Last Updated on Apr 16, 2020 by James W
All writers, ranging from novelists to freelance writers, are a curious breed. Very creative and insightful, yet notoriously hopeless when it comes to managing their time. Now, that might not have been a problem in the past, when the only thing that was required of a writer was to write. Nowadays, though, writers need to wear many hats, so in addition to writing, they have to know their way around a computer in order to edit and proofread their work, and perhaps even publish it, whether it’s through a blog, an e-book, or a newsletter. Even then, the writers who help with assignment should scan the text repeatedly.
All of this takes time, and seeing as writers are only paid for what they write, they’ll earn less if they are spending time doing something that isn’t their job in the first place. However, there is a solution. We have come up with a list of 14 tools that every writer should master if they want to save some time and focus on what they should be really doing: writing. Check out the list below.
1. Write or Die
Nearly all writers are prone to procrastination, and Write or Die is one of the best tools around that will help you escape its grip. It is probably the only application you will come across which will delete your work if you are not writing efficiently enough, if you decide to try out the Kamikaze mode. If that doesn’t motivate you, we don’t know what will.
2. StayFocusd
Distraction is the biggest enemy of every writer, especially if they need to be online while researching and writing. StayFocusd is a Chrome extension which enables you to set a limit on how much time you’ll spend browsing distracting websites, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and others. Once your time is up you won’t be able to access them.
3. Convert Case
One of the most annoying and time-consuming tasks is when you have to edit a text where you have to fix all the mistakes regarding capital letters, this is the tool for you. This especially comes in handy if you’ve typed something after you’ve accidentally turned caps lock on, or if you are leaning on someone else’s work which is full of these mistakes.
4. Scrivener
Scrivener is a word-processing application which is unique, because it will help you manage each phase of your writing project, starting with organizing ideas and notes, and writing and editing your work. Scrivener is especially useful if you are writing longer pieces, such as stories, screenplays, or novels.
5. Spinbot
If you are into content marketing, it always helps to have several blogs or websites through which you can promote your content. Now, producing original and unique content for all of them is next to impossible, and that’s where Spinbot comes. This tool will spin your existing content and create new content that is unique and free of plagiarism. However, you will have to work on it yourself, but you won’t have write it from scratch.
6. Essay Mama.com
Essay Mama is an online writing service which can save you a ton of time in different stages of writing, ranging from editing and proofreading your work, to helping you actually write it. It also offers various tools, such as a word counter, which will especially be appreciated by freelance writers.
7. Plotbot
Imagine if you could just write, unburdened by formatting? Well, your wish has come true with Plotbot, a web-based tool which is designed to automatically format your text in accordance with all of the major formatting styles.
8. Death to the Stock Photo
Nothing enhances a good article or a blog post like a high-quality image that sums up your ideas nicely. If you are sick of generic stock photography, you can rely on Death to the Stock Photo to provide to with amazing images every day. Best of all, you will save a lot of time, because you won’t have to spend it looking for them online. This service will deliver them straight to you inbox.
9. PickFu
If there are any e-book writers reading this, you know how hard it can be for you to choose which cover and title to use for your new book. You may feel like you have a winner, but since you will be selling it to the people, you might as well get some feedback from them, and PickFu does just that. It connect you with real people which provide valuable input.
10. Compfight
This is an image-search engine that will help you find the best images on Flickr for your blog or book. Also comes with attribution tool that comes in handy when publishing your work.
11. Medium
Although Blogger and WordPress are by far the most popular blogging platforms, it doesn’t hurt to branch out a little and check out some other blogging platforms and expose your work to an entirely new audience. We recommend Medium, which will help you create some awesome-looking posts and won’t tire you with all the stuff that you usually have to do when running a blog.
12. WordPress
The most popular blogging platform on the web will require you to put in some time and effort in order to get a hang of it, but trust us, it is well-worth it.
13. Lynda.com
Lynda.com offers effective video tutorials on just about anything, which means they can also show you the ropes when it comes to publishing, operating WordPress, and web design. You no longer have to look elsewhere if you want to learn something.
14. Dropbox
Dropbox allows you to save and backup your work, as well as easily share it with others. Say goodbye to the nightmare of losing your work just because your computer crashed. Better to be safe than sorry.
Whether you are confident in your productivity or you really need help with your organizational skills, these tools will facilitate your growth as a writer and enable you to make the most of your time. You are now equipped to conquer the Internet with your work. Show everyone how good it is.
Author: Kenneth Waldman is a professional freelance writer and content creator. Get in touch with him on Linkedin.
