100 Best Self-Publishing Apps for Independent Authors
Self-publishing involves more than uploading a manuscript. These first 25 editorial selections cover major publishing platforms and practical tools for creating and preparing books.
Kindle Direct Publishing
Kindle Direct Publishing lets authors publish ebooks and print books for sale through Amazon stores. It helps authors reach Amazon readers without working through a traditional publishing company or distributor.
IngramSpark
IngramSpark provides print-on-demand publishing and wholesale distribution for independently published print books and ebooks. It helps publishers place books within a broader retailer and library supply network without maintaining inventory.
Draft2Digital
Draft2Digital distributes ebooks to multiple retail stores and offers automated manuscript formatting tools. It reduces the repetitive work of preparing separate ebook files and retailer uploads.
Smashwords
Smashwords is an ebook publishing platform that distributes eligible titles to several online retailers and libraries. It gives indie authors another route to multi-store ebook distribution from a single account.
Lulu
Lulu offers print-on-demand book production, ecommerce storefront tools, and distribution options for creators. It helps creators sell printed books without ordering and storing large upfront print runs.
Apple Books for Authors
Apple Books for Authors enables publishers to submit and manage ebooks for the Apple Books storefront. It helps authors sell directly to Apple device readers without relying solely on other retailers.
Kobo Writing Life
Kobo Writing Life lets authors publish ebooks and audiobooks for sale through Kobo's bookstore. It provides access to Kobo readers and international storefronts through a self-service publishing dashboard.
Google Play Books Partner Center
Google Play Books Partner Center allows publishers to upload, price, and sell ebooks on Google Play. It helps authors reach Android and Google Play customers with direct ebook distribution controls.
Barnes & Noble Press
Barnes & Noble Press supports self-published ebooks and print books sold through Barnes & Noble. It gives independent authors a direct channel to Barnes & Noble's online book retail audience.
PublishDrive
PublishDrive distributes ebooks, print books, and audiobooks to retail, library, and subscription channels. It helps publishers manage distribution across numerous channels from one centralized publishing service.
StreetLib
StreetLib provides digital publishing and distribution services for ebooks, audiobooks, and print titles. It helps authors distribute titles internationally while avoiding separate relationships with every storefront.
Blurb
Blurb helps creators design, print, and sell photo books, trade books, and magazines. It simplifies producing visually driven books that require more layout control than plain manuscripts.
BookBaby
BookBaby offers book production, printing, distribution, and author services for self-publishing writers. It helps authors outsource production tasks when they prefer guided publishing support over independent setup.
Reedsy Book Editor
Reedsy Book Editor is a browser-based writing and formatting tool that exports book-ready files. It helps authors create clean ebook and print interiors without learning complex desktop layout software.
Vellum
Vellum is a Mac application for formatting manuscripts into polished ebook and print book files. It reduces formatting frustration for Mac-based authors preparing files for multiple publishing platforms.
Atticus
Atticus is a web-based writing and formatting application for creating ebook and print book interiors. It helps authors draft and format books in one workspace across different computer operating systems.
Scrivener
Scrivener is a long-form writing application that organizes drafts, research, notes, and manuscript sections. It helps authors manage complex book projects when chapters, research, and revisions become difficult to track.
Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign is professional page-layout software used to design detailed print book interiors and covers. It gives designers precise typographic and layout control for books with demanding visual requirements.
Canva
Canva provides template-based design tools for book covers, promotional graphics, and social media materials. It helps non-designers create consistent visual marketing assets without starting every design from scratch.
BookBrush
BookBrush offers design tools and templates for book covers, mockups, advertisements, and author graphics. It helps authors produce book-focused promotional images without needing advanced graphic design software skills.
ProWritingAid
ProWritingAid analyzes writing for grammar, style, readability, repetition, and other editorial patterns. It helps authors identify recurring prose issues before sending manuscripts to editors or readers.
Grammarly
Grammarly checks spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, and tone across supported writing environments. It helps authors catch common language mistakes during drafting and revision before publication.
Hemingway Editor
Hemingway Editor highlights lengthy sentences, passive voice, adverbs, and potentially difficult wording. It helps writers spot passages that may be harder for readers to understand quickly.
Kindle Create
Kindle Create formats manuscripts into Kindle ebook files and prepares supported print book interiors. It helps KDP authors convert Word manuscripts into structured Kindle-ready files with less manual formatting.
