Smart Edit Software Revisited
Posted by Nancy J. Cohen on August 16, 2013
Recently I downloaded the updated version of the Smart-Edit software I’d described below at http://bit.ly/12iU9nZ. I ran my work-in-progress through it even though I’d already made corrections based on the last analysis. Guess what? The program still found problems for me to fix.
Redundancies caught me this time. Here are some examples:
I started off
I flung myself backward from whence I’d come
Hurry up
Under Punctuation, the program pointed out I had two straight apostrophes. These were easy fixes.
Under Acronyms, I discovered I’d shortened medical examiner three different ways—M.E., ME, and M.E missing the final period. I changed them all to the first one. It’s great having a second set of eyes like this to find mistakes.
The program counts curly and straight apostrophes and quote marks. It found two straight apostrophes instead of curly ones. Under punctuation problems, it alerted me that I hadn’t eliminated all the extra spaces.
More new findings:
Overused phrases: “gave me a”, “hands on”, “thank goodness”
Repeated words –“when” 204 times
Possible misused words: Different from or different than, eager or anxious, less than or fewer than. (I’m not sure I understand which one to use. Do you know?)
The new edition also lets you work in word processing software, but I didn’t use this feature.
I repeat my recommendation to try one of these programs after your last round of polishing. You’ll be amazed at what you’ve missed.
Here’s a list of programs, some suggested by readers of my earlier column. I’ve only tried the first two and they’re similar in tasks. They don’t replace the read-throughs you need to do for yourself. Rather, they help you pick up errors, repetitive phrasing, redundancies and such that you might have missed.
SELF-EDITING SOFTWARE PROGRAMS
Nancy's Notes From Florida 
Marcia said
Hi, Nancy! On your recommendation, I downloaded the free version of SmartEdit and loved it, so I bought the upgrade. I have already updated that, too, and think the new version is super. It’s amazing how many times I used the word “UP.” We get up, sit up, speak up, dream up, stand up, wake up, look up….the list is endless. And I don’t even SEE it when I write it. SmartEdit does, though. And allows me to go back and say it differently. Now, when my drafts come back from my editor, there aren’t nearly as many red marks on them. Thanks for the heads up on this one. It was definitely worth the $50.
Nancy J. Cohen said
Funny how you overuse the word, “up.” One of my downfalls is the word “down” (pun intended). Sit down, put down, go down. It’s amazing how we can’t see these for ourselves.
Marcia said
Isn’t it? I also am forever “beginning” things. He began to, she began to, it began to, he started, she started, you get my drift. I LOVE the way Smart-Edit catches me out on that. And the adverb count is astronomical. Now, personally, I’m not at war with adverbs, if used judiciously. They’ve been a perfectly acceptable part of the English language for as long as there’s been one. But overusing them can result in lazy writing, for sure, and Swifties are as awful as they were first intended to be, so that’s a no-no. I strive for balance. I look at that long list of adverbs that pops up every time, and check each one to see which can be gotten rid of at once (since many are totally unnecessary), which can lost through a better use of words, and which I think should stay, because saying the line any other way is awkward and unrealistic. SmartEdit is fantastic for those things, and for making sure I haven’t misused a dialogue tag, too. I can’t thank you enough for posting about it.
Nancy J. Cohen said
I’m glad you have found this program to be useful. Besides he began or he started, don’t forget to eliminate, he tried. As Yoda said, “Do or do not. There is no tried.”
Kristin Wallace said
Oh. I like the sound of it. Is it easy to use? And is it pricy?
Nancy J. Cohen said
There’s a free trial which is adequate for giving you a taste of what the program is about. Run one or two WIPs through it. The full version is around $50.
jeannemeeks said
Thanks for being the guinea pig.This software sounds perfect for those of us who self-publish. I’ll give it a try (sorry Yoda).
Nancy J. Cohen said
Check out the free trial and see if you like what it does.
Mona Risk said
Interesting program. I wish I knew about it earlier.
Nancy J. Cohen said
Me, too, Mona, but it’s not too late to start using it now going forward.
Nancy J. Cohen said
Addendum and Disclosure: After my honest comments about this software, I received an offer for the full version from the creators. I accepted and ran my work through again. My evaluation remains the same. I would have bought this by now on my own. This software costs $59.95 for a one-time license. The ProWriting Aid, which is just as good, costs $35 for one year only or you can buy a multi-year license. I would say to determine how often you might want to update in making your choice. I have suggested a print feature for the Smart-Edit program. Again, weigh which one suits your needs in terms of analyzing your work and licensing costs before making a choice. And definitely run the free trials to see what each program does for you.
Nancy J. Cohen said
Another author recommends: Style Writer 4 and autocrit.com. She says Style Writer 4 costs about $200 and attaches to Word. It’s a “GREAT program and worth the cost.” Autocrit.com is online for an annual membership. This one is “WELL worth it. I have the one that is something like $72/year.”
Nancy J. Cohen said
Websites: Style Writer 4 (http://www.stylewriter-usa.com/) and AutoCrit (http://www.autocrit.com/).
Cindy Lynn Speer said
This sounds really nifty…I’ll give it a try for sure. Your writing can never be too clean. 🙂
Nancy J. Cohen said
Yes, try out the different programs and see what they can do.
Shelley Adina said
Re less than/fewer than: Less than is an amount or measure, fewer than is a bunch of individual things. So, for example, “There was less than a cup of water for fewer than a dozen baby chicks to drink.”
Marcia said
Good example, Shelley. Nancy, when I am confused (which is a constant state of mind for me lately), I google like this “less vs fewer” and up pop a bunch of very good sites to help me out. The website that comes up most often is Grammar Girl ( http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl ). She has the easiest to understand explanations of any I’ve found. I highly recommend a stop by her site when you are in doubt, if you haven’t already discovered this. She’s saved me from some big mistakes. Hope this is helpful to you or some of your readers. 🙂
Nancy J. Cohen said
Thank you Shelley, I’m going to save your explanation. And Marcia, I’ll check out Grammar Girl.