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6/ Tools of the Trade

And a map to find the way.

David Gane
David Gane
2 min read

Hello friends,

Now that I am deep into teaching, I thought this week would be an excellent opportunity to share some of the tools to help authors write and promote their work.

How to Write (Almost) Anything

First off, I am sharing this great resource, which gives you eighteen articles on how to write everything from a bestselling novel(!) to a Jeopardy clue.

ProWriting Aid (Mac, PC)

Many apps help check grammar and style, but I was amazed by ProWriting Aid's in-depth reports. I learned specific ways to improve my writing, something I've never found with other click-and-fix tools.

Shopify and Gumroad (online)

I am listing these two commerce systems side-by-side. We use Shopify, mainly because we sell physical books and its tools for shipping are my favourite. When COVID hit, they even launched a local delivery option that has worked wonderfully for us.

Although Shopify offers an option to sell digital files, some writers may find Gumroad a more straightforward, cheaper way to sell their ebooks.

Publisher Rocket (PC, Mac)

If you're a bookseller on Amazon, Rocket is the tool to dial in your keywords to be found. Rocket shows you what book buyers type into Amazon search, how many people search these terms per month, and how much money other books make with that keyword.

The amount of information you can find out is almost frightening.

Your Website

I will keep saying this one forever.

Don't rely on social media to be your website and don't let someone else own your online presence. It puts your brand and your business at risk.

Own your website.

Yes, this most likely means paying for something, but that means you own it, and not the other way around.

I am keeping your choices open. Most people use WordPress, but I've been a big fan of Ghost, which powers mine.

Bonus: Literature Map

Okay, we are finished with the helpful tools and onto a little fun.

This literature map represents authors as an island and each of their books as a city. The distance between each of them is calculated by their relationship on the web.

Enjoy exploring!

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David Gane Twitter

Co-writer of the Shepherd and Wolfe young adult mysteries, the internationally award-winning series, and teacher of storytelling and screenwriting.

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