Every good writer knows that editing is a vital part in the book writing journey. It is something that can’t be overlooked. I have struggled with establishing my editing process for a very long time. I’m still figuring out how to go about it with every new book I write. My general editing process usually starts with reading through my manuscript on my own a few times. After that I have worked with my editor, focusing on the developmental aspect of editing. I have the different steps that we more or less follow, tweaking depending on the needs of the story. But after working with my editor, I have felt a little lost.

There are different types of editing. There is developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, and proofreading. They each deal with a different aspect of writing, such as the story components (developmental), to how things are worded in each line (line editing), and grammar and spelling. There are even formatting editors to help set up your final product.

I recently discovered this new editing program called ProWritingAid. And I love it! ProWritingAid is an editing software that is compatible with many platforms, including Office Word (which is what I currently use), Google docs, and even Scrivener. It even works with Word Press, and I used it when writing this post. When you are logged into their website, they also have an online writing/editing platform that you can use without downloading an add on to a writing software and a Chrome extension. But what exactly does it do?

ProWritingAid is a must have for writers/editors. It offers grammar checking, style checking, strengthening of word choice, and more. Unlike Grammarly, which I used to use, ProWritingAid offers suggestions for fixing certain errors instead of just pointing them out. For example, when it finds a sentence with passive voice, it often gives suggestions for how to reword the sentence in order to fix the problem. I am still fairly new to the program, but it has made line editing so much easier for me.

Understand, this program does not replace an editor. There are still a lot of benefits from having an editor. The human eye is going to catch things that even the editing software won’t. But it will make your editor’s job easier. By using ProWritingAid, if you have a line or copy editor work on your manuscript afterwards, there will be fewer errors for them to find. Which will hopefully make it cheaper on you as well.

Here is an example of what the software looks like on Office Word. This document is a sample letter I send to my beta readers:

Now, this software requires a purchase. There is a free version you can download on Google, which might help you decide if you really want it. There is a monthly, yearly, and lifetime subscription starting at $20.00. If you are interested, you can check out more at the Website here.

As a writer, I know spending money on recourses can be daunting and way too easy to do. With the new year, and hopefully some writing resolutions, maybe it’s time to treat yourself to a little something for your writing. So I encourage you to check out the free trial for ProWritingAid and try it out. It is extremely helpful and definitely worth it. ProWritingAid has saved me the hassle of worrying about how to self-edit and from straining my eyes for errors I don’t know to be looking for. I’m so thankful I’ve come across this software, and I hope you find it useful in your writing.

-R.E. Klinzing