After being an owner of the program for about 4 years now, I believe Atticus is the only program you will ever need for formatting and writing.

That’s right, I believe that Atticus is the best writing software, the one-stop-shop for writers as they are writing, editing, and formatting their books.

Honestly, when I first heard about Atticus, I was a bit skeptical. Could there really be a program that could replace not just Vellum, but Scrivener as well? And then on top of that, add Google Docs-like capability?

Yes, yes it could.

In this review of Atticus, I’ll walk you through exactly how it does all this.

So, is Atticus Any Good?

Yes, Atticus is a tremendous software for authors. It manages to combine the best of all of the other software out there, including Vellum, Scrivener, and even Google Docs.

And while it still has a lot of features yet to come, I can easily say that I am transitioning all my books to this program, and will continue to write, edit, and format with Atticus in the future.

How Much Does Atticus Cost?

Atticus costs $147 for a lifetime account. That’s it. There are no subscription fees, no paid upgrades in the future, what you pay for is what you get.

The best part about this, is that you will get all future updates completely for free if you buy the software today. And there are a lot of really cool features coming, at least according to the Atticus roadmap.

Is There an Atticus Free Download?

No, there is not a free download of Atticus, nor is there a free trial. However, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you are not satisfied with Atticus for any reason, then you can get your money back. So if you’re willing to shell out the money temporarily, just to try it out, you can do that.

That said, I think you will be pretty satisfied with what they have.

Atticus Coupon Information

I did some research, and it looks like there are no coupons or ways to discount Atticus, at least at this time. Atticus is still a fairly new program, and so I don’t think we can expect a ton of coupons at this point.

What is Atticus & What is Atticus Used For? My Overview:

In a nutshell, Atticus is a writing and formatting program, with the goal of being the one-stop-shop for authors. Currently, it is primarily a formatting program, but more features are coming that will turn it into a competitor with Scrivener, Google Docs, and a few features that don’t exist in any program ever.

Atticus started out as a major competitor to Vellum, which until then was the only great formatting software for regular fiction and nonfiction books. However, Vellum was only available for Mac users, and you literally had to buy a Macintosh computer in order to run it. Seriously, I know authors that did this.

But not anymore. Now with Atticus, you can run on any program which is one of its best features. (see my comparison of the two programs)

And speaking of features…

Atticus Features List

Here are some of the main features you can find it Atticus:

1. Cross-platform functionality
2. A robust theme generator
3. The print previewer
4. Its word processor
5. Large print options
6. Reusable elements
7. Goal setting
8. Full-bleed images
9. Volumes and Parts
10. Headings
11. Footnotes and Endnotes
12. Integrations

There are a lot more features than this, but these are the ones that get me most excited. Let’s dive into them one by one.

1. It’s Cross-platform!

By far the best feature is that Atticus is available on all platforms, unlike Vellum which is only available for Mac. But Atticus can be used on a Windows machine, a Mac, a Chromebook, or a Linux machine.

And it doesn’t have to be online either. Atticus uses something called a progressive web app (PWA) which allows you to access the program online, but also to access it from your computer offline.

The only time that you will need to be online is when you initially login, and when you choose to export a book.

2. The Theme Generator

The theme generator is another feature that I’m super excited about. Basically, you can create chapter themes that are customized however you like. You can change the font of each element, the size, the positioning, and even images that you’d like to use.

You can even use full-bleed images which extend all the way to the edges of your print book, which gives you some incredibly exciting possibilities with background images for your chapter themes.

You can also customize the fonts of your text, the headers and footers, and even the fonts that you write with. For example, writing in a dyslexic font can help people with dyslexia, or help you catch different errors when you’re editing.

Basically, everything is customizable.

3. The Print Previewer

Vellum has this too, but Atticus has a really cool print previewer that lets you see exactly what each page will look like in its finished, formatted form (say that five times fast).

This is really useful for seeing what your chapter themes look like before having to go through the hassle of exporting your entire book.

4. Its Word Processor

The word processor is the part of the program where you actually write the book. Atticus has a really great word processor, one that works way better than Google Docs or Vellum.

The only writing program I know of that marginally beats it out is Scrivener, but Scrivener has a habit of being way too complicated, and Atticus is just a simple as you need it to be. You can easily drag and drop your chapters and other back/front matter elements to the side, and the actual writing window is pretty customizable.

For example, you can change the font size and font type for the writing window, so you can write with a huge font, or with the font that you enjoy looking at, even if that’s not the font that your book will be formatted in eventually.

5. Large Print Options

A lot of programs will create books with a larger font, but Atticus is the only one I know of that pays strict attention to detail on all of the different requirements for large print books.

This includes things like print size, a sans-serif font, the trim size, margins, etc. Basically, there is a lot more to large print books than just a large font. Atticus helps you create large print books easily and effectively.

6. Reusable Elements

Okay, you guys, this is one of my favorite features on this list. Have you ever created an author bio page, or a “read more from this author” page, then had to copy and paste that page to all of your books? And then, if you had to make changes to that page, you would then have to copy and paste it again into all your books.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an easier way to do this?

Well Atticus can create a reusable element, which is a way of creating a set template for something like an author page (but it is not limited to this), then reusing that element over and over again in your books.

The best part is that if you make a change to the reusable element, you have the option of updating it across all books that use that same element. It’s a fantastic feature that I’m surprised Vellum has never developed.

7. Goal Setting

Last, but not least, I want to talk about goal setting. There are a number of great goal-setting programs, but few writing programs actually integrate them into the software. Atticus does this.

Atticus lets you create project goals or habit goals. Project goals allow you to set an estimated word count for your book, outline how many days you’re planning to write, input your deadline, and it will automatically generate the word count that you must hit each day to hit that deadline.

Or, if you prefer habit tracking, you can put in a daily word count goal and it will gamify the process of writing for you. Personally, I can no longer not hit that daily word count goal, because I have to keep my streak alive!

8. Full-Bleed Images

Do you ever feel limited by just inserting images that float in the middle of a page? Well Atticus lets you upload images that will extend all the way to the edges of your pages with full-bleed images.

This means you can have some really cool effects with images in the background of your entire page or spread. It also makes Atticus a great choice for creating visual books like children’s books, cookbooks, or even comics. The possibilities are wide open.

9. Volumes and Parts

One hugely powerful feature that Atticus has over pretty much every other program is the ability to easily create multi-volume books and box sets.

Atticus lets you organize your book into volumes and parts. So if you’re writing an epic fantasy series, you can have Volume 1 be the first book, then have Part 1, Part 2, etc within that book. Or if you’re creating a box set, you can have each book be its own volume.

This saves a ton of time compared to having to manually create each separate file for every volume and part. Atticus handles it seamlessly.

10. Headings

Here’s something you may not know – most ebook creation software out there doesn’t let you have a full range of heading sizes. Heading one and two is usually it.

But Atticus breaks that mold by giving you heading levels 1 through 6, just like Word. This adds flexibility in structuring your book’s content and is especially useful for nonfiction books.

Vellum doesn’t offer multiple heading sizes, so this is a big advantage over it. Unless you want to get into complicated Adobe InDesign, Atticus is the only intuitive option for full headings.

11. Effortless Footnotes and Endnotes

As any nonfiction author knows, footnotes and endnotes can be a huge pain to implement correctly in your books. You practically need a desktop publishing degree to figure them out in complex programs like Word or InDesign.

But Atticus makes adding footnotes and endnotes simple. The interface allows you to easily insert notes and have them automatically numbered and formatted for both digital and print books. No more headaches trying to get your notes to display right!

Atticus removes the technical hassle from footnotes and endnotes so you can focus on writing great content instead of formatting.

12. Integrations

To round things out, Atticus has some really useful integrations with other author tools:

• Book Brush integration lets you easily find premade book covers and interior images that are the perfect size for your projects.
• ProWritingAid integration means you can run your manuscript through a grammar and style check seamlessly within Atticus.

Having these partnerships saves you time hopping between programs and streamlines your entire book creation process.

Atticus Pros and Cons

There are a number of Atticus pros and cons that I thought I would sum up here:

Atticus Advantages

Here are the things I like most about Atticus:

• Cross-platform compatibility
• It’s a great formatting platform
• It has large print options
• It has reusable elements
• It’s much cheaper than Vellum
• I can use it on all my devices
• Easy footnotes!
• Volumes and parts

Atticus Disadvantages

While Atticus has a lot going for it, it’s not a perfect program (yet), and there are honestly a few things I would like to see:

• No collaboration tool yet (coming soon)

Atticus Praise (from real Atticus customer reviews)

“Once upon a time, Luke Skywalker was just a farmer. Humble beginnings. Full of dreams. Then Frodo got called to carry the One Ring. Now Atticus rises, inviting authors to create and publish better-crafted books.” – Jeremy Bursey

“Atticus is definitely the writing app to watch. It makes beautiful ebooks possible for everyone, and it’s an innovative breath of fresh air.” – Michael La Ronn

“After using Atticus to publish two books I realized how laborious my previous setup was. Atticus replaced all of the software packages I was using. With Atticus I can now write, format and export from one system.” – Robb Wallace

“My questions were answered promptly, factually, in great detail and in a friendly and encouraging manner. I find Atticus itself very appealing due to the intuitive way it works and the choices it gives.” – Kay Von Randow

“Atticus is easy to use and gives me so much time back by simplifying the formatting process for each new project. The team is super responsive for suggestions and troubleshooting and I’m really impressed with the end product.” – Bee Murray

Review of Atticus’s Support

Atticus gets its support from the same team that does Publisher Rocket, and if you know Publisher Rocket, you know that they have an amazing support team.

I had one tiny issue when I was working on a book in Atticus, and I contacted their support, and the issue was literally fixed within a few hours because they got back to me so fast.

Is Atticus Worth it? My Conclusion

I can say with all my heart that yes, Atticus is worth it. Atticus is shaping up to be the single best writing software for authors. Period.

Not only is it a great formatting software, but it encourages you to write with its goalsetting features, and provides a lot more than just formatting.

In short, I highly recommend you check it out.

The post Atticus Review: Really an All-In-One for Writing and Formatting? appeared first on Bookishnerd.

If you’re looking for something specific in this MasterClass review, click on the handy navigation links below!

• What is MasterClass?
• Who is MasterClass for?
• What Does MasterClass have for Writers?
• What are MasterClasses Like?
• How Much Does MasterClass Cost?
• What I Didn’t Like about MasterClass
• Is MasterClass Worth It?

I will be basing this MasterClass review off of my actual experiences with the program. I’ve taken many of the courses in many different categories and have come up with a firm decision on whether MasterClass is worth it or not. Keep reading to find out!

What is MasterClass?

MasterClass is an online education and course platform taught by experts in their respective fields. Now, at first glance, this seems like just about every other course you’ll see. A master teaching a student. But what if I told you that James Patterson was going to teach you how to outline your book? Or that Gordon Ramsay was going to teach you how to make scrambled eggs? And all from the comfort of your own home?

I bet your ears would perk up just a bit more. That’s exactly what MasterClass is. They don’t just get experts, MasterClass has Mega-Titans teach their courses. And this is actually really insightful. You get to see things from a different perspective, and adjust your methods to that of a master. It reminds me of an old Bruce Lee quote:

“Before I learned martial arts, a punch was just a punch and a kick was just a kick. When I studied martial arts, a punch was no longer just a punch and a kick was no longer just a kick. Now I understand martial arts, and a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick.”

If only he was still alive to teach me Jeet Kune Do from my living room…Sigh. And for those of you saying there’s no way physical activity can be taught through MasterClass, tell that to Steph Curry. Steph teaches the mechanics of shooting, ball-handling, and scoring.

One of the best parts about the MasterClass program is that you can work at your own pace. There are no time limits, no rush assignments, and no extenuating pressures.

Who is MasterClass for?

So, MasterClass sounds like it’s for intermediate or advanced skill level individuals. You gotta walk before you can run, right? But here’s the thing… even beginners can jump on to some of their classes with no sweat. For example, one of my favorite classes is from Anna Wintour where she teaches creativity and leadership. Anna gives practical advice even for people just starting their careers.

Another great example is from Dr. Jane Goodall. She talks through her experiences growing up and her time in Africa with chimpanzees to teach Conservationism. You don’t need to be an activist to know how to help save habitats and animals.

All-in-all, MasterClass is for everyone looking to learn something. And while I admit that there are some that require at least some prerequisite knowledge, many of them are standalone.

Find Out If MasterClass Is Right For You!

What does MasterClass offer for writers?

Now, I’m not saying this because I’m bias…But writers have some of the most to gain from MasterClass. There’s just so many classes available from some of the greatest to ever do it.

James Patterson MasterClass Review on Writing

For instance, we already mentioned James Patterson. His class is just phenomenal! My biggest takeaway from his MasterClass is his lesson on outlines. It’s actually so important, he breaks them down into two separate lessons. Look, I definitely understand the importance of a good outline, but Patterson really breaks it down to improve your skill at it. I know he did for me at least. And when the world’s best-selling author tells me to outline…I should at least hear what he’s saying.

Neil Gaiman MasterClass Review on Storytelling and World Building

Another one of my absolute favorites is World Building and Storytelling with Neil Gaiman. Neil-freaking-Gaiman! Let’s just say I’m fangirl-ing right now. I’m not a fiction writer, but if ever I was… I ‘d only hope I had an inkling of Neil’s incredible ability. The way he weaves together settings, plots, and his characters is really unheard of. I’d venture to say he’s the best storyteller in the game today. And he teaches you his philosophies on how to do just that. Sure, you might not become a next Gaiman right away, but at least you’ll have the tools and foundational knowledge to do so in the future.

R.L. Stine MasterClass Review on Writing for Young Audiences

R.L. Stine puts together another great MasterClass as well. He’s the author of the prolific Goosebumps YA Horror books. I don’t know about you, but those books were like my childhood! Bob–as he prefers to be called–teaches so many different aspects including how to write for a YA audience, where to draw inspiration, outlining, creating horror, and even how to kick writer’s block. But perhaps the most important lesson he goes over is developing a book series. For writers in the long game, this could really be something to pay attention to. Because nobody does it better than he does.

Malcolm Gladwell MasterClass Review on Writing

Now, I’ll admit it. This probably wasn’t the easiest MasterClass to follow along to. It had me rewatching individual lessons sometimes two or three times. But that didn’t bother me at all. The more I watched, the more I understood what he was teaching. Gladwell goes over a bunch of different components to hook your readers and draw them into your writing. For instance, he teaches that through the use of jargon, you can ensnare your readers and leave them wanting more. But that’s just one tactic. He also covers things such as research, interviewing, humor and melancholy, and tone.

Judy Blume MasterClass Review on Writing

Judy Blume has been an iconic writer since the 1970s. She really encapsulated the reality of everyday struggles for preteen children. And there’s a chance that if you went to an elementary school, you’ve read at least one of her books. And actually remembered it. She began teaching us life lessons through her books when we were young, and now she doing again through MasterClass now. While she does go over some strictly writing tenets, its her other lessons that stand out to me. In her MasterClass, she covers controversy, censorship, and rejection. These are real issues that happen to every single writer! And she gives some tough advice to help get through even the bleakest of times.

