The 22 Best Writing Tools of 2022: A Guide for Writers
Before the computer there was the typewriter, and before the typewriter there was pen and paper, and before pen and paper there were plenty of other lost tools of writing — like clay, papyrus, wood, slate, parchment, and, of course, pens made out of reeds. (Fun fact: the name “Reedsy” is inspired by the “reed pen,” which was used as early as 800 B.C. for documentation).
As you can tell by now, the act of writing has been a part of human culture from the days of chiseling stories onto the walls of caves — and as we have evolved, so have our writing tools. In fact, today’s writers and storytellers are spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding which tools to use.
The following list details our favorite writing tools and resources for taking any idea through to its written conclusion. If you want to cut straight to the chase and find out which is the right writing app for you, we recommend taking this quick 30-second quiz.
Which writing app is right for you?
The Pros to Using Book Writing Software
Here are the main reasons to use book writing software:
1. Your book files are organized in one place. No need to have each book chapter file saved in various places throughout your desktop. Keep it clean and organized with book writing software. With most tools, you can even access files from anywhere, making it easy to pick up where you left off no matter where you are, or what time of day it is.
2. Special built-in features designed to make your writing life easier. The best writing software programs have built-in features that can prevent a ton of issues. For example, you can check for spelling and grammar mistakes on-the-go, which cuts down your editing time. Or use features like a plagiarism checker, which automatically highlights sections in your text that need citation.
3. The auto save feature will automatically save your work as you type. Losing your unsaved work due to unavoidable circumstances (like your power going out) is a thing of the past! Auto-save is a lifesaver when it comes to ensuring your book progress is continuously updated.
4. Prevent distractions so you can focus on writing. Some book writing tools have features to block you from unnecessary distractions. This ultimately helps you get done with your book in the shortest time possible, and helps you create a productive writing space.
5. Create a productive writing process. Once you learn the ins and outs of your book writing software, you’ll feel comfortable making it part of your writing process. Chances are, you won’t want to write without it!
Now that you know why it’s important to give book writing software a shot, let’s dive start with the free book writing software available. Then, we’ll move on to book writing software tools that offer paid versions.
How to decide which book writing software is best for you:
- Cost of the software. Think of your budget. Can you afford to invest in writing software, or do you need to rely on the free versions for now?
- Accessibility. Think of where you write. Do you need to be able to access your book manuscript from multiple devices (like a phone or tablet), or do you only write on one specific machine?
- Features. What features are important to you? Do you need spell checker, plagiarism checker, and productivity-improving features?
- User-friendliness. Are you tech-savvy, tech-challenged, or somewhere in the middle? There are some book writing software programs that require a steep learning curve for more advanced writers, and others that are great for beginners.
- The simplicity of the writing software. Do you need all the nuts and bolts, or do you work better with less?
- Size of the book writing software. Will the program take up a lot of space on your hard drive?
All the Book Writing Software
Every professional has a set of creative tools at their disposal that not only makes their job possible, but makes them better at doing it. Writing is no different, and while the right software is important, it’s just one of the many tools you need as a writer.
Imagine it’s three thousand years ago. You’re sitting around a campfire with some of your family and friends, tired from the day’s work. You begin to tell a story. It’s one you’ve told before, told a hundred times. You can see faces around the fire, the children with their eyes wide, the men and women who have heard the story before but still enjoy it because it brings meaning to their lives.
Storytellers—writers—have existed since the beginning of humanity. They didn’t always have book writing software. They didn’t have the printing press or the internet. They didn’t always even have the alphabet to write their stories down.
You don’t need book writing software to write a great story. Book writing software can make the process a little faster or easier, but the truth is great stories will always exist, no matter what kind of software we have.
Final Thoughts
What is the best free software for writing a book?
The best free software for writing a book is Google Docs. It’s a great option if you don’t need to organize your writing in sections, and it also allows changes without saving them first – which could be helpful for people who are always making adjustments and updates as they go along with their book-writing process.
Can you write a book in Microsoft Word?
You can write a book in Microsoft Word if you are writing a book that is less than 80 pages. If you’re looking for something with more robust features, Squibler may be a better option – but keep in mind it only allows changes without saving them first, so this could pose some problems if you like to make adjustments as you go along the way.
A Writing Tool For Plagiarism
Whether you are writing professionally, as a student, or for yourself, plagiarism is a big deal. Copyright laws are legitimate and you can get in big trouble for copying someone else’s work and claiming it as your own.
However, sometimes plagiarism can be an accident too. Most of the time, a piece will require a lot of research with many references being used. In these cases, it can be easy to word something the same way as your reference did.
Unicheck Plagiarism Checker
To buy just 10 pages is $3.00 which makes each page 30 cents. From there, the more you purchase at once, the more money you save. You can purchase up to 2000 pages at a time, for $140. This works out to 7 cents per page.
Other Writing Tools
In addition to the fantastic and robust writing software I’ve talked about already, there are some other, smaller programs. These are more specific in their functions, but can still be useful in enhancing your writing experience.
Power Thesaurus
Read-o-Meter
But, if you are writing a casual and informative article in order to help someone solve a problem, it shouldn’t be too long. If someone is having trouble with a piece of technology, for example, they don’t want to read for 30 minutes before being able to fix it.
Read-o-Meter helps you keep track of your writing’s read time. Of course, it is just an estimate as some people read faster than others. But, it will give you a good idea of how long it will take the average person to get through your piece.
CoSchedule Headline Analyzer
CoSchedule is a company that has developed a set of tools and resources designed to help writers and content creators. Among their services is a free tool called the Headline Analyzer. This tool will analyze your article headline and break it down for you piece by piece.
- Length. It analyzes the length in both characters and words. It says that the ideal length of a title is around 55 characters and 6 words. The analyzer compares your title to these numbers and tells you if it’s too long, too short, or just right.
- Keywords. It tells you what keywords are easily picked out of your headline. If these keywords match what your content is about, your headline is on the right track.
- Sentiment. Headlines should show positive sentiment. A headline with positive emotion usually performs the best.
- Google and Email Preview. It shows you a preview of what your headline will look like as a Google search result as well as an email subject line. Seeing exactly what these will look like helps you decide if you want to continue using this headline.
Cliché Finder
The last one on this list is an interesting bonus. In addition to showing you the cliches you’ve used, it picks out some common and potentially overused words. It then offers you several alternatives that may make your writing more interesting and professional.
Resources:
https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-tools/
https://selfpublishing.com/book-writing-software/
https://thewritepractice.com/best-book-writing-software/
https://joshfechter.com/book-writing-software/
https://www.squibler.io/blog/top-writing-tools/