ChatGPT
General AI assistant for writing, analysis and Q&A.
Why: Brainstorm titles, blurbs and chapter outlines.
Free plan; paid Go, Plus and Pro plans for individuals (price shown at checkout)
Writers & book authors
Plan, write, edit and sell your book in BM or English. AI can help with outlines, proofreading, covers and promotion, but the voice and the final say stay yours.
33 AI tools picked from our directory for this type of business. Pricing and BM support come from each tool's own site on the date shown on its SIM page. Baca dalam Bahasa Melayu
Many Malaysian writers work in both BM and English. Some work with a local publisher; others self-publish and sell printed copies directly through Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, WhatsApp or book fairs, and promote on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. The tools below follow the steps from idea to sale. You don't need all of them, and each tool's page shows its current plans.
Tools by stage, from idea to sale
1. Idea & outline
Brainstorm titles, chapter outlines and character notes. Treat suggestions as starting points, not answers.
Claude
AI assistant for long documents, writing and reasoning.
Why: Feedback on long chapters: structure, pacing and consistency.
Free plan; Pro US$20/mo (US$17/mo billed yearly)
FreemiumMay qualify for 2027 tax relief*
NotebookLM
AI research notebook from your own documents.
Why: Organise research from your own notes and sources.
Free with a Google account; higher limits with Google AI Plus/Pro (US$4.99/US$19.99 mo)
FreemiumMay qualify for 2027 tax relief*
2. Drafting
Write in your own words. Use AI to get unstuck, not to write the book for you. Scrivener has no AI and keeps a long manuscript organised; Sudowrite is an AI fiction assistant, so check your publisher's or platform's AI rules before using its text.
Notion AI
AI inside Notion for notes, docs and wikis.
Why: Keep chapters, notes and plot lines in one place, with AI help.
FreemiumMay qualify for 2027 tax relief*
ILMUchat
Malaysian AI assistant that understands BM, English and Manglish.
Why: Malaysian assistant that understands BM, English and Manglish, useful for BM drafts and dialogue.
Free Basic plan; Pro RM50/mo
Scrivener
Long-form writing app for organising chapters, research and drafts of a book.
Why: Organise chapters, research and drafts of a long manuscript.
One-time licence US$59.99 (macOS or Windows), iOS US$23.99; free trial
NEW · 18 OctPaid
Sudowrite
AI writing assistant for fiction: brainstorm, draft, describe and revise scenes.
Why: AI fiction assistant for brainstorming and revising scenes.
From US$10/mo (Hobby & Student, billed annually); Professional US$22/mo, Max US$44/mo; free trial
NEW · 18 OctPaid
3. Editing & proofreading (BM and EN)
Grammarly and QuillBot are for English. SIM doesn't list a dedicated BM proofreader yet: ask a BM-capable assistant such as ILMUchat to flag problems, check spelling and terms in DBP's Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (prpm.dbp.gov.my), and have a human editor read the final manuscript.
Grammarly
AI writing assistant for English.
Why: Grammar and clarity checks for English manuscripts.
Free plan; Pro US$12/mo; Enterprise via Superhuman Go
FreemiumMay qualify for 2027 tax relief*
QuillBot
Paraphrasing, grammar and summarising.
Why: Rephrase awkward English sentences and check grammar.
Free plan; Premium US$19.95/mo or about US$10/mo billed yearly
FreemiumMay qualify for 2027 tax relief*
LanguageTool
Grammar and style checker for many languages.
Why: Grammar and style checker for many languages; check that it supports the language of your book.
Free plan
4. Translation
Machine translation gives you a first draft only. A fluent human should revise any translated book before it is published.
DeepL
High-quality AI translation.
Why: AI translation for a first draft of translated passages.
FreemiumMay qualify for 2027 tax relief*
Google Translate
Translate text, documents and sites, incl. Malay.
Why: Free translation that includes Malay, handy for quick checks.
Free
Free planBM ✓
5. Cover & visuals
Read each image tool's commercial-use terms, check every word on the cover, and follow your printer's or platform's cover size guide.
Canva
Design tool with Magic Studio AI features.
Why: Cover drafts, social posts and bookmarks from templates.
Free plan; Pro US$144/yr (RM250/yr on the Malaysian App Store)
Ideogram
AI images with accurate text for posters.
Why: AI images with accurate text, useful for cover concepts and posters.
Free weekly credits; Plus US$20/mo (US$15 billed yearly)
FreemiumMay qualify for 2027 tax relief*
Adobe Firefly
Generative AI for images and effects.
Why: Generative images for cover ideas and promo visuals.
Free tier; Standard US$9.99/mo (2,000 credits)
6. Audiobook & voice
Rules on AI narration differ between audiobook platforms. Check your target platform's terms before you produce a full book. Spotify for Authors is free to upload and lists Malaysia as a supported market.
ElevenLabs
AI voiceovers and dubbing.
Why: AI voice for audiobook samples or narration.
Free 10k credits/mo; Starter US$6/mo, Creator US$22/mo, Pro US$99/mo
Descript
Edit video and podcasts by editing text.
Why: Record and edit your own narration by editing the text.
Free plan (1 media hour/mo, 720p); Hobbyist US$16, Creator US$24, Business US$50 per person/mo billed annually (US$24, US$35, US$65 monthly); transcribes Malay
Free plan
Spotify for Authors
Upload and distribute your audiobook on Spotify; includes digital-voice narration tools.
Why: Upload and distribute your audiobook on Spotify.
