Copywriter on locksmith tools. Choosing a free text editor for a copywriter. Shingles Expert will help you compare texts

How to choose a free editor

copywriter whose professional activity associated with writing a large number of texts, it does not matter which tool to use. Today, for a significant part of users, the almost standard text editor is Word, which is part of the popular and powerful office suite from Microsoft. And no matter how anyone treats the Redmond company itself, it is simply impossible not to recognize the fact of the excellent quality and functionality of MS Office.

But this software package also has one huge drawback - the price, which for big company may be low, but for the "purse" of small businesses and private users is very impressive. In addition, it is impossible to purchase Word itself separately, outside the full office suite, and not every copywriter wants to pay a decent amount for components he does not need.

In the years that have passed since the first version of the office appeared, both large developers and lone enthusiasts have repeatedly made attempts to create a full-featured competitive free product. We chose 4 alternative text editors and compared their capabilities with Word ". You can see the summary analysis in the table, but first we will briefly characterize each of the text editors we have chosen and at the same time tell you why our choice was Google Docs, LibreOffice, Wordpad and FocusWriter.

As you can see, all the editors we have chosen are free and this was the first criterion when choosing a program to study. The second factor that influenced the selection was the presence of a certain distinctive feature that was present in each applicant. For LibreOffice, this is popularity / fame / prevalence, for Google Docs - the initial focus on working online, which allows you not to be tied to a device or OS. We chose FocusWriter for its minimalistic design, interface, and as a representative of a product from independent developers. As for Wordpad "a, it got into the review only because it is a Windows component and you don't need to install anything at all to use it.

We deliberately refrained from considering the OpenOffice editor, because it is a close "relative" of LibreOffice with very similar functionality and interface. Updates and support from LibreOffice, according to many users, is somewhat better.

To compare editors, several characteristics were selected, among which there is a list of those that are critical for a copywriter:

spelling and punctuation check;
work with lists and tables;
text statistics;
ability to work with doc and docx files;
cross-platform.

We have also added several options that simply improve and simplify the work - portability, the ability to customize the toolbar, work without Internet access, voice input. Our contenders for the title of "Word's alternative" showed the following results:

Text editor	libreoffice	Google Docs	wordpad	FocusWriter	MS Word
Free	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Spellchecking	there is	there is	No	there is	there is
Punctuation check	there is	there is	No	No	there is
Working with tables	there is	there is	No	No	there is
List Formatting	there is	there is	there is	No	there is
Counting characters in text (statistics)	there is	there is	No	there is	there is
Support for doc, docx formats	yes (sometimes formatting is lost	Yes	No	docx - yes doc - no	Yes
OS	Windows, Linux, macOS	all	Windows	Windows, Linux, macOS	Windows, iOS, Android, OS X, WinPnone
Customizing the toolbar	there is	No	No	there is	there is
Portable version	there is	Online version does not require installation	No, it is a Windows component	there is	No
Built-in voice input	No	Yes	No	No	No
Offline mode	there is	there is	there is	there is	there is

Let's summarize:

wordpad. The value of this editor, as a professional tool for a copywriter, is completely equal to its cost - it is zero. The only thing worth using it for is that you can write various letters and notes, for this the editor has the functions of text formatting and inserting image files. However, the author must also have a fairly high level of literacy, since Wordpad does not even notice ordinary typos, not to mention real errors.
FocusWriter has several interesting features that affect the productivity of a copywriter. However, even the presence of themes, full-screen workspace, minimalistic interface and the ability to plan a day's work do not allow us to recommend it as a text editor that can replace MS Word. Lack of punctuation check, impossibility to work with tables and lists, defective text formatting - all these factors completely neutralize the advantages of FocusWriter.
Google Docs and LibreOffice are the hardest to write about - criticizing and describing shortcomings is always easier than praising. Both of these text editors, in our opinion, can almost fully replace the product from Microsoft. Some inconvenience is caused by the lack of a punctuation check function in standard versions - this is directly the “Achilles heel” of free editors. The problem is solved by installing the LanguageTool extension, which showed a good result - it detects missing commas, small capital letters and other errors, although not always. However, frankly, spelling / punctuation check in Word "e cannot be called ideal - you should not rely on it completely. Everything else in both LibreOffice and the Google editor works no worse than in Word, which allows us to recommend them for use by copywriters as a free alternative.

It is obvious that the number of text editors is tens (if not hundreds) times greater than what was considered in our article. We just took the most popular and not quite common ones in order to find worthy competitors for Word among them. It's up to you to decide whether to use the editors from our review, find your own options, or continue to use the expensive, but so familiar product from Microsoft.

