This is a list of the best copywriting tools I’ve found during my several-year journey as a freelance copywriter. I use many of these tools every day, and would be pretty much lost without them.
I hope you find some gems here too, and that they help you get more done in less time.
The Readability Test Tool
The best writing advice I ever got was to make sure my writing is dead simple. You can measure this easily using the The Readability Test Tool. If your writing is above 7.5 on the FK scale then it’s too complicated for a web-based (and arguably any) audience. If it’s over 7.5 (this signifies grade level) then you’re using too many big words and long sentences. Try to simplify your writing by using short words, sentences, and paragraphs. Like this!
Hemingway App
Similar to the Readability Checker, but Hemingway App also contains a real time editor where you can work. It will highlight words and sentences in your writing that are bad. This is sort of self-editing and is an essential step before publishing (or submitting) any writing.
Google Drive
Great for writing as well as collaborating on documents. Forget sending Word drafts back and forth via email – Google Drive lets multiple people work on a living document in the cloud.
OmmWriter
Super clean and simple text composition application for journaling and blogging.
Scrivener
Essential for any composition over 40,000 words. Take the time to learn how to use it properly by going through the tutorial and it will pay dividends.
Notepad and Pen
No, not the notepad on your computer, but a real, flesh and blood, paper notepad. Having a notepad in your pocket throughout the day will mean you never miss a chance to jot down that next big idea for a blog post, ebook, or maybe even your next business! And the mere act of physically writing something on paper with a pen or pencil is a great way to get your creative juices flowing.
BONUS: Another great tool for you SEO copywriters is this guide to Google search features.
What are some of your favourite writing tools? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
I am a bit addicted to writing apps. Call it FOMO but when a new one is on the market, I can’t help myself…
I recently bought the Hemingway desktop app and I’m loving it for its ease of use. It’s much easier to spot ‘bad’ writing with Hemingway than it is via Grammarly (which is another fave, but really only good for a quick proofread to make sure drafts are fairly clean before sending them to a client – Grammarly and I squabble often).
Scrivener is a MUST for long-form content. I love it. Huge learning curve, but worth the effort.
Another fave of mine for distraction-free writing is airstory.co, which sounds much like OmmWriter, which I’m off to check out right now. Thanks for the list.