5 Digital Media Resources for Every Writer’s Toolbox

By Jane Friedman | February 23, 2015 |

by André Freitas

Since 2010, I’ve been actively teaching students of all backgrounds about using digital media for creative endeavors, whether through traditional university courses or through online classes. I also send out a (not quite) monthly newsletter introducing writers to digital media tools.

The following resources have surfaced again and again as the most valuable. If you aren’t yet familiar with them, each is worthy of your consideration.

1. Lynda

This is, hands down, the best place to go to learn any software or digital media skill. It’s an on-demand education platform with more than 3,000+ courses at your fingertips. Their offerings have never let me down, and the curriculum and teaching style is the highest quality I’ve found anywhere. If you need to learn a new online or digital media skill, go to Lynda first. (I swear I don’t get paid for saying that.)

2. 279 Days to Overnight Success

Now more than five years old, I still consider this one of the most valuable blueprints and introductions to what it means to build an online presence and start living the creative life you want, on your own terms. Thank you, Chris Guillebeau. Go download it now.

3. Camtasia

As video becomes more prevalent as both a content delivery tool and marketing tool, know how to stitch together a simple video is immensely valuable. I use Camtasia when I need to create “talking head” style videos, screencast tutorials, or a combination of both. It’s fairly straightforward for a beginner to use, and if you feel intimidated, have I told you about an educational resource called Lynda?

4. Canva

Social media is visually driven these days, which calls for a little graphic design knowledge and skill. If you need to fake ability that you don’t have, then Canva will help. It offers prefab templates perfect for creating social-media graphics, book covers, flyers, invitations, and basically anything you need to design. Try it out—literally no experience required.

5. 15-Tab Book Marketing Spreadsheet

This is something I uncovered far more recently—it’s a resource created by Jenny Blake that is the kitchen-sink of marketing plans. I probably get more questions about planning book launches, and this is now the spreadsheet I point people to.

Bonus: Want to be continually exposed to new resources, tips, and tricks? Follow the Digital Inspiration blog.

What are the most indispensable digital media tools in your creative life? Let me know in the comments!

Jane Friedman

Jane Friedman has more than 20 years in the publishing industry, with expertise in digital media and the future of authorship. She’s the co-founder and editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential industry newsletter for authors. You can find out more about her consulting services and online classes at her website, JaneFriedman.com.

janefriedman.com/

Posted in Digital

15 Comments

PK Hrezo on February 23, 2015 at 9:32 am

Oh these are awesome Jane! Thank you so much for sharing!
Ed Teja on February 23, 2015 at 9:37 am

Neither of the links for the spreadsheet work.
- Jane Friedman on February 23, 2015 at 11:20 am
  
  Hmm, they work OK for me, Ed. Here’s the naked link: https://bit.ly/Tbookmarketing
  - Ed Teja on February 23, 2015 at 12:30 pm
    
    I get redirected and it goes to “Invalid request” at google docs.
    Same as the link in the article. I’m using firefox and it does NOT like those links.
    - Jane Friedman on February 23, 2015 at 12:34 pm
      
      It’s a shared/public Google spreadsheet. All I can suggest is that you try a new browser.
      - Ray Rhamey on February 24, 2015 at 3:48 pm
        
        I use Firefox and it all worked fine. Do you have an updated version?
- Amy on February 24, 2015 at 4:34 pm
  
  Ed, I couldn’t access it all on mobile internet. None of my devices could handle all the redirects (I counted 4 at least) so that may be your issue too.
Robin Yaklin on February 23, 2015 at 11:46 am

Jane, thanks so much for your list. I’ve been contemplating an idea to create an on-line presence;however everytime I start I bump against my own ineptitude and the project drops off my priority list. There is such potential for creativity in this world of electronics, to reach out across continents. I’ve just come from Bogota, where my husband and I stayed in a friend’s home and met 20 plus new friends. I want to develop an on-line presence they can access because, when asked what I do and I responded I am a writer, their eyes lit up and the encouragement flowed. They want to know about my work. These tools will get this electronic age gnugnu a long way toward a goal. Again, thanks so much.
Abigail Carter on February 23, 2015 at 12:01 pm

Hi Jane,

Writer.ly is a great resource where writers can post a job and find editors, book designers, marketers, etc.

I also created a book publisher’s roadmap using Trello that anyone can use: Find it here:

https://trello.com/b/pGUjUWPK/book-publishing

Thanks for posting this great list.

Abby
Rebecca Vance on February 23, 2015 at 2:55 pm

I love the tutorials at Writers Digest. I have a membership for $25.00 per month and can access over 200 tutorials. Also, Writer’s Village has a great course as well, especially for aspiring and debut authors.
https://tutorials.writersdigest.com
https://www.writers-village.org/#!
Denise Willson on February 23, 2015 at 3:14 pm

Great suggestions, Jane! Thank you!

Denise (Dee) Willson
Author of A Keeper’s Truth and GOT
Andrea Blythe on February 23, 2015 at 6:59 pm

Thank you for this fantastic list of resources. I’m excited to be able to try out 279 Days to Overnight Success, as well as the others.
Kathy Waller on February 23, 2015 at 8:05 pm

Thanks, Jane, for the links, and thanks to all the commenters sharing links as well. The mind boggles at the thought of a 15-tab spreadsheet, but by tomorrow I’ll have steeled myself to look at it. And one day I’ll no doubt sing the praises of every one of those tabs.
Ray Rhamey on February 24, 2015 at 3:49 pm

Thanks for the links, Jane. I still remember way back when you were at F+W and were interested in my writing book but another editor wasn’t. Ah, well. All best.
Arti on March 9, 2015 at 2:46 am

Thanks for the links
Arti