From writing and editing to marketing and administration, independent authors juggle an array of responsibilities. With so many balls in the air, automating repetitive tasks can be a game changer. This is where a tool like Zapier comes in.
Zapier allows users to connect various web applications and services and set up automatic actions and triggers between them. With the right Zaps in place, authors can streamline routine processes, free up creative bandwidth, and work more efficiently. Multi-step apps require a subscription, but basic tasks can be accomplished with a free plan. Here's an in-depth look at how Zapier works and its potential applications for indie authors.
Understanding Zapier: The Core Concepts
At its foundation, Zapier is integration software, acting as a bridge between the applications and platforms you already use regularly. Zapier establishes connections between these tools, enabling automations.
The automations center on two key concepts:
- triggers, or actions that kick off a Zap—for instance, a new email subscriber being added to your list; and
- actions, or tasks that Zapier automatically performs once triggered. Following the example above, the action might involve adding the new subscriber to a separate list in another provider.
By connecting triggers and actions across multiple applications, Zapier stitches together workflows tailored to your needs. The result? Processes that once demanded manual upkeep can now run on autopilot.
Zapier for Indie Authors
Although Zapier connects with thousands of apps, it can be especially useful for indie authors who rely on a core set of tools. Zapier’s automations can work in several categories of applications, each with multiple programs popular among indie authors, including:
- email marketing software, such as MailerLite, ConvertKit, Mailchimp, Mailpoet, or SendFox;
- e-commerce platforms, such as Gumroad, PayHip, Shopify, or WooCommerce;
- social media management, such as Buffer, Hootsuite, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok;
- blogging and CMS platforms, such as WordPress, Patreon, or Medium;
- productivity software, such as Google Drive, Trello, or Asana;
- transcription services, such as Temi, Rev, or Otter.ai; and
- delivery services, such as BookFunnel.
Bridging these platforms is where Zapier's value lies. Here are just some ways authors can benefit.
Automated Content Sharing
One of the most universal applications is repurposing content across social channels. For instance, when you publish a blog post, a Zap can automatically share the headline, excerpt, images, and links on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more. This saves you the tedious work of manual sharing.
Streamlined List Growth
Building your email list is critical, but keeping subscribers segmented and organized takes time. With Zapier, new sign-ups on your website can trigger workflows to add those contacts to targeted lists in your email service provider while also backing up data to a Google Sheet.
Simplified Transcription
Zapier integrates with speech-to-text services like Otter.ai, Temi, and Rev to make transcribing notes and voice recordings faster and easier. You can create a Zap so that uploading an audio file to Dropbox or Google Drive automatically generates a transcript, saved directly in Google Docs. You can also extend that to include a first-pass proofread edit from ChatGPT.
Enhanced Productivity
Zaps can be used to assign due dates in Asana when an event is added to your Google Calendar in order to help yourself remember administrative tasks or track deadlines for your projects. You can also set up an automation to receive a daily email reminder of tasks due that day.
Expanded Marketing
Leverage Zaps to breathe new life into old content. When a blog post is six months old, have Zapier ping ChatGPT for ideas on repurposing it into a refreshed social post with a new angle. Use Zaps to maximize content across marketing channels.
Automated Document Preparation
Manuscript formatting can be tedious. Zapier can automate this process for an indie author. Authors can dictate first drafts, which Zapier will send to TranscribeMe. Zapier saves the transcripts to Google Drive, triggering another Zap. This Zap opens the file in Google Docs, edits it to align with Chicago Manual of Style guidelines, and emails the document to their editor for review.
Ongoing Content Creation
Authors can leverage Zapier to aid content goals. Start by using spreadsheets to track blog post ideas. Zapier can ping ChatGPT to draft full posts from these ideas, including images from DALL-E. After someone reviews and finalizes the articles, another Zap schedules social promotion over a six-week period.
Automated List Growth and Data Backups
Authors can rely on Zapier for key list-growth workflows. When a reader subscribes to an email list via a website, Zapier can add their info to segmented lists in MailerLite, as well as copy the data to Airtable or a Google Sheet as a redundant backup. It can also trigger “welcome” and “milestone” email sequences when subscribers reach certain stages.
Repurposed Content
Zapier can help refresh evergreen content for an author’s blog or social media sites. It watches for blog posts over a year old with low recent traffic. When one is identified, Zapier passes the content to ChatGPT to create a new blog post, social posts, and graphics with a fresh angle.
Key Considerations for Implementation
While Zapier offers game-changing potential, effectively leveraging it involves an investment on the front end. Here are some factors to consider:
- Evaluate your goals. Have clarity on what outcomes you want to achieve via automation.
- Audit your workflow. Break down your regular tasks. Look for repetitive processes ripe for automation based on your goals and the time commitment they require.
- Research app capabilities. Ensure the apps you use most integrate with Zapier. If not, research alternatives with Zapier integrations.
- Enlist ChatGPT. Use conversational AI tools like ChatGPT to aid in setting up complex Zaps. As new Large Language Models (LLMs) are added, Zapier adds support for them.
- Start small. Resist over-automating initially to avoid overwhelm. Begin with one to two foundational Zaps, then scale up.
- Check security. Review the security protocols of each app you integrate to be sure you understand how your data will be accessed and handled. Some apps ask for the ability to delete data, such as calendar events or docs.
Maximizing Zapier for Ongoing Efficiency
Setting up impactful Zaps is an initial hurdle, but the real payoff is long term. Here are some more tips for maximizing Zapier’s value over time:
- Continue evaluating workflow. Periodically review your process for additional automation opportunities. Your needs will evolve, and new tools will be added to the Zapier universe.
- Monitor Zap performance. Use Zapier’s dashboard to watch for broken Zaps or bugs. Proactively address issues.
- Use notifications. Set up your Zaps to notify you of task completions via email or Slack so you stay looped into the process.
- Refine things over time. Tweak your Zaps every once in a while to better suit your changing needs. As you get more comfortable with the program, try integrating new tools into your process to further extend capabilities or automate other areas of your business.
- Learn from peers. Follow other authors who are using Zapier innovatively. Draw inspiration from their solutions. Most Zaps can be shared among users.
- Leverage Zapier support. Use Zapier’s customer support resources to troubleshoot and grow skills.
Zapier as an Indie Author Force Multiplier
At its core, Zapier is about multiplying output while minimizing effort. By weaving the tools you already use into automated workflows, Zapier massively expands what you can accomplish and enables indie authors to save hours weekly on repetitive tasks, reinvesting those hours into high-level creative pursuits only humans can handle.
Of course, an automation tool is only as powerful as the strategy behind it. The key is defining your goals, then methodically building Zaps that further them. With a thoughtful approach, Zapier can free you from the grind of routine tasks and allow you to thrive in the work only you can do.