This is an overview of useful services for copywriters and editors. We have combined them into thematic collections to make it easier to find a useful service.

Task scheduling

Wunderlist is a program for computers and mobile devices. It allows you to create tasks and subtasks, set due dates, share lists of tasks with other users, add any materials from the Internet. The program sends reminders by email.

PomodoroApp is a desktop program for tracking time spent on work and regular planning. In it, you can set the time for work and rest - the program itself will remind you that you need to switch to another task or take a break.

Trello- free service to create and manage task lists. It allows you to organize work with a team, keep track of all changes, set deadlines, create checklists, set the amount of payment for work if you work with a team.

Saving Information

Evernote is a free desktop application for desktop and mobile devices. You can save data, organize work, share notes or create them by hand.

One Note - for taking notes. This app from Microsoft integrates with Evernote. In One Note, you can write down thoughts in any form - print, write by hand, draw. The program is installed as a desktop application and is available online.

Google Keep is a free service related to Google Docs. You can save pictures, text and videos in it, create notes and reminders, mark notes with the “important” label.

Skype Call Recording

iFree Recorder is a free desktop service that integrates a button to start recording a conversation directly in Skype. In the program, you can record a conversation with or without pauses, adjust the quality of the recording, watch all the recordings made.

Free Video Call Recorder is a free desktop service. The records management window appears on incoming and outgoing calls. The service records videos and saves them in the folder you specify.

Dictionaries and reference books

Gramota.ru is a free information and reference portal. It has dictionaries, a library, study guides and other interesting sections. The service allows you to quickly check the spelling of a word or remember the rules of punctuation and spelling.

Birman's collection - the rules of the Russian language in the online version. It has spelling and punctuation rules. There is a search by rules - for example, you can enter the word "ni" in the search bar and view the spelling of this particle.

Sinonim.org - online dictionary of synonyms in Russian. Shows over 100 synonyms for almost every word. Immediately indicates the initial form of synonymous words and shows the frequency of their use.

Sokr is a free online abbreviation dictionary. It contains more than 157,000 abbreviations, abbreviations, acronyms, compound words of the Russian language and their transcripts. The service website has links to dictionaries of abbreviations in other languages: for example, to similar Dutch, Romanian and Czech services.

Cufo.me is a large free online dictionary of terms. It contains transcripts of terms from dictionaries and encyclopedias. For the convenience of users, the terms are divided into topics, there is a search by word. For example, the service found 14 definitions for the word “abbreviations”.

Creation and processing of images

Adobe Photoshop is a desktop program. It can compress pictures, create special effects, use frames, change colors, draw, create unrealistic illustrations.

TinyPNG - for image compression. It optimizes images by keeping high quality while reducing the file size. The difference between before and after photos is only in weight.

Canva is a service with the ability to render simple images, illustrations and designs for articles, posts, short notes. The service allows you to crop photos and process them, add text, adjust transparency.

Pho.to - for photo editing. It allows you to crop, rotate, resize pictures, adjust brightness and contrast, add stickers, text, photo frames.

Lightroom CC - Paid cloud storage with a desktop image processing program. The program has many tools for quick correction of pictures and photos of different formats.

Screenshots

Joxi is a file hosting service with an extension for creating screenshots. In it, you can take a screenshot of the entire page or one of its fragments. The result of the program's work is a short link to a screenshot on the Joxi file sharing service.

FireShot is a browser extension that allows you to take screenshots. In it, you can take a screenshot of a page fragment and immediately edit it - for example, crop it, add captions and arrows, or paint over some part. Also, a screenshot can be immediately sent by mail or uploaded to the server.

PicPick is a desktop screenshot program. In it, you can "shoot" a specific area, the entire page or a scrolling page. The finished image can be copied to the clipboard, saved or loaded into a graphics editor.

Screencast Recording

VLC is a multi-platform desktop program. In it, you can adjust the captured area and the recording quality of the audio track. The functionality of the program is two buttons to start and end recording and an advanced settings window.

ScreenToaster is an online service for recording video and audio from the screen. In it, you can share videos, review created videos, add subtitles and previews. It allows you to select an area for recording and immediately add video to the Internet without downloading it to your computer.

Jing is a desktop service. Records video from the screen and an audio track. Doesn't record webcam video. Allows you to select the recording area and immediately saves files in SWF format.

Voice recording

Built-in functionality in GoogleDocs is a free online service from Google with the ability to voice input. It easily writes complex words, but the service has problems with punctuation.

Save is a free desktop application. The service records audio, immediately recognizes it and underlines the words in which it doubts - you can immediately see the errors. Allows you to listen to the recording and change the input language after saving the audio.

