That means they’re a good tool for generating engagement on your page or profile.

They’ll do the same for you on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, too. I like to use them as jumping off points for short blog posts (see this example, “What is an author platform?“). They let me make my point quickly, but effectively, on the blog.

You can even quote snippets from your book and use your book title for attribution.

There are a number of tools you can use to create these fun and attention-getting images. I’ve got four of them here along with what I like and don’t like about each of them. The first one is my favorite; the last is my least favorite.

Let my feedback on the pros and cons help you decide which option to try first.

Instaquote, free plus $2.99 Pro upgrade

This is a smartphone app for iPhones and Androids, so if you have no interest in using your phone to create an image with a quotation, move along, move along. There’s nothing for you here.

There is a free version; it leaves an InstaQuote logo watermark in the lower right corner. I tested the free version, loved it, and quickly upgraded to the $2.99 pro version because, well, as the L’Oreal commercials used to say, I’m worth it.

Pros:

• You can create a graphic in minutes using the app’s backgrounds or a photo from your smartphone album. It’s definitely the fastest of all of the tools described here, and that’s one reason I’m such a fan.
• It’s super easy to use.
• There’s room to customize — fonts, type placement, text color, etc.

Cons:

• While there’s a nice selection of backgrounds for your words, there are no stock photo options for the background.
• Quotation marks look odd in some of the fonts. That might sound petty or picky, but when you’re using this to create quote images, you want the quotation marks to face the right direction.

PicMonkey.com, $5.99-$8.99/month (no longer free)

Editor’s note 2-2-18: When this post was first written, many of this resource’s elements could be used for free. You can still use them without paying, but you can’t save and download your images. BUT . . . here’s a workaround: Create your beautiful image, then use Microsoft’s “Snipping Tool,” Jing, or any other program that lets you capture and save an image on a screen in .PNG format.

This website is incredibly fun to use. There are so many options — but because of that, it takes longer to create an image. If tapping into your inner creative genius is important, make this your first stop. If you’re more interested in speed, download the Instaquote Pro app.

Pros:

• The options for fonts, colors, frames, themes, and special effects make this an amazing resource for all of your image needs — even Facebook  headers/cover images.
• It’s easy to use. You might make a few mistakes at first, but none will be fatal. Jump in and start playing around.

Cons:

• There are almost no pre-set backgrounds or stock photo options for the background. I found six photos under the “collage” option. So plan on uploading your own.

Befunky.com, free plus $4.95/month Premium upgrade

This site is very similar to Picmonkey, but a little harder to use. It’s less intuitive for me and therefore more frustrating than fun. In addition, the text box is hard to manipulate and adjust. That alone turned me off. And yet, some people really like this site, so form your own opinion.

Pros:

•  It offers the fun editing and special effects tools that you’ll find in Picmonkey plus a nice clip art selection in the “goodies” section.
• Some of the font options are unusual — in a good way.

Cons:

• There are no pre-set backgrounds or stock photo options for the background. You have to upload your own. (See tip above.)
• The text box is unyielding.

Shareasimage.com, free plus $8/month Pro upgrade

This one is different from the others — it’s a Chrome extension that works with your Chrome browser to let you highlight text you find online and turn it into a graphic. It’s very easy to use — create something attractive quickly and easily. I used the “try it” option on the site rather than downloading and installing the extension.

Pros:

• There are a handful of scenic background images to chose from — a nice plus. (Upgrade to get more.)
• You can create something attractive very quickly, in part because there are fewer design options to distract you and take time.

Cons:

• There are fewer design options than the other tools offer.
• The free version leaves a shareasimage.com watermark in the lower left.

These are all good options, and I’m sure there’s more. Find the one that works for you and start inspiring others!

What’s your favorite tool for creating image quotes? Please tell us in a comment!