Other MasterClasses for Writers

These aren’t the only choices directly geared towards writers. They’re just a sampling of some of my favorites. Other MasterClasses for Writers include:

• Margaret Atwood MasterClass–Creative Writing
• Dan Brown MasterClass–Writing Thrillers
• David Mamet MasterClass–Dramatic Writing
• David Sedaris MasterClass–Storytelling and Humor
• Joyce Carol Oates MasterClass–Art of the Short Story
• David Baldacci MasterClass–Mystery and Thriller Writing
• Billy Collins MasterClass–Reading and Writing Poetry
• Shonda Rhimes MasterClass–Writing for Television
• Aaron Sorkin MasterClass–Screenwriting

But you don’t have to stick to pure writing classes to help you improve as a writer. You can check out some other course to help as well. RuPaul’s course on self-expression and authenticity could definitely help you to find your voice–both written and otherwise.

Check Out the Best MasterClasses for Writers

What are MasterClasses like?

The format in which MasterClasses are set up is actually really nice. A single MasterClass is broken down into individual lessons. There’s normally about 24 lessons per class, and each of those typically correlates to a section in a provided workbook. The workbook provides extra resources and exercises that help you process the information from each lesson.

Each lesson covers a single aspect of the MasterClass topic. They’re not too terribly long either. A lesson is normally between 5-30 minutes long meaning you can get a a couple lessons in on a lunch break or in the morning over a bowl of cereal. And you can always pick up where you left off. There’s no rush and you can finish at your own pace.

A unique part of MasterClasses lie within the actual Community Involvement. You and other students are encouraged to participate in group discussion on the topic at hand. And don’t think it’s just the students getting involved. Often, you’ll see the instructor active within the discussion which is super cool.

How much does MasterClass cost?

Back when I first started with MasterClass, there was an option for a free trial. Unfortunately, that’s not an option anymore. This means you’ve only got two options if you’re looking to take advantage of MasterClass.

Buy Individual Classes

You can buy individual classes for $90 apiece. However, you do have lifetime access to that course.

Buy an All-Access Pass

For another option, the All-Access Pass is a yearly subscription offer from MasterClass for $180/year. If you plan on purchasing more than one MasterClass, then this is the right way for you to go. You’ll be given unlimited access to every single MasterClass for a year! That comes out to be $15 a month which could be a little more appetizing a number. However, there’s no installment plan and must be paid upfront.

Try Out MasterClass Today!

What I Didn’t Like about MasterClass

Now there’s a whole bunch of awesome stuff about MasterClass, but nothing’s perfect. There are some things that I really wish they’d address.

There’s no monthly subscription option.

Even if it’s just a breakdown of the yearly cost, a monthly subscription would be nice and much more convenient for some folks. Because let’s face it, not all of us have $180 to just shell out at a single time.

The free trial is gone.

This is an understandable business move. I get it, people are prone to binge-watching. And that’s 100s of dollars lost in sales from a single person. I think that a trial sample could be worth considering. Maybe offer half a lesson for a week or something like that.

Downloading capabilities are limited.

While you can download MasterClasses (that you’ve paid for) to an iOS app on your iPhone, Android users are out of luck. Hopefully, they fix this in the future and allow the other half of their customer base to do the same.

These aren’t super technical.

Now, maybe this is just the analyst in me, but I wish there was more technical instruction. The classes are very creative and theoretical in nature kinda like those Ted X Talks. But they’re much more intensive with lots of great info.

Some of the teachers aren’t necessarily the best teachers.

You know that old phrase, “Those who can’t do, teach”? (By the way, not sure how I feel about that phrase…I know many of more than capable teachers.) Well, anyway, these instructors can do. And they can “do” very well. But some of the instructors aren’t the greatest teachers. You may have to rewatch a few lessons to really get the most out of it.

MasterClass Review: Is It Worth It?

If you haven’t already deduced it, I have the All Access Pass and have for a few years now. Honestly, I find it to be WELL WORTH THE MONEY.

I’ve learned so much from the different MasterClasses that has helped me to become a better writer and person all around. The classes are presented in a high quality format that are easy to digest. And I absolutely love the fact that I can go at my own pace. Seriously, I can watch one lesson a day and leisurely finish a class in one month. And some of them, I’ll binge-watch in a day or so (I’m looking at you Gordon Ramsay or Aaron Franklin.)

The variety of lessons available also makes it worth the money. So while I just love the writing ones, there’s a bunch of different classes to take in case I’m feeling froggy. Plus, they keep adding more and more classes on different topics. It really is an amazing program that I think a lot of people will get a lot out of.

And yes, there are some things I don’t like. But that shouldn’t deter you. Just because you don’t like anchovies on your pizza doesn’t mean you should shun pizza altogether. Why? Because it’s still great!

Now, if you don’t mind me, I’m gonna go snuggle up in my favorite reading chair and jump into my next MasterClass.

Cheers!

The post MasterClass Review: Is It Worth The Money? appeared first on Bookishnerd.

In the past, I wrote my books and just threw them up on Amazon, hoping that something would stick. As you can imagine, that method didn’t work out very well. Then I discovered Publisher Rocket, and all that changed. I’ve since found good keywords that fit my books, as well as low-competition categories to put my book in.

This has resulted in a much higher number of sales for me, and I would recommend Publisher Rocket for every author. Check it out here!

Let me walk you through each feature so you know exactly what you’re getting.

Publisher Rocket Review: Is Publisher Rocket any good?

Yes, Publisher Rocket is great! It is everything you need in a search optimization tool for Amazon. It helps you find all the best keywords and categories that are low competition but high demand. Basically, it will help you to find your niche and thrive in it.

When I first heard about Rocket (formerly KDP Rocket), honestly, I blew it off. I figured it’s just snake oil. No way in H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks could it work. After all, I’ve been burned before from programs and services telling me they’d help me sell more books.  Oh, please!

But, then a fiction author friend of mine told me, “It saves me sooooo much time!!”

Huh…time is important and I’d prefer to spend more time writing than working on my book marketing.  Plus, they have a 30 day money-back guarantee, So, I figured I’d at least give it a try. After all, if it saves me even a couple of hours of tedious book marketing work, it would be worth it.

And after that… well, here I am. And Publisher Rocket’s evolved into something much more powerful and determined.

In this Publisher Rocket review, I’m going to let you know exactly what Rocket can and can’t do for you. And if you’re interested in seeing how it shapes up to other platforms, see my KDSpy vs Publisher Rocket article.

How much does Publisher Rocket cost?

Publisher Rocket costs $199. Period. There are no subscriptions or payment plans. You get Publisher Rocket for life. What that means is that any future updates (of which there are many) will come to you automatically at no extra cost. It’s a pretty sweet deal considering what it does for authors.

Is there a free version of Publisher Rocket?

No, there is not a free version of Publisher Rocket. However, if you buy it and discover that it’s not for you, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee. Just contact their support and they can get that set up for you. However, I don’t think you’ll find the need.

Are there any Publisher Rocket coupon codes or promo discount vouchers?

I did the research, and it seems there are no Publisher Rocket coupon codes or discount vouchers at this time. But given that the program is already at such a low cost for what it offers, and it’s a lifetime opportunity, I wouldn’t really be too concerned with this fact.

Publisher Rocket Overview: What is Publisher Rocket & What is Publisher Rocket used for?

Well, that’s the million dollar question isn’t it?

The best way I can describe Publisher Rocket is this:

Publisher Rocket helps you to lift that veil of ambiguity that Amazon’s presented and see what actually is going on–what people are looking for, how they buy books, how much money they are spending, and how your competitors are doing.

It does so through four majorly distinct features.

1. Publisher Rocket helps you find your relevant keywords to target or for new book ideas!
2. It helps you find categories that help you to have a better chance at being a bestseller
3. Rocket analyzes the competition to give you an advantage (but it doesn’t tell you what keywords they are targeting because Amazon doesn’t provide that info)
4. If you do Amazon ads (also called AMS ads), it helps you create Amazon Ad campaigns more effectively and efficiently.

(U/I and Display Score: 10/10)

Is Publisher Rocket just some lame extension or what?

It operates as a standalone application meaning you don’t need to be signed into your Google or Amazon KDP account. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. Now, I’ve heard some people say that other guys are a built-in extension so it’s easier to use. And I have a response to that… They must be crazy. Do you know what the least remembered things are in programming or the Internet in general are?

That’s right! Plugins, extensions, and widgets! These go straight to the back of the line. Why? Because there is always something bigger and badder around the corner. Like a standalone platform. From a programming perspective, standalone databases and query tools are the best because they don’t have to rely on anything else to do their job.

Publisher Rocket features list: how to use Publisher Rocket

1. Kindle keyword analysis
2. Finding new book ideas
3. Searching categories & exploration
4. Analyzing competition
5. Create Amazon Ad campaigns

1. Publisher Rocket keywords analysis

So, let’s tackle that first feature from earlier…

Remember how I told you about how I just threw down some random keywords in my Kindle campaign? Well, if that wasn’t a giant frickin’ mistake. Some of those keywords were just too general and couldn’t compete in the great Amazon bidding wars. Or they were just randomly obscure and specific. These words were worse. At least people were searching for the other ones.

But Rocket helped me solved that issue after the fact. (Wish I had a Publisher Rocket Review like this one earlier…) It allowed me to hone in onto my keywords and choose the ones that Amazon BUYERS were actually looking at! And if you’ve ever gone through the pain of manually searching and selecting profitable keywords… You understand just how much a pain in the butt that is. Literally hours of research and time in front of a computer.

Publisher Rocket keywords turns hours into seconds. And that’s no joke. Just head over to their Amazon Keyword Search function and–Voila! You are on your way. And it can also help you find just the right niche to start writing your next book!

(And look how beautifully clean and well-designed it is…)

Let’s put it to the test.

2. Finding a New Book Idea with Publisher Rocket

First, we need to select Book or E-Book. That’s right. Publisher Rocket now has information for print OR E-Book!

We’ll go with e-Book. And now we need a subject… Cats it is. 🙂

Ok, so we’ll enter that in and push “Go Get Em Rocket”.

And these are our first results. Now, before we get into our Amazon keyword, let’s address the elephant in the room.

Why the heck are they blank?

I’m not a Rocket programmer, but if I had to guess… It would be for a few reasons.

With the exceedingly large amount of keyword hits I got from the phrase “cats”, it just might crash Amazon’s API with all that data. Like that’s seriously a huge data pull.

And also, it just looks cleaner. Less on the page I have to worry about. Obviously, I wouldn’t want a world without cats, and that keyword would never apply to me. So why clutter up my screen. Just saying.

Now, let’s go ahead and push analyze and see what happens.

After pushing analyze, we end up with some useful data.

First, I can see just how many competitors I have in the “cats” department. And that’s a whole heck of a lot. And there’s also a competition score of 46. Yikes. I better be ready for that stiff competition.

But maybe there’s another keyword that would be better suited for me.

Cats and Robots. Now… we may be onto something here. I like cats. And robots. And just maybe…the two together would make for an interesting story. Now, let’s look at the numbers.

Less competition. Easier competitive score. Decent monthly earning.

Guess who has two thumbs and just found her next book idea? This girl!

That took all of 30 seconds. Publisher Rocket can seriously cut your keyword research time way down.

But besides keyword analysis, what else can Publisher Rocket do?

Well, the next major area of concern is Amazon categories. And boy does Rocket come in clutch here.

3. Finding the Right Category with Publisher Rocket

Back when Publisher Rocket was released, they didn’t have category searching data. It actually came out as a later feature. And truth be told, KDSpy was the better option. It excelled at providing you with the best category. This was something that neither Kindle Samurai or  Rocket could do. But then, Rocket grew up. It started providing awesome category data.

But it was very different from KDSpy. Have you actually taken a look at the interface for KDSpy? Not trying to dog on it too much, but honestly… It needs some serious work. It’s very cluttered and hectic at times. It reminds me of looking at old lines of scrolling DOS back on Windows 3.1. (Sorry for showing my age…)

(Reminding me of my coding days and not in a good way.)

Don’t get me wrong though. KDSpy does have the category data. And for one point in time, there was no other option. KDSpy was king of the categories. Until Rocket came along with their categories. And their signature ease of use. SO… when given the opportunity to choose, it’s a no-brainer.

Rocket for the win. But this is a Publisher Rocket review, so let me get back to the point. (For more on KDSpy vs Rocket, click HERE!)

Now, in Publisher Rocket, there has been a major overhaul to the category system. If I’m not mistaken, it looks like they are completely current with Amazon’s database of categories.

But what does this mean for you? You have the best opportunities to find the right categories for your book to help you sell more books.

Imagine if you had the ability to openly explore all of Amazon’s 22,000+ categories at your fingertips. They have Audible’s categories too! No signing in. No trying to see just how far the rabbit hole goes from window to window.

Just raw data there at the click of a button. That’s remarkable.

Let’s check it out.

4. Category Exploration with Publisher Rocket

Just like before, the Category Hunter can be accessed from the home screen. Here’s where the Rocket team has implemented a super cool new feature! You can actually start to search and explore categories as never before.

Let’s explore categories for our robot cat novel from above.

After clicking typing in the word “robot”, Rocket gives you a whole list of relevant category suggestions.

As you can, the best bet for our book would probably be the number three on the list. And it’s really neat that the ABSR data and sales to top ten are clearly presented. With 126 sales needed at this time to get there…This looks like a great category to niche into.

But this new screen isn’t the only thing that changed. Previously, this category information tended to be a bit stale. Like updated every so often. But I’ve heard it from Dave Chesson himself that such is no longer the case. They have implemented a revolutionary new system that updates every single Amazon category 3x a day. Folks…That’s over 12000 categories updated three times a day everyday!

This category hunter is a definite upgrade from their previous version. And sets a new precedent for future Category Hunters to come.

5. Getting to Know Your Competition

Another one of the Rocket’s major features is its competition analyzer. This is truly an incredible feature. It can let me know exactly who I need to beat as an indie author and who I need to look out for.

Now, it doesn’t show your competitor’s keywords. (Found out why through another email dialogue with Rocket’s support. Apparently, Amazon doesn’t release that information. Good Guy Amazon? This must be a new thing.)

But it does show other important data such as:

• Monthly Sales
• Daily Sales
• Keywords in Title or Subtitle
• Age of the Book
• Book’s ABSR number

It also gives a link to the author’s sale page. This way you can really grind in. Read your competition’s reviews, and you’ll find it’s great for coming up with keyword ideas. Find out what you need to do to be the best.

Let’s take a look at my robot cats’ competition.

Same step as before. Head back to the homepage and click Competition Analyzer.

Next, select Books.

