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Remember when you thought learning one automation tool would be enough? (Yeah, me too.) Turns out the real power comes from knowing which tool to reach for when. It’s like having a fully stocked kitchen instead of just a microwave. Although I wouldn’t know about that, since I haven’t turned my oven on since Thanksgiving, 2008. Anyhoo…
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The Hub Is Your New Home Base Big news: I’m officially making the Author Automations hub the central spot for all new tutorials and workflows. This week marks the beginning of a new rhythm – every week you’ll find fresh content waiting for you in the hub. Think of it as your automation library that keeps getting better.
I’m actively migrating existing workflows and creating new ones, so expect this kind of weekly drop to become the standard. No more hunting around for that one workflow you remember seeing somewhere. It’ll all be organized and ready to grab in the hub.
(Speaking of exciting things happening soon – Author Nation kicks off in just 13 days! If you’re heading to the conference, come say hi at the Indie Author Magazine booth or the Direct2Readers booth. And if you’re not, don’t worry – I’ll be sharing the automation goodness here as always.)
I’m trying to get back into the zone of writing and sending on Saturdays — hang with me until after Author Nation!
This week I’m releasing five brand-new tutorials and six workflow templates that’ll take you from automation-curious to automation-confident. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to geek out with self-hosted solutions, there’s something here to make your author life easier.
Starting From Square One? We’ve Got You If automation tools still feel like alphabet soup, these three tutorials will get you speaking the language:
Zapier 101 (18 min) breaks down the most popular automation tool for beginners. You’ll learn how to create your first “Zap” (that’s what Zapier calls its recipes) and connect your apps without any coding. Think of Zapier as the friendly golden retriever of automation tools – eager to please and great for straightforward tasks.
Make.com 101 (11 min) introduces you to Make’s visual workflow builder. Make is like Zapier’s cooler, more flexible cousin who lets you get creative with branching logic and multiple paths. Perfect for when you need your automation to make decisions on its own.
Airtable 101 (17 min) shows you how this spreadsheet-database hybrid can become your automation command center. Airtable is where your data lives and breathes, playing nicely with both Zapier and Make to create seriously powerful workflows.
Ready to Level Up? Once you’ve got the basics down (or if you’re already there), check out these two deeper dives:
The Fab Five: Automation Tools That Supercharge Your Business (60 min) is my current favorite toolkit revealed. Yes, it’s an hour long, but trust me – this one’s worth the time investment. I walk through the five tools I reach for most often and show you exactly how they work together. Consider it your automation stack roadmap.
Setting Up a Self-Hosted N8N Instance (10 min, advanced) is for those of you ready to take full control. N8N is open-source automation software you run on your own server using AWS Lightsail. It’s like owning your automation infrastructure instead of renting. This tutorial assumes you’re comfortable with technical concepts, but I break down the setup process step-by-step.
Fun fact: With the AWS Meltdown yesterday, this tutorial is a little hilarious—and I don’t mind saying that I’ve moved my N8N hosting over to Digital Ocean…
Six New Workflows Ready to Deploy I’ve also released six pre-built workflow templates you can grab and customize:
Gmail Under Control (Finally) Tame Your Gmail Automations uses N8N to create a done-for-you system that actually manages your inbox the way you’ve always wanted. This one includes a live walkthrough video so you can see exactly how it works. (Author Pro members, this one’s for you.) This is an advanced one, but it’s got a video to walk you through!
Audio Production on Autopilot Audio Narration Generation Workflow Part A pulls approved content from Airtable and preps it for narration automatically. If you’re creating audiobooks or podcast content, this Make.com scenario is about to become your new best friend. (Pro access)
Automatic Audio Transcription Workflow is your hands-free dictation system. Drop an MP3 into Dropbox, and this workflow transcribes it with Whisper AI and saves the text to Notion. No more manual transcription sessions at midnight. (Pro access)
Video Content Without the Camera The Faceless Video Content Creation workflows (parts A and B) create a complete pipeline for generating video content from your written material. Part A plans the content, Part B generates the visuals. These Make.com scenarios bridge your content planning in Airtable with your video creation process. (Pro access)
Stripe Sales That Run Themselves Auto-Process Stripe Sales: Record, Tag & Thank Every Buyer does exactly what it says. When someone buys your book through Stripe, this workflow records the sale in Airtable, tags them appropriately, and sends a personalized thank-you – all without you lifting a finger. This one’s free access and available in both N8N and Make versions, so grab whichever platform you prefer.
Quick Wins This Week Here’s what I suggest tackling based on where you are:
Brand new to automation? Start with the Zapier 101 tutorial, then grab the Stripe sales workflow. You’ll have your first automation running in under an hour, and every sale that comes through will feel like a little victory lap.
Already using Zapier but feeling limited? Watch Make.com 101 and Airtable 101 this week. The combination of these two tools opens up workflow possibilities that’ll make your current setup feel like training wheels.
Ready to get fancy? Watch The Fab Five to see how all these tools play together, then pick one of the audio or video workflows to implement. Your content creation process is about to get significantly less manual.
All tutorials are free to watch, and several workflows are available with free access. The pro-level workflows are included with Author Pro membership if you’re ready for the advanced stuff.
Give something new a try this week. Start with whatever matches your comfort level, and remember – every automation expert started exactly where you are now.
Want to Go Deeper? Join Me for a 3-Day Intensive Learning automation from tutorials is great. Learning it hands-on with me in the same room is where real breakthroughs happen.
I’m running three-day automation intensives in 2026, and spots are already filling up:
San Antonio – Work on your author business with Texas-sized hospitality
Shannon, Ireland – Automate your workflow with Irish charm and countryside views
London – Build your systems in one of the world’s greatest cities
Three days. Small groups. Personalized attention to your specific author business. You’ll leave with working automations tailored to your workflow, not generic templates.
Grab your spot at chellehoniker.com/intensives
Happy automating, Chelle
P.S. Hit reply and tell me which tutorial or workflow you’re tackling first. I love hearing what resonates with you (and what confuses you, so I can make better tutorials next time).
Author Automations is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.