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It takes a lot of people to make a book successful. Here is my list of amazing professionals that have helped me along the way.
Developmental Editor: I have used several over the years. My last edits were done by High Tower Editing, and I was very pleased with her feedback.
Proofreader/Copy Edit: I have been fortunate enough to work with Susan Kuechenberg, a master grammarian. She is exceptionally wonderful to work with and so extremely knowledgeable. I really enjoy working with Susan and would be happy to pass on her contact info if you're interested in getting a quote for her proofreading/editing services.
Cover Designer: I was able to do a photoshoot and design my own cover for "A Well-Trained Lady" with help from my awesome friend and fellow author, Ashtyn Newbold. I also did my own cover for "The Nabob's Daughter." Shaela at Bluewater Books, another author and friend, did the cover for "Somewhat of a Ruse." The amazing Melody Jefferies did my cover for "A Newport Christmess" as well as "Plotting Summer" and my book "Abigail" was designed by the talented Ruth Nickle, who, like all those on this list, was so great to work with. I love all of my covers!
Promotion: I used Tasha Bradford (@the_clean_read_book_club) to help launch "The Nabob's Daughter" as well as "A Newport Christmess." She is absolutely fabulous and definitely knows her stuff! She also has several packages to choose from so email her for all the details at thecleanreadbookclub@gmail.com. Be sure to tell her I sent you! ;)
Formatting: I use Vellum (a program for Mac) to format most of my books now, but for "Abigail" I used a professional formatter. Though I love having the control of formatting (and the ability to go change things when I need to in my manuscript), the program is no small investment. Therefore, I'm glad I had Cora Johnson for formatting my first book. She was so great to work with. Here is her email address if you are interested in reaching out to her: coralanaejohnson@yahoo.com.
Audiobook: I used ACX (Amazon's audiobook creation site), and I was lucky enough to have found serveral amazing narrators. Wendy Wolfson read "Abigail" and Janna Fox read "A Well-Trained Lady" "The Nabob's Daughter" and "Somewhat of a Ruse." I also recently worked with Ellen Quay and Eric Fox in the narration of "A Newport Christmess" and Ellen Quay again for "Plotting Summer." They were both professional and extremely easy to work with (not to mention so talented). If you want any of their contact information, please feel free to email.
Programs I use:
For Formatting: Vellum. This is an investment--especially if you don't have a Mac because you either have to buy one or use Mac In Cloud which is a monthly subscription you will need each time you need to access Vellum. But if you plan on writing multiple books, it might be worth it.
For Writing: I use the classic--Word. I also own scrivener, which so many of my author friends love, but for whatever reason my brain prefers what I know. Perhaps one day I'll return to Scrivener, but for now I rely on Microsoft Word (I have it on my Mac).
Newsletter: For my newsletter I use MailerLite. I started on MailChimp but it was a little more costly (though your first 2,000 subscribers were free when I started). MailerLite seems comparable in every way, and I haven't run into any issues.
Website: I use Wix for my website and I love it since it's so user friendly. I bought my domain name on Bluehost, as I was first attempting a WordPress site, but with how hard it was to update, I figured paying a little more for ease was a good trade-off. I do recommend having a good website to direct readers. And make sure to have a place they can sign up for your newsletter!