Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Before you write your book, it’s a good idea to get settled into the app you plan on using. In this instance, I am showing some of the highlights of the Reedsy book editor and how the writing app can help you.
Reedsy has an easy-to-use interface that has helped me publish Kingmaker as well as several other books that are in the works. It has a clean interface that I truly enjoy using.
For one thing, the app doesn’t hide the most important functions behind a paywall. Nor does the interface feel like trying to manage a broken shopping cart through a busy Walmart parking lot.
So, what are some of the functions and features that I find to be worthwhile in Reedsy?
Browser-Based for Browser Extensions
Because the Reedsy book editor is web-based, the extensions you have installed should work with the writing app. For example, I use the Grammarly Chrome extension, which works brilliantly in Reedsy.
However, Reedsy does have a built-in spellchecker should you not want to use Grammarly or similar extensions.
Reedsy doesn’t currently have a dark mode function. However, you can use something like the Dark mode extension. I use it for quite a few websites and it works exceptionally well when writing in the dark.
There are a number of extensions for most browsers that you can use to help you create just about any kind of content. And I have yet to find a writing tool extension that doesn’t work in the Reedsy writing app.
Although I don’t support using AI-generated text in your manuscripts, there are some tools driven by artificial intelligence that may be of use. For instance, you can find idea generators, spell and grammar-checking tools galore, inspirational quotes, and extensions that will help you fine-tune your writing style.
What all of this means is that you’re able to add more to the Reedsy book editor indirectly by using the tools installed in your browser.
I can’t speak for Firefox, Opera, or Edge, but the list of “writing” extensions in Chrome is extensive. You can even add a writing prompt generator.
Another idea that may be helpful is by installing a timer extension. That way, you can create your own writing sprints directly from the Reedsy writing app.
For the most part, I prefer installable programs that will work offline when writing. However, there’s no denying the flexibility that can come from something that is web-based. It really depends on what functions you want to add to your browser.
Saves in Real-Time
Most web-based writing apps today save your manuscript in real-time. Or, at least during its “heartbeat.” This is when an app or platform performs an automatic function every so many seconds.
For example, WordPress will autosave a recoverable version of your post every 60 seconds. Some developers and users refer to this as its heartbeat.
Anyway, Reedsy also autosaves your work as you write. This means that should something happen and the power goes out, the vast majority of what you’ve written will still be in your manuscript.
Now, I can’t say that the entire manuscript will be present in the event of an outage. I’m not 100% sure how often the autosave feature in the Reedsy book editor launches. However, I can attest to never losing my work thanks to Xcel Energy’s shotty power lines.
On the other side of the coin, poor Internet and busy Reedsy servers can result in the platform “thinking” you’ve lost your Internet connection. Once that happens, Reedsy will attempt to reconnect. During that time, you have no idea how much of the manuscript has been saved.
I’ve only seen this happen a handful of times while using Reedsy to write several books. And I haven’t experienced the issue once I dumped Comcast.
A lot of authors don’t like the idea that they can’t write offline with Reedsy. In reality, I prefer installable programs myself, such as Scrivener. But it is useful that Reedsy saves everything you create while also giving you the option to back up the file as a DOCX.
Never underestimate the value of a regular backup. It’ll save you from a lot of headaches should the worst happen.
Pre-Defined Front and Back Matter
The pre-defined front and back matter pages are there to help you set up the manuscript. The nice part is that some of them already have fields available for adding the information.
For instance, the “Also by” page in the back matter has sections for adding the book’s cover, blurb, and purchase link. This is perfect for eBooks but doesn’t work well in print. I would suggest simply forgoing the link portion when exporting in an ePub or print-ready PDF file.
It would probably also make sense to only list the books that are relevant, such as if you’re writing a series. For example, I wouldn’t list Shadows of Atlantic City at the back of Kingmaker.
One is a Western and the other is Fantasy…both from completely different sets.
You might notice that some front and back matter is not automatically created in the Reedsy book editor. For instance, you’ll have to create a Prologue page manually by adding a chapter and then retitling it.
