Best Free Resources I Use to Stay Organized

Want to make sure you're organized while you build your book business?

I get it! You're busy, time is money and energy since you're likely working on your lunch break and after the kids go to sleep to write or sell your book. Here are the resources I use to help stay on track with my book goals and still have time for family while working full time and growing a business.

1. Google Suite - From Google Calendar to setting reminders for guest speaking events to Google Docs for drafting book manuscripts, Google Suite makes it easy to be productive and stay on schedule. Invite your significant other to the calendar events, so they know when they need to watch the kids. Easily share book ideas with your contractors and restrict access levels to protect your work. Store pictures and video in Google Photos to quickly document your book publishing process to use for social media posts and other marketing efforts.

2. Canva - Lisssssssten! Canva is bae. Use templates to make your social media look like it's done by a professional. Post directly to your Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. from inside of Canva to prevent having to download and upload your graphics to social media. The free option is pretty legit, but consider the paid version at just $12 a month (or the cost of a few book sales).

3. Project Management Tool - Think about a project management tool like if your calendar met an event planner and they had a baby. Use tools like Trello, Asana, Monday, or Click Up to track due dates, assign tasks to someone to complete, add notes, upload graphics, set up reminders to complete all of the many tasks associated with your book launch or day to day book business operations. I'll be switching soon, so I'm not recommending one in particular. Plus it's a personal preference based on what you like. Try a few out and see what works for you.

4. Book Report Chrome Extension - If you sell on Amazon, this is one I recommend for ease of use and quick metric tracking. It's free for everyone who earns less than $1000/month on KDP. After that, it's $190/year or $19/month. In this case, having to pay is a good thing!