The Best Publishing Tools and Services for an Author, Self Publisher, or Writer

The following is the collection of software, services, marketing strategies, and author tools I’ve used over the years as a self-publisher and author on Amazon. These author tools below were carefully chosen and truly bring value to Kindle publishing businesses. 

KEYWORD RESEARCH AND CATEGORY ANALYSIS TOOLS

As an engineer by training, I always enjoyed approaching self-publishing books on Amazon from an analytical and search engine perspective. Processes like keyword research and category analysis are essential if you want to beat your competitors in the Amazon search results. Optimizing your book(s) for your target keywords and categories can result in hundreds of more visitors. The two following tools have allowed me to gain an edge over the competitors.

Publisher Rocket Software
Publisher Rocket
I remember getting Publisher Rocket (formerly known as KDP Rocket) and regretting not getting it sooner (and this was when it only did Kindle book data). Publisher Rocket is a desktop software for PC or Mac users. Its critical winning features are the Amazon searches per month data it provides and its category feature that lists the categories hidden from the KDP dashboard. I go into more detail in my Publisher Rocket review article.
KDSpy V5
KDSpy (aka Kindle Spy) is a browser extension software that allows you to do quick overall keyword and category analysis within seconds of analyzing Amazon's search results and category pages. Kindle Spy can be used to check keyword profitability and to choose the best categories for your Kindle books. In version 5, KDSpy can now analysis physical book data along with Kindle data. I use KDSpy to select the best categories for my books.

WRITER TOOLS AND SERVICES

The tools and services below are not for everyone, but they have their place for improving writing quality and momentum. If you already use these tools, consider giving them as gifts to your writer friends.

BOOK COVER TOOLS AND SERVICES

This section is a bit on the shorter side while I’m testing out further services.

More Self-Publishing Resources

WEBSITE PRODUCT & SERVICES FOR CREATING AUTHOR PLATFORMS

Building an author platform is one of the most productive ways an author or self publisher can start taking control of book marketing traffic beyond Amazon. To do this, I’ve compiled some a few of the major components you’ll need to get started.

SiteGround
I recently moved from Bluehost to SiteGround and am happy with their web hosting service. For any type of website, you're going to need website hosting. SiteGround is a solid choice for beginners or intermediates.
Asrta theme logo
Astra
Astra has been gaining popularity recently because it's such a robust theme. And best of all, it's free and works with one of the best page builders on the market.
elementor logo
Elementor
I become more of an Elementor fan each day. It's a powerful page builder that allows you to make your blog posts stand out. The free version of this plugin is all you need to get started, but Elementor Pro unlocks its the theme builder, which is a game changer.

EMAIL MARKETING AND GROWING YOUR AUTHOR EMAIL LIST

Email is still one of the best online marketing tools you can have for any business. In the author/self-publishing world, it’s crucial to start building your list and using email marketing to promote your book, upcoming book(s), related affiliate products, or your own product and services. 

Convertkit Logo with Dark Background

ConvertKit is a beginner-friendly yet powerful email marketing software. Their standard and advanced features, such as tagging, segmenting, and automation, will give you advanced control over your email book funnel. If you want to get started with email marketing and aren't tech-savvy, I recommend checking out ConvertKit and getting started with their 14-day free trial. They also offer landing pages and have a free plan. Make sure to read our updated ConvertKit review!

Email marketing platforms require a "sender-friendly" email address to send emails. With GSuite, you'll be able to easily create an email with your author site domain (i.e., Your_Name@YourDomainName.com) all within the familiar Gmail dashboard. For only $5 a month, you can get a professional author account and avoid emails ending with "Gmail," "Hotmail" etc. Use code D36QCXQ6GE6JV9R (for the Basic Plan) and N9QRHFKKGA66VA4 (for the Business Plan). Each code provides you with 20% off your first year!

Convertbox is a one-time-priced popup software that allows you to set up different types of email opt-in forms throughout your website (it integrates via HTML and/or a WordPress plugin). For instance, if you want a certain pop-up to show on blog posts related to x category only, then ConvertBox helps you do that. Learn more from our in-depth Convertbox review.
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