NEWSLETTERS / GIVEAWAYS / DESIGN / WEBSITES / ADS / WIDE / SOCIAL / MORE

Newsletters

BookFunnel. What is the best way to grow your newsletter numbers? A lead magnet! Giving away a free eBook (or eBooks) for subscribers is great in theory, but how do you do it? With Bookfunnel, duh! Their constant stream of innovations and group bundles make Bookfunnel the top service of its kind. We consider it an absolute MUST for authors.

ActiveCampaign. If you want a newsletter that can do it all, then you need ActiveCampaign. With the most sophisticated automation, segmentation, and even direct Facebook and website analytics tracking, data nerds like us will find Active Campaign to be a dream come true! It's pricier than other options but worth every penny.

Mailchimp. We like Mailchimp so much we've become officially recognized as experts. It's reliable, affordable, and easy. Sure, it doesn't have as much automation power as our other top newsletter picks, but that's a good thing for some authors. Mailchimp is excellent for those who want a newsletter program without a steep learning curve.

Giveaways

UpViral. Holy smokes, this giveaway platform is fantastic! It offers custom everything and multiple integrations for your website, newsletter, ad pixels, and more. Grow your list fast and meaningfully. There is no better way.

Gleam. Do you want to run a giveaway that commands attention? Gleam is a visually stunning platform that offers varying membership levels (including a free version), making it one of the most author-friendly giveaway services available. If you're looking for ways to grow your network while giving back to your readers, Gleam can help you.

Riddle. Craft super cool quizzes for your readers to promote your book while capturing leads and just having fun. Riddle's developers understand the modern marketing game and constantly release innovative updates. If you want to do something different for your readers, you need this tool! Plus, save 50% with the code AUTHORSITERIDDLE.

Design

BookBrush. Create gorgeous 3D covers and marketing graphics for all your social media advertising needs. With over one million stock photos from which to choose, customizable text options and more, you'll love this new design tool made with authors in mind!

Canva. Ready to tell the world about your books? Believe us. Presenting a consistent look and feel when communicating your new author brand is imperative. If you have a good eye for design, try using this free software to make your own graphics. We love the perks included with the pro version, but the free version offers so many benefits that many authors never feel the need to upgrade.

FontBundles.net. Why stick to the same fonts everyone else is using? Make your branding stand out by adding gorgeous custom fonts! We love FontBundles.net for its unbeatable prices and frequent package deals. Go and find your new fave font today!

Deposit Photos. Grabbing random photos from the web to use on your site is a huge no-no. That's why a stock photo plan is essential for authors. DepositPhotos offers the best deal. Grab some credit, and download to your heart's content, then modify in Canva or Photoshop to add a unique twist to your brand!

Stencil. If you're looking for a user-friendly graphics platform at a reasonable price, Stencil is the answer. And if you'd like to try it out, grab the free version, which offers limited monthly resources, so you can get your feet wet in this up-and-coming service!

Websites

Thrive Themes. Our #1 recommendation for authors is definitely Thrive Themes. Whether you purchase the whole package or pick up a copy of their Content Builder, you definitely can't go wrong. We use Thrive as the core for all our author sites because it is easy to learn and use, so our authors feel comfortable updating their own sites whenever needed!

Elegant Themes. Want a kick-butt website theme but can't afford Thrive Themes? Then your very next step should be Elegant Themes. With highly adaptive layouts and a range of aesthetic choices, the Elegant Themes suite provides an affordable and effective web design solution for those who are willing to put in the time to learn. Their Divi theme is a great place to start.

ThemeForest. Want a theme for your site that you don't see in a million other places? If you can't afford to hire a pro to create that coveted look for you, try browsing Theme Forest for a solution, but be careful because not all themes are created equally! Our tip for finding a good fit? Check out RedExp's portfolio. You can also find fun plugins, video and audio clips, and other fun things here.

SiteGround. Looking for a fast, simple, and affordable web host? Then look no further than SiteGround! We like SiteGround because their dashboard is easy to use, their costs are low, and you can easily host everything you need all in one place. They also have better support than the other budget host options.

My Book Table. This is a great DIY option for building out beautiful, functional book pages that are easy to shift around at your leisure. We also adore the My Book Progress widget for updating readers on your current WIPs!

WooCommerce. Looking to sell directly from your website? Then you can't beat the cost and ease of Woo Commerce. With dozens of integrations and cool add-ons, if you can dream it, Woo can do it!

Gravity Forms. Why have a simple contact form when you can have so much more? Gravity Forms does everything from newsletter integration to eCommerce, quizzes, polls, automation, and a million other things.

Pretty Link Pro. Ever wonder how authors get their Amazon or iTunes links to display with their name in it rather than the default jumble of letters and numbers? Pretty Link is how. We recommend the slight upgrade to PRO for the added reporting and tracking features.

