What are the best book marketing resources for authors to invest in?
There are many, however this is a question we get asked every day. The following is a list of our most commonly used software. We only endorse services that we have used and found to be effective. Often, these listed below can help build your author platform or save costs on hiring professionals. Give you more autonomy over your author platform, and most importantly, save book valuable time to put into your writing.
Keywords and Categories
Discovering your book on Amazon's saturated store requires research and optimised keywords and categories. Picking the right keywords and categories people are searching for is crucial. To help you with this and many aspects of your marketing research, Publisher Rocket is the software to invest in. We have used it for years and are big fans. Here's where Publisher Rocket can support you:
• Choosing the right keywords for your book • Finding what your competition's books are earning and who they are • Checking the price point appropriate for your book • Choosing the right keywords for your Amazon ads
What's more, it's a very reasonably priced tool, and they have a lifetime deal running at the moment.
More detailsNetGalley Co-op Review Service
NetGalley is one of the largest digital ARC distribution platforms in publishing, connecting authors with a wide network of industry professionals: booksellers, librarians and reviewers seeking new releases.
Access can be costly on your own. A shared NetGalley co-op makes participation affordable, offering an extended two-month listing, meaning you can get in front of hundreds of reviewers and build momentum before your launch.
More detailsVictory Editing
Before your book goes out to reviewers, it needs to be edited and proofread to a professional standard. Victory Editing connects indie authors with a vetted team of copy editors and proofreaders, and their NetGalley co-op listing helps your polished manuscript reach hundreds of reviewers at an affordable price.
More detailsBook Bounty Reviewers
Reviews are the powerhouse behind successful book marketing campaigns. There's no sense spending money on promotion until you have a decent amount, as you are unlikely to get a positive result. We have been using the Book Bounty review service for the past few years and are excited about it — simply the best around. They are very reasonably priced too.
More detailsPromotion Services
Browser-based book promotion tools let you find your book on the Amazon store and, with a few clicks, set up promotions with up to 30 free book promotion companies. There is a queue for the free listings, but for the cost, this is a valuable part of our book marketing arsenal — for very reasonable one-time payments.
More detailsProWritingAid
ProWritingAid is a powerful writing assistant that helps authors improve clarity, grammar and storytelling. It goes beyond basic spellcheckers by identifying structural issues, vague language and punctuation mistakes, and reports on dialogue, sensory variety, pacing, flow and readability.
It integrates smoothly with Scrivener, Google Docs and Word, supporting authors throughout their writing process. By highlighting repetition, pacing and style, ProWritingAid helps authors craft polished drafts and reduce the need for major revisions.
More detailsStoryOrigin — Build Your Reader List (and much more)
Looking to launch your next bestseller by giving away free ebooks or audiobooks? StoryOrigin is your all-in-one author hub. Grow your email list with reader magnets, gather reviewers from vetted readers, and boost your sales across Amazon, Goodreads and beyond.
Manage ARC distribution, track eBook deliveries, and create personalised reviewer links with ease. From newsletter snippets to direct sales with built-in tax handling, StoryOrigin helps you simplify the chaos and amplify your reach — all in one place. Ready to go from 'aspiring' to 'thriving'? Your author journey starts here.
More detailsDirect Selling
Sell audiobooks and print books on demand and retain maximum profits by selling them through your own storefront. Print-on-demand partners also offer a service where customers can choose to buy books at wholesale prices, distributed directly and efficiently, with a focus on quality, customisation and global reach.
More detailsNewsletter providers
Sendinblue is an email marketing platform built for authors, content creators and entrepreneurs who want a simple, affordable way to create, manage and grow their newsletters. It offers tools for automated email sequences, newsletters and campaigns in an easy-to-use interface.
Unlike many platforms that charge monthly fees based on subscriber count, Sendinblue offers a free tier with daily sending limits, making it a great fit for beginners. It's easy to use and free to try. While it may not have every advanced feature, its value and simplicity make it a great bargain for those operating on a tight budget.
More detailsNo-Fuss Author Website and Email List
Crewfiction is an all-in-one author website platform built specifically for romance authors. It simplifies publishing your books, collecting reader emails, and running the usual social media in one place, with a genre focus.
What makes it different is that it's becoming an all-in-one publishing platform. From one admin, you can add and connect: • Your author website • A link-in-bio page • Reader magnets • Your email newsletter platform
They often run limited founding-membership plans with discounted pricing and early access to their automation features.
More detailsSocial Media Automated
A social media assistant can automatically create posts, graphics and content directly from your book — quotes, video teasers, graphics and social posts tailored to your voice and audience. No more staring at a blank screen: it drafts, designs and captions for you, so you can easily schedule content across platforms and focus on what matters most — writing. We use this for many of our recent clients.
More detailsFormatting Your Work
Formatting a book with a dedicated tool like Vellum gives authors a sleek, professional finish that helps a book stand out effortlessly. It produces beautifully structured ebooks and print interiors, reduces formatting errors, and saves hours of technical frustration. Vellum is widely regarded as the gold standard for self-publishers. From elegant typography to polished chapter layouts, the right formatting builds trust, credibility and reader satisfaction.
More detailsSome of the tools on this page we use ourselves. We can give you a nudge to get you up and running, should you need one — just book our consultation service here.