I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m not a tech-savvy person. I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a Luddite, but figuring out a new program has usually sparked more grumbling than excitement. Give me a paperback, a physical planner, and a nice pen any day—I’ll let Chelle Honiker figure out the new platforms.
But going through the process of publishing my second novel, I’ve realized just how integral technology is to our indie publishing world. I used Scrivener to write the manuscript and organize it, Adobe Photoshop to lay out the cover, Google Drive to coordinate with my artists and beta readers, and Atticus to format everything. StoryOrigin helped me distribute the story to ARC readers, and I organized my street team using my newsletter, hosted through MailerLite.
There are plenty of ways to write our stories without technology, but publishing them and distributing them to readers would be impossible without the help of tech tools and programs like those featured in this month’s IAM articles and in every issue in our Technology section. Just as unique as each of our businesses is the combination of tools that helps us build them.
In this month’s pages, you’ll find descriptions of the IAM exec team’s favorite publishing software, as well as a list of alternative tools for some of the most popular platforms within the industry. You’ll also read how authors who have experience with certain tools can incorporate their knowledge into their business in other ways, through course creation and author education.
Like our businesses, our tech stacks are also ever evolving. As Indie Annie explains to one concerned author this month, if one platform isn’t a good fit, don’t be afraid to try something new. I promise, from one tentative techy to another, it’s not as scary as it sounds! And as you take on new projects or explore new ways to make your current publishing setup simpler, here’s hoping IAM—this month and every month—can help you find the perfect tool for the job.
Nicole Schroeder
Editor in Chief