Business Tools
Book Cover Design:
99 Designs (thanks to the reader who recommended this service!)
Creating Workflows:
Flowchart Maker & Online Diagram Maker: Drawing.io
Workflows from Book 2: Meeting the Writer's Deadlines
Finance:
Excel
Expenses apps recommended in The Profitable Writer: Managing the Writer's Money.
MoneyControl (Mac, iPhone). NOTE: Do not confuse with the stock portfolio app of the same name. A simple app to use to track your expenses and income. The app's dashboard provides a visual way to view your expenses and income. Designed for writers who’re just beginning to track their finances, this app is easy to use.
YNAB – You Need a Budget (Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android). A useful tool for setting a budget and sticking to it. One nice feature is the ability to mark recurring expenses, allowing you to cancel automatic yearly charges before they occur. There is a free trial. You can also link the program to your primary bank account, savings account, and emergency account.
Spendee: Money Manager & Budget Planner. (IOS and Android and Web). Spendee is easy to set up and use. You can customize categories. The cost is reasonable. People are reporting issues with hooking up to their bank accounts, but worth considering if you’re not interested in linking to your online accounts. Although a recent entry, Spendee is already getting industry recognition. As the product matures, it should evolve to be an excellent alternative for those with simple financial business needs.
Dollarbird: (iOS, Android) – Free. Dollarbird uses a different approach than other apps. Your balance appears on a calendar. When you log an expense, your record is updated, which allows you to see when you are getting close to your balance. You can’t tie your bank account to the app.
Fudget: (iOS, Android). Free, but there is a cost for a no-ads version. The app works well for short-term budgets with a specific goal; for example, as a budget for a conference or trip.
Marketing:
Aweber – email marketing campaigns, newsletters, etc.
Sunome – popups, welcome mats, for your website.
zopim– online chat
Fiverr.com – graphic designers, ad writers, back cover copywriters
Productivity Tools for Writers
Evernote I use Evernote as a document management system. You can track all your Word files, Excel files, scanned handwritten notes, images, even your audio files. You can find information quickly using tags and it is a great organizing tool.
Scrivener Many writers use Scrivener. The program has templates to help you track your character traits and setting details. An import feature allows you to import Web pages and then go back and see them for research. You can import photos too. You can write your scenes out of sequence then put them together. There is a useful online index feature that I love which can be used to organize material. When you are done you can export your manuscript in a variety of formats, including .epub and .mobi. There is a learning curve but it is worthwhile taking a course to become proficient at this tool. Gwen Hernadez teaches a great course.
Timers
BeFocused or BeFocusedpro for the Mac OS. If you like the Podomoro timer approach of writing for 25 minutes then taking a 5 minute break, you wll like BeFocused.
FocusBooster for Mac OS and Windows. A timer similar to BeFocused which helps you track your writing time and break time so you don't get distracted and waste time.
Search Engine Optimization Tools:
WebTextTool – Guides you through how to optimize your blog and online marketing text. Includes Pagetrackers and Competitive analysis.
WordPress Site Development Information:
WebSite Setup: “How to Customize WordPress (Step-by-Step)” by Karol (thanks to the reader who recommended this article!)