Not only is it important to turn around a well written article, it is important to turn it around in time. Haven’t there been times when you have done all you could — prettied up the article, used the thesaurus, and standardized the font size — and then wondered, what’s next?
Well, there are a number of great online tools to help you put those final touches, and they are free! No more nail-biting to meet those deadlines. With a mouse click, you could get the exact information and the precise word count while checking for plagiarism and formatting content. And the list goes on. In the World Wide Web, you could easily get lost in the maze of information. So, pick and choose what you need the most.
Before putting pen to paper, every writer with or without the infamous writer’s block, needs to do a thorough research. So, where do you find the right information? “Google it,” some would say. Well, that someone could be partially right, and here’s why. Though Google has plenty of information, you need to be sure you are referring to a credible source. Instead of fretting about the authenticity of information and adding disclaimers, you could reference content from a free website such as Refdesk.com that indexes information. What’s more, it is a one stop shop for other sources such as dictionaries and thesauruses. You no longer need to toggle between Alt and Tab keys on the keyboard.
Are you dealing with a client who is extremely finicky about the number of characters per line? Does the publisher expect a specific number of words per paragraph? Lay your worries to rest as you can format text and get the word or character count by simply copy-pasting. So, whether it is a website or a newsletter you are crafting, FWOIntl.com will come handy. Just key in the number of words you want per line and you are good to go.
As writers, haven’t you heard enough about avoiding plagiarism? Plagiarism refers to copying of content from a published source. Referring to such sources, however, does not amount to plagiarism. Though it is hard to convince a first-time client that you would not be picking up words as they are, avoiding plagiarism can be tricky. Especially since even three words in a row from a source could amount to copying. So, how do you check the authenticity of your online content? Simply, by copy-pasting the URL of your website in an anti-plagiarism tool such as Copyscape. This helps you check if the content has been lifted from other published sources.
Search Engine Optimization or SEO should be familiar territory if you have been writing online content. Marketing forms the basis of SEO writing and, therefore, it is important that a writer uses the required words or phrases for the article to rank well. Your keywords should naturally flow in the article and not read like a chunk of content with random words strung together. Here’s where keyword density comes into play. Check your word density using a free online tool such as Online-Utility.org, which displays the number of times a phrase or word has been used. So, if the density percentage is more, all you do is replace it with synonyms or edit the text.
Have you been prey to the green squiggly that Word throws up and chose to ignore it? Help is available at the click of your mouse – not only can you check spellings, but also replace them using the built-in thesaurus. All you need to do is dump the text and check for spelling, grammar, and thesaurus in SpellChecker.net. That’s not all, if you are unsure of where “z”replaces “s,” you could set the language depending which geography you are writing for.
So, use the resources at hand to your advantage and you do not have to compromise on quality. After all, it is quality that separates one writer from the other.
Editor's note: Most articles submitted to Chillibreeze go through a selection process. Only 30 percent of submitted articles are accepted for publication on the Chillibreeze.com featured article list. All accepted articles are edited and proofread for glaring errors of punctuation and grammar. Sentence structure is changed in certain cases and sometimes, entire sections are rewritten. If you notice any errors that have slipped through the cracks, do let us know! (Email us at info at chillibreeze dot com).
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in September, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.
Out of 5 “chilies”, our editorial team gave this article...
—About our writer:
Mini Dayal is from Thiruvanthapuram, a beautiful seaside city located on the extreme south of the west coast of India. She is a postgraduate in English language and literature. For the last 20 years, she has been working in the administrative front of the prestigious Indian Railways. Recently, she began working as a freelance editor for the e-learning department of Educomp Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and Educomp Learning Pvt. Ltd. She loves reading, writing poems, and articles on issues of common concern.
>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers:
Chillibreeze offers Indian writers the opportunity to work on customer projects. We are also India’s biggest writer network and a one-stop shop for Indian writers and editors. The writers’ section on Chillibreeze offers freelance writers and editors a variety of tools to advance their careers. Resources for writers include:
