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Alternatives to Popular Publishing Programs that May Be Worth the Switch
Ask a room full of indie authors what programs they use to complete a variety of tasks, and you’ll get a variety of answers. Tech tools abound for indie authors, and each author’s suite is as unique as their business. Although there are plenty of popular names in the mix, from Scrivener to Vellum to Canva, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to what program to use—so if you are looking for alternatives to popular programs, we have some for you to consider.
Writing Software
For those who don’t use Microsoft Word or a similar program, Scrivener is often the word processor of choice for authors. The platform works well for those who write out of order or like the ability to move sections or chapters around when needed. But some authors find Scrivener difficult to learn and don’t enjoy having to watch videos or comb through the expansive tutorial to learn how to take advantage of the program.
If you are one of those authors who finds Scrivener isn’t for you, here are some alternatives to consider.
- StoryistIf you have a Mac and are looking for a program that has many of the same features as Scrivener but also offers additional formatting options, Storyist might be the solution for you. Alongside its typical writing setup, Storyist is also a screenwriting program, formatting text automatically. Like Scrivener, Storyist allows users to make notes on index cards and consult them when you’re writing, and it helps you track your plot, characters, and settings as you write.Pros: The biggest advantage to Storyist is that it’s affordable, ranging in price from free to $59. It is also designed to save to the cloud, so you can access your files from anywhere. It comes with manuscript and screenplay templates to use out of the box, and there are other formatting options you can download for use as well.Cons: It only works on Apple devices, and while it’s free for iPhone and iPad, the Mac version of the program costs $59. It also does not offer a distraction-free or focus mode for writing, nor does it offer full-screen mode. Learn more about the app.
- Write! AppIf you’re looking for an affordable app that provides distraction-free writing on your computer or laptop, Write! App might be an option to consider.Pros: Write! App is super affordable with the max cost of $24.95, but a student discount can knock this down to $9.95 for life. This app supports thirty-five languages, allowing for basic spellchecks in those languages, and unlike several other programs mentioned in this article, Write! App allows for easy collaboration with editors or fellow writers.Cons: Write! App is not available for mobile devices. Unlike many of the apps within this article, Write! App does not offer many file types for exporting your book. It is limited to PDF, plain text, and Markdown text. File types like RTF, Word, and others aren’t available. Similarly, it doesn’t have version history, though it does sync to the cloud. For more information, visit Write! App.
- AtticusAlthough Atticus is predominantly a formatting tool, the company has actually marketed the app as a writing tool developed by authors for authors. Parts of the app are still under development, including collaboration and editing features, but Atticus is ready to use as a word-processing program right out of the box.Pros: Like Scrivener, Atticus allows you the ability to drag and drop chapters and scenes to reorganize them. It shares several other features with other writing platforms as well. It has cloud-based storage and auto-save and works on all major operating systems.Cons: Atticus has a one-time fee of $147, and there are aspects of the program still under development, so it may not have everything you are looking for yet, though developers are still pushing out updates to the software regularly. Learn more at Atticus.
- UlyssesIf you like writing on the go and use an iPhone, Ulysses Mobile could be an option for you. This app comes complete with formatting styles frequently used in books, spelling and grammar checking, and metric-tracking abilities, including goals, keywords, outlines, and more. If you prefer to type on your Mac, the platform has a computer-based option too, with a different version of the app, which can be downloaded.Pros: If you like to publish blog posts, this app allows you to post them straight from the application, which makes updating your blog while you’re on the go easier. It also allows you to format your book as an EPUB in addition to other common formats, such as DOCX and PDF. If you want to switch between writing on your Mac and your phone or iPad, just save your manuscript to the cloud in order to access your files.Cons: Unlike Scrivener and other writing apps, which require a one-time purchase, Ulysses is available via subscription only, at $5.99 a month or $49.99 a year. It is also only available on Mac or iOS—not much of a downside if you already use those devices, but a potential deal-breaker if you only use a PC or switch between PC and Mac. It was also hard to verify whether you have to pay for each version if you wanted it on more than one device, though it is possible, as the mobile app and computer platform are listed as two different products. For more information, visit Ulysses.
Runner-Up: Google Docs is a versatile and free application anyone can write in as long as you have a Gmail account. It has text-to-speech natively built into it, and it integrates with any number of editing programs, including but not limited to Grammarly and ProWritingAid. Since you can use it from any device, there is little to no time needed for syncing between devices when writing is done in online mode. It is also one of the easiest programs to learn how to use.
Pros: Google Docs is available for almost all devices. This includes your Kindle Fire if you want to side-load Google Play onto the device and put Google Docs on it from there. It also has no cost, and you can back up your content to other cloud services or even your computer if you are worried about losing content. It also allows you to collaborate with your co-writer or an editor.
Cons: To get the most out of it, you need to be online. You can save a version of your document to work on offline, but you have to remember to sync it online if you are switching between devices. And in my experience, when a document gets bigger than 70,000 words, it lags and can take longer to load when opening.
Editing Software
Even though nothing competes with the improvements human editors make to manuscripts, many authors choose to do a few rounds of self-edits on their manuscript before handing it over for a final polish. ProWritingAid is one of the most highly rated editing programs out there, and many authors swear by it. However, at $10 per month for a premium account, if you’re looking for an alternative to the platform that’s more affordable or that prioritizes other editing tools, consider the options below.
- GrammarlyIf you are looking for a program that is great at spotting spelling errors and minor grammatical errors, consider the free or premium version of Grammarly. Grammarly is a web-based platform that also offers an extension for your web browser to allow you to check your writing in your browser as you type. With the premium version, you can upload Word documents for the program to analyze.The free version of Grammarly only provides spellcheck and minor grammar errors whereas the premium version checks punctuation, context, and sentence structure, as well as offering genre-specific writing style checks and plagiarism detection. For the sake of this article, we’ll look at the premium version.Pros: In recent years, Grammarly has updated to allow for real-time grammar correcting, which can make editing your writing faster. It offers explanations on why it suggests changes to the writing, and the explanations are easy to understand. It is also easy to add words to the dictionary and to change languages if you write in other languages. Finally, it’s generally a user-friendly platform that’s easy to navigate. If you aren’t technologically savvy, this might be an important consideration.Cons: The premium version of Grammarly adds up over time. Like ProWritingAid, the app does not offer a lifetime purchase but instead charges you monthly, quarterly, or yearly. If paid monthly, the app runs $29.95 a month. If paid annually, the cost breaks down to $11.66 a month. But compared to the lifetime deals other programs offer, this one will add up to the cost of those lifetime deals within a few years. Additionally, as with other programs, you need an understanding of spelling and grammar to know whether the changes offered are the correct ones. These programs may not catch if you used the wrong word but spelled it correctly. For more information, visit Grammarly.
- AutoCritAutoCrit provides detailed reports on your writing, including genre-specific feedback and pacing issues, and is light on the spelling and grammar feedback offered by ProWritingAid and other competitors.Pros: Unlike other editing programs, which focus on line edits and copyedits, AutoCrit works similarly to a developmental editor. It looks for story structure, plot holes, and the direction of the story. It can tell you if you are meeting what readers of the genre look for and whether there are any pacing issues in the manuscript. It can also help you improve your dialogue, eliminate excessive repetition, and improve readability. AutoCrit is also decent at analyzing and improving nonfiction books. The app can compare your manuscript to other nonfiction books and provide reports specific to the topic.Cons: The biggest con with this program is that it doesn’t integrate with other programs. You have to upload your manuscript to their system for it to work. There is also no program to install on your computer, so AutoCrit requires an online connection to use the tool. Although AutoCrit provides editing in the form of spelling and grammar checks, they are not as advanced as other applications. It is great at checking for tense consistency, passive voice, adverbs, and unnecessary filler words, but the grammar checker isn’t as robust as other apps mentioned in this article. Another disadvantage is the cost. If you do not purchase it during one of their half-off lifetime purchase sales, AutoCrit will cost $698. For more information, visit AutoCrit.
- Hemingway Editor/AppIf you’re looking for a way to improve not only the spelling and grammar of your manuscript but also your writing style, the Hemingway Editor and Hemingway App are free and low-cost ways, respectively, to do so.Pros: The Hemingway Editor is free to use and doesn’t require a login. However, if you want to use Hemingway offline, you have to purchase the Hemingway App for a lifetime price of $19.99. Both the editor and the app have a simple, easy-to-use interface that prevents distractions while showing you issues that need to be addressed. Hemingway clearly highlights problems in different colors. Sentences that are long are in yellow. Very long sentences are in red. Passive voice is in green. Other colors represent other issues, and each category can be addressed individually on the right side of the editor.Much like ProWritingAid, Hemingway helps you improve the readability of your novel while teaching you about the errors you make so that you can learn from your mistakes. It also explains why changes are needed. The app allows you to publish to WordPress and other sites directly from the app. It also allows you to export a PDF that contains colored highlighted sections, in case you want to print out your manuscript and make changes manually before putting them into your original version.Cons: Although Hemingway provides great feedback, you may want to take its stylistic changes with a grain of salt. It can make writing sparse and confined to the style it determines, and that may not work well with your writing style or genre. Similar to other editing programs, you need to determine whether literary rules the app says you’ve broken were intentional choices and whether you want to keep them. If you aren’t sure Hemingway is right for you, your genre, or your writing style, consider trying the free version first to help you decide whether to get the app. Try it at Hemingway.
Formatting Software
Many authors have heard others praise Vellum for its easy-to-use, simplified platform for formatting books, but even more who would like to use it can’t afford it. Vellum is limited to Mac only and has a steep price of $199.99 just to get started formatting ebooks. At $249.99 for both ebooks and paperbacks, it’s no wonder some authors are looking for alternatives. Luckily, there are several options to consider.
- AtticusIf you are looking for a program that can be used from any computer you own or any place you have access to a web browser, Atticus is the solution. Very similar to Vellum, Atticus is set up with a simple set of formatting options for authors to choose from when formatting their manuscript for various file types. And the platform is not just limited to computer use; you can use it on tablets and smartphones too.Pros: Atticus has a lifetime charge of $147. You don’t have to purchase it for every device you own; if the device has a browser or a way to install software, you can access your account there without paying for an additional license. Atticus has more features than Vellum, including the ability to do footnotes, version control, and callout boxes.Cons: There are aspects of the program still under development, so Atticus may not have everything you are looking for yet. The formatting options offered also aren’t fully customizable, so some limits exist regarding what you can do with the design of your book’s pages. For more information, visit Atticus.
- Draft2DigitalIf you already use Draft2Digital to publish your books to other retailers besides Amazon, you might consider Draft2Digital’s tool for formatting your manuscript. It’s a free service, and the process walks you through formatting your novel in the same place you’ll eventually need to upload it—so everything is guaranteed to be compatible.Pros: It’s easy to sign up for Draft2Digital and follow the steps for formatting your ebook. The platform also has a variety of templates you can use when formatting your book to find the style you like.Cons: If you want to make changes to your book after it’s been formatted, you’ll have to upload the text from Word and format again. This isn’t as friendly of an option as Atticus or Vellum offers, especially if you update your back matter in previously published books regularly. Customization tools also aren’t easy to use. Finally, Draft2Digital’s site is cloud based, so you can’t download the formatter and use it when you’re offline. For more information, visit Draft2Digital.
- Reedsy StudioIf you are looking for a different free alternative to Vellum, check out the Reedsy Editor. It’s free for all users and features an easy-to-use interface that even the least tech-savvy person could use.Pros: Reedsy’s Studio is a simple tool that can help you complete most of the formatting needed for a novel or a nonfiction book. It can also be used as a word processor in which to write your book. Additionally, the platform can work from any device—computer, tablet, or phone—as long as you have internet access.Cons: Reedsy is cloud based, so you won’t be able to download it and use it offline. You are required to have a free Reedsy account to use the editor. It also doesn’t have the level of customization available in Vellum or Atticus. For more information, see Reedsy Studio
Image Creation Software
Photoshop and Canva are among the most mentioned programs when authors and artists talk about what they use to create graphics for newsletters, social media, and more. Most authors have one of these programs, but if you are looking for an alternative that’s less expensive or has room for more customization, check these out.
