Rubric

Struggling to evaluate your own writing? Developed by J. Thorn from decades of instruction with real students, improve your writing immediately with the rubrics. Click on the specific rubric to download it or learn more.

AL_StoryRubrics

Story Rubric

A simple rubric designed to streamline the editing and revision process for short and long form fiction. Created by J. Thorn.

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AL_NonficRubrics

Nonfic Rubric

A simple rubric designed to streamline the editing and revision process for nonfiction. Created by J. Thorn.

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AL_SceneRubrics

Scene Rubric

A simple rubric designed to streamline the editing and revision process for writing scenes. Created by J. Thorn.

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NEW! GET THE RUBRICS IN NOTION

Notion Template created By Jon Howard (theappywriter@gmail.com)

Part of Jon's public template collection for authors available for free at https://cutt.ly/freeauthortemplates

HOW TO SELF PUBLISH

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Get your FREE copy of “How to Self-Publish: The Essential Guide for Taking Your Idea to Market”—instant download!

J's Resources

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I won’t ever suggest products or services I haven’t used myself.

Browse my personally curated collection of services, tools, books, and more to help you become a successful writer.

Masterclass

An incredible collection of online video courses by some of the most successful authors in the world including James Patterson, Margaret Atwood, Malcolm Gladwell, and more. Classes available ala carte and as an annual subscription.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card: For all business expenses, I use my Chase Ink card which earns me points that I can redeem for many things, including cash. Just remember to pay off your balance every month.

Plottr: Visual timelines. Automated outlines. Story bibles. Templates galore. With Plottr at your side, your book might just start writing itself.

Scrivener Windows // macOS:  Simply the best story planning and first draft tool on the market. Compatible with Windows and Mac.

Dragon Dictate: The go-to app for all of your dictating needs. The PC version is far superior to the Mac version.

Slack: An excellent alternative to email for teams.

Google Drive: Simple. Free. Ubiquitous. I pay for the additional space and its worth it.

Draft 2 Digital: A host of free author services makes this account indispensable. From universal book links to formatting, D2D has it all.

Publish Drive: A third-party distributor, Publish Drive has the best user interface out there. Hands down. Get into global markets not accessible in any other way.

Podcast Addict (app): If you need an easy but powerful way to manage and listen to your podcasts (and you don’t want to or can’t use iTunes), Podcast Addict is perfect.

Relax Rain (app) iPhone // Android:  Better than white noise and not nearly as goofy looking as noise-cancelling headphones, these apps help me get work done in busy, loud environments. Also check out Relax Sea by the same developer.

Adobe Premiere Elements: Don’t be afraid. Premiere is the simplified version of Adobe’s flagship product. You’ll be able to do simple photo and video editing without an advanced degree or having to spend thousands of dollars.

Poster My Wall Cover Designs: Create an eye catching book cover to get that first page turned. Choose from a wide range of design tools including image effects, fancy text and stock images!

Reaper: Although designed more for musicians and multi-track recording, I use Reaper to edit all of my podcast files.

Zoom: Zoom is the best and most affordable cloud-based video conferencing service. It also has native recording capabilities and is easy to use. Send a link to a Zoom meeting and there’s nothing to install or configure. Integrates with Google Calendar.

Printify: Great for swag and merch with the option to sell directly on Etsy.

Prestozon: Prestozon manages your AMS dashboard, automatically adjusting your bids and keywords. Use the link to get a free 30-day trial.

Reedsy: Reedsy allows authors to find and work with the best publishing professionals: from developmental editors to book cover designers, publicists and translators.

Ebook Launch: A family-owned business, Ebook Launch offers a wide variety of services from custom cover design to ebook and print formatting.

Aweber: In my opinion, the most customer-centric email service available. If you don’t need hundreds of features you’ll never use, go with Aweber as they have the best customer service. Hands down. I’ve been a loyal customer since 2014.

Grammarly: NOT a replacement for an editor but a great way to check basic grammar and style beyond what your spell checker can do.

Autocrit: More like a virtual writing coach than a grammar-checker, Autocrit even allows you to compare your draft to best selling books.

K-lytics: If you’re writing or publishing genre fiction, the K-lytics reports are essential.

Publisher Rocket: A must-have for identifying keywords for meta data, sales copy, and paid advertising.

Transistor.fm: New to the podcasting scene with two dynamic founders. A great, affordable option for podcast hosting.

Theme Isle: If you have a self-hosted WordPress website, Theme Isle has dozens of beautiful themes in their annual subscription package which can save you thousands of dollars on web site design.

Wix.com: Wix offers an entire suite of web design and hosting tools that are drag-and-drop which means no coding or technical skills required.

Acuity Scheduling: A great scheduling service that can handle booking appointments seamlessly. Integrates with most online calendars, including Google Calendar.