by Eric Z of Zbooks.co— Get more of him HERE
The New Reedsy Book Creator Review: Reedsy vs Google Docs vs Scrivener
Before I start foaming at the mouth about how great the new Reedsy Book Creator is (and it is…) let me explain “Disruptive”:
My platform is teaching people how to make Ebooks, a lot of formatting is required.
When I first started writing Ebooks, I couldn’t find a decent editing program, so I figured it all out myself. Turns out -OTHER- people had the same problems and I started teaching people how to make Ebooks — with all free software — and get professional results — and all that for free (dammit!).
The new Reedsy Book Creator is so awesome — it SCARES me.
It makes creating, and formatting, and typesetting, a print book as well as an Ebook so easy — that it will WIPE OUT AN ENTIRE JOB DESCRIPTION.
Like the industrial revolution a while back, the internet revolution was more than disruptive.
With Reedsy we now have the next casualty in the internet revolution, an ENTIRE MARKET SEGMENT that will be deleted overnight: the professional formatter.
When Medium hit the scene I immediately fell in love with the writing editor and its super sleek functionality and look and feel.
Reedsy has incorporated this very same functionality into its book creator.
Additionally they have the “KILLER APP” which is the drag and drop function for chapters and entire segments of your book.
This “KILLER APP” is the cork board function in Scrivener, and it was until now Scrivener’s ace up their sleeve.
The other ace in Scrivener’s hand was the .epub functionality.
That is -when- you finally have it set up right, you could export your book as a properly formatted .epub -IN ONE CLICK- = Awe-Sum!
Now Reedsy incorporates BOTH of those functions in their creator.
Writing a book has never been EASIER!
Reedsy does what all of the other platforms and software have been trying, but failing to do: GET THE **** OUT OF THE AUTHOR’S WAY!
When you open the Reedsy Creator you are presented with a super sleek minimalist editor, you can really immerse yourself in the writing, just like here on Medium, and “Just Write”…
IT MAKES WRITING FUNNER THAN HECK!
Now there really is no excuse to NOT write a book.
With Reedsy you really only have to get on it, and when you are done, hit the button — “export as” — it really is that simple!
It’s so damned simple — and fun — I’m recommending it to all of my students now as the DEFAULT book creator — period!
I have tested the export to .pdf, and export to .epub functions, and you get a really BEAUTIFUL book, perfectly formatted and typeset, ready to upload to Amazon (.epub or .mobi) or print out (.pdf).
Ok so let’s get into some of the comparisons and functions that it should have, and WHY and WHERE you would use Google Docs or Scrivener instead of Reedsy:
(I put the Barnes&Noble online creator in there as a comparison. I want to like their creator but it is much too “clunky” compared to the others.)
1) The SHARE function in Google Docs is UNBEATABLE
I can collaborate with other authors effortlessly. Additionally my Beta-Readers can easily add comments and I can control everyone’s level of access — IN ONE CLICK.
This is not incorporated in Reedsy, instead you have an interface with the marketplace where you can easily find an editor or many other professionals, like marketers or copy editors etc. etc.
This “marketplace” function is really great actually — connecting authors with professionals — but it can’t replace the SHARE function of Gdocs.
2.) Google Docs works offline. Scrivener also works offline.
This is really A BUMMER, because I would rather write in Reedsy now than any other platform … but I can’t offline.
I write entire books sometimes on the A380 between London and San Fran…here I will continue to use GoogleDocs.
3.) Google Docs has an awesome research function where I can high lite a word and it will show me in the right pane the google search, definitions, and even the Wikipedia articles.
I can then INSERT A HYPERLINK with one click.
This makes Google Docs the UNBEATABLE research and authoring tool on the market.
However, Google docs does not export a beautifully formatted book to .epub or .mobi in one click…
4.) Reedsy’s Chapter/Section drag and drop function mirrors Scrivener’s Corkboard function perfectly.
So you can “just write” and then look at your sections later. Not satisfied? Just drag and drop them where you need them, Reedsy automatically updates the Chapter Number and keeps everything in the right sequence!
Sure, Scrivener’s corkboard display looks cooler than Reedsy’s, but I couldn’t care less, I need the function, not the flash.
5.) Google Docs and Reedsy are FREE! Scrivener costs around $50.
6.) And finally, for us teachers and collaborators, there is no way to upload a template to Reedsy.
So when I teach my 7 Day Challenge Course (JOIN HERE!!!) I can just give my students a link to a GoogleDoc, and they copy it into their GoogleDrive and voila.
SUMMARY
Reedsy is awesome: It has never been easier to “just write” and get into the flow.
Reedsy is Disruptive: In one click you have an .epub or .mobi that is PROFESSIONALLY formatted and second to none in the industry.
I’m going to use Reedsy from now on, unless I’m on an A380.
