Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Reedsy has many wonderful features that make it a great tool when writing your books. And the longer I use the app, the more awesome tools I find. Considering it’s a free app, the developers did a great job, overall.
Today, let’s go over some of the amazing features that Reedsy provides which make it great for authors of all kinds.
Although I am constantly looking for the best writing software for authors, Reedsy is definitely among my favorites. Not just because it’s free, but because of all the things you can do whether your setting up an eBook or preparing for print.
9 Top Features when Writing with Reedsy
There’s nothing inherently wrong with using something like LibreOffice or Word to write your book. If it works for you, that’s all that matters.
I simply like writing apps that go a step further to specifically accommodate authors.
Reedsy makes its money by acting like a go-between for authors and professionals. Of course, they are going to offer some of the best writing tools.
So, what nine features pique my interest most when using Reedsy to write my next book?
Setting Writing Goals
Perhaps one of my favorite features of Reedsy is managing writing goals. The system lets you set goals according to your own writing schedule throughout the week to give you an accurate portrayal of how much you need to write on any given day.
For instance, let’s say you plan on writing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Reedsy will then calculate how much you need to write per day to reach your end goals.
Of course, you can always just leave the days blank and Reedsy will assume you plan to write every day. In any case, you’ll be able to see your current word count for your goals as well as how much you need to write.
Reedsy will even send you an email reminder of your goals as they are set by default. However, you can disable the reminders by clicking the lime green bell icon.
Find and Replace
I know that most word processors have a find and replace function. But I was quite excited by how well it works in Reedsy. Not only can you use the same keyboard shortcut, CTRL-F, but it has a layout that looks better than many other writing apps.
For one thing, it’s not some tiny field in the bottom left corner. Find and replace has an actual section that allows you to scan only the current chapter or the entire manuscript. Then, it’ll jump to the individual instance on its own so you can read the context.
After all, you don’t want to change something if it’s being used correctly within your story. Remember, no automated spellcheck or grammar app is 100% accurate.
Here’s an example. Earlier, I misspelled the name of one of my characters but caught the error as I was writing. Then, I decided to make sure that I didn’t spell it wrong in other sections of the book. Reedsy identified that I misspelled the name several times in Chapter 4.
I know it’s probably not something to giggle about, but I like the feature in its current form. I hate trying to find and replace text in LibreOffice.
Split Chapter
I know I have a few chapters that are a bit north of long. Luckily, Reedsy comes with the Split Chapter function that lets you separate them while writing.
It’s easy to get carried away, especially if you’re on a roll and hammering out a lot of words. But how often do you write a chapter that could be its own short story?
Simply click the Split Chapter tool on the right, move your cursor where you want the split to happen, click the mouse, and confirm. Reedsy will automatically inject a new chapter immediately after the one you’re working on including all of the text after the split.
It’s a time-saver tool, especially when you’re formatting your manuscript for eBook or printed copies.
Highlighting Notes While Editing
While it’s built for interaction between you and an editor you might hire, Reedsy allows you to add notes while highlighting certain text. This is extremely helpful when you’re doing your first draft or making your first editing pass.
I know I often forget certain things I want to add or remove. Highlighting the text and selecting the “Comment” option lets me record notes, ideas, and changes I might want to make at a later date.
I’ve been able to do something similar in LibreOffice and Google Docs. And yes, I view the Comment tool as a primary function on those platforms as well.
In fact, my friend and I use the function an awful lot when editing the Despair videos on YouTube. She makes comments about what needs attention and I can make those changes before recording.
In any case, I like how easy it is to set up these comments…especially since I forget changes I want to make – a lot.
Sharing
One feature that I’ll probably use quite a bit for my Buy Me a Coffee monthly subscribers is the “Share” function. This lets you create a read-only link to either your book or specific chapters.
You can then use this URL anywhere you can add a link.
In my case, I’ll treat my supporters with being able to read the book before it’s actually published. I’ve already done something like this with Google Docs, though, it’s far easier to manage in Reedsy.
