by Ruth Harris
As a follow up to Anne’s post, How To Get A Book Published for new or beginning writers, we’ve decided to post a list of the must-haves and the beyond-the-basics that belong in every writer’s toolbox.
Even writers just starting out will probably already have at least some of these tools, but there is so much out there on the web with new stuff appearing constantly, much of it FREE, that we want to add a page to the blog to round up what’s currently available.
The tools vary in cost from pricey to moderate (usually meaning around $35 or $40) to modest (under $10) and many are FREE. Most of the paid apps offer generous try-before-you-buy terms and conduct occasional sales or specials. All provide tutorials, on-line manuals, user forums and/or reviews on-line.
The popularity of ebooks and self publishing has also caused a revolution in word processors. They have evolved far beyond the usual spell check and grammar check. Most can compile your book or short story into epub and mobi files and some even give you the tools to create your cover.
THE MUST HAVES
MSWord is the Big Kahuna, the most basic word processor of all and comes in versions for the PC and the Mac. For years MSWord has been the industry classic: the app editors and agents prefer. Has its lovers and haters but it’s powerful, sometimes kind of klutzy, and can do just about anything.In addition to all the word processing basics, MSWord can format your book into epub and mobi files for upload. India Drummond, an indie publisher, has created an excellent video tutorial here.
MSWord also provides the tools that will allow you to create your cover. I did say it was powerful, didn’t I? Here’s one on-line tutorial about making a cover in MSWord.
Scrivener comes in PC and Mac versions and is coming—soon! everyone hopes—for iOS. Almost infinitely flexible, Scriv is a must-have for many writers including me. If you’ve never used Scriv, there’s a bit of a learning curve but it’s quite intuitive and very logical once you get the hang of it.
The manual is extensive, the video tutorials are excellent and the help forum is outstanding. Keith Blount, Scriv’s developer, often appears to answer questions and his savvy crew is responsive and will walk you through any dilemmas.
Like MSWord, Scriv compiles to both epub and mobi and does it so fast that at first I thought nothing happened and I’d done something wrong. Bottom line: 5 stars all the way.
Nisus (pronounced Nice-us, for Mac only) is a less well known but superb word processor, one I’ve used for years. Moderately priced Nisus works well with Scriv, it’s elegant but powerful, very stable, and you can compile your epubs and mobis from within the Pro version. Their user forum is terrific and Martin—I think he’s one of the developers—is there to answer questions and help troubleshoot.
Atlantis (PC oriented) is a full-featured, moderately-priced MSWord lookalike. Comes with a try-before-you-buy offer, offers on-line help and user’s forum. Atlantis can do much of what MSWord does including turn your text into an epub or mobi file.
Google Documents is cloud based, fast, responsive, and FREE. Google docs does its job well and is particularly useful for collaborators who can log in from different locations and work together. Since Docs is cloud based, you get off-site back up along with a fine basic word processor.
Pages (Mac only) is iOS native, a modestly priced ($9.99) word processor to use on your iPad, iPhone, iPod. Pages also compiles to epub and mobi.
FREE for the Mac is a clean and simple word processor called Bean.
BACK UPS
You do back up, don’t you? Because if you don’t you’d better start NOW! (For a tragic, cautionary tale, here’s a story from the Kindleboards about a writer whose laptop was stolen from his car recently.)
Dropbox is so ubiquitous and so essential for off-site back up that it’s a must-have. It’s FREE, creates one file in the cloud and another on your desktop as you work. DB also synchs all your devices and works seamlessly with both mobile and desktop apps.
Microsoft offers FREE cloud storage called SkyDrive and Apple’s version is called (guess what?) iCloud. Google’s cloud storage, Drive, is also FREE and works on all popular systems.
Mozy, Carbonite, and CrashPlan are remote backup services. All offer a FREE trial and various subscription plans for personal and business back up.
Publishing blogger Passive Guy—he’s worked on computers for thirty years and knows first hand the soul-searing tragedy of lost work—details his belts-and-suspenders back up method here.
ORGANIZATION
Evernote is a powerful, FREE note keeping app that works on all platforms. Searchable by keyword or tags, includes reminder and web clipping functions, great for keeping research including images, for brainstorming ideas, for parking stuff you’re not yet sure what to do with. Cloud-based, syncs across all your devices. I consider Dropbox (or some form of cloud backup system) and Evernote indispensable.
Blogger Elizabeth Joss wrote a helpful post about how she uses Evernote to get organized and be more productive.
E-BOOK MANAGERS AND CREATORS
Calibre is a FREE e-book manager that does e-book file conversion, synchs your devices and manages your library.
Sigil, another FREE download runs on Windows, Linux and Mac. Sigil lets you edit epub files and comes with an on-line manual and user forum. As far as I know, right now there is nothing similar for editing mobi files which is where Calibre comes in. You edit your epub in Sigil, then use Calibre to convert to mobi.
Jutoh (Windows, Mac, and Linux) is a moderately-priced app that creates ebooks (including covers) in all the popular file formats.
