Hemingway Editor Review - Will it Improve Your Writing!?

Along with staying relevant with the newest book marketing and writing, we also enjoy checking out the newest tools that can help authors throughout the entire writing process. This is our full review on the Hemingway editor.    

I’ve heard a lot of authors speaking about using Hemingway in their own writing.  

But you may be wondering what it is, and how it may be able to help you in your writing journey?

Unlike other writing tutors like ProWritingAid, Hemingway is not a comprehensive writing tutor. This is because it instead focuses on securing words and making them more impactful and concise.   

We decided to check out Hemingway Editor and compare it to other writing tools. So, you can make a more informed decision. Let’s get started.      

In this well thought out review you will learn:

• An outline of Hemingway Editor and how to best use it 

• The cost associated with Hemingway 

• How hemingway compares to other related solutions         

WHAT IS HEMINGWAY?

Hemingway is named after a well known master of literacy, Ernest Hemmingway. The tool aims to “make your writing bold and clear.” But that being said it isn’t a comprehensive writing coach or grammar checker, like ProWritingAid and Grammarly.     

Instead, it’s a powerful and minimalist device to better the method of your writing. 

But you may be wondering how? It can be done by either pasting your work into Hemingway editor or writing straight into the editor, it then highlights your writing with different colours. Each colour is associated with a different Hemingway improvement.     

So these are the suggestions that are made by Hemingway: 

• Yellow Sentences:  Hemingway identifies these sentences as structurally complex or lengthy. So the tool gives a suggestion to simplify or split the yellow highlighted sentences.  

• Red Sentences: Hemingway identifies these sentences as sentences that could confuse readers. Best thing to do here is reword the sentences until the red highlight disappears.    

• Purple Words: Hemingway feels these sentences have a more simpler and suitable replacement. To see Hemingways suggestention hover over the words.    

• Blue Words: These words are adverbs or hesitant and weak language. Hemingway suggests omitting these words.   

• Green Phrases: These phrases indicate that passive voice has been applied. This can be appropriate under some contexts, but active voice is usually preferred.     

HOW TO USE HEMINGWAY EDITOR – HEMINGWAY APP AND ONLINE

The Hemingway Editor tool can be applied in two ways:

• The Online Hemingway Editor, free 

• The Hemingway App, in app purchase 

Paid vs Free Hemingway Editor

You can find the Hemingway Editor online for free. Also the good news is that the creators have released they want to keep it this way.

But the Hemingway App is only available for a one-time purchase of $19.99. This price is consistent with the Windows and Mac version of the Hemingway app. Purchasing the software also qualifies you to free upgrades.   

This is how the online Hemingway Editor differs from the paid app.  

Since we have compared the Hemingway App to the Hemingway Editor, let's compare alike writing tools, like ProWritingAid and Grammarly.     

HEMINGWAY VS PROWRITINGAID VS GRAMMARLY

For this case, there isn’t a clear winner. Hemingway is able to do certain things while ProWritingAid and Grammarly are able to do other things.    

But, overall, I believe Hemingway is an affordable and amazing option for writers. It will secure the style of almost any writer out there. The best way to know if Hemingway is a good fit for you is to the free version, the full app version is a great value for only a one time payment of $19.99.  

Important Notes: ProWritingAid typically has better grammar, but I feel Grammarly has better control on commas and where they belong.     

From above one can note, ProWritingAid has the most features. But, if you don’t require all the features that come with ProWritingAid or are on a budget, Hemingway Editor is more worthy of your time and attention.    

HEMINGWAY EDITOR ONLINE AND HOW TO USE IT:

You would see a screen similar to the one below when accessing the Hemingway Online Version.

This version of the Hemingway Editor offers two modes: Edit and Write 

The ‘Write’ mode is utilized for free of distraction writing in a minimalistic setting. When using the Hemingway’s ‘write’ mode, the screen would appear like this, once you delete the pre written work Hemingway has written :

While you can create a short piece using the Hemingway ‘write’ settinging, it is not something I would recommend.  

