Tuesday Tips: 5 Author Tools That Will Change Your Life

 

All authors, regardless if they are self-published or working with a traditional publisher, have to do so much more than just "write the next book." We need to engage on social media, attend book signings, cultivate a mailing list, and often times we also have to create our own promotional images and content. Naturally, all of this takes time away from what our main job is--which is writing books. 

Personally, I'm all for streamlining things and working smarter not harder. I've recently been made aware of some programs that have changed my author life and have made things so much simpler for me, which in turn frees up more of my time to write actual books. 

And so, here are my top 5 Author Tools that I think every author should check out: 

1. SmarterQueue 

This is a massive game changer in terms of social media management. You can link your profiles and schedule posts. Now, I know there a lot of programs like this out there, but this one beats them all. Why? Well, for starters, you can create variations of the same posts with different media (images, videos, etc) and then you can recycle those posts so that they will always keep going until you tell them to stop. And with the variations, you'll never have back to back posts that are the same. 

You can use the calendar feature to create a posting plan, you can create and organize your posts based on specific categories that YOU choose. You can find free images and content to post. You can import your blog and share others' blog posts. And the best part is -- this is hands-down the simplest program I have ever used! 

They offer a standard 14-day free trial, but if you use this LINK you'll get a 30-day free trial. Beyond that, they have tiered plans that can be paid monthly or yearly. 

2. Author Content Calendar

If you're like me, you probably struggle with coming up with constant, new content to share on social media -- that's not all "BUY MY BOOK! -- am I right? Well, the Author Content Calendar has you covered! This is a one-time $39.00 fee for lifetime access to the calendar that offers an entire year (over 600 posts) of social media content that you can use. They also offer Canva templates for a variety of bookish posts, and that saves you time trying to create your own!

Did I mention this has LIFETIME ACCESS? Which means once you buy it, it's yours forever. You can use it for multiple pen names, if you want. And if you purchase this multiple years, you can mix and match the content as you see fit. 

3. Canva

A lot of authors are already aware of Canva, but this list wouldn't be complete without mentioning this specific tool. 

With Canva, you can create just about anything you want to help build your author brand, promote your books, fun things to engage with your readers. And now, you can even create products that Canva will print and ship to you (for a fee, of course) and this is a great feature for those of us who need physical swag for giveaways and / or book signing events. 

Canva offers a free plan that's really quite useful for being free, but if you want all the added bells and whistles, you can upgrade to the pro plan, which is what I use. And I don't regret the upgrade at all! I use this daily for just about everything.

4. Buffer

This program offers a LOT of various tools, but I use it for one specifically -- the landing page that lists all of my social media accounts. I can't tell you how much of a time saver this is. When someone asks where they can find me or follow me, giving them a single link that lists everywhere else I'm on social media is so much easier! And you can create and publish your start.page for FREE! You can add images, text, links, and videos! I love this and have found it to be so incredibly easy to use. You can see mine HERE.

5. Bookfunnel

Every author should have a mailing list, as this is the best way to communicate directly with your readers / fans. But once you create a newsletter, you need subscribers -- and finding them can be difficult. This is where Bookfunnel comes in! You can list a free book, sample chapters, or whatever you want to entice readers to sign up for your newsletter. Once you have the content to give to subscribers, you can then join in on various promos hosted right on bookfunnel! They offer group promotions for both building your list and for sales. There is a little bit of a learning curve with this platform, but there are plenty of helpful articles that will walk you through it. 

I have a lot more tools that I use, but for the sake of keeping this post a reasonable length, I'm going to stop here for now. I'll do a second post soon with more helpful tools. 

If you have tools you use that you just can't live without, share them in the comments!

Tuesday Tips: Living and Working with a Chronic Illness

 

As you may know, a few years ago, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. This completely altered my life in so many ways, and I've had to learn to adapt. People often ask me how I manage, and I figured why not share my top tips for living and working with a chronic illness. But before I get into this, I need to be clear that every person is different, and what works for me may not work for you--and that's okay! Find what does work for you and do that. 

Okay, so here we go...

LEARN TO SAY NO!

I'm a people pleaser. I like to help others, and saying no is hard for me. And I'm notorious for offering help even when not asked -- I'm always putting myself out there. As you can imagine, this has taken a toll on me over the years. I had to learn to prioritize and say no, which I'm not going to lie... it was difficult. But for my own physical and mental health, I simply have to say no sometimes, and you know what? That's okay! 

LEARN TO FORGIVE YOURSELF!

This was a big one for me, too. Anytime I'm not actively working, I feel guilty. Like, I should be writing or editing or blogging or literally anything other than sitting on the couch watching TV, or napping. But I had to take a step back and realize that doing nothing is actually doing something. I'm taking care of myself, and let's face it--if I'm not in good health, I can't do any of that other stuff. So, forgive yourself for not working every second of every day, and give yourself permission to rest when needed. 

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!

I know this seems like a no-brainer, but I have to remind myself of this daily. Make sure you're getting enough exercise and drinking enough water. Get plenty of sleep (when possible). Get some fresh air. Eat healthy -- in whatever context that means for you. Personally, I've found that I need to avoid too many carbs, so I tend to stick to a Keto friendly diet. And most importantly -- find something you like to do that's not related to your job. As a writer and editor, I'm always engrossed in books in some form, but lately, I've been stepping away to focus on other things: painting wooden crafts, adult coloring books, playing Solitaire on my phone. These things help me decompress, and then I tend to feel a little better.

FIND A SUPPORT SYSTEM!

Whether this is family or friends or an online support group, having people you can lean on and talk to is invaluable. God knows I wouldn't be as functional as I am without my husband, kids, parents, and close friends. And really, just having someone who understands what you live with every day and who you can talk to about all of it is sometimes exactly what you need. 

Do you have any other tips and tricks to living with a chronic illness? Share your thoughts in the comments!