Free to upload, non-exclusive, you keep your rights; available in Malaysia
NEW · 18 OctFree plan
7. Formatting
Vellum (Mac only) and Atticus are one-time purchases; Reedsy Studio is free. Ebooks usually need EPUB and print needs a PDF at your printer's trim size, so check your printer's or platform's guide.
Vellum
Mac app that formats ebooks and print-ready paperback interiors from your manuscript.
Why: Format ebooks and print interiors on a Mac.
One-time: Vellum Ebooks US$199.99, Vellum Press (ebook + print) US$249.99; macOS 13+ only
NEW · 18 OctPaid
Atticus
Write and format ebooks and print books in one app, on Windows, Mac, Linux or Chromebook.
Why: Write and format ebook and print files on any computer.
US$147 one-time (ebook + print), no monthly fee; 30-day money-back guarantee
NEW · 18 OctPaid
Reedsy Studio
Free online book editor that exports print-ready PDF and EPUB files.
Why: Free editor that exports print-ready PDF and EPUB.
Free core editor with PDF/EPUB export; optional paid add-ons (Craft, Outline), monthly or yearly
NEW · 18 OctFreemium
8. Publishing & selling
Amazon KDP, Google Play Books and E-Sentral sell your book directly; Draft2Digital distributes it to other stores. Read each platform's royalty, payout and AI-content terms before you publish. WordPress.com and BigSeller help if you sell printed copies yourself.
Amazon KDP
Self-publish ebooks and print-on-demand paperbacks and hardcovers on Amazon.
Why: Sell ebooks and print-on-demand books on Amazon.
Free to publish; ebook royalty 35% or 70% of list price (70% has conditions); Malaysia paid by wire transfer
NEW · 18 OctFree plan
Google Play Books Partner Center
Sell your ebooks on Google Play Books; open to sellers in Malaysia (ebooks).
Why: Sell your ebook on Google Play Books.
Free to join; 70% of list price on ebook sales in Malaysia and 60+ countries (after accepting the updated terms)
NEW · 18 OctFree plan
Draft2Digital
Format your book for free and distribute it to Apple Books, Kobo, B&N, libraries and more.
Why: Distribute to Apple Books, Kobo, libraries and more.
Free formatting tools; US$20 one-time activation fee, about 10% of retail price per sale, US$12/yr if earning under US$100/yr
NEW · 18 OctPaid
E-Sentral
Malaysian ebook and audiobook store; self-publishers can sell in RM and other SEA currencies.
Why: Malaysian ebook store selling in RM.
Self-publisher sign-up open (up to 10 titles a year); fees and royalty split not published, ask e-Sentral
NEW · 18 OctContact vendor🇲🇾 Made in Malaysia
WordPress.com
Hosted WordPress sites with AI builder.
Why: An author website for your books, news and blog.
Freemium
BigSeller
Multichannel e-commerce ERP for Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop.
Why: Manage book orders from Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop in one place.
Free plan up to 1,500 orders/month; paid VIP plans
FreemiumBM ✓
9. Marketing & social content
Short videos, regular posts and an email list for readers who want to hear about your next book.
CapCut
Video editor with AI captions and templates for TikTok/Reels.
Why: Short TikTok/Reels videos about your book, with auto captions.
Meta Business Suite
Manage Facebook and Instagram posts, ads and inbox.
Why: Schedule Facebook and Instagram posts and reply to readers' messages.
Free (App Store Malaysia listing)
Free plan
Mailchimp
Email marketing with AI content and segmentation.
Why: An email list so readers hear about your next book.
Freemium
10. Admin & invoicing
Invoices for bookshops and event organisers, payment links for direct sales, and courier booking for parcels.
Bukku
Malaysian cloud accounting with LHDN MyInvois e-invoicing.
Why: Invoices to bookshops and event organisers, with MyInvois e-invoicing.
Launch Free Forever (RM0); Seed from RM35/mo; Elite from RM135/mo (+8% SST)
FreemiumBM ✓🇲🇾 Made in Malaysia
Billplz
Malaysian payment gateway for FPX, cards and e-wallets.
Why: Payment links (FPX, cards, e-wallets) for direct book sales.
Basic plan free: FPX RM1.25 per B2C transaction. Standard RM999/year: FPX RM0.75
Free plan🇲🇾 Made in Malaysia
EasyParcel
Malaysian courier booking platform comparing many couriers.
Why: Compare couriers and book delivery for book orders.
Free sign-up; pay per shipment (prepaid credit)
Paid🇲🇾 Made in Malaysia
AI and authorship: use AI as an assistant, not a ghostwriter. Keep your own voice, ideas and final edits. Some publishers, competitions and platforms ask you to disclose AI-assisted or AI-generated text or images, and their rules differ, so read each one's terms before you submit or publish. Rules on copyright for AI-generated material are still developing and differ between countries; if rights or a contract matter, ask your publisher or a qualified professional. Don't upload someone else's unpublished work to an AI tool without their permission.
Other business types
Restaurants, cafés & food stalls Catering & event food Bakeries, cake & home bakers Grocery stores & minimarts Hardware & building supply stores Online sellers (Shopee, TikTok Shop, Lazada) Fashion boutiques & tudung brands Clinics & healthcare practices Pharmacies Salons, barbers & beauty spas Tuition centres & classes Contractors & renovation Car workshops & auto services Property agents & real estate Homestays & guesthouses Travel & umrah agencies Logistics, delivery & runners Accounting firms & consultants Laundries & dry cleaners Gyms, fitness & sports studios Printing, signage & advertising shops
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