ADD-ONS AND NICE TO HAVE
Name generators come in handy when you’re stuck for just the right name and offer suggestions appropriate for different periods of history, various ethnicities, celebrity baby names and even literary genres ranging from scifi to steampunk to vampires. Scrivener includes a name generator but there are FREE name generators on line—more here. Some also provide random personality profiles to help you along even more.
Do you have any useful to can’t-live-without apps I’ve overlooked? Anne and I want—and need—your help in building a useful writers’ resource!
by Ruth Harris (@RuthHarrisBooks) July 28, 2013
Note from Anne: There’s so much here I did not know! Thanks Ruth! I had no idea so many of these things are FREE.
I wonder if I could get the name generator to spit out science fiction names? Not that I don't enjoy creating my own.
I have Pages on my iPad, although I haven't used it very often.
I'm leery about cloud back ups (worked with computers too long I guess) but I do back up on several computers, two external hard drives, and two thumb drives. No, I'm not paranoid – why do you ask?
Can't think of anything to add!
Hi Alex, Eeeep, you're scaring me! What's the prob with cloud back ups?
Scroll down the name generator I linked to. There's lots of genre choices—would Star Wars help with sci/fi names?
Hi Ruth and Anne, this list makes clear what an amateur I have been. And I think I'm too old to change. Am I missing something, or is there a reason why four or five word-processors would be Must-Haves? I use MS Word, format to the Smashwords specs, and only need to tweak that file for Amazon or B&N.
My notes are the kind of mess no online tool is going to fix- it's labor-intensive and I can see the folders holding my background material (often written in ink) when I close my eyes. If I put them in a PC I'd forget where they were, sure thing.
I must check out the cover-design capability of MS Word, I had no idea. Thanks!
The only utility I would add as a recommendation from my own chronicling experience is Campaign Cartographer. It could be a heroic fantasy-thing, but I don't see what could top that for creating maps of what you see. Maps really reach me, I must say.
-Will Hahn
One missing is the simple notepad. Sometimes it's a lot easier getting the research notes down with a notepad instead of a computer. I use a composition notebook. This time of the year, they are on sale for $1 and are in a lot of cool colors.
Will—four or five word processors are definitely not necessary. 😉 My point was to be inclusive so people would know what's out there & have a choice. Personally, I have & use three: Scriv for drafting. Nisus because I've used it for years & my DH prefers it. MSWord because a lot of people want docs in Word format.
I hear you about notes & the mess! Evernote is searchable which is a major plus. It also has a great instant feature, a drop down that's perfect for those on-the-fly mini notes of just a few words.
Thank you for the Campaign Cartographer tip. Would certainly be useful in a number of circumstances I could imagine.
Linda—Of course notebooks! I currently have 6 on my desk. Oy. And let's not even get into pens & pencils. 🙂
Hi, Ruth, your column today is a Writer's Toolbox in itself. Thanks so much for the support and for all the great info you and Anne have passed on to us. The best thing about Sunday is your blog.
My best,
Paul
Hi Julie—I think our junkie tendencies have to do with "tools of the trade." Just like golfers/tennis players need to have every new piece of equipment. Or something like that. lol
Paul—Thanks so much for your very kind words. Anne and I appreciate the feedback!
Hope you found something new and/or useful in today's post. There's such an astonishing amount of stuff out there, so much of it FREE, that's it's hard to keep up. 🙂
Robert—Thank you for the suggestions. Both books look excellent. I can't imagine any writer who wouldn't be helped and/or inspired by them.
Christine—For sure, old-fashioned has a different meaning in 2013. My DH has an antique PC that's not on line so you're not the only one!
Very useful post. I will be linking this on my blog. Thanks.
Truly a fantastic article with so many useful links. I tip my Stetson to you! 🙂 I am like Alex: I do not totally trust the cloud. I prefer flash drives that I store in and out of my apartment. Just a fellow paranoid I guess.
Great article with so many practical, helpful sources. I recently added Dropbox to my computer and feel better having a back up. Otherwise, I'd be lost if my Flashdrive were broken or missing!
And yes, I too have a stash of notebooks and pens– I'm a junkie, and essential, must-read books to help me with the craft.
Two other writer's resources that I think are must haves: The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisis (http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/ [It's on the right]), and Ink by R.S.Guthrie (http://www.amazon.com/INK-Eight-Rules-Better-ebook/dp/B00BWELKVG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375047897&sr=8-1&keywords=Ink+R.S.+Guthrie).
Both help me immensely with my writing.
Wonderful information. I will admit that some of these things I have never heard of. I write on a PC that I have deliberately never put online. I back up with zip drives that I keep in a couple of different places. Old fashioned, I guess. Ha! That has a different meaning these days, doesn't it. Thanks, Ruth!
Thanks for all the great info. I know a lot of people who use Scrivener and are very happy. And I use Calibre, and it's super! Have a great week! 🙂
Thanks for this list! I've misplaced enough flash drives that I definitely prefer backing up with the cloud – Google Drive for drafts and Dropbox and SugarSync for finished copies.