Publisher Rocket Review Gripe #1

• Honestly, the folks behind Publisher Rocket should definitely think about adding a fiction/non-fiction filter here. If you’re competing against fiction… you should have the opportunity to only pull fiction titles.

(Well folks, seems that this ole gal jumped the gun… I had the awesome opportunity to chat directly with Dave Chesson himself–creator of this awesome program. Turns out that you aren’t necessarily concerned about fiction or nonfiction when it comes to competition. Because the competition isn’t about your target audience. It’s about the keyword itself! So ranking above all genres is even better. Gripe resolved.)

Back to business… I’m going to be using the term “robot cat”. I’ll go ahead and click “Go Get Em Rocket!” and BOOM!

The results are in.

So, this is my competition. As you can see from the scroll bar on the right, there are more titles although not very many. Seems like robot cats might be a good topic to get into after all! But it even shows me the book cover, making research all the easier.

But what’s next? What happens after you make the decision that robot cats are the ones for you?

You write the dang ole book!

6. Creating Awesome Amazon Ad Campaigns with Publisher Rocket

For the sake of continuity, let’s say I wrote a book on Awesome-tron the Robot Cat. (Copyright and Trademark pending.)

Now, it’s time to get Awesome-tron out there in the great big world of Kindle! But will he be received with glad tidings or crash and burn? One thing is for certain. Awesome-tron has a much better chance of survival and prosperity with a great Amazon ad campaign.

And Publisher Rocket can help us achieve just that.

One last time, we head to that beautifully crafted homepage and click on Keyword Search. This time, we are told to enter in a book title, keyword, or phrase and Rocket will generate for us a list of keywords. But before we do this, let’s stop for a second.

The creator of this software–Dave Chesson– has provided a series of tutorials and lessons on just how to select Amazon keywords.

As a matter of fact, he has released an entire free course on how to find Amazon keywords. So, before searching for said Amazon keywords, this Nerdy Book Girl recommends taking that course first.

Amazon ads are for intermediate to advanced users and I would do them a disservice to be crudely explained on this Publisher Rocket review. Dave does it just perfectly in his free course.

But the Amazon features run just as smoothly as the Amazon keyword, category, and competition features from above.

Publisher Rocket Pros and Cons

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of Publisher Rocket:

Publisher Rocket Advantages:

• Incredibly affordable
• Guides you to the perfect keywords
• Helps you find low-competition categories
• Helps you find the Amazon keywords for great ad campaigns
• Gives you a great sense of your book’s competition
• Easy to use
• Constantly being upgraded at no extra cost

Publisher Rocket Disadvantages:

• Some countries do not have book data yet
• No fiction/nonfiction filter

Publisher Rocket reviews (from real Publisher Rocket customer reviews)

There are countless Publisher Rocket reviews with glowing testimonials. For example, see these excerpts from reviews of Publisher Rocket.

“I’ve found Publisher Rocket to be an invaluable tool for my own books, giving me the data I needed to double or even triple my sales and publish bestselling books.” – Joe Bunting with The Write Practice

“Is Publisher Rocket Worth it? Long story short, Yes, Publisher Rocket is worth it.” – The Blogging CEO

“Publisher Rocket is a great tool for creating ads and uploading books. We use every feature and especially value the keyword generators for AMS ads. The newer feature to help find a book’s categories is invaluable.” – Kevin J. Anderson

“Publisher Rocket saves time and frustration when searching for keywords to use in my book’s meta data and Amazon ads, leaving me more time to write! I use it all the time. I love Publisher Rocket!” – Joanna Penn

“Publisher Rocket has saved me thousands of hours of research time. Any self-published author who wants to make their dream of becoming a lucrative, full time writer simply MUST have this tool.” – Shayne Silvers

Review of Publisher Rocket’s Support

The support for Publisher Rocket is absolutely phenomenal. I once had a small issue where I was seeing too many tabs, like duplicates of the tabs I wanted to see, and the data was all screwy. I contacted support and they helped me right out, plus an updates was quickly issued that fixed the problem completely.

And the response was fast! Like really fast. And the email support was really kind and polite. I highly recommend whomever they have working those lines.

Do any “Top Authors” use Publisher Rocket?

You’d be surprised at the sheer amount of support that Publisher Rocket gets. It’s not just us little guys here that are looking to get invested in Publisher Rocket. Here are just a few of the more prominent clientele:

• Joanna Penn, USA Today and NYT Bestselling Self published Author and creator of thecreativepenn.com
• Jeff Goins, USA Today Bestseller at goinswriter.com
• Pat Flynn, SmartPassiveIncome.com
• Derek Murphy, Indie-pub Rockstar of Creativindie.com
• Kevin J. Anderson, Award-winning bestselling author

What do I as a Rocket user want to see from this program?

Every single thing has room for improvement and Rocket is no exception. It is still early in their transition period between the old Rocket to this new Publisher Rocket, and I’m eager to see what lies ahead. Personally, I’m looking forward to international markets. KDSpy has them, and Rocket has a few, but could easily expand to more. I spent the early part of my childhood in Canada actually and would love to be able to market there.

Another change I would love to see is more filter and keyword search options. This might seem like more of an opulence than a necessity. And you know what… you’re right. But doing so would help to soften the blow when purchasing. Add these to my Publisher Rocket Review gripes.

Is Publisher Rocket worth it? The bottom line:

Without a doubt, this is the best Kindle and Amazon assistance software available. And it looks like it’s gonna be a while before the King gets dethroned.

Sure, there are some hiccups. Especially in these early stages of Publisher Rocket. But each passing week since its release, I have experienced nothing but excellent service from the Publisher Rocket support team. They are kind, understanding, and patient even with a Obssessed Nerd such as myself. Honestly, if you can’t communicate peacefully with them… You’re probably not a nice person. HAHAHA!

Just kidding. But they really are awesome. They also seem to be well trained in Kindle book marketing and self-publishing as well and all my questions were answered in turn. Not only that, but they directed me to another nifty tool…the Kindle Sales Calculator!

OH SNAP! I never told you the end of my tale from the intro. Anyway, long story short… Rocket helped me get that orange Bestseller ribbon. And for that, I can’t thank Dave Chesson enough for. Now, I’m not gonna make any guarantees that this is for everybody. That’s just naive. However, it truly helped me. And I think if you put just a little effort and faith into the program… it can help you too. It’s by far the best keyword research tool for books.

Well, that’s a wrap for me on this Publisher Rocket review. So, go out and get your copy today!

The post Publisher Rocket Review: Is Publisher Rocket Worth It? appeared first on Bookishnerd.

You’ll learn which features I found most useful for my work, along with the pros and cons of each program. My goal is to provide an inside look at these tools so you can decide which one best fits your needs as a writer. Whether you’re writing short social media posts or lengthy manuscripts, proofreading software can help take your writing to the next level.

In this article, you will learn:

• The benefits of using proofreading software
• A detailed review of the top 5 proofreading tools
• Key features and use cases for each program
• My personal pros and cons list for the software based on real-world experience
• Recommendations on choosing the right proofreading tool for your needs

As a writer, having a strong grasp of spelling, grammar, and punctuation is essential. But it can be challenging to catch every typo, misspelling, and grammatical error – especially in longer pieces of writing. That’s where proofreading software comes in. These tools act as an extra set of eyes, scanning your work for mistakes you may have overlooked.

Here are some of the key benefits proofreading software provides:

• Catches difficult-to-see errors like homonyms and commonly confused words. For instance, it can identify when you’ve used “they’re” instead of “their.”
• Identifies improper punctuation, including misplaced commas, periods, apostrophes and more. Proper punctuation is crucial for readability and comprehension.
• Flags passive voice and suggests edits for clearer, more direct sentences. This strengthens the clarity of your writing.
• Provides feedback on readability scores to help improve sentence structure and vocabulary.
• Catches contextual spelling errors spell check would miss. For example, it notices if you’ve used “peak” instead of “peek.”
• Helps maintain consistency in areas like spelling variations, capitalization, abbreviations and more.
• Saves time spent manually proofreading and allows you to work more efficiently. For long manuscripts, it can cut proofing time significantly.

As you can see, proofreading software goes far beyond basic spell check. For any writer serious about producing clean, professional work, it’s an invaluable tool. Next, I’ll share my hands-on experiences with some of the top options.

Over the years, I’ve tested out numerous proofreading programs to find the ones that best meet my needs as a writer. Here are my top picks, along with detailed reviews of their key features and capabilities.

ProWritingAid is my overall top choice for proofreading software. I use it extensively for editing blog posts, articles, books and other long-form content.

Key features:

• Contextual spell checker – Goes beyond basic spell check to identify tricky homonyms and context-based errors.
• Grammar checker – Checks for proper use of punctuation, passive voice, poor readability and more.
• Style editor – Scans for repetitive words, vague language, cliches and overly complex sentences.
• Pacing analyzer – Provides graph showing sentence length variety to ensure proper pacing.
• Multilingual – Available in different forms of English like US, UK, Canadian and Australian.
• Plagiarism checker – Checks for unoriginal or copied content (included in premium plus version).
• Compatibility – Works with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Google Docs, Scrivener and Microsoft Office.
• Desktop apps – Allows working offline with dedicated Mac and Windows apps.
• Free and premium versions – Offers limited free features and paid premium options.

Here’s an overview of what I like about ProWritingAid as a proofreading tool:

Pros:

• Provides more in-depth writing analyses than any other proofreader I’ve used
• Encourages strong sentence structure variety to keep writing engaging
• Highlights overused words and phrases to refine vocabulary
• Offers helpful visual graphs showing sentence lengths and vocabulary use
• Easy to use extensions for major browsers like Chrome and Firefox
• Works with Scrivener and Microsoft Office for convenience
• Available as a one-time purchase, which saves money long-term over monthly plans

Cons:

• More expensive for premium and premium plus versions
• Can feel overwhelming as a new user with so many features
• No mobile app, so can’t use on the go

Overall, ProWritingAid is the most powerful proofreading tool I’ve used. The detailed writing reports have helped me strengthen my work tremendously. For writers working on books, lengthy articles or other long-form content, it’s an invaluable tool. While the premium versions are more costly, the value you get is well worth it in my opinion.

Autocrit is another top choice if you write fiction. This software is uniquely designed to analyze creative writing pieces using AI.

Key features:

• AI analysis – Compares your story against a database of fiction books to provide targeted feedback.
• Pacing – Checks pacing and momentum of plot events.
• Dialogue – Assesses believability and impact of character conversations.
• Writing strength – Evaluates quality of descriptive writing.
• Word choice – Highlights weak word choices and suggests alternatives.
• Repetition – Identifies overused words, phrases and ideas.
• Readability scoring – Provides grade level and other readability metrics.
• Idea inspiration – Offers writing prompts to spark new story ideas.
• Community – Provides access to forums and courses for fiction writers.

Here are some of the advantages I’ve experienced using Autocrit:

Pros:

• Specialized editing for creative fiction writing
• Helpful for improving story pacing and dialogue
• Generates new story prompts and ideas
• Useful online community for fiction writers
• Reasonably priced for the value provided
• 14-day free trial to test it out

Cons:

• Not as strong for grammar and spelling errors
• Requires uploading texts; no browser add-on

For fiction writers, Autocrit provides invaluable feedback you can’t get from other proofreading tools. The AI comparisons against successful books are really useful for strengthening weak spots in your writing. If you write novels, short stories or other creative fiction, it’s definitely worth looking into.

With millions of users worldwide, Grammarly is one of the most popular proofreading programs available. It works well for shorter pieces like emails, social media posts and casual writing.

Key features:

• Contextual spell checker – Checks for tricky spelling errors based on context.
• Grammar checker – Scans for grammatical mistakes and improper punctuation.
• Tone detector – Identifies tone of writing as friendly, formal, confident, etc.
• Readability scores – Provides metrics to enhance sentence clarity and ease of reading.
• Style adjustments – Allows adapting tone for different audiences and purposes.
• Plagiarism detector – Checks for unoriginal writing (premium only).
• Browser add-ons – Works with Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge.
• Google Docs integration – Makes edits directly in Google Docs.
• Mobile apps – iOS and Android apps allow checking on the go.
• Free and premium versions – Offers basic features free and advanced paid options.

Here are some of the key pros and cons I’ve noticed using Grammarly:

Pros:

• Works very quickly and is easy to use
• Provides useful tone and clarity feedback
• Helpful browser extensions for Google Chrome and others
• Mobile apps allow checking writing on the go
• Robust free version with plenty of useful features
• Works great for shorter pieces like social media posts

Cons:

• Analysis not as detailed as ProWritingAid for long-form writing
• Gets a bit pricey at $30/month for premium
• Some features like plagiarism checker only in premium
• Can be too prescriptive at times and offer clumsy suggestions

For everyday writing needs, Grammarly is a great choice that’s easy to use. It works best for shorter pieces, so isn’t ideal for extensive proofreading of manuscripts or books. But for blog posts, emails, social media and more, it’s a handy tool to have in your toolkit.

Ginger Software is another capable proofreading program I’ve used extensively. It offers some nice features, especially for non-native English speakers.

Key features:

• Contextual spell checker – Checks for difficult spelling errors based on context.
• Grammar checker – Identifies issues with grammar, punctuation and more.
• Text reader – Reads text aloud in a natural voice (premium only).
• Sentence rephraser – Suggests alternative ways to phrase sentences.
• Translation tool – Translates writing to over 60 languages.
• Browser add-ons – Works with Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge.
• Mobile apps – iOS and Android apps allow checking on the go.
• Free and premium versions – Offers limited free features and paid premium options.

Here’s an overview of what I like and don’t like about Ginger Software:

Pros:

• Handy text reader to hear your writing aloud
• Useful translator to check text in many languages
• Works quickly and is easy to use
• Browser add-ons for Chrome, Firefox and others
• Affordable premium version at $7.49/month

Cons:

• Analysis not as robust as Grammarly or ProWritingAid
• Mobile app can be glitchy
• Free version has limited features
• Some translations not fully accurate

While not as full-featured as some competitors, Ginger Software succeeds in its core proofreading capabilities. The text reader is handy for auditory learners, and the translation tool is helpful for multilingual writers. For basic, budget-friendly proofing, it’s a solid choice.

Hemingway Editor takes a more focused approach than traditional proofreading tools. It analyzes writing style and structure rather than grammar and spelling.

Key features:

• Readability scoring – Provides grade level and metrics to enhance readability.
• Adverb highlighting – Identifies unnecessary adverbs to remove.
• Passive voice tagging – Highlights passive voice to change sentences to active voice.
• Difficult word check – Flags unnecessarily complex words to simplify.
• Sentence length check – Encourages sentence length variety to improve flow.
• Formatting suggestions – Recommends ways to strengthen formatting of long paragraphs.
• Free online editor – Allows editing text right in the browser.
• Desktop app – Separate paid desktop app for convenience.

