Over the years of both writing for myself and for publishing, I have experimented with several software platforms and apps. As is the way of the world of software, what works well for a while is often overtaken by a newcomer. Some applications, however, I have used consistently because they are the best in class.

Here are my go-to tools for writing:

Scrivener: Scrivener is a writing software that helps authors organise their writing projects. It allows you to break your manuscript into smaller, more manageable chunks and gives you tools to track your progress and stay focused. Here’s a link. It’s an affiliate link which means that if you purchase Scrivener, I receive a small commission. 

Grammarly: Grammarly is a writing assistant that helps you improve your writing by checking for spelling and grammar errors. It also provides suggestions for style and tone, and can help you avoid cliches and other common writing pitfalls. After a long session in front of the computer I’ll use Grammarly to do a quick editing pass to catch the most obvious mistakes. 

Evernote: Evernote is a note-taking app that can help you capture your ideas and organise your research. You can use it to store notes, images, and web clippings, and it allows you to search and access your notes from anywhere. I use it as the single spot for everything I find in research, links to relevant web articles, and a whole lot more. To describe it as my ideas junk drawer would be completely undermining the usefulness and capability of this app. It’s more like my virtual filing cabinet. 

Vellum: Build, style and publish your books using this easy-to-use software. You can create e-books for any platform (Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, etc.) as well as format physical books ready to be sent to the printer. If you’re serious about self-publishing, this is your one-stop-shop for formatting. 

Click HERE to learn more.

Dropbox: Want an alternative to Microsoft OneDrive for cloud storage, then Dropbox is the answer. Easy to set-up and connects to almost every app you’d ever use that has a cloud storage option. I have a plan giving me 2,000GB of storage for $9.99/month. It’s more than enough space for a good price.

(Links above are affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase, I receive a small commission. Your cost is still the same.)