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Some writers wouldn’t be caught dead working on a smartphone. Apps for writers aren’t what you need. Computers are the tool of a professional, they’d maintain. So unless you’re Jack Dorsey, put away the smartphone and write.
But that’s not my philosophy. Sure, I may use my iPhone a bit too much, but it’s my indispensable mini-computer for working faster. Yes, faster.
With the right apps, I find myself able to schedule, research, and write faster. Checking definitions, doing research, and finding images are all tasks I do on apps.
But, even more important, apps can handle all the not-writing-but-needs-done-anyway tasks writers get stuck with. Images and graphics for your blog, social media, and whatever else keeps your writing business spinning.
Apps are a boon to my writing that gets work done faster. That said, here are a few I rely on to take my writing up a notch.
1. Google Docs
The pervasive favorite of online writers. Sure, it’s popular, it’s basic. But Google Docs is also the best word processor for collaborating and sharing documents across devices.
Its app offers one more way for you to write and edit documents. Pump out some words, even if you’re away from your desk. Have a quote or some writing saved on your phone? Copy-paste it into the app faster than you could type it into your computer.
2. Canva
Canva is a powerhouse app, letting writers creating any graphic they might need. Book cover? Done. Social media graphics, blog graphics, even your resume, if you might need that? Done. All of it from your smartphone. If you have the right stock photos to use, Canva will seriously help you out.
3. Dictionary.com
This handy app frees you from needing another tab open on your computer or a bulky book on your desk. With an easy built-in thesaurus and dictionary, checking definitions and synonyms has never been faster.
For a few extra bucks, you can unlock an offline dictionary for reviewing definitions on-the-go, even without internet. (Just don’t get distracted by the fun etymology and linguistic trivia the app also includes.)
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4. WordPress
If any part of your writing involves blogging on WordPress, you’ll need the WordPress app. Anything to do with your website, you’ll be able to do it on-the-go with this app. Write posts, check stats, respond to comments—you can take your website maintenance mobile.
5. Pexels
Need free-to-use images fast? Pexels has an app that makes searching and saving photos for writing easy.
Save time hunting for photos and do it on your phone. It’s free, and it’s simple.
6. Medium
If you blog via Medium, then the app is the only thing you’ll need. It creates posts and allows for editing, stat-checking, and everything else. If you don’t blog via Medium, don’t ignore it either.
The Medium community is full of all types of writers, fiction, non-fiction, memoir, etc., that share writing advice and publish stories on the platform. You can find plenty of help from other writers on there, from inspo to advice to business stuff. Or, you could try publishing your short stories and poetry directly on there. I wrote a whole guide to Medium writing than could help you start out.
So there are many, many more apps for writers out there I could suggest. But your time is limited, and hopefully, you’re already itching to check out the writing tasks you can delegate to apps.
Don’t surrender the potential of your smartphone just because writing purists wouldn’t approve. Save yourself time and effort by turning to the right apps.
Mint is a writer and digital marketing pro who lives in coastal Virginia with her family and one lovable pitbull. Her passions include helping people and businesses display their best side through the power of communication, buying her dog costumes he doesn’t want to wear, and talking all day about Batman.
