23 of the Best Tools for Writers
by Jaylynn McClendon
Which tools do you need to add to your writer’s toolbox?
In his legendary book On Writing, Stephen King says, “I want to suggest that to write to your best abilities, it behooves you to construct your own toolbox and then build up enough muscle so you can carry it with you.”
He is speaking of a metaphorical toolbox: a collection of writing skills acquired through consistent practice and reading. These are wildly important to a writer.
But are they the only tools you need to thrive?
While the writers of yesteryear only needed a quill pen, some ink, and parchment nowadays, we have gadgets to improve & enhance the writing life. These tools could greatly add to the writing process: whether in fun or practicality.
The right tools for writers can get you more more focused, save you time, and make drafting, editing, and revising easier.
Some of these tools we already own. Some, we were delighted to discover. Some we haven’t even thought of before. You don’t need all of them to become a good writer, but what if they could help? What are you willing to do to become the best writer you can be? Whether you’re thinking about publishing a book or are just writing for the love of it, these tools could benefit you.
Add one of these tools for writers to your toolbox! You won’t be disappointed.
(Everything on Independent Book Review has been selected by a very picky group of people. As affiliates we may earn a commission on items you purchase through our links.)
- Digital Voice Recorder
Imagine this: you’re driving. The perfect sentence floats over the rolling hills outside your window and you have no chance to write it down. And no memory to cling to it.
Imagine this: you’re stuck in the plot. You don’t know how to write that scene, but it feels like you could speak it into existence.
A digital recorder is a game-changing tool for so many writers. When you’re trying to make it as a writer, you have to give it so much time and so much practice. No matter how much fun writing can be, it’s also a job of commitment. To make sure you do it, you have to actually do it.
I couldn’t recommend a digital recorder enough. It can save you time, but it can also blow open doors of possibility.
- Astrohaus Portable Typewriter
Distractions are all over your computer. Brain breaks are a click away. Remember that YouTube video you wanted to watch at this exact time last week? Here it is on Facebook. Tempting you. You’ll get back to writing in 3 minutes and 46 seconds. But those 3 minutes add up don’t they? And is it ever really 3 minutes?
If you only have 2 hours to write while your too-small kid is sleeping and you spend 20 of it on unrelated sites (& “essential” research), you have less time than you wanted.
With the Astrohaus, you cut out the possibility of distractions. You know you don’t need any more research, and you sure don’t need to know what your cousin Nicole is doing on the beach on a Tuesday. You need to write your book.
So get to it. This modern typewriter has cloud memory, electric charge, and a full keyboard, all weighing in at under 2 pounds. The Astrohaus is an excellent solution for those who want to focus on what they need to focus on.
- Smart Timer Cube
No, but seriously! Get writing!
When you realize you want to write with the time you have, you need to do it.
One of my favorite ways to do this is to set a timer that is NOT on my phone or laptop. There’s a reason smart phone companies are out here putting Willy Wonka music in their commercials: Writing beside your phone is like putting candy next to your toddler’s nutritious dinner and telling them they can’t eat it yet.
This eye-catching smart-cube timer works much like a kitchen timer, allowing you to set time limits for your writing and then alerting you when the time is up. When that thing starts ticking down low, you’ll feel like you’re in the closing minutes of a game. You better get those words out while you can.
Check out some great gift ideas for the writer in your life!
- Noise Cancelling Headphones
Not every writer is able to enjoy the life-giving sounds of nature while they’re working. But a quiet, sustainable environment is possible without telling everyone around you to shut up.
These noise-cancelling headphones are an excellent way to achieve a little peace and quiet wherever you are. I’d recommend some birds-chirping background sounds, a little rain, or even some lyric-less music to match the mood of what you’re writing. These can be great tools for writers who like crowded (or bad-music-playing) coffee shops or on public transportation during their commutes.
- Amazon Kindle Scribe
Did you know there’s a Kindle designed specifically for writers?
