The tech stack for new authors: what's worth it

Nobody told us that publishing a book meant starting a company. You’re not just the writer — you’re also the design department, IT, marketing, and accounting. And somewhere along the way, most of us bought a bunch of tools we didn’t need, couldn’t figure out, or used exactly once.In this episode, Tara and I get into what we actually use — the writing tools, book production tools, design tools, scheduling tools, email platforms, and a few analytics tools we think are optional (and a couple we think you can skip entirely, at least for the first few years). We also talk about how to think about acquiring tools: by function, not by FOMO.A few things that came up: why Vellum is the closest thing to a non-negotiable for indie authors, why Canva’s free tier might be enough to start, why most of us have a graveyard of email platforms in our past, and a useful AI tool for series authors that has nothing to do with generating prose.What tools have you spent money on and regretted — or loved? Drop it in the comments.Want to support the show? Support our work =)Find Tara’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tara-Lush/author/B00O5M5T5GFind LL’s books: https://llkirchner.comSHOW NOTESEpisodes referenced:* Episode 21: BookFunnel* Episode 13/14: Social media + newslettersPlatforms & tools discussed:Writing tools:* Google Docs — https://docs.google.com* Scrivener — https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener* Final Draft (screenwriting) — https://www.finaldraft.com* NotebookLM (series continuity/AI search) — https://notebooklm.google.comBook production:* Vellum (easiest on Mac) — https://vellum.pub* Atticus (Windows alternative) — https://www.atticus.io* Draft2Digital (free formatting option) — https://www.draft2digital.comAudiobook proofing:* Pozotron — https://www.pozotron.comDesign:* Canva — https://www.canva.com* PicMonkey — https://www.picmonkey.comSocial post scheduling:* Meta Business Suite (native scheduling, Instagram + Facebook) — https://business.facebook.comEmail service providers:* Flodesk — https://flodesk.com* Kit (formerly ConvertKit) — https://kit.com* Mailchimp — https://mailchimp.com* MailerLite — https://www.mailerlite.comAnalytics/sales tracking:* Publisher Champ — https://publisherchamp.com* K-lytics — https://k-lytics.com* Publisher Rocket — https://publisherrocket.com* KDP Dashboard — https://kdp.amazon.com* Google Sheets — https://sheets.google.comWhat we’re reading / listening to:* LL: Yesteryear (audiobook via Spotify — got cut off mid-listen, to be continued)* Tara: The Price of Honey by Liane Moriarty — a short story / reader magnet; worth reading as an example of what a big-trad author can get away with that indie authors can’tComing next: [Placeholder — hosts hadn’t locked in the next topic by end of recording]METADATASEO Title: The tools indie authors actually need (58 chars — fits)SEO Description: Two working authors break down the writing, production, design, and admin tools worth paying for — and what to skip. (120 chars)URL slug: tools-indie-authors-actually-need This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit youshouldtotallywritethat.substack.com