If you’re an aspiring author, pursuing a career in the world of words, or just writing an email to your boss later today, chances are your work will need some editing. New to the world of books, I quickly learned the best sentences can become even better by using some great free tools at your disposal. No, I’m not talking about the pamphlets we received in grade school. I’m talking about how anyone can be their own editor, and it’s only a few clicks away.
As a recent college graduate, I knew how important grammar was for making any piece of writing clear and concise without dulling one’s own personal writing style. When I began serving as an intern with Swenson Book Development, I was further enlightened to how poor grammar may affect my impressions upon my colleagues and potential employers. On a personal level, I’ve completed several rounds of manuscript edits for my own novels, and utilizing free editing sites to check my grammar has never been easier.
Open up a web browser on your computer, smartphone, or tablet and you can find great reference sites which make DIY editing easy. Here are some free online tools which will help to relieve the hassle of grammar in your daily lives:
- Upload your documents on Grammarly’s free website and they will help check over 250 grammar rules you may have missed. Download it to your computer and it will notify you instantly about an error as you’re typing.
- Take some refresher courses on grammar rules and usage through Kahn Academy’s free interactive online platform.
- With daily updates on everything from difficult word usage to popular phrases and their meanings, Grammarist.com provides extensive references to help improve your editing ability.
- Trendy tips about word usage and clever tricks to turn the simplest phrase into must-read material. Grammar Girl is a great reference for anyone looking to add style into their writing.
- The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) assists you in your development as a writer—no matter what your skill level. Best resources for citations and references.
Writing and Listening — an Interview with Brooke Randel
As a young girl Brooke Randel knew little about the Holocaust—just that it was a catastrophe in which millions were murdered, and that her grandma Golda Indig barely escaped that fate. But her Bubbie never spoke about what happened, and the two spent most of their time together making pleasant memories: baking crescent roll cookies, playing gin rummy, and watching Baywatch. Until an unexpected phone call when Golda said, out of the blue: “You should write about my life. What happened in the war.” What results is a fascinating memoir—about one woman’s harrowing survival, and another’s struggle to excavate theRead more…
A helpful list! I’m especially pleased to see the university where my father was a professor (Purdue) listed with its writing lab.
I didn’t realize your father taught at Purdue! OWL is one of my go-to sites, especially for style questions on bibliographies and references.
Thank you for checking out these DIY Editing Tools! I found the OWL’s Workplace Writers especially helpful when searching for full-time employment.