Scrivener: A Tool for Writers and Publishers

I’ll admit to being a fan of technology in general, and I especially like to keep up with technology for writers and publishers. As I come across new tools that might interest authors and publishers, I’ll share them with you.

On a friend’s recommendation, I decided to check out Scrivener. The friend who told me about Scrivener is an indie author who had heard about the writing and publishing software but hadn’t yet tried it. So I decided to be the guinea pig. I bought Scrivener, registered it, and watched a couple of the quick-start video tutorials. That all set me back about 30 minutes and 40 dollars.

What every independent author I talk with seems to be looking for these days is an easy, cost-effective way to publish either a book-in-progress or a book that’s just been completed. Page design, cover design, and the ability to convert the book into all of the usual ebook formats — most importantly, of course, the Kindle and ePub formats.

Taking Scrivener for a Test Drive

Once you’ve purchased the software, Scrivener recommends that you begin by using the interactive tutorial which will set you back about 2 hours. Okay. I’ve begun to do that.

At about the halfway mark, with my head stuffed full of new (to me) terms — in this context, anyway — such as “corkboard,” “compile,” “folder,” and so forth, I needed a break from all of the new information I was taking in. Thus, I decided to share my discovery of the Scrivener software. But what I can say is that, loaded with new concepts as it is and learning curve though it presents, Scrivener still seems to be a relatively user-friendly and effective tool that writers can use to create new books (and, yes, tweak them as much as you’d like) and publish them as ebooks.

The software has been around for several years, so I’m not claiming to have discovered something that’s new to all indie authors! But, as someone who spends so much time researching, writing, and promoting books, you may not have a chance to try all the technology that could possibly smooth the path to publishing your next book. So, since the price is right and the challenge minimal from a technology standpoint, I do recommend that you give Scrivener a try. It’s available for PC and Mac, and I have no affiliation with the company other than the fact that I am a new (as of this morning) customer.

Feedback on Scrivener and Other Tools for Indie Authors

If you try Scrivener, let me know what you think. And if you have any other product recommendations for writers and publishers, please let me know! I’ll be glad to review new tools for authors and publishers as I learn about them.

The post Tools for Indie Authors: Scrivener for Writing and Publishing appeared first on S J MIller Communications.