Recommendations For Writers
YouTube Channels:
Bethany Atazadeh - Detailed and helpful videos about indie publishing from a thriving indie author. Atazadeh shares important information on marketing, publishing, book releasing, and so much more.
Book Launchers - Short, helpful videos on various topics for aspiring indie authors
Krystalle Bianca - A helpful channel for getting an honest, inside-look into the life of a young writer and her process to publishing her first book.
Heart Breathings - Great for writers who thrive in an organized environment. This is not a Christian resource, so there is the possibility of offensive language and/or questionable topics in the content. Viewer discretion is advised.
The Rebel Christian - A refreshing channel just starting up that fantasy writers would find insightful. Thus far the channel has delved into areas like magic systems, world building, and redemption arcs.
Derek Murphy - Provides a wealth of information on all sorts of topics for authors. From cover design, to publishing he has you covered. This is not a Christian resource, so there is the possibility of offensive language and/or questionable topics content. View discretion is advised.
Books:
A Novel Idea By Angela Hunt et al. - A marvelous compilation of writing advice from numerous best-selling authors. From writing characters, to plotting, to composing your first cover letter these talented writers give their sage advice. You'll also find encouraging faith tidbits and some comic relief that makes you want to sit down and pick up your pen. This book is a wealth of information and though it might be an investment, I assure you its the best one you'll probably ever make in your writing career.
Templates:
DIY Book Formats by Derek Murphy. - These templates have been such a blessing! Great for indie authors or those who are visual and work better writing their book in a traditional format. By going to: www.diybookformats.com you can download FREE book templates for Microsoft Word. That's right, no fee is required and you can write your your novel in the typical book format. All you have to do is fill in the template with your own words. Also, cover DIY book templates are available for free, and Derek Murphy has uploaded several tutorials on his YouTube channel (see above) for how to work on both templates. However, you must have at least a solid understanding of how to use Microsoft World before trying out these templates. I thought I knew Word pretty well, and I still had to learn a lot through trial-and-error. Nevertheless, these templates are well laid out and extremely helpful.
Map Builders:
Inkarnate - A great site for making realistic fantasy maps that you can use for commercial purposes. However, the free version of Inkarnate has incredibly limited resources, so I advise paying for the pro version. Depending on how long you will need to work on your map, you could pay monthly or yearly, and the prices are quite reasonable. Try the free version out first to ensure that Inkarnate will work for you. There are multiple tutorials on YouTube and if you have any questions, there is support right at hand. Inkarnate also has a Discord server where you can talk with advisors and other creators to get ideas and further assistance.
Hopefully some of these resources proved helpful, and happy writing.
-Lydia R. Sherren