I say this because there is no way for you to save your work, like by logging in or cloud. So, if something happens and the browser crashes, you will lose everything  you have been working on in the Hemingway ‘write’ setting. 

By using the ‘Edit’ option, one is able to utilize the complete range of the Hemingway analysis.  

This would include the three sections below:

1. Formatting options, found at the top of your screen 

2. Also includes colored highlights of your writing, which indicates the types of improvements Hemingway believes you should make.

3. Also this really cool feature that summarizes all the findings Hemmingway was able to find, this is located on the right side of your screen

Let us look at these three sections closer.

THE FORMATTING OPTIONS WITH HEMINGWAY EDITOR

Hemingway offers the following formatting options for your text:

• Bold

• Quote

• Link

• H1

• H2

• H3

• Numbers

• Bullets

• Link

• Italic

These Formatting options are great for bloggers. This is because one can clean up their writing style in the Hemingway editor and then utilize the listed formatting options for your text to be prepared for publication. 

COLORED HIGHLIGHTS IN THE HEMINGWAY EDITOR 

Now Let us take a peek at the colored highlights being used.  

Yellow Highlights

Yellow highlighted sentences indicate they are hard to read. Thus hemingway reccoments splitting it up or shortening it. 

Red Highlights

Red highlighted sentences are very hard to read. These sentences are similar to yellow sentences, but a lot worse.    

Purple Highlights

Purple highlighter words show complex words being used for which simpler substitutes exist. 

The way to see the substitute words is to use your mouse to hover over the purple word. You can see an example of this below.  

Blue Highlights

A blue highlighted word means Hemingway thinks it is weak. 

Using your mouse to hover over the highlighted word, you would see the suggestions Hemingway makes to improve your writing.  

Hemingway can give suggestions to improve an adverb, like this picture above.  

Above, Hemingway is able to suggest how to make a qualifier stronger.  

Green Highlights

Text that has been highlighted in green suggests that passive voice has been used. 

SUMMARY OF HEMINGWAY EDITOR 

Hemmingway gives a summary of your writing, which is located on the right hand side of your screen. Having this feature is great because it provides the following information.   

Readability

Hemingway is able to analyse your writing to be able to assess the reading level it is written at.   

As stated by the creators of Hemingway, the average American is able to read at a tenth-grade level. Making sure your writing is below or at this level will make it easy for the average american to access.   

Enrest Hemingway's writing is said to be fifth-grade level. Proof that clear and concise language does not weaken the quality of one's writing.   

Words

Hemingway is able to show a word count for your writing.

The following information would be displayed, By clicking on ‘Show More’

Number Of Adverbs

Hemingway is able to show us the number of adverbs in your writing and calculates if this is a tolerable number. 

Use Of Passive Voice

Hemingway is also able to show us how often passive voice is used in your writing and then calculates if this is an acceptable number.  

Complex Language

This characteristic exhibits the number of  simpler words suggested in your writing.  

Hard To Read Sentences

Hemingway is also able to identify the quantity of yellow sentences in your writing. 

Very Hard To Read Sentences

This characteristic shows us the amount of times red sentences were found by Hemingway 

With all the above info put together, Hemingway offers us a useful summary.  

WHY WE LIKE PROWRITINGAID MORE THAN HEMINGWAY

Although Hemingway is very easy to use. Although, if I had to choose, I would choose ProWritingAid. I say this because: 

• Using ProWritingAid is like having a personalized tutor. The software provides an in-depth look into your areas of strength and weakness, no software does it like them.   

• No matter what your writing style is, the software can tailor to it 

If you are just looking for something that fits your budget, then forsure have a look at Hemingway.  

But, if you are looking for the best writing editor, ProWritingAid is the best one out there.  

Conclusion

Now that you have a good understanding of how Hemingway Editor works you can use it to help yourself and even compare it to its rivals.  