Here are some of the key upsides and downsides of Hemingway Editor:

Pros:

• Provides helpful big-picture writing feedback
• Encourages use of active voice and simpler words
• Identifies areas where writing can be tightened
• Free online editor is easy to use
• Affordable one-time payment for desktop app

Cons:

• Does not check for spelling or grammar errors
• Feedback is more vague and not actionable
• Lacks browser extensions of other tools
• Sometimes the rewrites sound awkward

I find Hemingway Editor useful as a supplementary tool when writing long-form pieces. It points out areas where my writing could be tightened or clarified. However, I still rely on tools like ProWritingAid or Grammarly for detailed grammar, spelling and punctuation checks. Used together, they provide comprehensive proofreading.

There are a few other proofreading tools on the market, but in my experience they don’t stack up against the top five reviewed above. Here are a few other options I’ve tested:

• WhiteSmoke – Offers decent proofreading features but very expensive for what you get. Interface feels outdated as well.
• PaperRater – Has limited capabilities focused mainly on checking student essays. Not robust enough for professional writers.
• SlickWrite – Provides only basic statistics about writing but no grammar/spelling checks or suggestions.
• LanguageTool – Supports many languages but has accuracy issues and very limited word count for free version.
• PerfectIt – Focuses solely on checking formatting consistency; no grammar/spelling checks.
• Wordtune – Uses AI to rewrite sentences but results are hit-or-miss.

For most writers, I don’t think these alternatives provide enough value compared to the top programs reviewed above. The free versions tend to be quite limited as well. However, they may suit more basic proofreading needs in a pinch.

While proofreading software is invaluable for catching difficult-to-see errors, it still has some limitations. The technology for natural language processing is rapidly improving, but it cannot fully replicate the skills of an experienced human editor just yet.

Here are some key reasons proofreading tools can’t completely replace editing professionals:

• Struggles with context – Software may not understand nuances like irony or idioms that are natural for humans.
• Can miss intention – Programs may “correct” something that is intentionally written a certain way.
• Limited style sense – Software won’t revise for stylistic concerns like overuse of passive voice.
• No content feedback – Tools don’t provide input on structure, ideas and other developmental issues.
• Not customizable – Software can’t adapt to different publisher style guides or genre conventions.

The bottom line is proofreading software is meant to complement editors, not replace them entirely. For the best results, use a tool like ProWritingAid or Grammarly during drafting. Then, partner with an editor for revisions and final touches before publication. Leveraging software plus human expertise will result in the cleanest, most polished end product.

After extensive use and testing of numerous programs, my vote for top proofreading software goes to ProWritingAid. The depth of analysis it provides goes far beyond any other tool I’ve used. For long-form writing like books and extensive articles, it’s well worth the premium price for the time it saves and improvements it facilitates.

For quick, everyday use, Grammarly provides an unbeatable combination of ease of use and powerful capabilities, even in the free version. It’s ideal for social media, emails, blog posts and other short-form content.

Autocrit deserves special mention as the leading proofreader tailored specifically for fiction writers. The feedback on pacing, dialogue and descriptions has helped strengthen my creative writing tremendously.

In the end, the “best” proofreading software depends on your needs as a writer. By outlining the key features and pros and cons of the top programs, my goal is to help you decide which one is the right fit for your projects. Using the right proofreading tools can take your writing to the next level by eliminating distracting errors and providing insights to tighten and refine your work.

The post The 5 Best Proofreading Software: For Fiction and Nonfiction appeared first on Bookishnerd.

I don’t usually hard recommendations like this, but this is one of those laptops that are great for writers, it’s got good bang for its buck, but is also reliable enough to not die on you unexpectedly, which is important if you keep a lot of your books on your hard drive.

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8 review 2022: Is the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon (8th gen) any good?

Overall, yes, it is very good. I believe it is by far one of the best of its generation. While it isn’t the cheapest on the market, it is well priced for what you get. Personally, I like a robust laptop, so I don’t have to worry much about losing all of my work, or having to waste hours of accumulated time waiting for things to load. With this laptop, you have none of that.

In short, it’s one of the best laptops for writers.

Price of the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon: Where to buy the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon 8th gen at the best price

First of all, how much does the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8 cost? Let’s take a look at where to buy the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8 & get the cheapest deal on prices:

Are there any Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 8 coupon codes or promo discount vouchers?

Yes! While I was unable to find codes specifically for this model at this time, Groupon has tons of coupons for Lenovo products. All you have to do is visit the following link and you’ll find everything you need when you’re purchasing a Lenovo product, which can result in substantial savings.

I won’t put the exact names of the codes, since they change all the time, but you can visit this link to find if there’s something available for this specific ThinkPad.

Lenovo Thinkpad Carbon X1 Gen 8 Features List

The main features and specs of the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon 8th gen are:

• Its all-day battery life
• Its Intel Core i7-10610U (high end) or i5-10310U (low end) CPU Processor
• A processor speed of 1.7 GHz
• A Touchscreen
• A Solid State Drive (SSD)
• Its Carbon Fiber design
• A USB-C port
• A Fingerprint reader
• Intel UHD graphics (4K)
• 2.4 pounds
• It comes with Windows 10 Pro
• Wi-fi 6
• A headphone jack

Let’s take a look at some of these, as well as a few other specifications, in more detail.

1. X1 Carbon weight

The Lenovo Carbon X1 weight 2.6 lbs or 1.17 kg, which makes it one of lightest 14-inch business laptops of its caliber anywhere, not just with Lenovo. That’s why it’s one of my favorites for writers. It’s extremely portable which means you can take it anywhere with ease.

2. X1 carbon dimensions

Here are the dimensions for the X1:

3. Lenovo X1 Carbon battery life

The battery life for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is advertised as “up to 19.5 hours”. In actuality, that ends up being a little closer to 13 hours, though it depends on what you are doing with the laptop. Regardless, it should still last you most of the day on a single charge.

In my own personal experience, I found it to be about 12 hours, which is more than enough for me to get all of the work done the 92, and even a little entertainment on the side. But I will admit to being a little indifferent about this feature, since I use a cord pretty much all the time for my laptop.

Lenovo Thinkpad review: pros and cons

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8:

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8 advantages

Here are some of the things that I liked most about using the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

The Lightweight Construction

Overall, this laptop just feels great in your hands. It’s extremely light for laptop, and has that signature almost rubber-feeling coating on its surface, so it feels solid and secure in my hands.

The Keyboard

I don’t normally pay too much attention to keyboards, but in this case I really enjoy typing on this thing. There’s a reason why I selected this as one of the best laptops for writers. It’s got a punchy, fluid feeling to it, and I found my fingers flying all over while I was typing.

The Display

The screen is absolutely beautiful, and at 14 inches, it’s a decent size for a laptop. I think you’ll enjoy looking at it. Plus it’s in 4K, which is awesome.

All the Connections You Need

I’m a big fan of the USB-C ports, as well as other important ports like the HDMI, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, an ethernet port, and regular USB ports, and this one has pretty much everything (with one exception that I will mention later).

A Long Battery Life

I’ve had some laptops that will chicken out in four hours, and this one does not do that. Though it won’t last you for days, it will last you all day, which is really all you need. Do your work, set it to charge until the morning, and you’re good to go.

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8 disadvantages

Here are some of the things that I didn’t like about the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8.

The Price

Although I do feel like this laptop has good value for the money you spend, it is not a cheap machine. It’s about as much as a standard Apple laptop. That said, it’s still a powerful machine, and these days you can get a second hand for a lot cheaper.

SD or MicroSD Card

If you’re looking to insert an SD or microSD card into the laptop, you will be out of luck. Instead you will have to get a USB converter for such a thing, or ignore it completely. This laptop does not accept either an SD or microSD card.

The WebCam

This laptop doesn’t have the best WebCam. I found it to be a little blurry, and not at all flattering when I’m in my Zoom calls. If you have an external WebCam, this won’t be an issue for you.

Not for Gamers

Yes, I know, I’m a writer and this is a review for writers. However, if you like to do a little gaming on the side, this might not be the best machine for you. While it does have a GPU graphics card, it is not the most robust, and definitely am not intended for higher end games or system-stressing apps.

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8 reviews (from customer reviews)

From Amazon: “I did buy this laptop (ultrabook) which arrived sooner than expected, delivered by DHL. Unpacking was easy. It was partially charged. I did branch it and it was fully charged very quickly. Initial windows configuration was rather fast. I installed only a few programs, such as Microsoft Office and few additional ones related to my work.”

From Best Buy: “The analysis of all aggregated expert reviews shows that the reviewers are positive about battery, design, performance and keyboard.”

From Lenovo: “Great machine, so happy their are finally offering it with alternate operating systems OTB. I have had several of these over the years and this one is great.”

Review of Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon (8th gen) support

Support for Lenovo is known to be top notch. However, this comes with a caveat. If you bought your laptop through a third party seller (as often happens on a platform like Amazon), you can easily have problems with shipping, handling, or other issues that the manufacturer isn’t libel for because they didn’t ship it to you.

This is why I often recommend you buy directly from the manufacturer if the price is good. If you can get a good coupon (see above), there is much less liability when purchasing direct. Then the support ends up being better as well, because you don’t have any middlemen (or middlewomen).

Is the Thinkpad X1 Carbon worth it My Conclusion

That about wraps it up, so is the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8 worth it? Yes, I think so.

Now, if you don’t have any cash flow issues, there are other laptops that will work just fine for writers, and Lenovo even has several that I recommend. But if you want a solid machine that always does what it’s told, then this is the laptop for you!

Our final Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon 8th Gen Rating

I give the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8 4.5 out of 5 stars!

The post Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 8 Review: Is It Worth It? appeared first on Bookishnerd.

And while writing is certainly the hardest part, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows once you have the story down. You still have to get your book out into the world by formatting it. Which, if you don’t know what you’re doing, can be just as difficult as the writing (if not more so).

This is what I want to discuss today. Namely, the book formatting tool Vellum. So let’s get started!

Just want the lowdown? Here’s my takeaway from this Vellum review:

Pros:

• Vellum makes really pretty books
• The free trial lasts as long as you want, as long as you don’t export your book
• A few good book styles
• Easy to make box sets
• Future updates are free

Cons:

• Not available on PC, iOS, or Android! (this is a huge one)
• Extremely expensive! (also a huge one)
• Separate price points for both ebooks and print books
• Only imports Word files and not EPUBs, MOBIs, etc.
• Not meant for word processing (aka writing a book in Vellum)
• Images are a huge hassel
• There are no footnote capabilities

The Bottom Line: Vellum is an expensive but good option for formatting your self-published books — if you have a Mac. There is a workaround using MacInCloud if you have a PC, but it’s generally more of a hassle. The free trial is handy for getting to know the Vellum software, but there are comparable and cheaper options available (namely Atticus).

Check Out Vellum   Check Out Atticus

What is Vellum?

Vellum is a kind of fancy paper you can buy at arts and crafts stores. Oops! Wrong Vellum. 😉 The Vellum we’ll be talking about today is a book formatting software for use on Mac operating systems.

Created by a company founded by former Pixar employees, the goal of this formatting software is to create beautiful and professional print and eBooks. Some people also use it as a word processor, but this takes some getting used to, as it’s not really what the software is designed for.

Lots of authors swear by Vellum, and with good reason. It does create some amazing eBook and print book files that you can use to get your book out into the world! And until recently (at the time of this writing), there wasn’t a comparable software on the market. But now there is. More on that later. First, let’s talk about how you can use Vellum, and how much it costs.

Vellum System Requirements

As mentioned above, Vellum is designed only for use on Mac operating systems. The creators have said that they don’t plan on making Vellum for PC or iOS. This means you can’t use it on your iPad or Windows PC.

If you do have a Mac, you’ll need the latest version of the operating system for optimum function. And you’ll also need at least 60MB of free space for the software. Every book you format will take up more space.

How Much Does the Vellum Software Cost?

Vellum offers a free trial, allowing you to use all the features except exporting. If you want to export your formatted book, you’ll have to pay. They have two price tiers:

• Vellum Ebooks – This version is $199.99. It’s a one-time fee that allows you to export unlimited eBooks, but no print books.
• Vellum Press – This version is $249.99. It’s also a one-time fee, allowing you to export unlimited print and eBooks.

It’s cool that they allow you to use it before paying! The full-featured free trial is great for those who aren’t sure about the software or are new to self-publishing and formatting.

Unfortunately, if you buy Vellum eBooks first and then want to upgrade later to do print books, you’ll end up paying an additional $99 for the pleasure, costing you nearly $300 instead of the $249.99 you would pay for Vellum Press upfront. Keep this in mind if you decide you want to purchase the software.

That said, they do have a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied after buying either plan.

Vellum Features

This formatting software is known for a few major features that make manuscript transformation easy. Let’s take a look at them now.

DOCX Import

The only file type you can import with Vellum is the Microsoft Word .docx type. Since this is the standard for manuscripts, it’s no surprise. The nice thing is that Vellum automatically formats your chapters based on headings from your MS Word document. It also generates a table of contents so you don’t have to.

Sometimes the formatting can be a little wonky, but it’s easy to fix using Vellum’s “Convert To” feature. Like any other formatting tool, you’ll want to ensure that everything looks good before you export your files.

Choose Your Book Style

Vellum is a time-saver, which is a major reason ‌people like it so much. Whether you’re formatting for print or eBook, you’re likely to find a book style that works for you among Vellum’s eight ready-made choices.

When you select one of these eight styles, Vellum automatically changes certain aspects of your manuscript to make it into a beautiful book. Some of these aspects include:

• Body Text
• Ornamental Breaks
• Paragraphs After Breaks
• Chapter Headings
• Section Headings
• Captions
• Block Quotes
• First Paragraphs
• Headers and Footers

Customization

What if you’re not liking any of the eight book styles Vellum offers? No problem! You can also dive deep and customize pretty much everything mentioned in the section above. You can’t really start from scratch, but you can use one of the pre-made styles as a place to start, going through and changing the things you want to.

For example, you can choose from ornamental breaks that Vellum provides, or you can upload your own. You can insert pictures into your book as well.

If you want to customize your book, you’ll have a little bit of a learning curve to tackle. Luckily, there are plenty of free Vellum tutorials available online.

Preview Your Book

Once you’ve got your book just the way you want it, you can see how it will look on a variety of different devices before exporting.

You can see how the print version will look, as well as the eBook version on a number of different e-readers, including Kindles, Android tablets, iPhones, and iPads. This is especially helpful for those who haven’t yet bought Vellum. It reduces the risk that you’ll be disappointed with your final product once it’s exported!

Interior Layout Design

While Vellum makes it easy to (almost) seamlessly transform your manuscript into a book file, you’ll still need to pay attention to a few layout factors. These factors include:

• Line Spacing
• Drop Caps
• Margins
• Ornamental Breaks
• The Layout of Charts, Tables, and Pictures
• Paragraph Starts After Section Breaks

Again, this will probably involve some learning if you’re new to book formatting, but this is the same with almost every formatting software. And if you’re doing both formats, you’ll want to check with the print edition and the eBook format to make sure they’re both optimized and error free in terms of design and layout.

