Tools We Use

Vellum is the formatting tool we use at Taciturn Studios for every ebook and print book we publish. It takes a Word document and turns it into a professionally typeset book in minutes — no design skills required. The output is stunning on every device and every retailer.

• Formats ebooks for Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, and more
• Print-ready PDFs for IngramSpark and KDP Print
• Beautiful built-in themes — no design experience needed
• Mac app — one-time purchase, no subscription

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Scrivener by Literature & Latte is the writing environment used by novelists, non-fiction authors, screenwriters, and academics worldwide. It lets you outline, draft, and reorganise your manuscript in a way no ordinary word processor can match. We use it for every long-form project.

• Corkboard, outliner, and manuscript view in one app
• Available on Mac, Windows, and iOS
• Compile to Word, PDF, ebook, and more
• 30-day free trial — no credit card needed

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Draft2Digital is the distribution platform we recommend to every indie author. Upload once and your book appears on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, and 40+ other retailers. They handle the formatting, the metadata, and the royalty reporting — and they charge nothing upfront.

• Free to use — D2D takes a small % of royalties only
• Distribute to 40+ retailers including Amazon and Apple
• Auto-generates front matter and back matter
• Universal book links for all your store pages

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There is something irreplaceable about writing by hand. A quality leather journal on your desk invites you to slow down, think more clearly, and capture ideas that might never make it to the keyboard. This is the kind of journal we keep beside the computer.

• Durable genuine or faux leather cover
• Acid-free pages — won't yellow over time
• Lay-flat binding for comfortable writing
• Ideal for brainstorming, outlining, and journaling

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If you are new to self-publishing, a well-chosen guide can save you months of trial and error. Amazon has a strong selection of practical, up-to-date books on the entire indie publishing process — from writing and editing to cover design, formatting, and marketing.

• Covers writing, editing, formatting, and marketing
• Written by working indie authors
• Practical checklists and step-by-step workflows
• Available in ebook and paperback

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