I use Open Office, and it's worth noting that I can save documents as .doc files. I'm guessing other free word processing programs can do the same. It's definitely an option if you don't want to use MS Word.
Great tips. I've been meaning to back up on Drop Box. Thanks for reminding me.
Roland—Many thanks for the kind words. If you and Alex agree, I pay attention! Never hurts to be at least a little paranoid when it comes to the gremlins & glitches in the cyber-world.
Lexa—Thank *you*! And thanks for the Calibre rec—will be reassuring to those who haven't tried it yet.
Ed—Thanks for pointing out the downside to flash drives. Certainly can't hurt to have a cloud backup + a flash drive or ext hard drive backup. Thanks, too, for mentioning SugarSync and Open Office. It's unbelievable how many options are out there. Finding the ones that work for us is a matter of trial & error.
John—Thanks for the clarification! You're right: one file located in two places. I stand corrected.
Natalie—Dropbox is easy to set up and works invisibly. Glad you've got your backup life all shaped up!
Rosi—Thanks for the link. Anne and I appreciate it. 🙂
Thank you – some great pointers there. One slight quibble: Dropbox doesn't create two files ("one file in the cloud and another on your desktop"). There's only one file, in the Dropbox folder, that exists simultaneously in the cloud and on your machine/device, and is updated as you work on it.
What a fabulous, practical post! That name generator sounds really interesting.
Sarah Allen
(From Sarah, with Joy)
Sarah—Thanks! The name generator is also fun. Amazing what it comes up with!
Westin—Great minds! Thanks for dropping by and sharing your take on writers' tools. I'm intrigued by mindmapping but haven't yet tried it and appreciate your suggestion of minimalist writing apps.
Haha! I posted a similar article outlining my personal toolkit on Thursday. There's some overlap, but maybe readers will find something useful that wasn't mentioned here – especially if you're looking for mindmapping and minimalist writing apps!
http://www.westinlee.com/2013/07/25/the-writing-tools-i-use-to-write/
Oh. My. Gosh. What a treasure trove! Wanna know something horrible? I use Pages but didn't know it could convert to epub…until I read this post. Thanks SO much!
Julie—Thank you for the kind words. I didn't know Pages could compile either….not until someone told me. You are definitely not alone!
Ruth, here's an emailed comment–
Thanks for the article. I have not been very active on the net for some time, internet problems etc.There are several 'Must Haves" that I must have.
–Wyn LaBouchardière
Wyn—Glad your internet problems are in the past. Hope you find some useful apps. There are so many and they're not only FREE but they're also excellent. What could be better?
Claude—So sorry to hear about your ankle. 🙁 Horrible for an active person like you to be sidelined/hobbled. Sorry, too, about the 25K words kaput. Aaargh!
Thanks for your kind words about the post. DB, Scriv & Evernote are my must-haves. Great as DB is, there are also caveats with cloud-based apps (as with everything). I'm on a Mac and use Crashplan + an ext drive for back up. (Sometimes a flash drive, too.) Probably overkill but I know *exactly* how you feel about your lost week's work.
Scriv & Evernote are both great for keeping track of multiple drafts/research. Scriv resides on your hard drive, Evernote in the cloud.
Ruth, I've been off the Internet lately (broke my ankle, it's finally getting better!) but I wanted to tell you what a useful post you've put up here, many thanks!
Of all the gizmos you mention, I think dropbox is the best, I only recently discovered it but it has saved my life…or rather my book, the one I'm working on now. A week ago, there was a thunderstorm and unaccountably all I had written through a whole week (some 25,000) words got lost. Wiped out! I nearly died…
Since then, I write DIRECTLY on Dropbox, I hadn't realized that could be done, my son who's a computer geek (of course!) told me to do so. Apparently he does, all his stuff is there in the dropbox in the cloud. Safest place to be, up there in the cloud!
Jesper—Thanks for the suggestion. InDesign sounds like it's very powerful indeed. Is there a free version people can try?
InDesign for Self Publishing
There is one program for POD besides MS Word that I do not see anybody talk about. That is InDesign.
Let us face it the classical manuscript is dead. That is old school dating back to courier and the typewriter.
You can set up both Word and InDesign to look like your finished print book so you get to see what it will look like in print.
You can now write visually. See the white space you need for easy reading. So much better than letter size, double spaced.
The print layout transformation to PDF is better and you have more control in InDesign.
Word is trickier but still doable.
InDesign lets you compile your Kindle book with the touch of a button (Amazon Plugin).
And the Kindle version looks exactly like your screen/print version. No compromises.
Conversion to epub is the same but not so slick.
When I researched how to do Kindle books 3 years ago I did not find another program that could do that.
Forget Mobipocket Creator, Sigil, Caliber and the rest. I always got weird stuff happening.
Perhaps new programs that work have come out since then? I do not know Scrivener.
InDesign is admittedly difficult and the learning curve is steep. But it is worth it once you get used to it, if you need both print and ebooks.
If you are a true self publisher that like to have control of everything and to do everything yourself, it is the way to go.