The Shocking Truth About My Author Tech Stack

My author tech stack was costing me $350/month. Here's what I cut...

As an indie author, I thought I was being smart by piecing together a suite of tools to manage my writing, publishing, and marketing. But the truth is, I was bleeding money and wasting time.

The Old Stack

Here's what I was using:

• Scrivener: $50/year (writing)
• Wix: $300/year (website)
• ConvertKit: $600/year (email)
• Vellum: $250 (formatting)
• Canva Pro: $120/year (design)
• BookBrush: $180/year (promo graphics)
• Lulu: Variable (print-on-demand)
• Gumroad: 10% + fees (sales)

That's a whopping $4,200+/year.

The New Stack (AuthorKit)

Then I discovered AuthorKit. Here's how it replaced my old stack:

• Everything above: $0-99/month depending on usage
• SAVES: $3,000-4,000/year

Scrivener → AuthorKit Writer

• Old: Scrivener was my writing tool of choice.
• New: AuthorKit's Writer is an AI-powered writing tool that helps me stay focused and write better.
• Better: Integration with the rest of the AuthorKit platform means my writing flows seamlessly into publishing and marketing.
• Different: AuthorKit's Writer is more geared towards helping authors produce high-quality content, whereas Scrivener is a more general writing tool.

Wix → AuthorKit Store

• Old: Wix was my website builder.
• New: AuthorKit's Store allows me to create a beautiful bookstore and keep 85% of my sales.
• Better: With AuthorKit, I can manage my store and sales analytics in one place.
• Different: AuthorKit's Store is specifically designed for authors, making it easier to sell books and connect with readers.

ConvertKit → AuthorKit Marketing

• Old: ConvertKit was my email marketing tool.
• New: AuthorKit's Marketing includes email, blog, and community tools.
• Better: AuthorKit's marketing tools are designed to work together with my store and analytics.
• Different: AuthorKit's Marketing is more focused on helping authors build a loyal reader base.

Vellum → AuthorKit Publisher

• Old: Vellum was my formatting tool.
• New: AuthorKit's Publisher includes one-click formatting and distribution.
• Better: With AuthorKit, I can format and distribute my books in one step.
• Different: AuthorKit's Publisher is more streamlined and integrated with the rest of the platform.

Canva Pro → AuthorKit Design

• Old: Canva Pro was my design tool.
• New: AuthorKit's Design includes professional templates and graphics.
• Better: AuthorKit's Design is specifically tailored for authors, making it easier to create stunning book covers and promo materials.
• Different: AuthorKit's Design is more focused on helping authors create visually appealing content.

BookBrush → AuthorKit Promo

• Old: BookBrush was my promo graphics tool.
• New: AuthorKit's Promo includes tools to create eye-catching graphics and promotions.
• Better: With AuthorKit, I can create and schedule promotions in one place.
• Different: AuthorKit's Promo is more integrated with my store and marketing tools.

Lulu → AuthorKit Print-on-Demand

• Old: Lulu was my print-on-demand service.
• New: AuthorKit's Print-on-Demand allows me to sell print books and keep more of my earnings.
• Better: AuthorKit's Print-on-Demand is more integrated with my store and analytics.
• Different: AuthorKit's Print-on-Demand is more geared towards helping authors sell more books.

Gumroad → AuthorKit Sales

• Old: Gumroad was my sales platform.
• New: AuthorKit's Sales includes a storefront and sales analytics.
• Better: With AuthorKit, I can manage my sales and analytics in one place.
• Different: AuthorKit's Sales is more focused on helping authors sell books and connect with readers.

The Hidden Cost of Tool Switching

When I was using multiple tools, I didn't realize the hidden costs:

• Time lost moving between apps
• Data that doesn't transfer
• Learning curves for each tool
• Mental overhead

These hidden costs added up to a significant amount of time and money wasted.

The All-In-One Advantage

AuthorKit's all-in-one platform gives me:

1. Single login (obvious but underrated)
2. Data flows everywhere (book → store → email → analytics)
3. One learning curve (master one system, not eight)
4. Better together (tools designed to work together)

With AuthorKit, I can focus on writing and growing my author business, without the hassle of multiple tools and platforms.

This is just the beginning...

AuthorKit gives you everything you need to build a real author business:

• Writer (AI-powered writing tool)
• Publisher (one-click formatting & distribution)
• Store (your own bookstore, keep 85%)
• Marketing (email, blog, community tools)
• Analytics (see what's working)

No monthly fees. Pay 15% commission only when you make sales.

👉 See pricing & features

More tools doesn't mean more productive. Usually the opposite.