Reedsy Marketplace
Reedsy Marketplace connects authors with freelance editors, designers, marketers, and other publishing professionals. It helps authors find specialized publishing help when a project needs expertise beyond software tools.
Plottr
Plottr helps authors map story beats, characters, and timelines with visual outlining tools. It reduces continuity problems by keeping plot threads and character details organized during drafting.
LivingWriter
LivingWriter is a cloud-based writing platform with chapter organization, templates, and story-planning features. It helps authors avoid scattered manuscript files by centralizing drafting, notes, and story elements.
Novlr
Novlr provides a browser-based writing workspace designed for focused manuscript drafting and goal tracking. It addresses distraction and inconsistent writing habits with a streamlined editor and progress goals.
Ulysses
Ulysses is a writing app for Apple devices that organizes sheets, projects, and export formats. It helps writers manage long manuscripts without navigating numerous separate documents and folders.
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor for drafting, revising, formatting, and collaborating on manuscripts. It solves compatibility concerns by providing a widely used format for editors and collaborators.
Google Docs
Google Docs is a web-based word processor supporting real-time collaboration, comments, and version history. It helps remote collaborators review manuscripts without emailing multiple conflicting document versions.
LibreOffice Writer
LibreOffice Writer is a free desktop word processor for creating and editing manuscript documents. It gives budget-conscious authors a full-featured drafting tool without requiring a subscription.
Pages
Pages is Apple's word-processing app for writing documents and designing simple book layouts. It helps Mac and iPad users create polished manuscript files within their existing ecosystem.
Affinity Publisher
Affinity Publisher is desktop publishing software for creating detailed print books, covers, and layouts. It addresses complex interior-layout needs with precise control over typography, pages, and master spreads.
Pressbooks
Pressbooks helps authors format books and export files for ebook, print, and web publishing. It reduces technical formatting work by generating distribution-ready files from one organized manuscript.
Calibre
Calibre manages ebook libraries and converts supported files between common ebook formats. It helps authors inspect and convert ebook files when retailers require different formats.
Sigil
Sigil is an open-source editor for creating and editing EPUB ebook files. It gives technically inclined publishers direct control when automated EPUB conversion produces errors.
Jutoh
Jutoh creates ebooks from manuscripts and exports them into several digital book formats. It helps authors prepare ebooks for multiple stores without manually rebuilding each edition.
Leanpub
Leanpub is a publishing platform for creating and selling books, particularly technical titles. It helps authors update evolving books after publication rather than treating editions as fixed.
BookFunnel
BookFunnel delivers ebook files to readers and provides guidance for loading them onto devices. It reduces reader support requests by simplifying review-copy delivery and device-specific instructions.
StoryOrigin
StoryOrigin provides author tools for reader magnets, review copies, newsletter swaps, and links. It helps authors coordinate list-building promotions without tracking participants through manual spreadsheets.
Books2Read
Books2Read creates universal book links that direct readers to available retailer storefronts. It prevents authors from sharing separate store links whenever promoting widely distributed books.
Geniuslink
Geniuslink creates localized smart links that can route readers to relevant online stores. It helps international audiences find appropriate retailer destinations instead of encountering unavailable listings.
Publisher Rocket
Publisher Rocket helps authors research Amazon book keywords and browse category opportunities. It reduces guesswork when selecting metadata terms and categories for Amazon book listings.
ScribeCount
ScribeCount aggregates sales data from supported publishing platforms into a single reporting dashboard. It saves wide authors from manually compiling sales reports across multiple retailer accounts.
Written Word Media
Written Word Media operates book-promotion services that connect discounted books with subscriber audiences. It helps authors plan promotional campaigns without building every deal-focused audience from scratch.
BookSprout
BookSprout distributes advance reader copies and collects reviews from participating readers. It helps authors organize early-review campaigns and follow up with interested advance readers.
NetGalley
NetGalley distributes digital advance copies to reviewers, librarians, booksellers, and media professionals. It helps publishers reach professional book-industry reviewers beyond their personal reader networks.
Goodreads Author Program
Goodreads Author Program lets eligible authors manage profiles and connect their books with readers. It helps authors establish a reader-facing presence where book discovery and discussion already occur.