If you’re new to writing a book, spend time researching what each page is supposed to do in a book.
To be honest, I didn’t know what an epigraph was until I started writing Fury. I simply never thought to include it in any of my books. Yet, now that I know it’s a short quotation, I am probably going to add a few here and there depending on the book.
Not everyone is going to use all of the pages, and that’s fine. Only add the ones that are pertinent to your story and purpose. In fact, I know many authors who don’t use prologues.
My point is that getting familiar with the different pages can give you ideas for either the book you’re working on today or the one you’ll work on tomorrow.
Decide on Pantsing or Plotting
When it comes to how you write your book, there really is no right or wrong answer. Some people are plotters while others are pantsers. In the end, plotting vs pantsing all comes down to what works best for you.
A plotter is one who outlines their manuscript. This can easily help when it comes to things like writer’s block, and can give you a path to follow to keep the story going.
The problem is that outlining runs the risk of making the story seem too structured. However, this is easily avoidable if you’re creative enough and have a knack for weaving a tale.
Panters write by the seat of their “pants.” This is when you simply sit down and hammer out the story, not really knowing how the plot will unfold.
A lot of authors prefer pantsing to plotting because it helps provide a more organic flow. However, it can also promote writer’s block, especially when you hit a wall in the story’s development.
Either way has its benefits and drawbacks. But if you’re unsure about which method you want to use, I suggest trying both.
Use something like the Reedsy Plot Generator and write a short story using both methods. See which one feels right to you.
Also, keep in mind that some people also view themselves as “Plantsers.” These are writers who only outline a few points in the story but let most of it come out naturally. It’s kind of a mix of the two.
Knowing which method you prefer will contribute greatly to how you use the planning board in Reedsy. Even pantsers can find value in the planning board, especially when it comes to saving research for the book.
Using the Planning Board
One of my favorite tools in the Reedsy book editor is the planning board. This section allows you to save all kinds of information and research for your manuscript. You can use it to plan out the book, save links to web pages for research purposes, or even save images for a variety of purposes.
Anything within the planning board can be pinned to your manuscript. This means you can have that particular page open at all times while you write. I’ve used it to follow my book’s outline or when I need specific character information front and center.
In the case of writing Shadows of Atlantic City, I’ve saved links to YouTube videos regarding certain aspects of the book, such as how a Colt Peacemaker operates.
You can go so far as to create a checklist in the planning boards for keeping track of marketing, promotional materials, blog posts for your book, or even save contact information.
My point is that you should spend time familiarizing yourself with all of the things you can do in the planning boards. You can make as many boards as you like, use icons to recognize elements at a glance, and more.
For me, it helped tremendously when it came to keeping all of my notes together specifically for those books. I didn’t have to hunt down a notepad or remember what bookmarks were important.
There is a lot of flexibility in the planning boards of Reedsy. Take time to experiment and set up a few ideas of your own.
Personally, I like saving my marketing ideas with each individual book, especially when it comes to promoting with niche websites and such.
Creating Character Bios
As I mentioned, the planning board has a lot of functionality. In this case, creating a character bio can help you in a number of ways.
Setting up character bios can help with:
- Descriptions when using actor images for characters.
- Describing physical and mental attributes.
- Listing out a character’s strengths and flaws.
- Outlining a character arc or recording changes.
- Leaving yourself notes of key points of character behaviors and mannerisms.
- Links to websites for character development research.
- Putting together a realistic character for the reader.
When it comes to writing a book, I think cinematically. This means that I am also on the lookout for actors who I think would play certain “roles” in the manuscript. Then, I’ll use their images as a basis for describing what a character looks like.
The goal is to hopefully give readers the same impression of the character that I see while writing. It doesn’t always work that way as everyone has a unique perspective when it comes to their imagination.
Nonetheless, the actors I have saved in the planning boards are who I see when writing their parts. If anything, it’s exceptionally helpful when it comes to describing what they look like or how they behave.
I didn’t think much about character bios until I wrote Kingmaker. Nowadays, I don’t know if I can do a book justice without spending the time creating someone in the story to such an extent.
