From freelance photographers for author photos to the perfect thank-you gift for those who provided endorsements, these low-cost tools can make your author-taker journey a breeze.
FOR HELP WITH YOUR COPYRIGHT PHOTO
With so much social media posting these days, most of us need more than just a headshot or two. But gathering recommendations from photographers and asking for quotes can be time-consuming.
snappr to the rescue.
On Snappr, simply enter your address and receive a quote for a professional photographer to come and photograph you. I provided my home address in Los Angeles and received a quote of $349 for a three-hour portrait session with all hi-res photos included, or $209 for a three-hour portrait session with nine photos high resolution provided. Both options include image enhancement.
Bonus: Snappr also has a free LinkedIn photo analytics tool. (For the record, mine scored 61 out of 100 with the note: “That’s not terrible, but given that this is the first impression people have of your professional profile, it’s not great either.” Ah, well.)
You can also book photoshoots using Airbnb Experiences (see this example for Venice, Italy), although these often include a group of other people.
FOR A SWEET WAY TO THANK THOSE WHO APPROVED YOUR BOOK
Many of us have received blurbs from leaders in our field. Thanking them for their generosity by sending them an autographed copy of your book is a nice gesture, but if you want to do something a little more original, add an extra thank you without overdoing it or you don’t get their shipment. physical address, then sugar wish got you covered.
With plans ranging from $23 to $56, Sugarwish is as easy as clicking a button and providing an email address. Your recipient then receives an email asking them to choose from a range of candies, cookies and other treats, including dog treats! No more sending macaroons to people who hate coconut!
Bonus: Download a personalized e-card and choose a printed box to make your delivery even more personalized.
FOR A SIMPLE WAY TO CREATE MANY ASSETS
Author-takers need assets — think social media posts, bookmarks, author logos, media kits, postcards, and even book trailers. Adazing offers all this and much more!
My favorite offering from Adazing is the Book Mockup Creator, which lets you upload your eBook cover and instantly get hundreds of mockup templates ranging from holiday-themed (your book bound to a pair of balloons heart-shaped!) to basic (your book in a bookstore, library or park) to really eclectic (Spider-Man holding your book!).
Bonus: Adazing lets you create a mockup for free, surely knowing you’ll be instantly hooked and want to create an account.
FOR A QUICK METHOD TO DISCOVER DIFFERENT KEYWORDS
Since Amazon is the third largest search engine in the world, using the right keywords can help many more potential readers discover your book.
That’s why I recommend giving your book a little boost every few months after launch by changing the keywords. While some authors will sift through their competitors’ books to find out what keywords they’re using (a laborious process and an inexact science), there’s a much easier way to make sure your book gets seen.
For a lifetime trail permit of less than $100, Rocket Editor provides you with the most popular keywords in your genre, the number of searches for that keyword each month, and the average monthly earnings for each keyword.
Bonus: the Rocket Editor does the same for categories, which are also worth switching up from time to time.
FOR THE EASIEST WAY TO CORRECT MISTAKES OR MAKE UPDATES
Even a book launched by a professional can contain errors, but one of the most amazing things about publishing today is that print-on-demand allows us to correct and re-upload any what layout at any time.
To make your life easier after publishing, I recommend purchasing Vellum or Atticus software and then asking your publisher to provide you with a Vellum or Atticus file so you can make edits and updates without having to hire someone to do it. Whereas Vellum is Mac only, Penthouse works for Mac and PC.
With these tools, your career as an author-preneur just got a whole lot easier.