MailerLite
MailerLite is an email marketing platform for building subscriber lists and sending newsletters. It helps authors communicate directly with readers instead of relying solely on retailer algorithms.
Scribus
Scribus is desktop publishing software for designing print-ready book interiors, covers, and other page layouts. It helps authors avoid expensive layout software when preparing visually controlled files for printers.
LanguageTool
LanguageTool checks spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style across multiple languages and writing environments. It helps writers catch recurring language errors that can remain after several self-editing passes.
PerfectIt
PerfectIt reviews documents for consistency in spelling, capitalization, hyphenation, abbreviations, and editorial style. It helps authors enforce a consistent manuscript style without manually checking every repeated convention.
AutoCrit
AutoCrit analyzes fiction manuscripts for pacing, word choice, repetition, dialogue, and other writing patterns. It helps novelists identify revision issues that are difficult to notice while drafting alone.
Fictionary
Fictionary provides story-editing tools that analyze plot, characters, scenes, and narrative structure. It helps fiction authors diagnose structural weaknesses before investing in professional editing or publication.
SmartEdit Writer
SmartEdit Writer is a writing and editing application with manuscript organization and automated style checks. It helps authors find repeated words, adverbs, and common style issues within long manuscripts.
Manuskript
Manuskript is an open-source writing tool for planning novels, organizing chapters, and tracking characters. It helps authors manage complex long-form projects without scattering notes across separate documents.
yWriter
yWriter organizes novels into scenes and chapters while tracking characters, locations, and story details. It helps fiction writers maintain continuity when manuscripts contain many scenes and viewpoints.
Dabble
Dabble is cloud-based writing software for outlining, drafting, and organizing long-form fiction projects. It helps authors keep outlines and manuscript chapters connected across devices during active drafting.
iA Writer
iA Writer is a minimalist writing application focused on distraction-free drafting and Markdown-based document creation. It helps writers concentrate on drafting when feature-heavy word processors interrupt their writing flow.
Aeon Timeline
Aeon Timeline creates visual timelines for tracking events, characters, ages, and chronology in stories. It helps authors prevent timeline contradictions in novels with complicated histories or multiple storylines.
Milanote
Milanote provides visual boards for arranging research, notes, images, outlines, and creative project materials. It helps authors gather scattered inspiration and research into an accessible visual planning space.
Trello
Trello uses customizable boards, lists, and cards to organize publishing tasks and production workflows. It helps solo publishers track editing, formatting, launch, and marketing tasks without missing deadlines.
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is image-editing software for creating and refining book covers, promotional graphics, and artwork. It helps publishers make precise image adjustments when cover assets need professional-level editing control.
Affinity Photo
Affinity Photo is photo-editing software for retouching images, compositing artwork, and preparing cover graphics. It helps authors refine cover imagery and promotional visuals without relying solely on template tools.
GIMP
GIMP is open-source image-editing software for retouching, compositing, and creating graphics for book projects. It helps budget-conscious publishers edit visual assets without subscribing to commercial image-editing software.
Photopea
Photopea is a browser-based image editor that opens and edits layered graphics and common image formats. It helps authors make quick cover-file adjustments when desktop design software is unavailable.
Midjourney
Midjourney generates images from text prompts that creators can explore for conceptual visual artwork. It helps authors rapidly explore cover concepts when they need visual direction before commissioning design.
ACX
ACX connects rights holders, narrators, and producers for creating and distributing audiobooks through Audible and Amazon. It helps authors navigate audiobook production by providing a marketplace for narration and production collaboration.
Author's Republic
Author's Republic distributes audiobooks to a network of retail, library, and streaming channels. It helps audiobook creators reach multiple listening outlets without managing separate distribution relationships.
Spotify for Authors
Spotify for Authors provides tools for authors to manage audiobook publishing and performance on Spotify. It helps authors oversee their Spotify audiobook presence without relying entirely on third-party reporting.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp provides email marketing tools for building subscriber lists, sending campaigns, and creating automated messages. It helps authors communicate book news to readers without manually emailing every subscriber.
Kit
Kit provides email newsletters, audience tagging, forms, and automations for creators and small businesses. It helps authors segment readers and send more relevant launch messages based on subscriber interests.
Patreon
Patreon lets creators offer memberships with recurring payments and gated posts, files, and community benefits. It helps authors build recurring reader support between book releases rather than relying only on sales.