- Affinity PhotoIf you are looking for a program that has many similarities to Photoshop and has just as many tutorials available online, consider Affinity Photo. Not only can you create images from scratch, edit photos, and work with RAW photos, but it also includes features not available in Photoshop yet, like the combined crop and straighten tool.Affinity Photo has one major difference from Photoshop: It has an affordable one-time payment instead of the subscription plan currently required for Adobe products. The Mac- and Windows-compatible versions of Affinity Photo each cost $69.99, and the iPad app costs $18.49, all excluding tax.Pros: With a one-time payment structure instead of a subscription model, Affinity Photo is less expensive than Photoshop and works on multiple operating systems. If you have two different operating systems, it’s cheap enough to purchase the corresponding applications for both of them, but if you have a PC desktop and a laptop, for example, you can install the same program on both devices. Additionally, Affinity Photo can be used commercially by the individual who owns the license.Cons: Affinity Photo is not available for Android devices, but it can be used on an iPad. A new version was just released, but if you want to upgrade from version 1 to version 2, you must pay for the new software. Much like with Photoshop, there is a learning curve with Affinity Photo, but there are plenty of YouTube videos that can help with that. For more information, visit Affinity Photo.
- Book BrushBook Brush is an ideal online app for authors who don’t want to take a lot of time creating their graphics but still want to create promotional ads, banners, boxed sets, and more. The app is easy to use and tailored to authors, and you don’t have to figure out how to add your images to the graphics as it’s a plug-and-play setup.Pros: Book Brush offers more than three thousand templates for ads, social media, and more. The templates are customizable as well. You can also create ebook, paperback, and audio covers with Book Brush, and the app offers templates you can use to create those. It also has added a feature to create vertical videos. Finally, if you have fonts associated with your brand, they can be uploaded for use with your designs. There are many videos available on Book Brush’s website and on YouTube to guide you through the best ways to use Book Brush.Cons: Book Brush is only available online and requires a monthly or yearly subscription to use with tiers based on what you expect you will use it for. The free tier for the program limits users to fifteen images downloaded a month, while the least expensive paid tier starts at $8.25 per month. For more information, visit Book Brush.
Social Media Scheduling
Nearly everyone looks for ways to make social media scheduling easier, and while most people are familiar with Hootsuite and its abilities as a social media scheduler, they are also familiar with how much it costs—$99 per month—and the advantages to using it. Hootsuite appeals to many people because of the ease of use, its in-depth analytics of social media posts, the ability to schedule across multiple platforms, and its built-in image editing capabilities. As one of the first social media scheduling platforms, Hootsuite has changed with the times. Unfortunately, growth and change have increased the cost of the platform.
Fortunately, there are other apps available, some free or low-cost, for you to choose from.
- BufferOne of the few social media scheduling platforms that has a limited free tier and relatively cheap higher tiers, Buffer has an affordable plan for authors at any level.Pros: The biggest advantage to Buffer is the price range. If you want a virtual assistant to help with social media scheduling and engagement, plans start at $10 a month. If you are handling everything yourself and only need to schedule posts for more than three social media channels, plans start at $5—or you can schedule a limited number of posts on the free version, then wait for those posts to go live before scheduling more. You won’t find another platform that charges less than $30 a month for any tier they offer. Buffer allows you to cross-post content and has a great visual calendar so you can see what you have posted when.Cons: Unlike other platforms, which offer in-depth post-performance analytics, Buffer’s is limited. If multiple people schedule on the same accounts within Buffer, there is also a potential for scheduling conflicts, as each user’s calendar is separate. And unlike other platforms, there is limited customization available when cross-posting. This makes it difficult to create custom posts per platform. Unsure whether Buffer is right for you? Try the free plan and decide if it suits your needs. Learn more at Buffer.