Creating Box Sets

Writing in series is one of the best ways to become a full-time indie author these days. In fact, some say it’s the only way. And when you write in a series, you’ll eventually want to offer a box set to your readers. Thankfully, creating a box set is (somewhat) easy with Vellum.

The “Volume” feature in Vellum allows you to separate each book in a box set, making it easier for both you and the readers to see where each book ends and the next begins.

You can easily add an already formatted book from Vellum to a box set, or you can import a DOCX manuscript and format it to your liking.

Plus, if you do an anthology box set with other authors, it’s pretty easy to assign each book its own metadata, like author name, editor, copyright, etc.

Exporting Your Books

With your book formatted and ready to go, the last thing you’ll need to do is export the files! Let’s talk about the eBook and print book generators.

Ebook Generation

If you’re planning on “going wide,” meaning publishing on platforms other than Kindle Direct Publishing, you’ll need eBook files for the different platforms. Vellum makes this easy, allowing you to check boxes for the most popular eBook sales platforms out there:

• Kindle
• Apple
• Nook
• Kobo
• Google

They also give you the option to generate a generic EPUB version of your book, which is ideal for use with aggregators like Draft2Digital or PublishDrive. Pretty convenient!

Print Book Generation

Print book formatting is a bit more involved than eBook formatting. You’ll need to do some research on the trim size of your book, font size, and line spacing. You’ll also need to figure out headers and footers.

You can preview what your print book will look like, but you’ll always want to get a print proof copy to make sure everything looks good (most print-on-demand services do this for the cost of printing and shipping).

This is in addition to having a print cover made, which is a whole other topic!

Remember: You’ll need separate ISBN numbers for your print edition and your eBook edition.

Vellum’s Limitations

While Vellum is a good formatting option, there are some limitations to keep in mind — especially when there are other options available these days.

No Windows Version

I mentioned this above, but it bears repeating. Those folks out there who don’t own a Mac (there are a lot) will have a hard time using Vellum. They can “rent” a Mac remotely using a service like MacInCloud, but this is usually more of a hassle than it’s worth. And it costs more money on top of the expensive Vellum software.

Not Ideal for Editing

Vellum isn’t ideal for editing your manuscript. It’s definitely not a word processor. That’s not to say that you can’t edit your book while it’s in Vellum — you can. But things you take for granted in MS Word or your writing software of choice won’t necessarily work in Vellum. It’s best to have your book fully edited before importing it to Vellum.

Limited Options

While it’s true you can customize your book within Vellum, it’s not really possible to do full customization. You’re hampered a bit by the eight book style choices. So if you’re an author that wants to customize every aspect of the book, Vellum isn’t the best option for you.

Pricey

If we compare the cost of hiring a professional formatter to the cost of Vellum, it’s clear that Vellum is the much cheaper option. And for a while, those were the two best options unless you already had some design skills. But these days, there are other options on the market that do as much or more than Vellum for much cheaper.

On that note, let’s talk about some Vellum alternatives.

Vellum Alternatives

If Vellum sounds good but the idea of going out and buying a Mac isn’t appealing, you do have some other book formatting options. The two best are Atticus and Adobe InDesign.

Atticus

Atticus is an easy-to-use all-in-one writing, editing, and book formatting tool. It’s available as an app and via your browser. And best of all, you can use it on Mac, PC, Linux, and even Chromebook. As a book formatting software alone, it has more options than Vellum. Atticus has almost twice as many pre-made book styles as Vellum. Plus, you can fully customize just about everything to create a wholly unique style to use over and again!

Like Vellum, it has a preview option to let you see how your book will look in print and on various devices. It’s also a powerful word processor, complete with a built-in timer and word count goal-setting capabilities.

Whether you want to make a beautiful eBook or an amazing print book, you don’t have to worry about different price tiers. Atticus is available for a one-time payment of $147 — for unlimited print and eBook formatting. I highly recommend this tool if you’re looking for a great book formatting software. Here is a quick comparison table of the two side by side.

(You can also check out my Atticus vs Vellum review for more info!)

Okay, sorry for nerding out there for a minute. I’m back.

Adobe InDesign

If you have some design skills already, or you want to learn some, then this is a viable option for book formatting. It’s a general design software, so you’ll have a bit of a learning curve if you’ve never used it before.

Unlike Vellum or Atticus, this software is only available as a monthly subscription. It’s $20.99 a month for just the InDesign app or $52.99 a month for the entire Adobe Creative Cloud suite of tools.

Free Book Formatting: Kindle Create

If you’re really strapped for cash, you can give the free Kindle Create app a try. This is an option provided by Amazon, but it’s low on features and can be confusing to use for the first time. And you’ll still need to use another formatter to create other files if you’re publishing wide, as Kindle Create only exports KPF files.

Still, this is an option if you don’t have the budget for one of the other tools on this list!

Vellum Review: Final Thoughts

There’s no doubt about it: Vellum is a great way to format books. It has a well-deserved reputation among professional authors. It’s easy to use, provides some customization options, and does much of the work automatically so you don’t have to.

But there are some drawbacks. The biggest being it’s only available on Mac. For a while, it was the go-to option for book formatting, but that’s no longer the case. With Atticus, there’s a more powerful and cheaper alternative to Vellum on the scene.

But unlike Vellum, Atticus doesn’t have a free trial (unless you count the 30-day money-back guarantee). So if you have a Mac and you want to give Vellum a shot, I say go for it! If not, you can always check out Atticus or get to learning Adobe InDesign.

Check Out Vellum   Check Out Atticus

The post Vellum Review: Read This Before You Purchase! appeared first on Bookishnerd.

Grammarly is one of many spell and grammar checker software available for writers or businesspeople. And it’s not a terrible software like several are. It’s got a bunch of neat features that come in super handy. But is Grammarly really right for you, or is there something better?

That’s what we’re going to help you determine. Now, if there’s any specific part of this Grammarly review you’d like to skip ahead to, use the handy navigation links below.

• What is Grammarly?
• Who is Grammarly good for?
• How much does Grammarly cost?
• Grammarly Free vs Grammarly Premium
• Can Grammarly replace a human editor?
• Grammarly vs ProWritingAid
• Is Grammarly worth it?

What is Grammarly?

Grammarly is a top-notch grammar and spell checking tool for writers. It helps you to ensure that your writing is as good as it can be–no matter the situation. Seriously. Grammarly infuses itself into every aspect of your writing from documents, emails, projects, and even your social media! Grammarly integrates seamlessly with:

• Gmail
• Outlook
• FaceBook Messenger
• Yahoo
• Google Docs
• MS Office
• Salesforce
• FaceBook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• And More!

Once setup, it’s just about everywhere that you write meaning you can have top-notch grammar at all times.

Grammarly Review: Functions

Grammarly does several things that can help you to hone your writing and ultimately help you become a better writer.

Grammar/Spell Checker:

Grammarly is hands down one of the absolute best when it comes to picking up spelling and grammar errors. With checks on over 100 different critical grammar criteria, Grammarly will pick up more errors in your writing than just about any other grammar checker on the market.

Plagiarism Checker:

This is one of the functions that really sets Grammarly apart from other editing tools. Grammarly Premium includes plagiarism checks that verifies your writing against 16 BILLION different websites! And while other software such as ProWritingAid offer plagiarism checks, Grammarly does them without an extra fee.

Style Checker:

Grammarly offer real-time writing style advice. It will give you insight into your sentence and paragraph structure even offering suggestions where needed. And these just aren’t general stylistic choices but genre-specific.

Correction Explanations

With some word processors or grammar checkers, you don’t get much in a way of explanation for your errors. Often, you’ll just see the red (or whatever color) underline which indicates you have a problem. But Grammarly actually gives you an easy to read explanation to help you from making that same mistake again. And you can even set it up to where the explanations are more in-depth.

Grammarly Customization

You may find yourself using words or phrases that aren’t in any dictionary–especially if you’re using business jargon or other technical terminology. Instead of having to ignore every single issue, you can actually add these words to your Grammarly.

Find Out What Grammarly Can Do For You!

Who is Grammarly good for?

Honestly, if you write anything, Grammarly is good for you. It’s not just for book writers and authors. Do you write company emails? Use Grammarly to clean them up. Are you a student putting together a term paper or thesis? Grammarly’s got you covered.

Grammarly is a great program for anyone looking to create writing that is easily read and understood.

How much does Grammarly Cost?

If you’re looking to get the paid version of Grammarly, you’ve got three options.

Grammarly Free

Grammarly offers a free version of their software that anyone can use right away. While it does offer quite a bit of functionality, it is definitely limited when compared to the paid options.

Grammarly Premium

This option is not as expensive as some other paid software. It’s $12/month paid annually. When you look at it, that’s not too terrible a price. However, it’s billed annually so that could be a hefty lump sum for those of you just writing emails.

Grammarly Business

This is Grammarly’s Enterprise-level plan. It cost $15.00/month per individual–all billed in one sum annually. It provides everything that Grammarly Premium but with some extra admin tools to help make managing easier.

Grammarly Free vs Grammarly Premium

Can Grammarly replace a human editor?

Just how good is Grammarly? Can it actually replace a human editor?

To put things bluntly, no.

While Grammarly is an amazing tool to check for grammar, there are just some things I wouldn’t trust Grammarly with–especially if you’re writing a book. Real editors have adaptive editing skills. They can see the tone of your voice through your writing allow it to shine through even if it does include purposely made stylistic choices.

For instance, you may simulate thought or dialogue-rambling through long run-on sentences. Grammarly will crucify you for that, and you’ll end up “correcting” your voice right out of your writing.

Plus, there are other times where Grammarly will impose archaic grammar rules that are no longer applicable in today’s society. Essentially, there’s no replacement for a human editor–no matter what software you’re using. If you’re looking to get the absolute most out of your writing, check out this handy list of book editors that have been vetted for top notch service.

Grammarly vs ProWritingAid

But what about ProWritingAid? Isn’t that supposedly the best available? How does Grammarly stack up?

Well to be honest, I do like ProWritingAid better. For me, I just get more bang for my buck. The different reports that PWA offers are far more than anything Grammarly has. I’m not saying Grammarly is bad though. I just prefer PWA. If you want to see why, check out my ProWritingAid review!

One thing I do like better about Grammarly though is the Plagiarism checks. You actually have to pay extra for those on ProWritingAid. So, if you’re needing a bunch of plagiarism checks, skip PWA and opt for Grammarly.

Grammarly Review: Is Grammarly Worth It?

So, is Grammarly worth the money? In some situations, yes.

If you’re looking for an extremely in-depth program to help further your exploits as a writer… I’d rather go with ProWritingAid.

But, if you’re looking for something lightweight and simple, Grammarly’s one of the best around. It’s got some seriously great power as a grammar checker. Plus having included plagiarism checks across 16 BILLION websites and sources is pretty awesome. It’s a great program that any user will benefit from.

Cheers!

The post Grammarly Review: Pricing, Best Features, and Is it Worth It? appeared first on Bookishnerd.

However, I don’t always have the luxury of that kind of comfort reading. Thankfully, I can still get get my read on through another means.

Audiobooks.

And when it comes to audiobooks, there’s no place I’d rather check than Audible. It is hands-down the most dominant audiobook marketplace available today and for many reasons.

In this article, you will learn:

• Why you should choose to listen to audiobooks
• How Audible has the right selection for readers of all types
• How does Audible work
• Pricing options available with Audible
• About Special Promotions with Audible
• How to get your first 2 books free!

Before we begin, I would like to state an open disclaimer. I will be using affiliate links within this article. However, that does not change my opinion in any way. Those links just help keep hot tea a-brewin so I can keep bringing you these sweet reviews. Now… Let’s get on with the article!

Before we jump head first into all things Audible, let’s tackle the big question.

Why audiobooks? Isn’t that cheating?

In all honesty, listening to an audiobook is very comparable to reading. You are just focusing your input in a different way. And there are many reasons why choosing an audiobook over a regular book is the right decision.

Accessibility isn’t a luxury. It’s a human right. There are many readers out there struggling with traditional books due to the difficulty of reading print. Instead of hoping that your favorite author’s latest novel is available in large print text, just grab an audiobook and enjoy. Those who are blind and visually impaired oftentimes find difficulty in getting special Braille books. Audiobooks can easily solve that problem.

Many times bringing along a book when travelling seems like a great idea. But let’s face it… Just how much quality reading can actually get done? Sure, you can bring along some noise cancelling headphones. And you might be great at ignoring potential visual distractions. But with audiobooks you don’t have to worry about those. Simply put on some headphones, kick back, and enjoy a good story.

There are three majorly accepted ways to learning. Reading, doing, and listening. For all you readers and doers out there, thumbing through pages may help you soak in the information better. But what about the listeners? Audiobooks can help you with your comprehension and retention.

There’s nothing more frustrating than picking up a new book and having zero time to read it. My shelves are full of books I’ve picked up but have never really had the time for. With audiobooks, you don’t have to go through this. Listen to your book at the gym, on the bus, or at the office. The possibilities are endless.

Text is just that. Text. Words on Paper. When we read, it’s up to us as readers to provide the voice and emotion for them. However, such isn’t the case with audiobooks. Those narrating often provide appropriate tone and timbre for the matter. By hearing this aloud, you can actually start to get more into what’s being read and engage even deeper into the story.

As you can see, listening to audiobooks can benefit everybody. But is there an audiobook for everybody out there?

Do thrillers and horror stories keep you up late at night? Or is it steamy romance novels that scramble your eggs in the morning? Or maybe you’re like me and enjoy epic space marine battles that save the galaxy from the throes of destruction?

Either way, there’s an audiobook for that. And they can all be found on Audible.

Audible has the largest database of audiobooks available with over 475,000 options! It’s mathematically improbable that Audible doesn’t have an audiobook that’s just perfect for you.

Audible works on a credit based system. This means you subscribe for credits and trade those credits in for audiobooks.

For instance, with Audible’s Gold Monthly plan, you receive one credit per month. This equates to one audiobook per month. Upgrading your plan can garner you more credits monthly, thus more audiobooks. Simple. And if you’re curious what happens if you don’t use those credits… They do rollover, so you never miss out on getting your new audiobook.

Once purchased, accessing your audiobook is a breeze. They can be listened to on any PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, or Alexa device. Your audio library is always readily available at your fingertips.

And once you purchase an audiobook, it’s yours for life. Even if you cancel your subscription. But if for any reason you don’t enjoy your audiobook, refund for a no questions asked money back guarantee. Through Audible’s Great Listens Guarantee, you can return any audiobook purchased for any reason within 12 months of purchase. Talk about customer service.

Aside from audiobooks, there is another thing Audible has no shortage of.

Sales, promotions, and deals.

Seriously. Audible is constantly offering something interesting. Whether it’s a 2 Books for 1 Credit deal or receiving a discount on an annual membership, Audible always has something to offer.

They also place certain audiobooks on sale that you can just purchase outright.

These offers do change up however. But don’t be discouraged. Maybe the next deal offered is an even better one for you.

