Staying organized, this is one of the most important task for every human being, but the hardest actually. When it comes to staying organized as an author, think of writing deadlines, story ideas, character boards, series bible. And then as a self-published also or an independent publishing author you then have to think of publishing timelines, contacting your editor, reaching out to the cover designer and oh, most of time, writing and publishing timeline.

It gets crazy; I tell you, and the tools that actually help me stay in line are endless. Depending on the mood of the project, I have different tools that help me keep track of my project.

As at the time of writing this post, here are tools I use for different activities.

Collaborative Tools.

I engage in a lot of anthologies, multi-author series and also coach authors. To do this seamlessly, I make use of Trello (for sharing ideas and outlines), Google docs and OneDrive for sharing full manuscripts and MS Excel for sharing… timelines. Then it’s time for instant messaging. Where I come from, everyone loves WhatsApp. Yeah, WhatsApp created WhatsApp for Business which is cool, but compared to what Telegram offers – scheduled voice chat, polls, screen share – I prefer Telegram for business and WhatsApp for family and friends. 

Daily Tasks

Microsoft to-do. I can use this on desktop and mobile. It synchronizes data and there’s so much I do on it. There are reminders, due dates, and you can categorize activities and even link them to your Microsoft Outlook. You can also add collaborators. It’s a much needed tool for planners like myself. I think I’m a Microsoft bae.

Marketing/Novel Planner

Airtable! I started using Airtable in June 2020 and I must say; I prefer it over Trello, but I can’t let Trello go, so many memories. There’s so much you can do with Airtable. Templates are available if you don’t know where to start. My favorite feature is the Kanban tool that makes everything look so much easier. I use Airtable to plan out my release dates, tropes, move story ideas around… 

Financial Tools.

I’m still very much old school and make use of Microsoft Excel and Google Sheet. When I start earning millions, I’ll hire an accountant, but for now, those are my go to. For invoices, I make use of Wave Apps, it’s professional, giving you real time insight on what your vendors are doing.

Now it’s your turn… What tools do you use to stay organized?