Writer's Resources
Freebies for writers
Hello Writers,
We are all on a journey. I started looking for writing freebies in 2015, and I’m still learning on a bookish road trip. I’ve tried a lot of apps, software and services. Some of it worked well, some of it was useless. I want to share the best of what I know. If you find these resources valuable, help me build my readership and subscribe.
If there’s something you want to know, feel free to ask. If I have an answer, I’m willing to help. I’ve been mentoring other writers for the past few years. I had a mentor, too. She died in 2023. She always stressed the need for writers to pull together and help each other. I don’t want to compete with anyone. I hope we all make it to our goals.
Writers shouldn’t tear each other down. Let’s support each other.
Resource #1
Now for your first great tip: I found an online free picture free image resizer. Next time you find the right photo in the wrong size, upload the file from your computer and adjust the size.
I’ll be adding these freebies as I build my Substack. Check back for more. If you have a question for me, feel free to ask in a comment.
Resource #2
Find stunning free images at Pixabay and Unsplash. Make sure to credit the artists and photographers who provided these wonderful pictures. They are trying to get their work noticed. And if you are an artist or photographer, you can display your work there. I don’t know the details about that.
Resource #3
If you want to find places to submit your work or contests to enter go to Submittable. Set up a free account and explore the opportunities. Their discover tab will allow you to search the tags to find free contests. Just make sure you check off free. You can submit your work from Submittable, and they even track the results for you. Go to YouTube and search for videos to get the most out of Submittable.
Resource #4
It’s frustrating to right a great article that no one reads because the headline is boring. I’m no encouraging click-bait blogs, but it’s nice to know ahead of time if your title will grab someone’s attention. With so many eye-catching posts, I use the free headline analyzer on Advanced Marketing Institute.
Resource #5
Need a photo of a famous person? I have the solution that will protect you from committing copywrite infringement. Here are some places I’ve found images:
Wikimedia Commons: This is a great resource for public domain or freely licensed media. Search for Shirley Jackson, and ensure the image you choose has a public domain or Creative Commons license that allows for commercial use.
Project Gutenberg : While primarily a source for free books, they sometimes provide author images that are public domain, especially for older celebrities.
Flickr : This is another place where photographers upload images under various Creative Commons licenses. Be sure to filter for images labeled for commercial use.
The U.S. Library of Congress: Their digital collections sometimes include author portraits that are public domain. You can search their archive to see if they have any photos.
Resource #6
Canva is the easiest place for me to make graphics for social media. You can set up a free account and download up a set number of designs every month. They provide the pictures, elements, video, and text. They provide templates or you can customize the size of images for Substack. Substack likes the image to be 420 by 300 pixels. If anyone is interested, I can make a post about Canva. These designs can be customized to your needs. For two years, I had the basic free account. I have a ton of options with the paid account.
Resource #7
Need help editing your work? I have three free online editors. You will need to cut and paste your work into a box. They have limits as to how much you can edit at a time, but it’s a great way to sample the service. I used these until I started writing longer stories. Here are some links, Hemingway app Grammarly and my favorite, ProWritingAid.