I know a lot of writers who have Kindles. And for a lot of different reasons. Sure, you get access to cheaper books right there in your pocket, but it’s also thanks to that handy send-to-Kindle feature. You can send files of unpublished books to your Kindle so you can consume that material just like if you had bought it from the Kindle store. There’s something enlightening about reading your book or your critique group’s books as if the manuscript was a finished product.
With the Kindle Scribe, you can write on the screen too. On regular Kindles, you have to take notes by typing on tiny touch-screen keypads, and I’d be lying if I said it gets it right most of the time. It is definitely the best e-reader for writers.
- The Writer’s Toolbox
Sometimes a little bit of fun is all you need to get out of a writing funk. Games like this one allow you to exercise your brain and can be a great way to get some creative juices flowing.
Play with friends or family to make a much-needed solo writing break into a social experiment that also allows you to do what you love. This is definitely among my favorite choices for best gifts for writers.
Almost ready to publish? Make sure you know how to get more book reviews!
- Rollerball Pen
There are so many ways to get into the writing zone. And so many unique preferences to getting it done.
If you’re a person who likes to draft in pen and paper, make sure you choose a good pen! Or, in this case, the best. This pen from Scriveiner has a 24k gold finish, is smooth to the touch, and writes quite effortlessly.
- Standing Laptop Desk Attachment
You’re going to want to switch things up! Whether it’s because you are putting in a long day of writing or just know it’s good to use your body in different ways, working with a standing laptop desk attachment is a smart decision.
Want to wake up? Write that action scene you’ve building to? Put on new music and get the explosive job done? The best writing tools make it easier on you and allow for flexibility and keeping your mind fresh with different tactics. This checks all those boxes.
- Laptop Cooling Pad
If you’re one of those writers who has a dozen or more tabs open at once, you’re probably familiar with the annoying sounds that happen when your laptop overheats.
This little laptop cooling pad can help you combat that sound without having to close your beloved tabs. When placed under your laptop, this fan works to blow cool air back into it and keep it that way while you finish your work.
- Smart Notebook
If you’re the kind of writer who has notebooks cluttering up their office, you could benefit from a tool like this one. Doodlers & artists too!
A smart notebook allows you to write or draw in a notebook like you always have, whether it’s notes, sketches, or full-blown pages, and scan it with your phone to upload it to an online platform. And when you’re done writing and scanning, you erase everything and reuse the page.
- Grammarly Editing Software
Just because you’re a great writer doesn’t mean you’re a great editor. And that’s okay! They’re different skills that require different viewpoints.
Software like Grammarly can clean up your writing and get it ready to give to a human editor or publishing company. This software can be helpful to even the most detail-oriented writer; there are going to be a few grammar issues you’ve missed, especially if you’re writing longer form pieces. Cover your tracks. Get Grammarly.
- Scrivener Software
Scrivener is a leader in word-processing tools for writers. They offer templates for screenplays, nonfiction, and fiction manuscripts and make formatting your writing easier than ever. A little bit of organization assistance can go a long way for serious writers. If you need to structure a complicated, multi-POV novel, there’s no better tool than Scrivener.
- Vellum Formatting Software
Self-publishing is more popular than ever. This is a valid option for writers of all skill and experience levels. If you’re looking to make real money out of your writing, whether through fiction or business nonfiction, you’re going to need to format your book professionally.
That’s where the incredibly user-friendly Vellum comes in! Format for ebook, paperback, and hardcover with this, and make sure your book appears as professionally as it reads.
Speaking of design…here are 5 critical indie book cover design elements!
- IBR Group Beta Reading
So often writers are in a hurry to hit the publish button that they skip out on opportunities to fix and correct big-picture problems with their work. This is why you should have someone read over your book.
While not everyone has a trusted friend that can give them helpful feedback on their writing, some companies have professional beta readers that can do just that.