You can also set an expiration date, perfect for giving teasers to your audience. Or, you could give your beta readers a time frame of how long they have access to your book.
Built-in Spellcheck with Suggestions
Reedsy provides a spellchecking feature while writing that offers various suggestions. You can also choose to ignore one or all instances of a perceived misspelling. This is helpful if you write fantasy or sci-fi stories. That’s because unique names and words are quite common.
Like many other apps, you can add the term to your personal dictionary.
Between Chrome, Grammarly, and Reedsy, there should be no reason to misspell anything. Well, unless you’re using unknown terms such as names, places, and things that are more imaginative.
At any rate, it’s a nice feature to have and will scan through the entire manuscript while taking you to the exact section where the issue was detected.
Export at Any Time
At any time, you can export your book as a .epub, .mobi, or .pdf file. Of course, you’ll use this when you’re ready to submit your manuscript to eBook retailers or print-on-demand services.
However, it also works as a way to share your work with an editor, friend, or beta readers.
Something else to keep in mind is that you can export the book as an editable .docx file. This means you can print for editing or simply work off the file itself. Since most word processors support .docx files, you can send them to almost anyone.
It can also be helpful to export these files so you can try them out on your own devices to make sure everything appears as it should before submitting the manuscript. That way, you can make necessary adjustments as needed.
For example, what if you have headers, bullet lists, or other types of formatting in your book? It’s prudent to give it a test run to make sure those elements appear as they should.
The bottom line is that conversion and download are free on Reedsy, so, you can do it as often as you wish.
Auto Saves the Manuscript
As you’re writing your book, Reedsy will automatically save the manuscript as you progress. This means you don’t have to remember to hit save after every paragraph.
For me, this is an incredible time saver. I live in an area that is prone to power outages. Although many writing apps have a built-in recovery method, such as LibreOffice, they don’t always work 100% of the time.
I have lost several paragraphs after performing a recovery on several occasions.
So, for me, saving the manuscript frequently while I’m writing is a blessing. I have yet to have something disappear from Reedsy after an outage, unlike using LibreOffice or Word.
Invite a Friend
Inviting a friend through Reedsy isn’t exactly part of the writing process. However, it can ultimately help should you decide to hire an editor, graphic designer, or marketer from the platform.
With the Invite a Friend platform offered by Reedsy, you can either earn cash for inviting other professionals or credit for inviting authors.
After signing up for free on Reedsy, you’re provided with a referral and professional link that you can use just about anywhere. And yes, both of these links are different.
The reason why I included this as a “writing” feature is because it has the potential to help you afford a professional on Reedsy. Depending on the length of your manuscript, it could cost thousands to fully get your book ready for publication.
Writing with Reedsy Is Easy
For being a free platform, Reedsy has a lot going for it. While it’s true that the company’s money is made through its middleman services, the writing app itself has a professional feel and works far better than Amazon’s Kindle Create.
There are a few things I wish Reedsy had built-in, though. For instance, I’d love a function to find synonyms of various words. And although Grammarly’s Chrome extension works OK for synonyms, it’s simply easier to Google search the word.
Regardless, Reedsy is currently my favorite writing platform and I look forward to trying some of the services in the future.
Don’t worry, I am always trying out new apps and software. I never know what I’ll stumble across in the future, and something might even change my mind. But for the time being, I quite enjoy writing with the Reedsy book editor.
Now, I just need to get going and finish writing the book!
What Are Your Favorite Features of Writing Apps?
I remember back in the day, we had Word Perfect. At one point, I was considered an expert. So much has changed since the early 1990s, though. Today, we have all kinds of programs and apps where we can type books using our thumbs.
Though, I highly doubt I’ll ever use a mobile app to write a book.
For now, I’ll just enjoy my time using Reedsy for writing my book. When I get some cash together, perhaps I’ll try their services. It would make for a decent review, anyway.
What draws you to the writing app you’re using? What was its selling point for you?
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