Writing & Formatting Software:
There are many tools available to help self-publishers today, beginning with writing software . . . and completing the picture with formatting, design, and other creative software help. The more you search, the more help you’ll discover.
Scrivener Writing Software
www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php
software available at Amazon and other locations – they offer free trials
A great software for writing using storyboards, and word tracking! Recommended
Jutoh Writing & Formatting Software
Jutoh makes it easy to create eBooks in popular formats that you can sell on many eBook sites, including Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iBooks. Recommended.
Scribus
Scribus free software for the interior design of your book Open Source Desktop Publishing
Adobe InDesign CC
Adobe InDesign CC Page Layout design (for those who invest in software)
Lucid Press
LUCIDPRESS IN 60 SECONDS – Adobe InDesign can be expensive. If you want a free, online alternative, try Lucidpress!
Pressbook
Is for those who prefer to pay for formatting rather than master the skill set needed.
The Book Designer
Purchase templates to help you create a professional book design. This is for those who need assistance in formatting and book design (low learning curve). Templates can be used over and over again.
Templates by Joel Friedlander – for those who prefer help with their formatting
Recommended
Before you design and format get the facts you need to know from the source:
Kindle Publishing Guidelines
Smashwords Style Guide
Book Cover & Marketing Design software:
A freeware similar to Photoshop is Gimp
www.gimp.org/
GIMP is a versatile graphics manipulation package. This page should help you get a taste of what GIMP is capable of. You can also have a look at our introduction page or browse through the tutorials.
GIMP is Free Software and a part of the GNU Project.
Recommended.
Photo Advanced
Gimp tutorial for text with effects
XDTutorials.com
GIMP 3D Text Tutorial – Simple Methods + Advanced Techniques – XDTutorials.com –
Adobe
Adobe Photoshop CC Create and enhance photographs, illustrations, and 3D artwork. Design websites and mobile apps. Edit videos, simulate real-life paintings, and more. It’s everything you need to make any idea reality. (for those who invest in software)
Canva
Easily Design Stunning Visuals – Canva makes design simple for everyone. Choose from hundreds of professional templates to create social media graphics, eBook covers, presentations, flyers, posters, invitations and so much more.
An alternative tool to help make book covers and social media posts that stand out.
Easily create beautiful designs. Use Canva’s drag-and-drop feature and professional layouts to design consistently stunning graphics. Mobile friendly. Recommended.
Learn how to maximize Canva for your business or your personal brand. Get inspiration, learn how to get started, and create your own beautiful designs using Canva.
Canva Tutorials HERE. Try it out for free https://www.canva.com/
Articles about design:
The Book Designer
Articles about book design – and so much more. https://www.thebookdesigner.com/category/book-design/
Genre design templates: https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2017/03/designing-genre-fiction-new-book-design-templates/
ALLi
https://selfpublishingadvice.org/book-design-advice/
Wired
https://www.wired.com/2017/01/19-ingenious-design-books/
Indie Unlimited
https://www.indiesunlimited.com/2014/02/11/how-to-download-and-install-fonts/
Humblenation
humblenations.com/2012/04/12/14-tips-for-good-kindle-cover-design/
14 Tips for Good Kindle Cover Design
Typography 101 Everything a beginner should know
http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/typography-terms-introduction
FONTS:
Smashing – FREE FONTS New High-Quality Free Fonts
www.smashingmagazine.com/tag/free-fonts/
Every now and then, we look at select fresh free high-quality fonts and present them to you in a brief overview. The choice out there is enormous, so the time you need to find them is usually the time you should be investing in your projects. We search for them and find them so that you don’t have to.
My Fonts https://www.myfonts.com/
Fonts https://www.fonts.com/
Urban Fonts / Free Dirty Fonts: https://www.urbanfonts.com/fonts/dirty-fonts.htm
For affordable book cover options check out my new site
EZ INDIE DESIGN
Other Helpful Freeware:
Calibre http://calibre-ebook.com/
Calibre is a free and open source e-book library management application developed by users of e-books for users of e-books.
- Library Management
- E-book conversion
- Syncing to e-book reader devices
- Downloading news from the web and converting it into e-book form
- Comprehensive e-book viewer
- Content server for online access to your book collection
Testware:
Russell Phillips’ Author Tools
Quick links and tools used when publishing:
ISBN check digit calculator, creating audio books, downloads from your website, create apps and quick links to iBooks & Kindle store & more
Book promotion
www.bookpromotion.com/category/tech-talk/
Tech Talk – Info on SEO, Meta tagging, WordPress Plug-Ins and more.
Tutorials:
The Book Designer
Tons of professional information from Joel Friedlander on topics from internal print page design to eBook covers!
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/
Educator
Website or Blog Design – Tutorial for Word Press
www.educator.com/computer-science/wordpress/hague/
Adobe Effects: NALDZ Graphics
Free Social Media Icons: 50+ Most Amazing Adobe After Effects Tutorials You Need to Learn by Ronald Bien
Photoshop CS6
FREE samples from Educator.com‘s Photoshop CS6 lessons that help you through your image editing journey.
Adobe courses search http://www.educator.com/#search?Adobe
Web design http://www.educator.com/computer-science/web-design/echavarria/
WordPress courses search https://www.educator.com/software-training/adobe-premiere-pro-cs6/snape/introduction-to-premiere-pro-cs6.php#search?wordpress
Video & Images:
accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin Your Google Account is more than just YouTube.
Talk, chat, share, schedule, store, organize, collaborate, discover, and create. Use Google products from Gmail to Google+ to YouTube, view your search history, all with one username and password, all backed up all the time and easy to find at (you guessed it) Google.com.
Create your own You Tube channel
www.youtube.com/channel/UCSayPBDIpl739kcswMsFopA
Brainy Video
www.brainyvideo.com/ Here’s How to Show Up in a Powerful and Authentic Way / Steven Washer – Dean of Students
More Freeware:
Irfanview
What is IrfanView? http://www.irfanview.com/ . . . one of the most popular viewers worldwide! IrfanView is a very fast, small, compact and innovative FREEWARE (for non-commercial use) graphic viewer for Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003, 2008, Vista, Windows 7.
It is designed to be simple for beginners and powerful for professionals.
IrfanView was the first Windows graphic viewer WORLDWIDE with Multiple (animated) GIF support. One of the first graphic viewers WORLDWIDE with Multipage TIF support. The first graphic viewer WORLDWIDE with Multiple ICO support.
Sound:
Audacity®
is free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/about/
Great to use if you want to do an audiobook or book trailer. Record and test – share.
Audacity is a free, easy-to-use. Developed by a group of volunteers and distributed.
Join the Audacity user community and help other users.
Images:
Getty Images
http://www.gettyimages.com/creativeimages/royaltyfree
Support Public Domain artists
www.publicdomainpictures.net/top-images.php
Learn about Creative Commons License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Looking for more information?
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