Independent Book Review offers a beta reading service for writers to get their work looked at and critiqued by professional book people & readers: reviewers, booksellers, librarians, editors, and more. This group-style feedback can help authors recognize that a certain issue is cropping up for different readers and will likely appear when your book is published too. It can also reaffirm their idea that a piece of work is doing all the things they set out to do. Getting a few extra eyes on your work before sending it out to publishers could be exactly the thing you need to perfect your draft.
- Wix Website Builder
Want to publish your work? A professional website is a must!
Your author website is a place where people can learn more about you, follow your newsletter, and buy your books. While not all writers are tech wizards, websites like WIX make building a website much easier. I’d recommend getting a domain through BlueHost so it’s extra professional!
- Publisher Rocket
If you plan to publish your book(s), you’re going to want to learn more about book marketing. Not only would it be nice to make a few bucks from your art, but most writers want to be read by more people.
One of the best ways to reach a large number of readers is to place your book into as many categories as possible and with as accurate and high-ranking keywords as possible. What does this mean?
Well…you know how people search on Google and Amazon for the things they want? They type in things like, “spicy romance” or “space adventure,” when they want to read things like that. Those are keywords.
But how do you know which keywords are searched often? With Publisher Rocket! This tool for writers allows you to choose the best keywords so that your book shows up on the first page of an Amazon search.
Categories are genres and subgenres. You can post your book in up to 10 categories, and Publisher Rocket helps you find those too. An essential tool for self-publishers!
- Kindle Unlimited Subscription
What could be more helpful for a writer than having a library in your pocket? Sure Kindle Unlimited means you can read a bunch of captivating fiction books to figure out how others pulled off books in and outside your genre, but it also gives you access to thousands of nonfiction books on topics you won’t be able to learn about in such detail just on Google.
Writing a novel about Prohibition? Read about it! Even skip to the sections that are most relevant to you! You don’t have to read the full book in order to get the essential information just a few taps away. Check out some writing & publishing books on KU while you’re at it!
- The Emotion Thesaurus
Transform your writing with this expanded edition of The Emotion Thesaurus. Conveying emotion effectively is something that many writers struggle with, but doing so can make or break how readers resonate with your work. This book is the ultimate show and don’t tell guide to writing emotions. Break this thing open on your writing retreat or just keep it on your desk for easy access because you never know you’re going to need it.
- Writing Tools: A Book on Writing Strategies
Sometimes the best writing tool is called Writing Tools. This book provides 50 short essays from one of the most popular writing teachers in America on different aspects of writing. If you’re looking for a bunch of practical tips to help you break out of writer’s block, this book is the one to do it.
- Before and After the Book Deal
“Like sharing a coffee with a kind and witty mentor, Before and After the Book Deal is an ideally conversational guide to traditional publishing… If you’re in search of a guide that’s both intensely readable and undeniably practical (which, let’s be honest, you are), strap on your swimming cap and dive headfirst into this book. I’d offer you my copy, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting it out of my sight.”
– Joe Walters, Independent Book Review
- Small Presses & Independent Publishers
Here at IBR, we love indie presses. We read ’em, we review ’em, we shout ’em from the rooftops. Incredible bookish people are doing incredible bookish things and bringing extremely talented authors to everyday readers with their bold, risk-taking, entertaining work. They make beautiful books, and we’re proud to review so many of them.
If you’re a writer looking to traditionally publish in 2024 without an agent, you’re going to want to look into indie presses. This book is a resource you don’t want to do without.
- How to Publish a Book on Amazon
If you’re thinking about going the self-publishing route, this is the book to read. It’s got loads of practical information and walks you step-by-step through the process of doing it yourself. Doesn’t hurt that it’s got some great tips for Amazon Ads too.
I’m curious: Which are the best tools for writers that you can’t buy?
About the Curator
Jaylynn Korrell is a nomadic writer currently based out of Pennsylvania. In addition to her writing and reading for Independent Book Review, she curates lists at GoodGiftLists.com.
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