Free Resources for Writing and Publishing
There are a lot of free writing and publishing resources available for authors, but sometimes they cam be hard to find. The idea of this page is to put them all in one place to make them easily accessible for writers, no matter what part of the process they're in. Below you will find resources for planning and outlining, writing, editing and proofreading, formatting, cover and interior design, and publishing.
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*This is a work in progress! I will be constantly adding/updating links as I go. Eventually I will try to organize them into subcategories, but this is what we're working with for now. Not all of these sites have been vetted but I have at least heard good things about all of them. If you are an author who knows of a free resource that would be good to include on this page, or if any of the links below stop working and/or are not free anymore and need to be revised, please contact me at jaydenthompsonauthor@gmail.com to see about changes.
Planning/Outlining
Outlining Your Novel - YouTube playlist
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Plot Diagram Templates - PDF templates
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The 7 Best Ways to Outline Your Novel - article
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The Best Character Template Ever - article/template
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Free Novel Outline Templates - templates for novel outlining with different ones for specific genres
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Bubbl - outlining tool
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MindMeister - mind mapping
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Plot Factory - ​online story planner
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Family Echo - family tree maker
Writing
Google Docs and Microsoft Word - word processing sites
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How to Write a Book: Complete Step-By-Step Guide - article
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How To Write A Novel with the 3-Act Story Structure - YouTube playlist
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Brandon Sanderson Lecture Series on writing sci-fi and fantasy - YouTube videos
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Reedsy Studio - novel writing software to draft and typeset your book
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Evernote - note-taking app
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How to Write a Book: 13 Steps From a Bestselling Author - YouTube video
Editing and Revising
Editing Your Novel - YouTube playlist
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How To Edit A Book - article + checklist
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Book Editing Basics - article
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How to Edit a Novel: The Foolproof 9-Step Book Editing Process - article
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Manuscript Formatting - *different from interior formatting, but here's an article on it nonetheless
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Formatting and Interior Design
Sites such as Reedsy and Draft2Digital have book formatting tools included
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Chapter Headings Tutorial - YouTube video
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Format Your Paperback - article from KDP Help Center. Follow the links on the lefthand side of the page to see formatting for hardcovers and eBooks as well
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Cover Design
Canva - design software with an extensive free version
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Adobe Express - design software
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GIMP - open-source photo editor
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How I Designed the Cover for Diamond in the Rough - video tutorial for how I designed the cover of my debut novel using the free version of Canva
Publishing
Kindle Direct Publishing - free Print on Demand publishing service provided by Amazon
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Also, the KDP Help Center, which not only has tips and troubleshooting for KDP, but also includes articles on how to format you book and has cover size calculators for designing book covers.
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IngramSpark - Print on Demand publisher and distributor, but tricker to use than KDP and starts charging for revisions 60 days after your book is created. Otherwise, completely free
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Draft2Digital - publishing platform​
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Marketing
Do I Need Social Media to be an Author? - article
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The Art of *Subtle* Book Marketing - YouTube video
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How to Market Your Book in 7 Simple Steps - article
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19 Ways to Market a Book - article
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50 Free Book Marketing Ideas for Writers & Authors - article
Grants, Funds, and Writing Contests
Lists and Miscellaneous
Self-Publishing Guide - really great comprehensive guide on how to do everything from writing to editing to figuring out Goodreads, KDP, and IngramSpark
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Campfire - storytelling platform
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Directory of Writing Organizations
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