Soliloquy. Make beautiful sliders, carousels, and other custom widgets with Soliloquy. They provide a great way to showcase your books, blog posts, and even your social media feeds. We're huge fans!

BookBub Ads. BookAds offers ‘done-for-you’ BookBub Ads management that is second to none. They have a dedicated graphics team for ad creatives and have worked with over 100 authors since the platform was launched. Their designs are often featured in BookBub’s very own blog as best practices. Just go to bookads.co and click “Get a Quote.” Make sure you select BookBub Ads in the desired platform section!

Publisher Rocket. KDP Rocket is a fantastic tool when it comes to creating a huge list of AMS ad keywords quickly and effectively. I wouldn't be able to run Amazon ads without them. The savings an author accrues over time is totally worth the expense of purchasing this software. Happy advertising!

Reveal. Want to automate your Facebook ads? Nothing beats Reveal. Set your goals and decide when ads are turned off, or their budgets have changed. If you run lots and lots of Facebook ads, this nifty program will save you loads of time and money.

Going Wide

Erin Wright Author Consulting – Are you an author whose books are wide, but you need help making your dreams a reality? Erin Wright has years of experience helping authors succeed outside the world of Kindle Unlimited. With expert insights on direct vs. distributor publishing, permafree vs. newsletter strategies, back matter optimization, cross-promotion, the 3 Bs of author marketing – BookBub, BookSprout, and BookFunnel – and so much more, you can't go wrong with her judgment-free advice. Use code mels to save 10% off your next consultation!

Draft2Digital. D2D is our favorite eBook distribution service for oh-so-many reasons! They have a sleek, easy-to-use interface, excellent customer support, and a beautiful book designer with the option to prep your title for print as well as digital. Definitely check them out if you need a one-stop publishing shop!

Scribecount. If you're an author whose books are wide and you're tired of tracking down income for each book retailer, then you'll love Scribe Count! Having all the sales figures at my fingertips saves precious time, and the added features help me dive deep into the data to see what's doing well and where I can improve. The first 14 days are free, so head over to try it out!

Social Media

ManyChat. If you're looking for a new way to interact with readers and stand out amongst your literary peers, then ManyChat could be the answer! I love it because it provides a highly customizable experience AND collects tons of data along each step of the conversation. Readers love my 10-part serial mystery bot, and it's become one of my stand-out marketing pieces!

MeetEdgar. We love MeetEdgar because it ensures nothing goes to waste, whether it's your gorgeous promo graphics to promote one of your backlist titles or the time you spend importing them into the platform. This is our fave scheduling tool because it's easy and effective with a super low learning curve!

Zoom. Zoom is the ultimate for online conferencing. Once you try it, you'll never go back to Skype. Share screens, videos, or access to your computer. A chat box allows for side conversations without interrupting the speaker, and more features make it perfect for Q&A sessions. Built-in filters can blur or replace your background or upload your own. You can even record your entire meeting to review later. Whether you're looking for new ways to engage with readers (online book club, anyone?) or meeting up with your author peers, Zoom is the way to go!

Freedom. Ever feel like you're a slave to your email and social media accounts? It's time to be free! This handy Internet blocker helps cut off your favorite procrastination source at the quick. Once you've hit your word count and editing goals, you can turn everything back on to catch up on what you missed while you were working away on your WIP.

Sparkle Hustle Grow. This subscription box for female entrepreneurs is the best business expense ever! If you love office supplies and planners, motivational reads, and free monthly marketing courses, then you seriously cannot afford to miss this monthly reminder to live your best life as an authorpreneuer!

Kabbage. You know what they say–money makes the world go around! If you need some help with funding your author business, Kabbage Loans is definitely worth checking out. They're fair, flexible, and fast. Believe us. A well-timed business loan can make a huge difference in your bottom line!

AutoCrit. While it's not technically a design resource, AutoCrit has more than earned its spot on our top list of recommendations. Melissa Storm has been using it since 2011, and it's safe to say that AutoCrit played no small part in making her the multi-bestselling author she is today–under multiple pen names. This software is perfect for self-editing and learning to correct your own mistakes, and we just can't recommend it enough!

Udemy. Okay, you want to do it yourself, but you aren't sure where to start? Udemy is a fantastic resource for learning how to do pretty much anything you can imagine via bite-sized video instructional modules. Better yet, many of its courses are free!

Dropbox. Did we save the best for last? You tell us! You've heard horror stories about files disappearing from computers for whatever reason. Maybe it's even happened to you. It's every author's nightmare, including ours. This is why everyone at Novel Publicity uses Dropbox for cloud storage. We can safely store our files and quickly and easily maintain them and share them with both others on our team and our clients.