As a new writer, I need to have all of my writing copy edited. (All writers need copy editing, but some need it more than others.) Hiring someone to do this is an option, but it can get expensive.
This is why I use the free copy editing site www.ProWritingAid.com. It will evaluate your writing based on grammatical rules and correct editing style.
Just paste in your text and hit the ‘Analyze’ button, and in a minute you’ll see an on-screen summary report that lists issues like:
* Over-used words
* Spelling errors
* Vague words
* Alliteration and more…

There are three levels of users:
– Free non-members can only paste in 1000 words at a time.
– Free members (registered users) can paste in up to 3000 words, but they don’t get a complete report.
– Paid members get a complete report on every category that the site analyzes. The fee, as of this writing, is only $35/year. It is definitely worth the price

I’m finishing my first novel. It is 100,000 words long, so far, I’ve had 70,000 words analyzed on the site.

One of the benefits of this writing tool is that it forces you to take a second look at your writing and determine how you can sharpen it, or use more descriptive words. Although it only takes a minute or two for the analysis to complete, it takes me a couple of days or more to re-evaluate and re-write my text based on the report.

I’ve learned that this is not a system that you must blindly follow. You still have to evaluate if the suggestions that are given are right for your text. For example, I’ve noticed that for the Vague Words Report there are certain words that the site just doesn’t like, even though you may be using them in the correct way or sparingly.

However, they do seem to be open for suggestions. There is an omnipresent ‘How Can We Improve’ link on several pages of the site.

Just try this site one time, and I think you’ll be thrilled with it, just as I am.

Bob Miller receives no compensation in any form for this recommendation.