BookReady handles file compliance, covers, ARC reviews, and landing pages. For everything else — writing, editing, audiobooks, ads, sales tracking — we point you at the tools that actually work.
You write the book here, then export to BookReady to prep it for publishing. We handle the print-ready file; these tools own the manuscript stage.
All-in-one writing & formatting tool. Outputs print-ready PDFs and EPUBs. Built by Kindlepreneur, the smartest indie marketer in the game.
Use it for: writing, formatting, exporting EPUB. Then bring the print PDF into BookReady to verify compliance.
The gold standard if you're on a Mac. Pixel-perfect interior formatting for print and ebook. Pricey but pays for itself across multiple books.
Use it for: Mac users who want the cleanest interior typesetting. Export PDF → check it in BookReady.
The drafting beast. Best for novelists juggling 70+ scenes across 25 POVs. Not a great formatter — pair it with Atticus or Vellum for the final file.
Use it for: drafting + research organization. Export to .docx → format in Atticus → check in BookReady.
Don't trust an AI for developmental edits. Hire a human who's vetted, has shipped books in your genre, and won't ghost you.
Marketplace of vetted editors, designers, and ghostwriters. Strict screening — they reject 95% of applicants. Pricey but safe.
Use it for: developmental, line, copy, and proofreading edits. Filter by genre + experience. Browse free, pay direct.
Self-edit before you pay an editor. Catches grammar, style, repetition, pacing. Cheaper than Grammarly and better at long-form fiction.
Use it for: the cleanup pass before you send to a human editor. Saves real money on per-hour copyedits.
Use the Pro tier only — Fiverr's vetted top editors. Cheaper entry point than Reedsy for shorter projects (novellas, short stories).
Use it for: fast turnaround on smaller projects. Always check Pro badge + reviews before hiring.
BookReady's cover builder is great for thrillers, romance, and SFF. For premium hardcover or unusual genres, hire a designer below.
Run a cover design contest — 30+ designers submit, you pick. Or hire a specific designer 1:1 from their portfolio. Owned by Vista (formerly Vistaprint).
Use it for: when you want options. Check the print PDF in BookReady before you upload.
Single designer, single book, hand-picked. Same vetting as their editors. Best for premium covers in literary, fantasy, picture books.
Use it for: when you need one specific designer and don't want to run a contest.
Templates and image library for DIY. Decent for paperback covers if you've got an eye. Pair with our Canva → IngramSpark export guide.
Use it for: quick, low-budget covers. Always run the file through our cover checker before upload.
BookReady doesn't produce audiobooks (yet — Q3 of our roadmap). Use these. We'll integrate file compliance later.
Hire narrators with your share, or pay upfront. Distributes to Audible, Apple, Google, Kobo, libraries — without ACX exclusivity.
Use it for: non-exclusive audiobook production + wide distribution. Better royalties than ACX.
Amazon's audiobook marketplace. Best for Audible-only distribution. Exclusive deal locks you in for 7 years — read carefully.
Use it for: Audible-first authors. Don't sign exclusive unless you're sure.
Where your book actually goes on sale. BookReady prepares the files; these platforms ship to retailers. Run every file through our 4-platform scan first.
Where 70%+ of indie ebook sales happen. Free, fast, but Amazon-only unless you opt out of KDP Select.
Use it for: ebook + paperback. Run through our KDP checker first.
Print + ebook distribution to bookstores, libraries, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble. The pro path. Strict file requirements — that's why BookReady exists.
Use it for: bookstore distribution + premium hardcover. Run through our IngramSpark checker first.
Aggregator. One upload → Apple, Kobo, B&N, Tolino, libraries. Their formatter is good for ebook only. Use BookReady for the print-ready PDF.
Use it for: wide ebook distribution outside Amazon. Check files in our D2D checker.
High-quality print on demand for signed copies, bookplates, Kickstarter rewards, and direct-to-reader sales. UK-based, ships globally.
Use it for: shipping signed copies from your landing page. Pair with Payhip below.
Selling direct gets you 90%+ margins (vs. Amazon's 35–70%). Bigger lift, but worth it for backlist + signed editions.
Sell ebooks, audiobooks, courses direct. Drop a Buy button on your BookReady landing page; Payhip handles checkout, EU VAT, file delivery.
Use it for: ebook direct sales. Embed the button on your /landing-pages page.
Reader magnet delivery, ARC distribution to your own list, group promos with other authors. Best UX in the space.
Use it for: "free book for newsletter signup" funnels. Reader-magnet swap promos.
One link → reader picks their store. Books2Read clone, baked into your BookReady account, integrated with our landing pages.
Use it for: putting one link in your email signature, social bio, ad copy.
Your email list is the only asset you fully own. We're shipping basic capture + drips on landing pages (Q2 of the roadmap), but for serious list building, use one of these.
The author favorite. Free up to 1,000 subscribers. Visual automations, tagging, sequences. Built by an indie creator.
Use it for: primary email list. We'll add OAuth integration in Q2 to push BookReady-collected emails directly into ConvertKit.
Cheaper than ConvertKit at scale. Drag-drop builder, automations, landing pages. Less indie-author specific but excellent value.
Use it for: budget email list. Same OAuth integration coming Q2.
Ads are a different sport. BookReady doesn't run them — we surface the metadata that helps you write better ad copy, and point you at people who do this for a living.
KDP keyword + category research + Amazon ads keyword tool. The 2015-era UI is rough but the data still beats free alternatives. Built by Kindlepreneur.
Use it for: KDP keyword research, BISAC categories, Amazon ad keyword discovery. We're building a competitor in Q3.
Paid ads on the BookBub platform — shown to readers in your genre. Costs less than Facebook to acquire a reader, but limited inventory.
Use it for: launch promos. Note: separate from BookBub Featured Deals (those are curated, hard to land).
Manage Amazon ads (AMS). Bulk operations, dayparting, keyword research, P&L by ad. The least bad Amazon ads UI on the market.
Use it for: Amazon ads at scale once you've got 5+ books. Skip until then.
Where readers find your book outside Amazon's algorithm.
Where readers track + discover books. Closed ecosystem, no public API, but maintaining your author profile + giveaways still moves the needle.
Use it for: author profile, occasional paid giveaways. Don't pay for shelf adds — they don't convert.
Newsletter swap finder, ARC management, group promos. Great for authors who'd rather build a network than buy ads.
Use it for: finding authors in your genre to cross-promote with. Different angle than our ARC system.
Our own ARC distribution. Genre-matched, vetted readers post honest reviews on Amazon & Goodreads. Native to BookReady.
Use it for: launch reviews from real readers. Different from "review trades" — these are bought slots.
Boring but pays for itself. We're not lawyers — these are the resources we use ourselves.
LLC formation for the US. Get your liability separation and tax flexibility. Cheaper than a lawyer for the boilerplate paperwork.
Use it for: setting up your author LLC. Talk to a CPA before you do — your state matters.
Bookkeeping for indie authors. Wave is free. Bench is full-service ($249/mo). Track royalties from KDP, Ingram, D2D, ACX in one place.
Use it for: tracking income across platforms. Critical at tax time.
Pull royalty data from KDP + IngramSpark + D2D + ACX into one dashboard. ScribeCount competitor, baked into your BookReady Pro.
Use it for: seeing total monthly income across all retailers without 4 logins.
We're always vetting new partners. If a tool helped you publish faster or sell more, tell us — we'll evaluate it for the directory.
Suggest a tool →Run your interior PDF through BookReady's compliance checker — free, no signup, instant report across all 4 major platforms.
Check my PDF free → Then come back here when you need editing, audiobooks, or marketing help.