Yep. You read that right. You can get free audiobooks from Audible. Here’s how.

First, head over to Audible and register for their 30 day free membership. Next, download any two books that you desire.

That’s it.

After thirty days, your subscription will automatically start at $14.95/month. However, you can cancel your free trial at any point within those 30 days. And the best part is… You get to keep those two books you downloaded!

Doesn’t get much better than that.

If you are into (or planning on entering) the world of audiobooks… Audible is absolutely worth it.

Audible’s extensive selection, exclusive promos, and awesome refund policy make it a hard service to top.

If you are a casual reader, perhaps it’s best if you stick to one of their Gold plans. But if you have a much more voracious appetite for reading, the Platinum plans should definitely be considered. As far as price is concerned, these plans are a pretty affordable venue for audiobooks.

Plus with the two extra free books from the trial… Consider me sold.

Cheers,

The post Audible Review: Is It Really Worth the Hype? appeared first on Bookishnerd.

That said, KDSPY is still a great program, so let me walk you through the basics of what it looks like…

KDSPY review 2022: Is KDSPY any good?

Yes, KDSPY is a pretty good software, that’s my official opinion in this KDSPY review. However, there are some better options for just a little bit more money (see my KDSPY vs Publisher Rocket review here). But if you’re a writer, particularly a nonfiction writer, KDSPY will help you.

Overall the platform provides a variety of important features, such as good keyword potential, a word cloud to see what other people are using in their titles, and analysis of author pages, international data, and a look at competitor performance.

These are all great features, and some of them you can’t find in other alternatives, but is it worth the price? Let’s take a look at that next…

How much does KDSPY cost?

KDSPY usually costs $97, but frequently goes on sale for a one-tie payment of $59. While this may seem like a lot for a simple browser plug-in, it is actually competitively priced when compared to other comparable software. Overall, I would say this is a decent price for what you get.

Another great feature about KDSPY is that this price is a lifetime price, meaning you will never have to buy it again, and you will get all future updates at no extra cost.

So far there have been hundreds of updates since its initial creation, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.

Is there a KDSPY free Download?

No, there is no KDSPY free download. This is one of the downer features of the plug-in, since you have no way of trying it out for free. However, there is a 60 day refund policy that might work for you. So if you buy KDSPY and you doesn’t live up to your expectations, you can return it for a full refund.

Kindle Spy coupon information

I did some research and couldn’t find any special coupons for KDSPY, but it is frequently on sale for $69, down from its primary price of $97, so there are still some good ways to save there.

What is KDSPY & What is KDSPY used for? My KDSPY overview:

KDSPY is a browser plugin meant to help you learn more about your competition on Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), specifically when self-publishing in the Amazon Kindle stores. When you are planning a book, it can be helpful to know what is selling, and which niches have low competition but high demand. It also helps you target good keywords for your book.

KDSPY is one of a few tools that does this, but the only one to my knowledge that comes as a browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, and Opera). This means you can use it to actively scan data while you are on Amazon.

Because KDSPY is an extension, it also works on most platforms, including Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and Linux.

KDSPY features list

The main features of KDSPY are:

• Keyword research
• Competition analysis
• A word cloud
• International data

Let’s walk through each of these one by one:

1. Keyword Research

Making sure you have your keyword analysis set in stone is a vital part of a book-publishing business. This is true of any genre, but can be particularly good for finding good nonfiction topics to write about before hand.

KDSPY gives you keyword suggestions that are targetable, meaning there’s not a huge amount of competition, and yet people still want to buy those books.

To do this, you enter your keyword and you’ll see the competition, along with an analysis of what to do there in order to become a bestseller.

2. Competition Analysis

If you’re interested in seeing how much authors are likely making on Amazon, you can use KDSPY’s competition analysis to see if they’re doing well, and if the niche they are in is a profitable one. You can do this with the Author Page Analysis feature, which lets you look at their average sales rank, estimated monthly sales, and the number of book published.

Additionally, you can track this performance over time, which is a nice little feature.

3. The Word Cloud

One of the cool features that you can’t get with other programs is the word cloud feature. What this does is analyze the titles and subtitles for a given category or keyword and spit out the most common words used in the top sellers for that book category.

This is really useful for nonfiction to help you craft your own book title and subtitle, but is all but useless for fiction, just so you know. Fiction is much less reliable in the words it uses for specific genres.

4. International data

One of the best features for KDSPY is its level of workable international sites. This is one area where KDSPY has an edge in the market, because it works on a HUGE variety of marketplaces, including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, India, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, and Japan!

Basically, if you’re using any of these Amazon marketplaces (which there’s a good chance that you are), and want to know your estimated sales, then KDSPY will work for you.

KDSPY pros and cons

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of KDSPY:

KDSPY advantages

There are a number of pros to KDSPY that I should mention:

• The Price: KDSPY is pretty affordable, which I think is great for those who don’t have the budget to shell out for a huge platform. While not as robust as other programs like Publisher Rocket, it’s still cheaper.
• Basic keyword and competition research: I wouldn’t say that the keyword and competition features are anything super fancy, they will get the job done. You can certainly find good competitive niches with this tool.
• The Word Cloud Tool: This is one of my favorite tools that only KDSPY has. It’s a great way for me to look up words to consider using in my nonfiction books.

KDSPY disadvantages

Now that I’ve listed the pros above, it’s time to get into some of the downsides:

• No Free Version: I have this same problem with Publisher Rocket, but there’s no free version of KDSPY to test out and see if it’s right for you.
• No AMS Ads: There’s no way to research keywords for your Amazon ads.
• Only Works on a Browser: You have to use Chrome or Firefox to make this program work. There’s no desktop version.
• UI Lacking: While a functional product, this is not the prettiest program, nor is it super intuitive to use. If you’re the kind of person who values ease of use in your program, I would look elsewhere.

KDSPY complaints & praise (from real KDSPY customer reviews)

Here are some things that people are saying across the web, from KDSPY reviews to testionials.

“Kindle Spy v5 is just one of the many market research tools in the Kindle Publishing world. It’s not going to break or make your Kindle publishing business – no research tool will.” – FreedomBoundBusiness

“While Publisher Rocket is also a great option, KDSPY takes up less space on your computer and offers a smooth transition to the results when searching online.” – Niche Pursuits

“The only software tool we use for niche and keyword research” – Mikkelsen Twins

“One of the best tools an author can have in their toolbox” – Lise Cartwright

I encourage you to take a look at all the number of reviews of KDSPY to get a good sense for what it can offer.

Review of KDSPY’s support

While I haven’t needed to contact their support directly myself (this is a good thing), I have seen good things from around the web, people saying that the support was fairly responsive and helpful.

They state that “Customer service is available around the clock through chat, email, and their online contact form.” so you should have no problem getting support on the things you need in KDSPY.

Is there a KDSPY free alternative?

No, there is not a KDSPY free alternative. However, you can use the 60-day money-back guarantee to test out the program if you want. If you don’t like it, you can always get a refund in those 60 days.

However, I would point you to a better alternative. While not cheaper than KDSPY, Publisher Rocket is by far a better tool for finding your keywords and categories. For more on that, I refer you to my Publisher Rocket review.

Is KDSPY worth it? My Conclusion

Alright, that concludes my review here, but let’s finally answer the question, is KDSPY worth it?

Well, for the price tag, it’s a decent piece of software. However, I personally believe that it is not as good as the other leading option: Publisher Rocket. That said, Rocket is more expensive, and if you can’t afford that, KDSPY is a fine alternative. You can still get a lot of good keyword research in with this tool.

Our final KDSPY rating:

We rate KDSPY a 6/10.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is KDSPY accurate?

So far, I’ve found KDSPY to be quite accurate. However, it is not quite as accurate as some of the other leading software out there, such as Publisher Rocket. However, for the price, KDSPY is a great and accurate tool for authors to use.

What is the difference between Amazon KDP and KDSPY?

Amazon KDP is the Amazon service that allows you to self-publish books. KDSPY is a third-party tool that will help you understand what keywords and categories you might want to target in order to get the best results when publishing on Amazon.

Does KDSPY work?

Yes, KDSPY works just fine. It works as a browser extension that lets you analyze data on Amazon. If your KDSPY is not working, I would suggest contacting their support because they can definitely get that up and running for you.

The post KDSPY Review: Is It Worth It & Is There a Free Alternative? appeared first on Bookishnerd.

There are a couple of workarounds (only one of which I recommend) that will allow you to use Vellum on PC. However, many authors find that this is more of a headache (and more expensive) than it needs to be. But since I’m not here to judge, I’ll give you the rundown on how to use Vellum on PC.

It’s sad, but Vellum has officially acknowledged on their website that they have no plans for a PC version of Vellum. This is likely due to the fact that they have built Vellum on a coding platform that only works on Mac, so they would have to build it again from the ground up.

So naturally, a workaround IS going to be necessary. There are a few ways to do this:

1. Use a better and cheaper program: Atticus (see my review of Atticus as well as my blow-by-blow comparison between it and Vellum)
2. Use a service like MacInCloud (which costs more!)
3. Buy a Macintosh computer to run Vellum (which costs a ton!)

Before we get into how you can use Vellum on Windows, I would be remiss not to mention a better book formatting alternative. It’s called Atticus, and it has all the features people love about Vellum. Plus, it’s cheaper and (some say) easier to use.

Many in the indie author community love Atticus because it’s an affordable, powerful, and user-friendly alternative to the Vellum software. Plus, you can use it on PC, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, and even through your web browser of choice.

This is all helped by the fact that it comes from Dave Chesson, the guy behind Kindlepreneur and Publisher Rocket.

More on Atticus later. For right now, I just wanted to tell you that you don’t have to jump through the hoops I’m about to outline below just to access a great formatting tool. But for those Windows users out there who want to use Vellum without buying a Mac, I’ve got you covered, too!

Using MacInCloud is the most straightforward way to access Vellum to format your books if you don’t have a Mac. Essentially, you pay MacInCloud a fee to access someone else’s Mac through your internet browser. You’re able to get on, format your book, send yourself the file, and then get off.

I may be oversimplifying it a bit here, but that’s the basic tenet.

Of course, even though you can access Vellum on someone else’s Mac, you’ll still have to pay for your own license — that’s $199.99 for ebooks and $249.99 for ebook and print book files.

Now, let’s get into the step-by-step process of using Vellum on PC through MacInCloud.

The first thing you’ll want to do is head over to the MacInCloud website and sign up for a plan. There are other services like this, but MacInCloud seems to have the best combination of price and support. Just keep in mind that there are similar services out there!

At the time of this writing, there are three primary plans on offer:

• Pay as you go – $1/hour (Minimum $30 preload) or $4 per day with a monthly commitment.
• $25 per month for basic users.
• $49 per month for advanced users.

I’d suggest sticking with the pay-as-you-go option until you see how it goes. If you like it, you might be able to save some money with the $25 a month option. It really depends on how much you’ll be using the service and how many books you’ll be creating!

Once you decide on a plan, you’ll be taken to a page where you can check out the options. You’ll be able to pick user seats, server location, the macOS version you want, and which platform model. Then you’ll reiterate how much you’ll pay and the plan you want.

If you’re just using this to access Vellum, you should be able to leave all these options at their default. Just double-check that your payment preferences are correct before you continue!

This step is one you’ve probably done many times before on other websites. Just fill out your contact information and then check your email inbox for a confirmation email. Easy!

Once you get the email, read it carefully because it will explain how you sign into a virtual Mac via MacInCloud!

Once that’s done, you’ll have access to a Mac desktop through your browser. Then all you need to do is find the Vellum app. To do this, look for the Vellum flower icon. If you don’t see it on the desktop, check the toolbar or click on the little blue and white face to search for it.

Once you’ve found Vellum, it’s time to get to know it! Of course, if you’ve used it before, you’ll be way ahead at this step in the process. But if you haven’t, there are plenty of tutorials you can watch if you get lost in the features.

Luckily, Vellum isn’t like Adobe InDesign or other general design software that has a formatting option. For the most part, it’s easy to use, and it creates beautiful books. But before you can start messing around too much with it, you’ll need to import your manuscript. Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as searching your computer’s internal storage and uploading it.

You’ll need to first upload your manuscript to a file-sharing service such as Dropbox. Or, if you have Google Drive, you can use that, too. Just make sure your manuscript is as a .docx word document. Any other file format will give you issues with Vellum.

Likewise, you’ll need to do the same with the finished PDF print edition file or the EPUB file for ebook. Just transfer the files to your cloud-based file-sharing service so you can access them from your own computer! And remember, to export your finished book, you’ll need to purchase your own Vellum license.

When using MacInCloud, it’s best to keep in mind that some things will be strange for a PC user. Keyboard shortcuts for copying, cutting, and pasting won’t work, so you’ll need to use your mouse.

So if something isn’t working how you’re used to, it could be because you’re not a Mac user! You can always google how to perform the specific thing you’re trying to do on a Mac.

I highly recommend that you use MacInCloud if you need to use Vellum on PC. It doesn’t violate any user agreements, so you can’t get into trouble using it. However, there are some shortcuts out there that aren’t strictly legal. Plus, things start to get more complicated with these other alternatives. Just FYI! I wouldn’t want to steer you toward a life of crime. 😉

So you want to turn your manuscript into a beautiful book, but you don’t want to pay for a service like MacInCloud. And you really don’t want to pay the $249 (or $199 for ebooks only) for the Vellum software.

I totally get it. And I have good news. Remember the writing and formatting tool I mentioned above? Yes, Atticus. It’s only $147 for lifetime access. That includes unlimited ebooks, unlimited print books, and every new update.

You can turn your Microsoft word file or Google Docs file into an ebook or print version in the time it takes to figure out how to use MacInCloud!

Seriously. It’s super easy to use. Mac and PC users will be super comfortable with it because it’s very intuitive. It’s the best thing to hit the indie author world since sliced bread. And everyone knows how much we love sandwiches!

As promised, here’s a little more about Atticus, including some of the tool’s features.

• Built-in templates for easy yet beautiful formatting
• Options for building your own templates
• Chapter heading customization
• Drag-and-drop sections — including chapters, front matter, and back matter
• Autosave and cloud storage — never lose your work!
• ProWritingAid integration
• Device previewer to see how your book looks before you export
• Print-ready PDF files
• Industry-standard EPUB ebook files for Kindle Direct Publishing, Google Play, Apple Books, and the rest!
• Writing goal setting and a built-in timer for writing sprints to keep you on track
• Export in .docx format to collaborate in MS Word with editors or co-authors
• In-app collaboration coming soon!

Here is a breakdown of how they measure up to each other:

Vellum is a great book formatting software for Mac. And until recently (at the time of this writing, anyway), there was not a great alternative for PC. But since Atticus is now out, there’s really not much of a reason to go out and buy a Mac or jump through hoops to use Vellum.

Of course, if you really want to, you can use MacInCloud from your PC to access Vellum and format your books that way. No two indie authors are alike, and we all have different preferences. So I hope this article has helped you make an informed decision about how to format your books from now on!

