What I actually use
ZEN BOOKS PRESSThe tools I use to make my books
Every Zen Books title goes through two programs. I pay for them, I use them every week and I recommend them because they work. If you buy through the links on this page I receive a small commission. It costs you nothing extra; with bookmoth it actually costs you less.
My production chain
- bookmothWrite
- VellumTypeset
- KDP and IngramSparkPublish
The two tools
One to write. One to typeset.
Write in your voice. The machine helps; you decide what goes on the page.
Write in your own voice
bookmoth learns from what you have already written and helps you keep writing in your voice, not the machine’s. I tested it with several thousand words from one of my books and was struck by how well it recognised my patterns. It keeps no copy of your book and has no accounts or servers.
- Voice portrait: it analyses your prose and respects it.
- Codex, planning, writing and revision in one place.
- Works with your own AI key or with local models.
- iPhone and iPad app included, synced through your iCloud.
Use code DUARTE at checkout: $79 instead of $99
Get bookmoth for $79Try the free voice portrait
Come in through my link and use code DUARTE: the link records your purchase for 30 days and the code takes $20 off. I earn $10 per licence sold.
The program I use to lay out every Zen Books title.
Ebook and print layout
With Vellum I generate the ebook for Kindle and Apple Books and the print-ready PDF for paperback and hardcover, with a finish I used to get only from a professional typesetter. It is the same file I then upload to KDP and IngramSpark.
- Ebook and print PDF from the same manuscript.
- Chapter styles, drop caps and ornaments in one click.
- Preview on Kindle, iPad and paper before you generate.
- Free to download and try; you pay when you generate the final files.
Vellum does not discount. What changes with my link is that part of the price reaches Zen Books.
How I use them
From manuscript to book in three steps
I write and revise in bookmoth, chapter by chapter, with the book’s codex always at hand.
I move the manuscript into Vellum, pick the style and generate the ebook and the print PDF.
I upload the files to KDP and IngramSpark. Same file, same quality in every store.
My desk
What I use every day to write, read and record
They do not make the book, but they keep me company in the study. I bought all of it and I use it. The links go to Amazon and are affiliate links.
Writing and reading
What I keep at hand when I read, underline and write.
Kindle page-turner remote
I turn pages without touching the Kindle, with the book resting on the stand.
View on AmazonMoleskine Book Journal
I log every book I read, with the quotes and the page to come back to.
View on AmazonMy desk
The desk where I spend the hours: tidy, comfortable and with just what I need.
Logitech MX Mechanical Mini for Mac
The MacBook keyboard: mechanical, compact and with a sound that helps me find my rhythm.
View on AmazonLogitech MX Master 3S for Mac
A YouTuber put me onto it and I have not used another mouse since.
View on AmazonMOFT Invisible Airflow stand
It raises the MacBook to eye level and almost disappears when I am not using it.
View on AmazonAfterplug adhesive pockets
Stuck to the back of the MacBook, they hold the cables, the charger and the hard drive.
View on AmazonSatechi CubeDock Thunderbolt 5
One cable connects the MacBook to the monitor, the drives and the rest of the desk.
View on AmazonSony 1000X The ColleXion
They shut out the noise when I write and when I review what I record.
View on AmazonVideo and photos
The kit I use to record the channel’s videos and take photos.
Elgato Prompter
I read the script while looking at the camera, without losing my place or my eye line.
View on AmazonElgato Key Light Air
Soft light I adjust from the computer. No more shadows on my face.
View on AmazonElgato Flex Arm L
The arm that holds the camera and the light without taking up the desk.
View on AmazonCanon PowerShot G9 X
A pocket camera I take almost all my photos with. A gem. The Mark II is the one on sale today.
View on AmazonAudio and notes
For the podcast, the interviews and the ideas I do not want to lose.
RØDE Wireless GO II
Two wireless microphones for podcast interviews and YouTube videos.
View on AmazonPlaud NotePin S
I record voice notes and interviews without taking out my phone, and then I have the transcript.
View on AmazonStudy
The small rituals that make the study a quiet place.
Russell Hobbs Precision Control kettle
I heat the water to the right temperature for each tea I drink while I work.
View on AmazonTransparency
What you should know before you click
For authors
Three free guides to writing nonfiction
Before you choose software, decide the book. The guides cover what to settle before you write, how to handle sources and data, and what happens between the manuscript and the bookstore.