In ancient times, writing something meant plucking a feather from a bird, dipping the “nib” in ink made from a mixture of soot, glue, and water — and then scratching down letters on parchment made from tree bark. Of course, the existing tools were secondary to the great minds creating the content.

Even so, writers, today have at their disposal new kinds of writing tools that will enhance the power of the writing minds and bolster the effort to dazzle readers with words or make money by writing.

Consider these options:

Dragon

A company called Nuance makes this software that leverages a form of AI called machine learning. It increases the accuracy of those who dictate their book verbally. Some people say the ability to “speak a book” frees up their “writer’s brain” in a way that’s powerful and enables them to complete an entire book in just days.

Medium

This is an online platform that allows writers to share their work with 65 million monthly readers. It is touted as a way for writers to get motivated and “gamify” their progress by breaking up chapters into short articles. It helps you get writing, gets you helpful feedback, and builds a fanbase.

Scrivener

Simply put, it’s a better kind of word processor. It has many advantages over Microsoft Office’s Word and Google Docs. It allows the writer to manage and organize research, chapters, concepts, notes, and more to streamline the entire writing process.

Book Butchers

This is an online group that will help you with proofreading to line-by-line editing. The service also offers help with content organization, sales copy, and things like pacing and tone. They charge by the word and are reasonably affordable.

Vellum

Suppose you’re planning to self-publish your book using a service like Kindle Direct Publishing, iBook, Kobo, or Smashwords. In that case, you will be confronted with the daunting problem of formatting your book into a “printable” document. Vellum is a way to professionally design and format your book without having to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to a professional service.

BookBub

Once a book is written, the real work truly begins as you try to sell it. That means you need a marketing strategy. BookBub is a service that can come to your rescue. You pay them to run a promotion for you. BookBub can potentially reach millions of readers you would never find by going it alone.