The post How to Use Vellum on PC: And Why You Should Use an Alternative appeared first on Bookishnerd.

All in all, they are really valuable tools for serious authors.

However, when it comes to choosing a book marketing tool, there are really only two worth looking at:  Publisher Rocket and KDSPY.  So, which one is best?  Which one is worth the money?

Well, I own both Publisher Rocket and KDSPY.  So, having used both over the years, I can help you to compare the two and help you see which one is the winner.  And yes, there is a clear winner.

What is the difference between KDSPY and Publisher Rocket?

The main difference between Publisher Rocket and KDSPY is the fact that KDSPY is a browser extension, and Publisher Rocket is an installable software product. They are otherwise very similar in functionality, but have a few key differences in their capabilities and design. 

The design is particularly distinctive in each program. Publisher Rocket has a much more user-friendly design, while KDSPY still looks like it’s coming from the ’90s, but more on that later.

KDSPY vs Publisher Rocket: Features I will grade them on

So, in order to best show you their capabilities and compare them, I’ve broken down my analysis into four features and capabilities that I will grade them on.

• Keyword Research – Ease of Finding Profitable Keywords
• Competition Analysis – Ability to Check on Competition
• Category Search – How to Find Best Categories
• Amazon Ad Keyword Research – How Helpful are they for AMS Ads

I’m all about getting the most value for my money, so I’m excited to dive in and find out which tool is better. So, let’s find out who’s the winner…

Publisher Rocket vs KDSPY: Side-by-Side Comparison

The below Publisher Rocket vs KDSPY comparison table shows two things:

1. Check marks represent which one had the better feature
2. Specific information I think is important to know in a side-by-side comparison.

* Reported Coming Soon

Okay, so now that you can see some of the specifics of the two softwares, and my overall winner for certain features, below are the specifics on why one won best for that specific feature.

1. KDSPY vs Publisher Rocket: Keyword Research

There are different types of keyword research, but they all rely on a similar principle. Figuring out which keywords will help put your book in front of the right readers–thus leading to more clicks and sales.

KDSPY Keyword Research Feature

Right out of the gate, KDSPY has some awesome keyword features. KDSPY works in your browser as an extension, meaning you click on it while you’re on Amazon to use it. Simply put, KDSPY pulls all of Amazon’s ‘seed keyword’ predictive results for a specific keyword you input with a click of a button. Check out the image below.

All you have to do is enter a keyword then hit ‘Pull Results A-Z’ to get the entire list of Amazon’s predicted searches. These are keywords that real customers use.

KDSPY shows you the number of competitors for each keyword, the average monthly revenue authors are earning for those keywords and how competitive they are with a simple three light system: green being the easiest and red the ‘no-go.’

You can then hit analyze for a specific keyword and learn more about it.

In the case of the keyword above–it’s popular, has minimal earning potential, and quite a bit of competition. You can export keyword information at every step of the process.

You get the top 20 results, their average sales rank, revenue, price and number of reviews. I like that all of the information is right on the page and you don’t have to look around for it. It’s a great snapshot of any given keyword.

There are handy links at the top which allow you to see the result, analyze them, access a word cloud (more on that in the extra features section) and track the rank of a specific book. The keyword analysis button is pretty snazzy. Check this out:

By hitting that button, I can easily evaluate whether the keyword is worth my time. If a book has a lot of green highlights as seen in the image above, it means you can easily compete against it with yours. Pretty neat.

Publisher Rocket Keyword Research Feature

Publisher Rocket is a downloadable software that works directly on your desktop. Just from a little tinkering, I find it’s a robust tool for keyword research. The section for keyword research is clearly marked and the software itself is easy to navigate and understand. Check out my search below:

All the relevant information is displayed on one page for each keyword. You can export everything (as you can in KDSPY) and instead of a traffic light system for measuring competition, you get a score. The lower the score, the better. And it’s color-coded so you know what a good score looks like.

CRITICAL: Another amazing feature that Publisher Rocket has is the Estimated Amazon Searches Per Month. You can literally see how much a given keyword has been searched for–that means you can tell how relevant it is and how much use it will be to you in your ads and your Kindle keyword section.  This is something KDSPY does not have, and yet, is probably the most important part to keyword choice.

A neat advantage of this keyword search is that you can check out the competition for those keywords by hitting the ‘Competition’ button.

Three things I love right away:

1. I can see the covers of the competitors who are ranking for the keyword I’ve selected. That means I can design my cover to compete by analyzing what bestselling covers look like.
2. There’s a handy link to click and check out the book on Amazon–Check it out.
3. The age of the book is displayed. The newer a book, the higher the rank should be–if a book has a high rank but has been around for many days, it means they’re doing something right or that the keyword is working for them.

Overall, the layout is simpler than KDSPY’s but I do find myself scrolling and clicking more than I do with KDSPY.

Verdict for Keyword Feature: Publisher Rocket Wins!

I like that KDSPY has a traffic light system and felt that it was clearer than the scoring because it gave me a general idea of the competition rather than an abstract number I didn’t quite understand other than–high is bad, low is good.

However, Publisher Rocket has a few features that set it apart. It has covers in its keyword competition results and tells you the age of the books, and it tells you how popular a keyword is with the estimated searches per month value. KDSPY gives you the publication date of a book, but not the actual age. Plus KDSPY does not tell you the searches per month.

For these reasons, Publisher Rocket inched ahead.

Get Rocket at Its Best Price Here!

2. KDSPY vs Publisher Rocket: Competition Analysis

Analyzing your competition and understanding which categories they place their books in or which keywords they’re using to rank highly in the Amazon Bestsellers lists can change up your marketing strategy.

KDSPY Competition Analysis

Naturally, KDSPY allows you to analyze competitors through your keyword research tool as shown above, but there are other ways to check out competition. For example, by using KDSPY to analyze author pages. To do this, I simply head on over to an author’s page and open KDSPY.

Here, you’re privy to all the information you need about the author. You can organize their books from best to worst selling, see how many monthly sales they’re making per book, their reviews, their total and average revenue and their sales ranks for each book as well as an average. By clicking on ‘S’ you can see the search results for a certain book in Google (which I found a bit… meh, not that important).

What’s cool is you can toggle between the Kindle and Paperback books an author has up for offer, as well.

Interestingly, you can actually track an author’s book over time to see whether it’s selling consistently by hitting the ‘T’ on the page. That’s an amazing tool–especially if you want to figure out what an author is doing to sell well.

Finally! I get to see the cover of a book in KDSPY… and I get to track the book over a period of time, which is both creepy and cool (that’s why it’s called KDSPY I guess). I like that all the book’s information is right at the top for reference and that you can track the rank over time.

Publisher Rocket Competition Analysis

If I check out the same author using Publisher Rocket’s Competition Analyzer, I get these results:

Once again, what I like about these search results is that there are covers on the page for me to admire and take inspiration from for my stories. I can also check out the book sale’s page (you can do this with KDSPY too) and I’m privy to information about the monthly and daily sales for each book.

Notably, though there’s no option to organize the results for competition analysis and while I love that the age of the book is shown, boy, it would be neat if I could track a book’s Amazon Bestseller Rank (ABSR) like I can with KDSPY.

I can export results too, which is neat, and I love the general feel of the software when I’m working in it.

Verdict Competition Analyzer: KDSPY Wins!

KDSPY tickled my espionage buttons here. With KDSPY, you can actually track a competitor’s book over time and that you can do that with multiple books.  However, this feature isn’t fully functional, and requires a lot of steps to get to work, but it is there. While Publisher Rocket has some amazing competition analysis features, KDSPY squeezes ahead for me here. That makes sense to me since Publisher Rocket seems aimed more toward keyword research than anything else whereas KDSPY is the overall ‘spying on other authors’ package. But that’s just my opinion.

So… KDSPY wins the Competition Analysis category.

Get KD Spy at Its Best Price Here!

3. Publisher Rocket vs KDSPY: Category Search

A little-known fact: you can put your book into up to 10 categories by contacting Amazon through Author Central. This gives you a big advantage–your book can rank highly in relevant but less competitive categories. But which ones should you select? That’s where tools like KDSPY and Publisher Rocket come in. Let’s compare them.

KDSPY Category Search

In KDSPY you can search for both kindle and book categories for your books–though you’ll have to be on the EXACT page on Amazon to do this. If you want to analyze a particular category, you simply navigate to that particular category on Amazon then hit the KDSPY extension in your browser tab. Check out my results below:

Notice that KDSPY gives you all the relevant information you need about a particular category, including how competitive it is, using the three light system. You can see monthly revenue, the average price of books, the average number of reviews, and even the page length of books in the category.

What’s neat is it shows you the top 20 and their ranks, and you can pull results past the top 20 and right up to the top 100. Very cool.

You can also do this:

By hovering over the information button in your chosen category, you’ll find how many sales you’ll need to hit number 1 in that category and then how many to hit number 20. This should give you a good idea of whether you can compete or not.

However, there are a couple of problems with KDSPY’s Category Capability:

1. You have to navigate to the exact category in order to get this data. This is a lot harder than it sounds due to there being over 11,000 Amazon categories.
2. Because of the immense amount of categories, KDSPY doesn’t help you to discover new ones or ones that work for your book
3. When I find a category I like, there’s no way I can actually pull that category string and use it in an email. In case you’re wondering, a category string is something like this:

Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > United States > African American > Urban

Therefore, KDSPY falls pretty short on Categories since it doesn’t help me to discover new ones, or give me the information I need to actually change or add categories to my book.

Publisher Rocket Category Search

On to Publisher Rocket we go! Once again, I’m excited by how clean and easy it is to work in Publisher Rocket. It’s an impressive-looking piece of software, but can it do what I need it to? Here are my results for a category search for urban fantasy:

It’s easy to search for ebook and book categories at the same time–in KDSPY, you need to navigate to the specific book category separately. Here, all the information is at your fingertips. Even cooler, you can copy the category strings out, and you can organize them according to their ABSRs at number 1 and 20 and how many sales it takes to get to number 1 and 20. You can also check out the category page.

There are over 11,000 categories on Amazon and Publisher Rocket gives you the ability to check out all of them and figure out how popular they are.

The only drawback is that there’s no competition indicator like there is in KDSPY.

UPDATE: Rocket, just added a new feature to their Competition Analysis called “Unleash the Categories” (I think they have a sense of humor).  With this, when you are looking at other books, you can click a button and quickly see every category they are a part of on Amazon.  This is a really cool new feature that helps authors in seeing what their competition is targeting and can help spark new ideas for categories to use.  I LIKE this a LOT!

Verdict For Categories: Publisher Rocket Wins!

The fact that Publisher Rocket lists all 11,000+ Amazon category strings and you can organize them according to sales to number 20 or number 1 in each overarching category is a massive positive. It’s easier for authors to select those category strings and simply email Amazon with the ones they want to be entered into.  Furthermore, the new Unleash the Categories is making hunting for new categories pretty fun.

Sadly though, KDSPY does not provide a list of Categories.  Instead, you have to hunt around for them.

So… Publisher Rocket wins in the Category Search category in a big way!

Get Rocket at Its Best Price Here!

4. Comparison: Amazon Ads Keyword Research

Keyword research, as I mentioned before, is one of the most important things an author can do to further their marketing strategy. With good keywords, you can create great ads that help you sell more books. So what do these two tools offer by way of Amazon Ads Keyword Research?

KDSPY Amazon Ads Keyword Research

Keyword research for Amazon ads is pretty much the same as research for Kindle keywords in KDSPY. You click on the ‘Keywords’ button, type in your keyword and pull the results from A-Z for Amazon’s suggestions.

It’s pretty neat, but it’s not tailored specifically to Amazon ads, not technically.

All of the same rules apply as in the keyword research section above. You get competition indicators in the form of traffic lights, you can analyze each keyword (see below), and export all of your results so you can upload them to your Sponsored Product Ads.

KDSPY’s keyword tool is super useful, and I enjoy fiddling around with it, but I would’ve liked a clearer indication of how many times a keyword is being searched for as I got when doing keyword research with Publisher Rocket.

Publisher Rocket Amazon Ads Keyword Research

What’s cool about Publisher Rocket’s Amazon Ads Keyword Research function is that… well, they have one! They have a completely separate section for AMS ads research, and that gives them a big thumbs up from me. Particularly, since I’ve been increasing my AMS ads spend and the more profitable my ads are, the better.

Check it out.

So Publisher Rocket takes my seed keyword (sci-fi in this case) and returns results in several categories:

• Amazon Suggestions
• Amazon Suggestions A-Z
• Search Results
• ASINs/ISBNs
• Authors
• Certain Genre Category Results (i.e. Cyberpunk Science Fiction in this case)

I can also filter my results and decide which types of results I want to export. I get an excel spreadsheet with the results. I know you can upload spreadsheets directly to your Sponsored Product Ads to add keywords, but I never do this–I prefer to filter my results and paste them in. Still, it’s super handy that the results come in the form of a spreadsheet.

If I want to exclude a keyword without filtering it from the general filter section, I can also uncheck the box next to it.

All of this makes Publisher Rocket’s AMS keyword research function unique from its other keyword research tool.

Verdict for Amazon Ads: Publisher Rocket Wins!

The fact that Publisher Rocket has a keyword tool specifically aimed at AMS ads set it apart in this category. I love that it separates the results into different sections and filters them for you. While KDSPY is no slouch when it comes to keyword research, KDSPY doesn’t compare in this particular area.

So, Publisher Rocket wins the Amazon Ads Keyword Research category!

Get Rocket at Its Best Price Here!

KDSPY v Publisher Rocket: Other things to know

With most tools, you get what you pay for and nothing more. Let’s look at what extra features these tools have that will enable you to get ahead of the crowd of self-published books out there.

KDSPY Extra Information & Things to Consider

Let’s take a look at some of KDSPY’s cool extra features that we haven’t already discussed.

Compatibility: KDSPY is compatible with Mac and Windows, and available for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Brave browsers. It won’t be made available on other browsers in future–since there aren’t that many popular browsers around.

Tutorials: Once you’ve purchased KDSPY, you get your own login information to the site, where you have access to a series of welcome videos that explain all the features to you simply. You also get some pretty cool bonus materials.

Bonuses: You get three bonuses when buying KDSPY, completely free. An Amazon Kindle Tracking ROI sheet that helps you track your ROI per book, a free ‘Create Your Own Website’ course on Udemy, and three ‘Kindle Cheat Sheets’ that give you information and strategies for getting started as an author.

In-browser app: Depending on what you like, the fact that KDSPY is an in-browser app might be preferable to you rather than a downloadable app. I enjoyed being able to click and bring it up whenever I wanted.

While I was using KDSPY, I noticed a strange irregularity. I think it’s because of where I’m based, but when using KDSPY’s category search to check out books, I noticed that some of them have weird rankings that don’t match their positions on Amazon. That’s probably because of my location and the fact that KDSPY uses my browser to pull information from the store. Check out what I mean in the picture below.

