Launching a self-published book takes more than a good manuscript. Here are four tools indie authors actually pay for around launch day, and what each one is for.
1. Publisher Rocket handles keyword and category research before you upload, so your book shows up under the search terms readers actually type into Amazon.
2. Vellum formats your manuscript into a clean, professional ebook and print file without fighting Word's page breaks. Mac only, but worth it if you publish more than once a year.
3. Canva or a freelance cover designer for the cover itself. Amazon shoppers judge a book by its thumbnail in under two seconds, so this isn't the place to cut corners.
4. iWrity for the review problem every new listing has: zero reviews means Amazon's algorithm has nothing to rank you on. iWrity is a review exchange built specifically for Amazon KDP, readers post directly on your Amazon book page instead of Goodreads or a blog, which is the actual review pool that moves rankings. If you've compared ARC platforms like NetGalley or BookSirens and found the reviews land everywhere except Amazon, this breakdown walks through why that happens and what to use instead when Amazon reviews are the actual goal.
None of these four replace a good book. But skipping all of them on launch day is the most common mistake I see indie authors make.