Selection of keys and creation of a semantic core

Yandex.Wordstat is a service available to all registered Yandex users. Shows statistics for search engine Yandex. Shows the frequency of the entered word and words close to it in meaning.

GoogleAdwords is a keyword planner from Google. It searches for search queries by category, shows the frequency, generates statistics. Also considers only queries in the Google search network.

KeyCollector is a paid online service for selecting keywords. The cost from June 24, 2017 is 1800 rubles when paying with electronic money and 1900 rubles for cashless payments. The program directly collects data from source services, forms a semantic core and shows the frequency.

Finding bugs

Spelling - a paid web service for checking spelling. The subscription price is 300 rubles per month, sometimes the service holds promotions or makes discounts. "Spelling" sees punctuation, grammar, spelling and other errors in texts in Russian.

LanguageTool - for checking spelling in more than 30 languages. He notices double dots, misspellings, and even misspelled dates. The service has its own extensions for Chrome and Firefox browsers, for Google Docs, LibreOffice programs and OpenOffice, as well as its own independent version.

Orfo Online - for spell checking in 9 languages. It underlines misspelled words but offers no alternatives. But each user can add his own word to the dictionary. On the website of the service, you can read more about the ORFO 2016 program and download it.

Read about the effectiveness of spell checking services in ours - we tested 8 services and calculated their effectiveness.

Stopword search

Glavred - highlights words that do not carry meaning, recommends corrections, and evaluates the result in points. May be mistaken - for example, he considers the words "repair" and "document" to be stop words.

Advego semantic analysis - it calculates academic and classical nausea, water content indicator and searches for stop words for free

Uniqueness check

Checking the uniqueness of Text.ru - in addition to the free check of uniqueness, it calculates the indicators of water content and spam content, and also highlights errors

Content Watch is a free uniqueness check service. The number of checks is limited - no more than 10 per day from one IP. To remove the restriction, you need to pay.

Advego is a free online uniqueness check available to registered users. There is also a desktop version.

Search for a tautology

Fresh Look is a free online service for searching closely spaced phonetically and morphologically identical words. It has settings - you can set the length of the context, the response threshold, the coefficient for taking into account the frequency of words. This is the only known service only for checking text for tautologies.

Readability check

Readability is a free online service. Users can transfer donations themselves from a card or Yandex.Money service. In the service, you can check only written or already published text by URL. According to the creators, the service uses five readability formulas adapted for the Russian language.

PR-CY - to analyze the readability of the text according to Zipf's law. The service page briefly explains the algorithm of its work and refers to material from Wikipedia. The service analyzes the naturalness and gives the result as a percentage, calculates the frequency of the use of words and gives recommendations for increasing / decreasing the frequency of occurrence.

Service from Audit Greenhouse. It evaluates the readability of the text in points according to two indices - the Fog and Flesh indices. The service does not provide recommendations for simplifying the text.

Typography

Reformer - he corrects the flown layout, replaces quotes and dashes with the correct ones, removes extra spaces. Allows you to immediately arrange sidebars, quotes, lists, links, phone numbers and other elements.

The built-in typographer in Tilda is a built-in service on the site for creating websites. There are free and paid plans. The service itself removes extra spaces, puts the correct quotes and dashes.

Birman layout is a free typographic layout. This is a keyboard driver that allows you to enter rare characters using the Alt and Alt + Shift keys. The program works for English and Russian keyboard layouts.

Printer is another free online service. It also removes extra spaces, puts the correct dashes and quotation marks "Christmas trees" instead of "paws".

If you think that the only copywriter tools are a text editor, keyboard and monitor, then you are wrong. But that doesn't mean you need too many tools to get the job done. This review contains only some useful applications that will allow you to efficiently and professionally prepare various texts for placement on the site.

Dictionaries

A copywriter has been expanding his vocabulary over the years, but no one is perfect. Don't be afraid to use a variety of sources to look up synonyms, both online and traditional paper dictionaries. You took up the text in new industry and do not understand some terms? Do not avoid them, but try to find a definition. Try also to work with foreign materials. If you want to understand the general meaning of text in a language you don't understand, use Google Translate.

Graphics

In order for the content of the site page to attract a potential reader or customer of your service, it must be supplemented with multimedia elements. A real source of inspiration and a tool for ready-made solutions is Canva.com. With the help of templates, you can prepare memes, graphics designed for specific media, presentations, even posters and business cards. Sometimes just pictures will suffice. Get ready to take advantage of free promotions. But the following portals offer free photos for free use - pexels.com and freeimages.com.