Just something to be aware of!

Another point that annoyed me about KDSPY was that every time I clicked away from the Amazon tab I was in that had KDSPY open, it would automatically close. When I navigated back, I’d have to reopen KDSPY again and wait for all those results to load. Not a huge deal-breaker, but still irritating.

Publisher Rocket Extra Information & Things to Consider

Compatibility: Publisher Rocket is compatible with both Mac and Windows! It’s not available in your browser.

Downloadable app: It’s a downloadable app, which I love–once you’ve bought a license for it, it’s your forever! It’s easy to use and looks great!

AMS Ads free course: Along with the awesome AMS Ads Keyword Research feature that Publisher Rocket provides, Dave Chesson also has a completely free Amazon Ads course that is super easy to use and goes well with Publisher Rocket. You can check it out here.

Easily accessible tutorials: Publisher Rocket has a series of awesome tutorials hosted by creator Dave Chesson–they’re easy to follow along and, like the app, are updated so you’re never left in the dark.

Which is better, Publisher Rocket or KDSPY? My Conclusion

Which is better for you, KDSPY or Publisher Rocket?

It depends on what’s important to you, really. If you’re focused on keyword research, both of these tools perform well, but Publisher Rocket definitely pulls ahead with the sheer power of both Kindle and AMS ad research. It’s category analysis feature is amazing too, and the fact that it shows you the covers of the bestsellers in your chosen genre and the amount of Amazon searches there are per month for a given keyword.

If you’re interested in the brass tax of what an author is earning or how well a certain keyword is doing, KDSPY is a good choice, especially since it’s currently cheaper than the alternative, and it has a longer money-back guarantee.

In truth, I use both of these tools–KDSPY for competition analysis and Publisher Rocket for all things category and keyword. Also, you can find individual reviews for both of those here:

• Publisher Rocket Review
• KDSPY Review

But if I had to choose just one, as many authors will have to do, I would choose Publisher Rocket because I get more value out of the category search and keyword tools, and it does still do competitor analysis. Buying it has helped me sell more books actively, thanks to Kindle keyword research and Amazon ads, and it’s more than paid for itself many times over as a result.

Is it worth the $97?  Absolutely.  It delivers on all areas and the team behind Rocket keeps adding more and more to the program just about every month – which are free upgrades for all current owners.

So, Publisher Rocket is the better tool, and worth the larger price.

But, ultimately, the choice is yours… KDSPY or Publisher Rocket? Let me know what you chose in the comments below!

FAQs

The post KDSPY vs Publisher Rocket Comparison: Which is Best? appeared first on Bookishnerd.

Throughout this review, you’ll learn:

• What exactly AutoCrit is and how it works
• An overview of AutoCrit’s key features for analyzing fiction manuscripts
• How much AutoCrit costs and what plans are available
• My hands-on experience using AutoCrit’s tools on my own novel draft
• The pros and cons of AutoCrit based on my testing
• How AutoCrit compares to other editing software like ProWritingAid and Grammarly
• Whether AutoCrit is worth the investment for fiction writers

By the end, you should have a clear understanding of what AutoCrit offers and whether it could be a useful addition to your fiction writing toolbox. Time to dive in

AutoCrit is a web-based manuscript editing tool specifically designed for fiction writers. It analyzes your draft using NLP (natural language processing) and comparisons to successfully published works in order to provide insights to strengthen your writing.

Here’s a quick rundown of how it works:

1. You copy your draft into AutoCrit’s text editor or upload it as a Word doc, Google doc, etc.
2. Select your genre so analysis is tailored. Options include fantasy, romance, sci-fi, thriller, YA, and more.
3. Run reports on different elements like dialogue, pacing, repetition, etc.
4. AutoCrit highlights potential issues in your draft and provides metrics, suggestions, and benchmark comparisons to published works.
5. You review the reports and can edit your manuscript directly in AutoCrit or download it with highlights to revise outside the app.

So in a nutshell, you feed your draft into AutoCrit and it spits back targeted feedback to help you improve your writing in ways typical grammar checkers can’t. The reports provide an at-a-glance view of your manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses.

AutoCrit markets itself as “like having a professional editor look over your shoulder.” The goal is to emulate a human editor identifying areas needing work. But unlike a real editor, AutoCrit just points things out – you still have to do the actual revising yourself.

While AutoCrit isn’t a substitute for a human editor, it can provide actionable insights your average spellchecker misses. If used properly, it really can help fiction writers take their craft to the next level.

AutoCrit offers three pricing tiers depending on your needs:

Basic (Free Forever)

• Spelling & grammar checks
• Basic writing style checks (adverbs, readability)
• Word explorer for synonyms
• Up to 10,000 words

Pro Monthly ($30/month)

• Full suite of 20+ reports
• Genre-specific analysis
• Benchmarking against successful books
• Unlimited word count
• Upload via Word, Google Docs, etc.
• Private online storage

Pro Annually ($15/month)

• Everything in Pro
• 6 free months every year

The free Basic plan is a good option if you just want to test AutoCrit’s core capabilities. But to really utilize the advanced manuscript analysis tools, you’ll need the Pro plan. The Elite plan adds some extras for serious writers like courses and one free developmental edit per year.

There are occasionally limited-time offers for discounted annual subscriptions or lifetime access. For example, during Cyber Monday they offered 50% off an annual Pro subscription. So it can pay to keep an eye out for deals.

Some key takeaways on AutoCrit’s pricing:

• There is a permanently free Basic option with basic checks
• The Pro plans unlock full in-depth analysis starting at $30/month
• Pro Yearly includes all of the same features as the monthly, however it’s half the cost per year
• Watch for deals on annual or lifetime subscriptions

Overall the pricing is competitive for the level of insights provided, especially compared to hiring a human editor. But the recurring subscriptions may deter some writers.

AutoCrit provides over 20 specialized reports addressing different aspects of fiction writing. I tested most of these reports on my own novel draft to assess their utility. Here are some of the most useful ones:

These reports analyze your story’s flow by highlighting chapters or paragraphs that disrupt the pacing:

Chapter Length Variation: Flags chapters that are exceptionally longer or shorter than others. Helps ensure consistent pacing.

Pacing: Identifies sections that move too slowly or quickly. Useful for smoothing out lulls or peaks.

Paragraph Length Variation: Highlights paragraphs that are unusually long or short. Helps improve flow.

Sentence Length Variation: Points out areas with repetitive sentence structures. Fix by varying sentence length.

I found these incredibly helpful for pinpointing areas in my draft that dragged, moved too fast, or had monotonous patterns. The visual graphs provide an at-a-glance view of pacing issues.

Dialogue reports analyze the balance, flow, and style of character interactions:

Dialogue Tags: Flags overused tags like “she said.” Varying tags improves flow.

Adverbs in Dialogue: Identifies unnecessary dialogue adverbs to cut. Improves realism.

% of Sentences with Dialogue: Checks if dialogue makes up an appropriate % of text or dominates. Ensures balance.

The dialogue tag report helped me identify where I relied too much on basic tags. Cutting the repetitiveness made conversations pop. Really useful for fiction writers.

These reports catch issues with generic, repetitive, or inconsistent wording:

Initial Name/Pronoun References: Checks that you effectively vary naming/pronouns for characters.

Sentence Starters: Finds overused opening phrases so you can vary sentence structure.

Power Words: Highlights weak word choices and suggests more vivid alternatives. Pumps up your prose.

Generic Descriptions: Flags bland descriptors like “nice” or “angry” so you can be more specific.

The power words tool helped strengthen my imagery by identifying weaker verbs and adjectives to replace. My prose is punchier as a result.

Repetition reports highlight redundant words and phrasing:

Repeated Words/Phrases: Uncovers repetitiveness in your word choices and language patterns.

Word Frequency: Reveals words used with unusually high frequency. Helps spot accidental repetition.

Catching repeated language I missed during self-editing made my writing less redundant and my word choices more diverse. Really cleaned things up.

These provide metrics on the reading level of your draft:

Readability Stats: Generates reading level scores using metrics like Flesch-Kincaid. Helps target audience.

Dale Chall Readability: Provides reading level specifically calibrated for fiction. Useful genre gauge.

The readability metrics helped me confirm my novel was accessible for my target audience. Very helpful during editing.

After thoroughly test-driving AutoCrit on my latest manuscript, a few features stood out as particularly useful:

Power Words – This highlights plain verbs/adjectives and suggests punchier alternatives to strengthen imagery. It really made my prose more vivid.

Repeated Phrases – Uncovering unintended repetition of words and phrases made my writing less redundant. Easy way to catch reuse I’d missed.

Pacing Reports – The visual pacing graphs quickly showed areas dragging or moving too fast. Made smoothing out lulls a breeze.

Benchmarking – Comparing my manuscript’s metrics to published works provided helpful guidance on styling my draft for readers.

Tense Consistency – This caught spots where I accidentally shifted from past to present tense. No more inadvertent tense flip-flopping.

The mix of big picture pacing insights along with line-level word choice improvements provided comprehensive manuscript analysis I couldn’t get from a standard grammar checker.

But AutoCrit’s utility extends beyond just its reports:

Easy File Importing – Uploading docs accurately parsed my manuscript’s chapters for easy analysis. Way better than copy/pasting text.

Community – Fellow writers provide feedback on manuscripts and participate in monthly video calls. Useful for accountability and encouragement.

Courses – The training courses offer actionable tips on plotting, characterization, worldbuilding and more. Levels up your craft knowledge.

Supportive Team – The founder and team engage with users and take feedback on new features. Feels like they genuinely want to help you succeed.

After using AutoCrit extensively during my last round of manuscript revisions, here are the things that impressed me most:

Helpful feedback – The combination of pacing, repetition, word choice, and readability reports gave me concrete insights on improving my draft. It highlighted weaknesses I hadn’t noticed on my own.

Goes deeper than grammar – While it catches grammar issues, AutoCrit focuses more on providing stylistic evaluations tailored for fiction. This higher-level analysis is harder for writers to do themselves.

Easy editing – I could fix many issues without leaving AutoCrit’s editor. For trickier revisions, highlighted manuscripts made spots to improve easy to find outside the app.

Style benchmarking – Seeing how my manuscript compared to published works on metrics like sentence variation and filler words provided helpful guidance on reader expectations.

Tracks progress – AutoCrit’s summary score measured my manuscript’s improvement between drafts. Useful for assessing editing effectiveness over time.

Supportive community – Connecting with other writers helps you stay motivated, get feedback, and become a better writer. AutoCrit facilitates this well with its groups.

Accessible courses – The online courses offer actionable, bite-sized lessons on fiction writing techniques. They’ve improved my craft knowledge and given me new skills.

Engaged team – AutoCrit’s staff interacts directly with users daily. They listen to feedback and regularly implement feature requests to help writers.

For me, AutoCrit excelled at providing feedback I wouldn’t have gotten on my own and helping me view my writing from a reader’s perspective. The gamification of tracking my progress over drafts also motivated me to keep strengthening my manuscript.

Although I found AutoCrit extremely helpful overall, there are still a few areas for improvement:

Limited integrations – There aren’t any integrations with major writing apps like Scrivener or Google Docs. You have to upload/copy manuscripts into AutoCrit’s editor. Native integrations would streamline things.

Web app only – AutoCrit is online only. Some writers may prefer a downloadable native app. However, the web app does work great.

No plagiarism check – AutoCrit focuses solely on style and pacing rather than plagiarism. Writers seeking plagiarism detection need to use an additional tool like ProWritingAid.

Not for line editing – Reports highlight areas to improve but don’t make actual edits. You need to do the revisions yourself or hire an editor for nitty-gritty line edits.

Steep learning curve – With so many reports and features, AutoCrit can be overwhelming initially. It takes some time studying to use the program effectively.

No lifetime license – You have to maintain a subscription to keep accessing reports on revised manuscripts. A single lifetime payment option could save money long-term.

These cons aren’t dealbreakers for me, but addressing them would make AutoCrit more convenient and accessible for writers. Even without changes though, AutoCrit provides immense value.

AutoCrit differs quite a bit from other popular editing tools like ProWritingAid and Grammarly. Here’s how they stack up:

ProWritingAid – Provides strong style editing for all genres. Offers more granular line edits but less big picture analysis than AutoCrit. Affordable at $30/month but offers $108/yearly.

Grammarly – Checks grammar and spelling. More limited analysis capabilities. Better for email/docs than fiction manuscripts. Starting at $30/month and offers $144/yearly.

AutoCrit – Specialized reports fine-tuned for fiction manuscripts. Provides macro-level pacing and story insights beyond grammar. Better for novels. Starts at $30/month.

Key Differences:

• AutoCrit tailored to fiction, others better for general writing
• ProWritingAid excels at line edits, AutoCrit at big picture analysis
• AutoCrit benchmarks against successful books
• AutoCrit more expensive but made for fiction writing

The choice comes down to your specific needs. For fiction or story-driven narrative nonfiction, AutoCrit provides specialized tools the others lack. But ProWritingAid gives more robust grammar/stylistic editing. Grammarly covers basics well at the lowest price.

For fiction writers serious about refining their craft, I believe AutoCrit is definitely worth the investment. The insights it provided into pacing, repetition, mechanics, and reader expectations were all extremely helpful during my editing process.

The Pro plan costs a bit more than some alternatives, but you get invaluable feedback a standard grammar checker can’t match. The variety of macro and micro-level reports efficiently indicate areas for improvement you likely wouldn’t catch on your own.

For newer writers still mastering basics, the free version may provide enough assistance. But novelists looking to emulate the standards of successfully published works will find immense value in the Pro tier.

AutoCrit isn’t a magic bullet that will instantly elevate your writing. You still have to put in the work revising. But it will make you more aware of weaknesses and give you clear direction for improvement. And the community helps you stay motivated and keep sharpening your skills.

If you find a discounted annual or lifetime subscription, I strongly encourage fiction writers to give AutoCrit a try. Even at the regular pricing of $30/month though, it provides robust tools to help your manuscript shine that warrant the investment in my opinion. Just be sure to thoroughly learn the platform to maximize the benefits.

That concludes my hands-on review of AutoCrit based on extensively testing it during my latest round of manuscript revisions. I hope this comprehensive article gave you a clear understanding of how AutoCrit works and what it offers fiction writers.

While not perfect, AutoCrit’s specialized reports provide valuable insights on pacing, word choice, repetition, and more that can really elevate your novel drafts. For fiction writers seeking to emulate the standards of successfully published works, AutoCrit gives you the data and metrics to do so.

Don’t expect it to edit your actual manuscript – you still have to do the work! But AutoCrit makes knowing what to improve much easier. If you invest the time to learn the platform, it can take your writing to new heights.

So if you’re looking to level up your fiction manuscript, give the free version of AutoCrit a try and then consider the Pro plan if you want in-depth analysis. It could just help transform your story from good to great.

The post My AutoCrit Review: Fiction Writer’s Perspective appeared first on Bookishnerd.