- PromoRepublicAlthough PromoRepublic features three premium tiers starting at $49 per month and no free tiers, it has partnered with AppSumo a few times over the years, offering discounted plans for purchasers.Pros: PromoRepublic will repost evergreen content within ninety-nine days of it originally posting. This is useful for authors who don’t want to repost certain topics repeatedly. The app also has a library of industry-specific articles, posts, graphics, and GIFs that you can use for posts if you aren’t sure what to post, as well as other post ideas. PromoRepublic offers an add-on feature, called Content Bundle, which provides you with templates and images designed with your business in mind. Finally, you can save templates you frequently use where you can easily find them for future post creation within the graphic editor.Cons: An unfortunate downside to this platform, based on customer reviews, is that there seem to be several unspecified glitches that aren’t easily resolved. In one case, social media networks constantly need to be reconnected. If you don’t have the highest tier plan, customer support is also hard to reach. And the app doesn’t allow you to schedule multiple videos over time; as of now, you can only have one video in queue at a time. PromoRepublic has a free trial you can test out to decide if it works for you. Find out more at PromoRepublic.
- LoomlyIf you are looking for a social media scheduling platform that gives you as many stats and analytics as you can imagine, or one that allows you to manage comments and your individual social media inboxes in one place, Loomly is the platform for you.Pros: Loomly scores high on support in multiple user reviews. When things glitch or you don’t know how to use a feature, their customer support team is there to help. If you pay for the Standard tier or higher, which costs $60 per month, you gain the ability to export content, including posts and analytics. This is a game changer if you decide to change platforms or want to examine statistics over time.Loomly allows you to assign labels to your posts. Mark posts with labels such as “memes,” “book promotion,” “author share,” and more, and you’ll be able to find previous posts based on those tags. If you use a personal assistant for scheduling social media, Loomly is one of the few platforms that allows a second user at the lowest premium level. The number of users allowed increases with each tier.Finally, Loomly features the ability to leave the first comment on Instagram and TikTok posts, which can help the algorithm get your posts to the right people.Cons: Loomly does not curate posts for use again in the future. You’ll have to keep track of posts that did well if you wish to recycle them. Even though Loomly is easy to use, it can take time to get used to the scheduler. This learning curve grows when you schedule posts to multiple platforms at the same time, then have to customize the posts based on the platform. Once you learn how each platform works, however, it takes less time to schedule posts. Finally, custom branding for posts is limited to the highest tier of the platform. This means if you don’t have the highest tier, you’ll have to do your branding outside of Loomly to use it on the app. Loomly offers a fifteen-day trial for any of its tiers, so you can test them out and see which works best for you. For more information, visit Loomly.
Crowdfunding
Kickstarter is possibly the most well-known platform for crowdfunding books and audiobooks. But it is not the only platform out there. If you are looking for a similar and just as reputable platform for your next crowdfunding campaign, consider one of these alternatives.
- BackerKitFor years, individuals who used Kickstarter to run their crowdfunding campaign then used BackerKit to handle their surveys, order counts, add-ons promised after the campaign, and more. But in July 2022, BackerKit launched their own crowdfunding platform as an alternative to Kickstarter and other sites.Pros: If you’ve used Kickstarter and BackerKit together in the past, the latter is already familiar to you. The site has a new page for the crowdfunding part of BackerKit that you’ll use in addition to the Pledge Manager. Of course, a big plus is that you don’t have to pay two different companies for your crowdfunding endeavors. Finally, with both parts of crowdfunding together on one platform, you don’t have to worry about setting everything up on two platforms, eliminating the chances for things to get mixed up or lost in the shuffle between Kickstarter and BackerKit.Cons: BackerKit may not have the name recognition that Kickstarter or IndieGoGo have, which may cause some buyers to hesitate to back your crowdfunding campaign. For more information, visit BackerKit.
- IndieGoGoIndieGoGo is a crowdfunding platform that has been around since 2008. It started as a way to get funds even if you didn’t reach your crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter because, at that time, Kickstarter had an all-or-nothing policy for delivering funding. IndieGoGo reaches around the world and spreads across as many categories for funding as Kickstarter does.Pros: IndieGoGo provides connections with experts to support and boost your campaign. Much like BackerKit, IndieGoGo has everything built in to handle surveys and other logistics that may arise after a campaign has ended. There are also no limits on what you can raise funds to create.Cons: IndieGoGo is the leading platform for technology products, but it has quite the following for art projects as well. While there are publishing and book-related projects on IndieGoGo, the audience might not be primed for regular book crowdfunding campaigns. For more information, visit IndieGoGo.