To be perfectly honest, I feel that having that solid basis for the character helps me create those that are far more realistic and relatable.
Now, this doesn’t mean that I have every character planned out before writing. Some are fleshed out long after chapter one.
Pinning the Boards as You Write
A nice feature of the Reedsy planning boards in the book editor is that you can pin any page. This means you can access it while writing the manuscript on the right-hand side of the screen.
Pinning a page from your board can be quite helpful, especially if you’re a plotter or want to keep an eye on a character’s bio. Perhaps you don’t want to forget how the main character behaves while writing the plot.
I often use it to show various research pages and links while writing. For instance, I have a few websites saved that have a lot of information regarding Atlantic City in the 1870s. By using the pinned page, I can access the research at a glance and click.
Granted, the pinning element isn’t as flexible as the dual-screen mode in Scrivener. You can only pin one page at a time in the Reedsy writing app and have to go into the planning board to find another that you want to use.
Still, having the feature has been quite useful while writing the last couple of books. It’s such a pain to load up my browser with bookmarks for research. This way, I can simply add them to the planning board, pin the page, and then click when I need something.
Another way to use the pinned note is by creating a checklist of things you want to write about or parts of the story you want to include. Then, you can check them off as you write.
Because of the way Reedsy created the planning board, you can use the pinning feature in a plethora of ways.
Keeping Track of Goals and Deadlines
Among my favorite features of the Reedsy writing app is the ability to create goals and deadlines. As a writer, you’re only truly accountable to yourself. By setting goals and deadlines, you give yourself a sense of urgency to complete your book.
Of course, this only works as long as you’re dedicated to writing your manuscript. It’s very easy to set a goal or a deadline, but it’s also as easy to just forget about them.
The nice thing about Reedsy is that you can tell the app what days of the week you plan to write. Then, it’ll calculate how many words you need to write per day in order to meet your deadline.
You can also set daily, weekly, or monthly goals separate from the deadline should you choose. If you want X amount of words written by a specific date, you can add that as well.
Remember to keep the goals and deadlines realistic, though. It’s one thing to say that you want to write 5,000 words today. But are you physically capable of doing so? And I’m not just talking about being a slow typist.
Some of us have pressing needs throughout the day, such as jobs and children. If you’re like me, you also have a slew of side projects that tap most of your time.
Make sure you’re setting goals that will push you to put in the effort but are also realistic to your lifestyle. Not everyone has the time to crank out 10,000 words in a day.
A good way to do this is to use your past writing progress as a milestone or benchmark. Then, see if you can beat that number.
Writing Timeline and History
One feature of the Reedsy book editor you should familiarize yourself with is the Writing Timeline. This will keep track of all your changes and progress since you started writing the book.
You can literally go back in time to recover an earlier version of your book should you decide to make sweeping changes. This can be quite helpful, especially if the story just isn’t progressing like you wanted.
I would like to point out, though, that you should create a backup of the story before ever restoring an earlier version. That way, you don’t lose any of your work should you change your mind again.
Not to mention that perhaps there are scenes or dialogue that you want to keep for later use after restoring the earlier version.
Normally, these timeline additions are created every 30 minutes or so as you work on your manuscript. However, making big changes such as renaming a chapter, splitting a chapter, or adding/deleting a page can cause Reedsy to create a new version.
You can also create a new version manually should there be a point that you want to highlight while you write.
Another aspect of the Writing Timeline is the ability to “Star” a favorite point. You can use this as a reminder, to highlight favorite changes, or to mark important elements or milestones in the book.
The Writing Timeline is accessible in Reedsy by clicking the clock icon in the right sidebar of the app. This will load up the revision screen, which may take a bit of time to load depending on how long you’ve been working on the manuscript.
Using Comments While Editing
Another feature that I use quite often in the Reedsy book editor is the Comment tool. By highlighting a section of text, regardless of size, you can mark it with a comment.
