Last Updated on February 28, 2024
As a writer you have an extremely difficult job. You must communicate a message in every article, whilst also appeasing the varying whims of clients from all over the world. Luckily, there are a number of instruments available just for writers. They don’t break the bank enhance all areas of your freelance work. Never make an embarrassing mistake again with these crucial pieces of software. Below are 10 useful tools any expert writer should consider looking into.
Note: All images are linked to the software.
Copyscape
This program is the ultimate tool for checking for any copyright issues. If you’ve accidentally plagiarized someone else’s work this program will highlight it. Even if you are sure you haven’t accidentally lifted a sentence or two, it’s always wise to utilize it as clients tend to use it themselves to test any work they’ve been given. Always opt for the premium Copyscape check as it’s far more accurate. It demands a small fee, but the value for money aspect makes this more than worthwhile.
Dragon Naturally Speaking
Sometimes your fingers are aching and your wrists need a rest. If there’s a deadline coming up you can’t stop, though. Well, now your digits needn’t trouble you again with this speech recognition program. It’s extremely accurate and translates your words directly on to the screen. It’s great for taking a break, and it’s affordable enough for even the most cash-strapped writers to benefit from.
Scribe
If you are a regular user of WordPress this plug-in is essential for your SEO efforts. It covers all the major SEO areas Google takes into account. Even if your client isn’t interested in SEO this is an addition which can highlight how eager you are to please; and we all know how important this is to a freelancer.
Dim Dim
Meeting clients in the real world is time-consuming and isn’t economically viable unless they’re particularly valuable. Dim Dim gives you a quick and inexpensive way to share documents and URLS across a secure network. It requires a monthly subscription fee, but they are still very affordable.
Skype
Skype is the most important tool currently available for creating and maintaining client relationships. With the higher paying projects most employers prefer to have their writers within reach during office hours. Skype is normally the tool of choice as it puts a face to the name. It’s completely free to use and most computer operating systems already have it installed.
Wridea
This is an interesting program geared towards the more creative aspect of freelance writing. It promotes the idea of collaboration and brainstorming. Write your ideas on this platform and share them with your team. Comprehensive privacy options allow users to only share their work with specific people, or none at all if they want to use it for their own personal projects.
Visual Thesaurus
Prepare to throw your gigantic language tomes away with the Visual Thesaurus. Each time you type a word a small pop-up highlights any other possible word choices. Adjectives, pronouns, and nouns are all included within its vast catacombs of wordage. It’s free to use for a while, but after a designated period of time you must purchase a subscription; don’t worry it’s cost-effective.
MS Word Macros
Some tasks we carry out in Microsoft Word more times than we care to remember. Cut down the amount of time you spend on these tasks and make yourself more efficient with MS Word Macros. A handy Internet guide is all you need to get started. Even if you’re not an expert with MS Word you can still benefit from the use of macros in your daily writing schedule.
Xmarks
Previously known as ‘foxmarks’, this handy tool synchronizes all your passwords and bookmarks. If you have used this before you’ll be pleased to know they’ve recently included search capabilities into its functions. It’s a small yet essential add-on. It won’t completely revolutionize your career, but it will nullify some of the tedious tasks you have to put up with. It’s also completely free to use, although if you do have the means they strongly recommend you make a donation to keep it up and running.
Web SEO Analytics Tools
This series of twelve tools consists of plagiarism checkers and keyword tools to analyze any online content. These tools cover every area of Google’s online content standards. When you use these tools for your own projects or a client’s projects you’ll never suffer the frustration of having your content purged from the search engines again.
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