Are you seeking helpful tools to make writing, editing, and self-publishing easier? In this blog post, we’ve rounded up 10 must-have tools every author should know — let’s explore what makes each one worth your time.
1. Scrivener
If you’re writing a book, Scrivener might just become your new favorite tool. It helps authors plan, draft, and organize their novel all in one place.
Why you might love it:
- You can split your manuscript into chapters or scenes and easily rearrange them anytime.
- Keep your notes, world-building, and research right inside the same project — no more digging through folders.
- Track your word count goals and stay motivated while you write.
- Jump into distraction-free mode when you need to focus.
- When you’re ready to publish, you can export your book in the format you need — for KDP, print, or any other platform.
There’s a 30-day free trial (only counts the days you open the app), and after that it’s a one-time payment of $59.99 for Mac or Windows, or $23.99 for iOS.
2. Dabble
Dabble is a writing tool made especially for novelists who want to stay focused, organized, and inspired, without getting overwhelmed by too many features.
Why you might love it:
- You can easily break your story into chapters and scenes, and drag things around to reshape your plot.
- The Plot Grid helps you see your story’s structure and track character arcs or subplots at a glance.
- Built-in goal tracking keeps you motivated with daily word targets.
- All your notes, character sheets, and world-building stay right next to your draft.
- It works seamlessly on desktop, tablet, or even your phone — and autosaves everything to the cloud.
There’s a 14-day free trial, and after that, plans start at $10/month, billed annually (or $15/month if paid monthly).
3. Atticus
Atticus is an all-in-one tool for indie authors who want to write their books and format them for publication without switching between apps.
Why you might love it:
- You can write your manuscript and organize chapters with a distraction-free interface.
- Built-in book formatting tools let you style your book for print and ebook with just a few clicks.
- Choose from professional templates or customize your look.
- Cloud-based, so you can write from anywhere, plus offline mode for zero interruptions.
- Exports directly to EPUB and print-ready PDF, so you’re always just a step away from publishing.
There’s a one-time payment of $147 — no subscription needed, and you can use it forever.
4. Reedsy Studio
Reedsy Studio is a minimalist web-based writing tool that helps indie authors focus on the words and export a perfectly formatted book when they’re done.
Why you might love it:
- Super clean interface that lets you focus on writing without distractions.
- Organize your book into chapters and navigate easily with a sidebar.
- It automatically formats your manuscript for print and ebook as you write.
- Built-in collaboration lets you share your project with an editor or proofreader directly inside the platform.
- When you’re done, export your book as EPUB or print-ready PDF — for free.
It’s 100% free to use — no hidden fees, trials, or upgrades.
5. Novlr
Novlr is a clean and elegant writing space made just for authors. It focuses on simplicity, productivity, and helping you build a regular writing habit, with everything backed up in the cloud.
Why you might love it:
- A distraction-free interface helps you stay in the zone while writing.
- Easily organize your novel into chapters and rearrange them whenever you want.
- Set writing goals and track your progress over time with detailed stats.
- Autosaves everything to the cloud, plus offline mode for writing anywhere.
- Built-in grammar and style suggestions to help polish your prose.
- Export your book to DOCX, PDF, or Markdown when you’re ready to move forward.
There’s a 2-week free trial, and then plans start at $10/month (or less if billed annually).
6. Grammarly
Grammarly catches grammar mistakes, polishes your style, and even helps with tone, whether you’re writing your novel, your blurb, or a newsletter.
Why you might love it:
- Fixes grammar, spelling, and punctuation in real time as you write.
- Gives style and clarity suggestions to make your writing smoother and more engaging.
- Checks tone, so you always hit the right vibe (friendly? professional? dramatic?).
- Works everywhere — browser, Word, Google Docs, desktop app, even on your phone.
- Premium plan adds advanced suggestions, including rewording awkward sentences and checking for consistency.
There’s a free version with basic grammar and spelling fixes. The Premium plan starts at $12/month (billed annually) and adds the good stuff.
7. Hemingway Editor
Hemingway Editor is a no-fuss writing assistant built to help indie authors tighten up their prose. It highlights clunky sentences, passive voice, and unnecessary adverbs — making your writing bold and easy to read.
Why you might love it:
- Helps you spot hard-to-read sentences and suggests simpler alternatives.
- Flags passive voice, extra adverbs, and complicated phrases in real time.
- You can choose the tone, formality, and length you aim for.
- Readability scores show how accessible your writing is at a glance.
There’s a 14-day free trial, and after that plans start at $8.33/month, billed annually.
8. ProWritingAid
ProWritingAid is a powerhouse editing tool for indie authors who want to improve their writing, not just fix typos. It goes beyond grammar to help you strengthen your style, pacing, structure, and voice.
Why you might love it:
- Catches grammar, spelling, and punctuation issues with in-depth explanations.
- Offers 20+ reports on things like pacing, sentence variety, overused words, and readability.
- Checks consistency across your manuscript — from hyphens to character names.
- Integrates with Google Docs, Word, Scrivener, and even your browser.
- Built-in style suggestions help you sound more like you — only better.
- Perfect for both first drafts and final polishes.
You can start with a free version (limited features), or upgrade to Premium from $10/month (billed annually).
9. Evernote
Evernote is a versatile note-taking app that helps indie authors capture ideas, organize research, and manage writing projects — all in one place.
Why you might love it:
- Create notebooks for each project and organize notes with tags for easy access.
- Clip web articles, images, and PDFs straight into your notes for quick reference.
- Use the AI Transcribe feature to turn voice memos into written notes.
- Set reminders and to-do lists to stay on track with your writing schedule.
- Access everything offline so you can write whenever inspiration strikes.
Evernote has a free plan with limited features, while the Personal plan is $14.99/month (or $129.99/year) and the Professional plan is $17.99/month (or $169.99/year).
10. Publisher Rocket
Publisher Rocket is a research tool that helps indie authors sell more books by taking the guesswork out of keywords, categories, and Amazon ads. Whether you’re launching your first book or optimizing your backlist, Rocket gives you the data you need to make smart marketing decisions.
Why you might love it:
- It finds profitable keywords that real Amazon shoppers are searching for — and shows how often they’re searched and how competitive they are.
- It helps you choose the best Amazon categories by showing exactly how many sales you need to rank #1.
- You can analyze competing books and see their estimated sales, pricing, and bestseller ranks.
- It generates hundreds of targeted keywords for your Amazon ads — including author names and ASINs.
Publisher Rocket costs a one-time payment of $199, giving you lifetime access to all features and future updates.
Conclusion
Writing and publishing a book is a big job, but the right tools can make it so much easier. These ten tools can help you stay organized, write faster, and get your book ready to share with the world.
What tools have helped you most on your writing journey? Share them in the comments!