Kickstarter
Kickstarter lets creators run time-limited crowdfunding campaigns for books, special editions, and related projects. It helps independent publishers validate demand and raise production funds before printing a new book.
Amazon Author Central
Amazon Author Central lets authors manage their Amazon biography, bibliography, editorial reviews, and author-page links. It addresses scattered Amazon book listings by giving authors one place to present their catalog.
BookBub Partners
BookBub Partners provides a dashboard for submitting promotional opportunities and purchasing BookBub Ads. It helps authors reach deal-seeking readers when email lists and organic discovery are limited.
Amazon Ads
Amazon Ads lets publishers create keyword- and product-targeted campaigns for books sold on Amazon. It helps solve low bookstore visibility by placing book ads beside relevant searches and products.
Meta Ads Manager
Meta Ads Manager creates and measures advertising campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network. It helps authors target defined reader audiences instead of relying solely on unpaid social posts.
Google Ads
Google Ads enables advertisers to buy search, display, video, and other digital advertising placements. It helps publishers capture reader intent when people search online for genres, authors, or topics.
TikTok Ads Manager
TikTok Ads Manager lets businesses build, launch, and measure paid campaigns on TikTok. It helps authors promote visually compelling books to audiences beyond established follower networks.
Buffer
Buffer schedules social-media posts, organizes content queues, and reports engagement across connected channels. It reduces the burden of manually publishing promotional updates across several social accounts.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite manages social posts, monitors conversations, and analyzes performance from a centralized dashboard. It helps small publishing teams avoid switching constantly between social networks and inboxes.
Later
Later plans and schedules visual social content, including posts for Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. It helps authors maintain a consistent visual promotion calendar without posting in real time.
WordPress.com
WordPress.com provides hosted website creation, blogging tools, themes, and audience-building features. It helps authors establish an online home without maintaining web-hosting infrastructure themselves.
Wix
Wix is a website builder offering customizable templates, pages, forms, and ecommerce-related tools. It helps authors create branded websites when they lack web design or coding experience.
Squarespace
Squarespace provides website templates, page-building tools, commerce features, and integrated analytics. It helps publishers present books and mailing-list signups through a polished, unified website.
Carrd
Carrd builds simple responsive one-page websites for profiles, landing pages, and promotional campaigns. It helps authors launch focused book pages without building a larger multi-page website.
Linktree
Linktree creates a customizable landing page containing multiple links for social-media profile bios. It solves limited bio-link space by directing followers to books, newsletters, and websites.
Zapier
Zapier connects web applications and automates workflows through triggers, actions, and multistep processes. It reduces repetitive administrative work when author tools need to exchange information automatically.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics measures website traffic, visitor behavior, referral sources, and conversion-related events. It helps authors identify which marketing channels actually bring readers to their websites.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console reports how a website appears in Google Search and flags indexing issues. It helps authors diagnose why book pages may be difficult for searchers to find.
Meta Business Suite
Meta Business Suite manages Facebook and Instagram content, messages, notifications, and basic performance insights. It helps authors handle audience questions and scheduled posts from a single Meta workspace.
Notion
Notion combines notes, databases, documents, and project boards in a customizable workspace. It helps solo publishers organize launch plans, editorial notes, and reusable business information.
Dropbox
Dropbox stores, synchronizes, and shares files across devices and collaborators through cloud folders. It helps authors keep manuscript versions and production assets accessible from multiple devices.
Google Drive
Google Drive stores files online and supports sharing, comments, and collaborative work through Google Workspace. It helps publishing collaborators review documents without emailing large files and conflicting versions.
Descript
Descript edits audio and video through text transcripts, with recording and transcription tools included. It helps authors produce interview and promotional audio without traditional timeline-based editing expertise.
Audacity
Audacity is open-source software for recording, editing, and exporting multitrack audio files. It helps authors clean up narration and create basic audio materials without complex studio software.
DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve provides video editing, color correction, audio post-production, and visual-effects tools. It helps publishers assemble professional-looking book trailers from separate video, audio, and image assets.
CapCut
CapCut is a video editor for creating short-form videos with effects, text, and captions. It helps authors quickly adapt book promotion ideas into social-video formats for mobile audiences.
The right stack depends on your format, distribution goals, budget, and willingness to handle production tasks yourself. Start with the tools that address your current publishing bottleneck.