Best Tools For Writing Your Nonfiction Book

Writing a book can be pretty challenging. But knowing what's available to you can really make the process quick and effective. If you haven’t started your draft yet, these tools are what I recommend when writing. Of course you may have your own preference and what you’re familiar with, but some tools might significantly improve your writing and efficiency.

Writing Tools 

Microsoft Word: A popular word processing software for writing and formatting manuscripts. Cost: Free if you have Microsoft Office
Scrivener: A comprehensive writing software that helps organize and structure long-form writing projects. I prefer this to Google Docs because I can plan more effectively with Scrivener. I use this program for all my book writing and research. Cost: Around $49 

Google Docs: A web-based word processor with real-time collaboration features. Cost: Free Evernote: A note-taking app that allows you to capture ideas and organize research materials. Cost: Free
Ulysses: A writing app for Mac that offers a distraction-free interface and powerful organisation features. Cost: $5.99 p/month. 

Productivity and Organisation Tools 

Trello: A project management tool that helps you organize tasks and track progress. Cost: Free on basic plan
Asana: A task and project management platform for team collaboration and workflow organisation. I use this for my book coaching business, but it's a great accountability tool. Cost: Free on basic plan OneNote: A digital notebook that allows you to gather and organize your research materials, ideas, and outlines. Cost: $6.99 p/month 

Hemingway Editor: A tool that analyzes your writing for readability, highlighting complex sentences and suggesting improvements. Cost: $19.99
Grammarly: An online writing assistant that checks grammar, spelling, and style, providing suggestions for improvement. Cost: $12 p/month. 

Research and Reference Tools: 

Google Scholar: A search engine specifically designed for academic research papers, journals, and scholarly literature.
JSTOR: A digital library containing academic journals, books, and primary sources.
Zotero: A reference management tool that helps you collect, organize, and cite research sources. EndNote: A software tool for managing references and creating bibliographies. 

Thesaurus.com: An online thesaurus to find synonyms and expand your vocabulary.

Dictionary.com: An online dictionary for definitions, word origins, and language reference. 

Publishing and Self-Publishing Platforms

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): A platform for self-publishing and distributing eBooks and print-on-demand books. The gold standard in publishing
Smashwords: An eBook publishing platform that distributes to various retailers.
Lulu: A self-publishing platform for eBooks, print-on-demand, and author services. IngramSpark: A self-publishing platform that offers distribution services to bookstores and online retailers. 

Draft2Digital: An eBook distribution service that helps you publish and distribute eBooks to multiple platforms (now also part of Smashwords). 

Additional Writing and Publishing Tools

Reedsy: An online marketplace that connects authors with professional editors, designers, marketers, and other publishing services. I've found my editor and cover designer on Reedsy. Prices will vary, but you pay for quality. Everyone on Reedsy has been vetted.
ProWritingAid: An online writing and editing tool that offers grammar, style, and readability suggestions, as well as a plagiarism checker. Is comparable to grammarly but more expensive. Cost: $20 p/month 

Canva: A graphic design tool that allows authors to create eye-catching book covers, social media graphics, and promotional materials. Cost: Free on basic. Premium $16.99 p/month BookFunnel: A platform that helps authors deliver and distribute eBooks to readers and manage advanced reader copies (ARCs). I also use this to giveaway free books a marketing strategy. Cost: From $20 p/year 

Vellum: Used to format your ebook and print book I use this to create all my book files before uploading to Amazon. Available only on Mac. Cost: $199 (worth every bit of the cost). Atticus: Used to format your ebook and print book. I haven't tried this, but i've heard from other authors its easy to use and extremely valuable. Available only on Windows. Cost $147 

Select Your Writing Tools

As you see, some tools require a small investment, while others are free. It all depends on your budget, where you are in the writing process and what works for you. I've created a free list of these writing tools in an infographic which you can download here. 

>>GET YOUR WRITING TOOLS