But here's a Reminder:

• There is a free and paid version of the editor

• It’s aim is to improve and tighten your writing 

• I still think ProWritingAid is the leading solution  

Have you ever used the Hemingway Editor? Have you used any of the other writing solutions I have mentioned? Let me know in the comments below.

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If you need help turning your book into an audiobook, we offer audiobook production services that will help you reach a wider audience and increase your book sales. 

Learn more here and listen to some of our audiobook samples

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Contact us here to get started.

How to Copyright a Song

So you’ve got a great sound, you’ve done all the online promotion you can think of and your songs are really getting some traction! You might want to just sit back and watch the play count rise, but unfortunately, there’s still more work to do. The music industry has been notorious for alleged intellectual property theft right back to 1963 and with the rise of the internet, it isbe that much easier to get away with.

While I still believe that most people, in this industry or otherwise, are good, that does not mean you shouldn’t take the necessary precautions to ensure you are not one of those people left in the dust. 

Why you should care about music licensing and copyright

Especially as an independent musician, it is paramount that you understand and use the legal system to protect you and your work. Regardless of if you plan on making this a career or not, getting money for something you’ve spent time creating is an incredible feeling, but all of that is gone if it's going to another pocket. 

The word copyright is likely familiar to you, it is used for most forms of artistic expression, or any time there is an author/artist. This first legal term consists of two parts, 1. The Moral right, or recognition of ownership and integrity of the work (important to note that the USA does not recognize the moral right) and 2. The Economic Right, the exclusive right to exploit the work through reproduction or performance for economic gain. 

Music licensing comes in once you have the copyright, and essentially allows certain entities to perform the work on your behalf. Every time a recording or performance is made of a work a license must be obtained from the songwriter or publisher (whoever owns the copyright). Furthermore, this agreement is not exclusive (usually) therefore as the owner you still have the right to reproduce, or perform the work yourself and the right to decline a licensing agreement with anyone in the future. Finally, depending on the nature of the reproduction a different license is required. 

As you might imagine, for large artists, selling an individual license every time someone wants a reproduction would be an incredibly large task in and of itself. For this reason, Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) and Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) have been set up that offer blanket licenses for each reproduction method. Allowing for blanket licenses saves a lot of time for the owner of the copyright itself but does introduce yet another middle man in the whole process. The expertise and specialization of these organizations can be invaluable to the upcoming artist, especially when it comes to understanding the nuances of mechanical, and performing rights, and sync licenses (yeah, of course there is even more to it), which we will go into more detail on later. 

How to copyright your songs

One interesting piece of trivia regarding these legal terms is when a copyright is actually obtained. In reality, all you need is to have recorded your song on paper or digitally and bam, copyright gained! The problem is, of course, that no one else knows what you own and when it was created! This can cause some very tricky legal situations of: he said she said, so the real test is the copyright registration. Once you register your copyright with the United States Copyright Office (or your national copyright organization ex. Canada) for example, you’ll have undisputable “prima facie” (another fancy legal term basically stating the other party has to prove the work is not yours, as opposed to the other way around) evidence you created it and on what date.

Registering for a copyright can usually be done directly on the organizations website however there are now more middleman organizations willing to copyright it for a fee, in case the very unfriendly user interface scares you too much. 

Metadata

Making sure your work and it’s corresponding owner can be identified is the whole point of this whole exercise, and today, that relies on accurate metadata. Metadata is essentially all the background information on a piece of work including the sound recording data (International Sound Recording Codes), and publishing data (International Standard Work Codes) however coordinating all of this information is still extremely difficult. Combine that with the thousands of new copyrights register every day and some songs never get properly identified. As an artist, you must register your song with as much transparency, consistency and volume of information as soon as you can to avoid identification problems down the line. 

Getting licenses

On the other hand, getting the license to cover, remix, or sample a song depends entirely on how you are going to use it but it will comprise 2 categories. Mechanical license, Master licenses, and performing rights. 

Mechanical licenses cover the right to distribute, record, or manufacture a musical work or sheet music therefore they are mostly for download stores. 

