10 of the best illustrators' tools this March

$12-26.00/Month

If you're looking for an online space to call your own, but you're not interested in maintaining something like a WordPress site, Squarespace (opens in new tab) is a great alternative. With its drag-and-drop capabilities, and heavy emphasis on design, it's the perfect place for an online portfolio. Thanks to what seems to be an endless supply of design templates, Squarespace gives you the ability to make your portfolio unique.

$6-18/Month

Another option is Carbonmade (opens in new tab). Its interface is simple and the cost is reasonable. The only downside here is the limited number of templates. But if you're easily overwhelmed by too many options, this will be a great fit.

$6-44/Month

Likely one of the best options out there, Format (opens in new tab) is geared toward the creative professional. It offers a lot of templates from which to choose. You're even able to change fonts and colours. As an added bonus, you can download its free Format Galleries App, which lets you update your galleries right from your phone.

£5.75-15/Month

Another portfolio site builder with the creative professional in mind is Fabrik (opens in new tab). What I like about Fabrik is the simplicity of it all. When you first create your portfolio, you're given a few options based on different industries. After you make your selection, you're presented with templates to match.

Free-$69.99/Month

Nowadays, if you're not on social media, you're missing out on a lot of ways to market yourself. But with all the various options like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, how can you possibly keep up? Well, with HootSuite (opens in new tab), things just got a little easier. Not only can you schedule updates and track metrics, but you can also manage all your accounts from one dashboard. Sweet!

Free-$199/Month

Experts say the mailing list is the most valuable tool for any business. I agree. MailChimp (opens in new tab) is an email marketing service with 15 million customers. When you have a list, you'll be able to keep your subscribers up-to-date on the latest happenings with your art. Going to a conference? Cool. Let 'em know! You might be surprised at how many folks just need that monthly reminder.

$14.99

Look: It's no secret that selling products online can earn you some serious cash. But with so much competition out there, how do you get your art noticed? In How to Sell your Art Online: Live a Successful Creative Life on Your Own Terms (opens in new tab), Cory Huff, founder of TheAbundantArtist.com (opens in new tab), will show you just that.

$34.99

I'm sure I don't need to tell you about this one, but I felt like I'd be doing you a disservice if I left it off the list. The Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market 2017 (opens in new tab) book is what some might consider the be-all-and-end-all of reference books for illustrators. That having been said, the team do offer a lot of free resources on their site Artist's Market (opens in new tab), so you may want to skip the book if you're on a budget.

Free-$99.99/Month

As a Dropbox user from the way back, I recently switched to Google Drive (opens in new tab) and I love it. Not only can you store your artwork in the cloud, but you can also use its tools to collaborate with other professionals.

Free-$12.50/Month

While it's not exactly an artist's tool, I do find Slack (opens in new tab) to be invaluable – especially as a professional that rarely leaves the house. Using Slack, you're able to connect with others in your field. Not only is this a great way to make new friends, it's handy for forging professional connections. There are a lot of great public Slack Channels. One of the best ones around is #Launch (opens in new tab).