re equipped with the right tools.

Whether you’re looking for assistance in writing, formatting, or converting your story to an eBook, here’s some great self-publishing tools and services to make your road to publication a little smoother.

Free Book Writing Software

While Google Docs and Microsoft Word are go-to programs for many writers, there are other free book writing software options. These tools not only remove hassle from the writing process, but can also help you stay focused on your work.

Interruptions and disturbances can easily upend any productive writing day. FocusWriter is free to use, blocks all distractions, auto-saves your work, and can set timers and alarms. While this program isn’t useful for editing your writing, it’ll help you stay on track.

WriteMonkey is another free writing software that offers a distraction-free interface. It also allows for annotations and other mark-ups to be done to your work, making edits more manageable.

The website is very stripped-down, but don’t let that fool you — it gets the job done. One hiccup with this program is that it only works with TXT files. This limits what types of files you’re uploading for edits but isn’t much of a hindrance.

Functioning as a free, fully-featured alternative to Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer is a great choice for self-publishing authors. It offers a full set of editing tools, a thesaurus and dictionary, and even provides a community support forum.

One drawback of Libre is the absence of a mobile app, for those of you who like to write on the go. Outside of that, it’s one of the better options out there for book writing software.

For those of you who want to take your narrative to the next level, Scrivener is the way to go. Authors of all mediums use this app — from best-selling novelists and screenwriters to academics and lawyers. $49 will earn you full access to all of their amazing tools on macOS, Windows, and iOS devices.

Free Book Formatting Software

You’ve labored and poured hours into drafting and editing your book, and now comes the next step — you need to figure out how to format a book for publishing. You likely want to spend as little money as possible, but you still want it to look professional.

A great place to start is using a free book formatting software like Canva for your book cover design. With a free account you have access to thousands of templates, including those you’d want to use in helping promote your book on social media. Simply pick the design that catches your eye, drag and drop text and images, and voila! You’re done.

However, if you want full access to all they have to offer, you will have to sign up for a $13 monthly account. This is good for up to 5 people on the same account, too.

Using templates is a simple way to have full control over the look, format, and design of your book. Templates give self-publishing authors, even those with minimal design knowledge, the materials you need to build something yourself. You can ensure you’re bringing to life your vision for your book.

BookBaby is another option, but does require a quote in order to use their templates. Because of this, the price range can vary, allowing you to pick and choose how involved you want your template to be. You can also make sure you stay within your price range.

For image-heavy books, Blurb offers a free book formatting tool that’s built to showcase your photography, artwork, pictures, and other imagery. Their customizable photo book templates are free and intuitive for designers and non-designers alike.

Make Your Photos Pop with Editing Tools

No matter where imagery appears in your book, you want to be sure it shines. But editing tools can be pricey, especially big names like Photoshop. Luckily, there are alternatives with reasonable price points.

Photoshop Express is the bare bones version of the original program. It’s free to use and is also offered in app form for both iOS and Android platforms. As a simple editing tool, it’s perfect for touching up photos that need some sprucing up, without all the fluff.

Another free option is Pixlr, which offers tools for editing photos as well as design templates and collage creators for your images. Any image type can be uploaded to their website, and just like Photoshop Express, it’s offered as an app for iOS and Android platforms.

For the more developed designer, Pixlr offers more in terms of filters, text-overlays, and other effects.

Photopea is an additional alternative to Photoshop that doesn’t require a subscription. While it’s rather straightforward, it still offers many of the tools found in Adobe’s program. There’s no need for installation, either. Simply go to their website and an editing window will open for you. No time wasted here.

Convert Your Story to an eBook

Most books today are destined to be read on a digital device. More and more authors are looking for free book publishing software that allows them to easily convert their book into PDF form or an electronic version of their story.

The biggest draw to converting your story to an eBook format ultimately comes down to the fact that your audience can connect with your work easily across any device.

Finding a free self-publishing tool isn’t always an easy task. Discovering the right eBook converter doesn’t have to be difficult, though.

Lulu is a top choice for those who want to reach wide audiences for little to no cost. In mere minutes you can have your book converted for use on any mobile device. All types and styles of books are supported — eBooks, comic books, cook books, magazines, even yearbooks.

Designrr is another option for self-publishing needs at a low cost. While this program is more geared towards businesses and writers who are aiming to increase sales or drive traffic to websites, it’s still impactful as an eBook converting tool.

Having compatibility with any document type, customizable templates, and other design options, it’s an effective program for authors looking to engage broader audiences and generate more sales.

The Pros Can Still Help You Achieve All of This — In One Place

Yes, with the self-publishing tools out there, you can move through the entire writing and production process on your own. Discovering and utilizing the right programs is of the utmost importance when dedicating yourself to this venture.

PufferPrint understands the obstacles that arise along the self-publishing journey, and even more, that your dreams deserve to become a reality in the form of a beautiful, finished book. Let the pros help you in preparing, formatting, printing, and shipping your book.

From start to finish, we work with you to ensure that your book is fully customized to your liking. Once designs are approved, you’ll be looking at a proof of your book in a matter of days. Don’t worry, before final prints we always make sure a thorough finishing edit is done prior to shipping out your book.

While PufferPrint provides high-quality self-publishing needs, we’re experts in marketing your book, too!

Having the right tools to get the job done is key to success when self-publishing. No matter where you’re at in the process, we’ll give you the guidance you need to bring your book to life.

Ready to begin your self-publishing journey today? Get a free quote for your project today! >