Master Licenses are similar to mechanical licenses however they focus on the actual recording of the song as opposed to the elements (composition, melody, lyrics) that make up the whole. 

And finally Performing rights, you guessed it, are the right to perform a song in a public place. These rights are only important for venues, radio stations and for playing the song on TV, so as independent musicians, you shouldn’t have to worry about it. 

Cover Songs

Rerecording a song with your own unique performance without altering the melody or arrangement of the original allows you to avoid the Master license and Mechanical License in all streaming platforms however you still require the Mechanical license in some select countries download stores like the USA and Canada.  

Remixes

Remixing a song takes the original elements and spins them to alter the melody or any other song element. To release a remix worldwide, no matter the platform or country, you just need a Master License. 

Sampling

Getting the license for a song you’ve sampled is the most complicated of the bunch. Despite its prevalence in modern music today, sampling is not recognized as a completely original art form. Due to the vast differences in sampling techniques and the fact that song elements may still remain, both a master and mechanical license is required for worldwide distribution. 

Who to contact

Now that you know what kind of legal right you need to obtain, the next step is finding out who can actually provide that to you. 

As stated previously, registering for a license is usually done through a national Performing Rights Organization or Collective Management Organization. These differ by region but a quick internet search can usually direct you to the right place. 

Registering your song for copyright is also typically done through a national organization therefore, again just a quick search will set you right on your way. 

Getting the licenses for your own reproduction can be a little more difficult though. Although registering is done centrally, those rights are still owned by individuals or publishing companies therefore identifying the original songwriter, owner or label should be the first step. This is actually made much easier through copyright databases like Songfile but again, going back to those copyright offices will help as well. 

The various different licenses can cause some confusion here as well, so reaching out and just asking will save a lot of headache down the line but in general, the label will own copyright to the sound recording but the publisher will own the composition. If you’re trying to recreate the song, not play it in public (like those tv channels, and venues) then the composition license is the only one you’ll need. 

When making contact it is again important to be absolutely clear about what song you are inquiring about and what your intention is for it. Sending an explicit letter of intent is the final step to the whole process, so everyone is clear just what is being recreated and how much everyone owes. Make sure to do this at least 30 days before your release date just in case there is any confusion or problems through the whole process. 

Conclusion

Music copyright and licensing is one of those behind the scenes parts of this whole industry that can be extremely daunting to the up-and-coming independent musician. One of the big draws of signing to a label can simply be the wealth of experience they have in this respect, so if you’re really seeing a lot of momentum and are willing to invest in that way, it might be a good idea to see if there’s anyone else out there who wants to support you. For anyone else, this blog should be a great first start to the wide world of music licensing. In all cases, make sure you know what the laws and organizations are for your region and if you’re looking for a license to recreate, just contacting the owner directly will never hurt. 

For plenty of more amazing information on music production and promotion, be sure to keep up with our blog and if you’re interested in what Jony Studios can do for your music career have a look at our services page. 

As always, stay creative!

- By Erik Steiner

How To Publish Your Audiobook On Audible

You have finished narrating your audiobook and are now looking to publish it online. The question then comes, where can you publish and how?

Whenever you need to buy something, what’s the first name that pops up in your head? 

Amazon

Just like with eBooks and Kindle by Amazon, Amazon has the biggest share of the audiobook market through Audible.

ACX

WHAT IS IT?

Amazon uses the platform ACX to distribute audiobooks to Amazon, Audible and iTunes.

According to the ACX website, “ACX is a marketplace where authors, literary agents, publishers, and other Rights Holders can connect with narrators, engineers, recording studios, and other Producers capable of producing a finished audiobook. The result: More audiobooks will be made.”

HOW TO USE IT?

ACX is a very straightforward platform to use. If you’ve ever posted a picture on FaceBook, you’ll know how to upload your audiobook on ACX.

After proof-listening your audiobook, all you have to do is upload each file to ACX and submit them for approval, making sure it follows the ACX Audio Submission Requirements. You can also upload a sample of your audiobook to attract the attention of potential buyers. This will help in increasing the number of downloads/sales of your audiobook. 