Notebook

Whether it's a virtual notebook (like GoogleKeep or Evernote) or paper, the choice is yours. Do you use information when preparing a text? Write down links to articles you like on the Internet. So in the future, when preparing a similar article, you will not have to start the search for useful materials again. Yes, besides, in the work of a copywriter, additional links are always needed as a source of inspiration. Do not give up on them, do not forget - a notebook is an ideal tool that can bring unexpected benefits!

Stopwatch

The professionalism of a copywriter is manifested in his ability to control time, and his income largely depends on the pace of writing an article. Install a stopwatch app on your phone or put a clock on your desktop. It is important that you learn how to make the best use of your time. You can use the online stopwatch at online-stopwatch.com.

simple pleasures

Do not forget that your most important tool is the brain and the whole body. No program will help you achieve maximum performance. Therefore, a copywriter should use a cup of his favorite tea, a plate of healthy food, a glass of water to recharge. And Noisli.com will allow you to create sounds of nature that are pleasant to the ear 😉

Examination

You wrote the text within the set time, did not forget about inspiration, enjoyed the work ... But the task has not yet been completed.

Don't forget to check:

punctuation (MicrosoftWord is always ready to help you with this);
readability (appropriate readability means that there are no sentences that are too long, it is calculated based on the ratio of words and sentences - use the scores on hemingwayapp.com);
text uniqueness (you need to make sure that your text is not a copy of another text posted on the Internet (Text.ru text uniqueness check service), and at the same time protect yourself so that someone does not steal your rights to intellectual property. Use original texts from Yandex and copyspace.com for this);

Remember!

The copywriter must be aware of the events. In order not to waste time browsing dozens of portals, collect everything that interests you in one place. Use an RSS feed or, eventually, add groups of sites of interest to your Facebook feed.

Word-to-HTML converter. The service allows you to convert the copied text into HTML format. At the same time, standard Word formatting is preserved: headings, subheadings, selection of fragments in bold, italics, underlining, color markers, and so on. Complex formatting, such as formulas, cannot be converted, but the program is very useful for copywriting. https://word-to-html.ru .

Voice notepad. The online program perceives human speech well and immediately converts it into text. You will need silence and a microphone to work. From personal experience: at a distance of 1 m from the laptop, the service perfectly distinguishes the voice. Of course, you need to speak clearly (at the same time you will work out diction J). When is this tool useful for a copywriter? If the flow of thoughts exceeds the speed of typing. https://speechpad.ru

Google Docs. Internet analogue of Word, in which you can work from any computer, saving files in the cloud. Visually, the service practically does not differ from Word and has almost the same capabilities as an offline program. In copywriting, the tool is useful if you often work from different devices. The file does not need to be written to a USB flash drive every time. And there are no “blunders” like closing an unsaved document with 100,500 tons of text online. In addition, to send the work to the customer, it is enough to send him a link to a Google Document, having previously opened access. https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/ .

Yandexwordstat. Helpful service for a copywriter that allows you to select keywords for texts for free. Using special operators (“ ”, !, “!”) you can determine the total number of impressions for a specific query, the number of impressions for a phrase match, and the frequency for a given word form. https://wordstat.yandex.ru/.

Mutagen. Partially free online program for a copywriter and SEO optimizer - shows the level of keyword competition, query tails, the overall frequency according to Yandex Wordstat and search suggestions. However, with a zero balance, you will not be able to use the service. Only 10 free checks are provided per day, and 100 checks will cost 30 rubles. http://mutagen.ru .

SEO text analyzer Advego. This service for copywriters is suitable for those who write SEO-optimized texts. The program online shows the following parameters: the number of significant, unique, stop words, the percentage of water content, classical and academic nausea of the document, the frequency of use of words and other data. http://advego.ru/text/seo/.

Glavred. The service was created to clean the text from non-informative words and to maintain the information style of writing. However, it is not necessary to follow all the recommendations of the program and achieve the maximum 10 points. Due to the unreasonable demands of some customers, web writers do not like this service. However, it is useful if you need to quickly "comb" the text and remove the "water". https://glvrd.ru .

Programs for checking uniqueness. These online and offline services are designed to identify matches between new text and already published materials on websites. The goal is to detect plagiarism. Programs for a copywriter to check the originality of content use different algorithms. I usually use 2 resources: Etxt Antiplagiat and Advego Plagiatus. Last - great option if you are just learning to write unique texts. However, there is no need to chase 100% if it is not required by the assignment. Moreover, there are areas in which it is almost impossible to achieve 100% uniqueness without distorting the meaning of the data. These topics include law, medicine, cooking and some others. However, it is undesirable to show the text with originality less than 85% to the customer. https://www.etxt.ru/antiplagiat/ , http://advego.ru/plagiatus/ .