If you hire a Reedsy editor to help you with your book, they’ll use this tool a lot. In my case, I’ll use it as a way to highlight parts of the book that I need to fix in some fashion.
For example, I don’t edit my books until the first draft is completely written. However, I’ll re-read a few paragraphs each day before I start typing so I can pick up where I left off. If there is something that needs attention during the editing phase, I’ll leave a comment for myself.
Or, perhaps I just finished writing a scene but I can tell that it needs a lot more “meat” to make it better. I’ll leave a comment for myself and continue writing the story.
In the Comments tool, you can track changes, show deleted content, and cycle through all of the comments.
Each individual comment has the option to reply, resolve, edit, or delete. This is quite useful for communicating with your Reedsy editor as you can reply to the comment before making changes for more clarification.
You could also reply to yourself, should you choose. Perhaps as a way to keep track of something related to that part of the story. Either way, the option is there if you need to use it.
Comments will also show the date and time they were created for tracking purposes.
For me, the Comment tool is among the most utilized while I write. I’m constantly leaving myself little notes, mostly to remember what I want to add or change.
Sharing with Beta Readers
Having beta readers can do wonders for your story. Unlike a proofreader, these people are focused more on making sure the manuscript reads well and has a good flow.
Beta readers can help you plug up plot holes, figure out if you need more description, help with the realism of the dialogue, and a whole lot more.
The Reedsy book editor has a sharing feature built into it that allows you to share the link to your manuscript. That way, you can send the URL directly through email, on social media, or as an insider membership bonus if you use platforms like Buy Me a Coffee, Ko-fi, or Patreon.
Kingmaker is a much better book overall thanks to my beta readers. Not only did one of the main characters get a complete overhaul, but I wound up adding 12,000 words to the story by the end.
So, how many beta readers should you use? I guess that really depends on how much feedback you’ll want to receive. In my case, I had about six or seven, two of whom provided some incredibly detailed insights that made a huge difference.
Every author is unique, and you don’t necessarily need to use beta readers at all. It’s just a great way to help you find things you might have missed when setting up the plot or character development.
Never be afraid of an actual critique. Most beta readers are not trolls and will let you know why something does or does not work. Don’t view it as an attack on your abilities but more of a way to polish up an otherwise good story.
Keep in mind that most beta readers prefer a complete manuscript. Don’t keep bugging people to read a chapter at a time, especially if you have a habit of rewriting the entire story every four chapters.
Promoting Yourself with Back Matter
Lastly, take advantage of the back matter pages in the Reedsy writing app to promote yourself further. By default, you have two specific pages for this: About the Author & Also By…
The “About the Author” page has sections to add your picture, a bio of who you are as an author, and your social media links. You can also add other websites to the page such as your personal or professional blogs, YouTube channels, and more.
You can also add a link to a newsletter signup form. That way, fans of your books can keep in the loop when you’re writing something new. For instance, I am adding my Substack URL to the page, which is my outlet for fans of my work.
I mentioned the “Also By” page earlier, and it’s worth mentioning again how it can help you promote your other books. This is especially true if you’re writing a series. Perhaps you want the reader to know there are related books they should read.
You could also create any kind of page for the back matter for virtually any purpose. You do this in the same way I mentioned earlier for adding a prologue – by adding a chapter page and changing its title.
For instance, what if you want to list out the sources of your book? Perhaps you wrote something non-fiction and want to highlight scientific papers or case studies.
Maybe you want to include a glossary of terms for a fantasy novel.
The bottom line is that these pages are there to help promote yourself as an author while enticing the reader to buy more of your work. You might as well get the most out of it.
What Is Most Important to You in a Writing App?
The Reedsy book editor has a lot of functionality and is very easy to use. I just wanted to point out some of the more prominent parts of the app you’ll want to use as you write.
As a free platform, Reedsy delivers a great experience and has everything you need to start and publish your book.
Although it currently doesn’t have the most robust formatting options, I found that it worked great when I published Kingmaker.
While Reedsy has collaboration tools today, they didn’t have them when I wrote Kingmaker. Still, going forward with the series should be much easier.
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