To learn more, check out Jony Studios blog Benefits And Tips For Recording An Audiobook For Your Novel. 

Before uploading your files, remember to name each audio with its corresponding chapter number to avoid confusion for both the publisher and listeners. Getting approval from ACX varies, however, according to the help center, it can take upto 30 business days to get an approval.

The ACX help center is a very useful and helpful resource, if you have any other questions, they can help you out.

ROYALTY SHARE

If you choose to publish exclusively with ACX, you will earn 40% of the retail sales on Audible, Amazon and iTunes.

If you choose to publish non-exclusively or retain distribution rights, you will earn 25% of the retail sales on Audible, Amazon and iTunes.

Wait!

Although Audible (ACX) is the most well known publishing site for audiobooks, it is worth noting that there are other websites for publishing and promoting your book as well. 

Websites such as Author’s Republic, Kobo and Publish Drive are quickly gaining popularity as well.

Author’s Republic

WHAT IS IT?

Author’s Republic is solely a distributor of Audiobooks. They do not provide any production services.

If you’re looking for audio production services, you can contact Jony Studios. We offer audio production services that will help you reach a wider audience and increase your book sales.

The great thing about Author’s Republic is that they have a very relaxed publisher agreement terms. You have the option of terminating your agreement any time.

ROYALTY SHARE

Author’s Republic has a 7:3 ratio of royalty share.

Meaning, you get 70% of the royalties received from the sale of the audiobook and Author’s Republic gets 30%.

If you are, however, distributing to Audible, Amazon or iTunes through Author’s Republic, Audible will pay Author’s Republic 25% non-exclusive royalty. You will then get 70% of the royalty and Author’s Republic will keep 30%.

For audiobook retailers, the royalty rates differ by partner. Some of them use the MSRP provided by you, some are library prices while others are rental prices. Author’s Republic generally receives 50% of the royalty from these partners. And the distribution rate between Author’s Republic and you will remain as 70% and 30%.

Kobo Writing Life

WHAT IS IT?

Kobo Writing Life is a platform dedicated to self-publishers.

You can use this platform to upload, promote and sell your ebooks and audiobooks. If you are interested in promoting your audiobook, you will be able to distribute to Kobo.com (Kobo Writing Life is an offshoot of Kobo), Walmart, Indigo and Bol. 

ROYALTY SHARE

You can publish your book for free on KWL if you choose to. This can be a powerful marketing tool for your upcoming books, the printed version of your book, etc. 

If however, you have a subscription purchase, your share would be 32%. If you choose to list your book for USD 2.99 or higher, your share would be 45%.

There are other pricing options as well. If the price of your audiobook is below the prices listed here, you will earn 35% of the royalties.

Publish Drive

WHAT IS IT?

This is a self-publishing platform that reaches more than 400 online stores and more than 240,000 libraries. You can publish all forms of your book on Publish Drive. From the printed version, ebook to audiobook.

With Publish Drive, you can reach markets in North America, Europe and China. They are partnered with giants such as Audible, Kobo and OverDrive.

Publish Drive also gives you the opportunity to promote your book with options like automatic price promotions, review tracking and Amazon Ads.

Publish Drive is a one stop platform for all your publishing needs.

ROYALTY SHARE

Publish Drive gives you 100% of the royalties. This is however, dependent on the pricing model you choose, which depends on the number of titles in your catalogue. 

Conclusion

There are many platforms available for self-publishing not only your audiobooks but also every other format of your book.

All these websites come with their own distribution agreements, pricing formats and royalty share agreements. Make sure to do your research before you publish your audiobook to ensure you choose the platform right for you.

Which website did you choose? Do you have any more suggestions for authors who are new to the industry? Let us know in the comments below!

- By Neha Agarwala

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If you need help turning your book into an audiobook, we offer audiobook production services that will help you reach a wider audience and increase your book sales. 

Learn more here and listen to some of our audiobook samples.