Five Tools for Your Writer Toolbox

Published August 22, 2023

by Trista Herring Baughman

These days one needs a little more than pen and paper to get their stories out into the world and their readers’ hands. There are lots of great author tools out there, but I’ve found these five (which I’m about to discuss) are the minimal essentials for me. 

1. Google Docs. Google Docs is a free online word processor. It is easy to use, offers multiple file types, and it’s great for collaborating with other writers. You can access it from any of your devices. It’s very convenient.
2. Grammarly. I love Grammarly. I don’t always need it, but it has saved me the embarrassment of a typo (or two.) Grammarly checks for spelling and grammar errors, repetitive wording, plagiarism, etc. Some features require a subscription, but even the free version is fantastic. 
3. Hemingway is another handy tool. If Grammarly didn’t catch it, Hemingway will and vice versa. Well, they won’t get everything. You can never truly replace a real-live copy editor, but they’re still helpful. Hemingway highlights adverbs, passive voice, complex sentences, and other writing weaknesses. There’s also a readability score to help determine the reading level of your work and a word counter–something that may come in particularly handy if you’re a children’s author. 
4. Trello is one of my favorite tools. I use Trello boards, lists, and labels to organize my blogs, works in progress, and, well, everything! I like that you can personalize it with pictures, too. Here’s a handy video about how it all works. 
5. BKLNK. This site offers author websites, mailing lists, newsletter sign-ups, and more! My favorite tool is their free category research. You can find what categories your book is listed under and what categories similar titles are in. This is a helpful marketing tool for indie authors when determining the categories for their books. It’s also great for finding keywords for keyword ads. For more on this, I recommend checking out an Author Ad Challenge. 

These tools have helped me get several of my books from start to finish. I hope they will help you as well. What are some author tools you can’t function without?

Trista Herring Baughman is a blogger, the Managing Editor of Writing from the Peak (PPW’s blog,)  and the Managing Editor of Mississippi Folklore, a collaborative collection of Mississippi folklore and legends in a bi-monthly blog. Her books, The Magic Telescope, Halloween Night and Other Poems, and Zombiesaurs (which she co-illustrated with her sons), can be found at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Visit Trista on her website for more info.