Writing can be a lonely occupation. After all, most professionals are surrounded by co-workers throughout their working day, co-workers who can advise them on how to solve most any problem. However, as a writer or self-published author you are often on your own. The following sites can be invaluable for you to make it through the day in your chosen career:
This handy site created by Purdue University is the perfect reference site for authors of all types. The site includes helpful information about AP writing style as well as grammar tips. It also contains quizzes for writers to complete as they attempt to improve their grammar knowledge and learn how to properly implement various aspects of writing. It is applicable for educational, journalistic and even fiction genres. The information is free and the site is easy to navigate, making it a favorite of veteran and novice writers alike.
This site allows writers access on a trial basis at first. Once writer's determine they like the site, they can become subscribers. Writers know a good thesaurus is crucial to their success in the field. After all, everyone has a mental block occasionally, and a thesaurus is a tool that helps writers by giving them alternatives to words they have become accustomed to using. The visual thesaurus features over 150,000 words and contains 120,000 meanings. Therefore, it is set up to allow writers to zero in on a certain word yet follow related concepts as well.
This site is perfect for the novice writer or anyone who wants to increase their knowledge of basic grammar. An author is able to transfer a piece of content from their computer to the site and have it "graded" for content and grammar. Although many experienced writers no longer need a tool such as Paper Rater, the site is great for anyone who is new at the writing game or anyone who needs a free proof reader and editor for their content.
Copyscape is a valuable site for a wide range of writing professionals. It allows writers to check their content for any duplicate content on the web. This tool is ideal for those who write medical pieces and such. However, Copyscape is also valuable for the experienced writer in that it protects their content from duplication. The service for checking content for duplication and protecting content does come with a small fee. However, the piece of mind writers derive from the service makes the small fee well worth paying.
This site features a grammar checker along with editing services. There is a fee for using Grammarly. However, many writers who use the service feel the fee is well worth paying as Grammarly finds and corrects a variety of grammar mistakes while checking content for originality.
The five sites listed above are perfect for anyone who writes for a living or even for fun. Author marketing, book marketing and self-publishing are all aspects writers contend with when trying to become a successful author. However, the different tools and services represented above meet a wide variety of needs that most writers will experience at some point in their career, regardless of their goals.