diff --git a/demo/toolbar-button.tsx b/demo/toolbar-button.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..db02d33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/demo/toolbar-button.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import * as React from "react";
+import { Button } from "@chakra-ui/react";
+
+export type ToolbarButtonProps = {
+  onClick: () => void;
+};
+
+export const ToolbarButton: React.FC<ToolbarButtonProps> = props => {
+  return (
+    <Button
+      variant={"outline"}
+      size={"sm"}
+      color={"gray.600"}
+      onClick={props.onClick}
+    >
+      {props.children}
+    </Button>
+  );
+};
diff --git a/src/helpers/textHelpers.ts b/src/helpers/textHelpers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa0c87a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/helpers/textHelpers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+import { SelectionRange } from "../types/SelectionRange";
+import { TextState } from "../types/CommandOptions";
+
+/**
+ * A list of helpers for manipulating markdown text.
+ * These helpers do not interface with a textarea. For that, see
+ */
+export const textHelpers = {
+  getSurroundingWord: function(text: string, position: number): SelectionRange {
+    if (!text) throw Error("Argument 'text' should be truthy");
+
+    const isWordDelimiter = (c: string) => c === " " || c.charCodeAt(0) === 10;
+
+    // leftIndex is initialized to 0 because if selection is 0, it won't even enter the iteration
+    let start = 0;
+    // rightIndex is initialized to text.length because if selection is equal to text.length it won't even enter the interation
+    let end = text.length;
+
+    // iterate to the left
+    for (let i = position; i - 1 > -1; i--) {
+      if (isWordDelimiter(text[i - 1])) {
+        start = i;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // iterate to the right
+    for (let i = position; i < text.length; i++) {
+      if (isWordDelimiter(text[i])) {
+        end = i;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+
+    return { start, end };
+  },
+
+  /**
+   * If the cursor is inside a word and (selection.start === selection.end)
+   * returns a new Selection where the whole word is selected
+   * @param text
+   * @param selection
+   */
+  selectWord: function({ text, selection }: TextState): SelectionRange {
+    if (text && text.length && selection.start === selection.end) {
+      // the user is pointing to a word
+      return this.getSurroundingWord(text, selection.start);
+    }
+    return selection;
+  },
+
+  /**
+   *  Gets the number of line-breaks that would have to be inserted before the given 'startPosition'
+   *  to make sure there's an empty line between 'startPosition' and the previous text
+   */
+  getBreaksNeededForEmptyLineBefore: function(
+    text = "",
+    startPosition: number
+  ): number {
+    if (startPosition === 0) return 0;
+
+    // rules:
+    // - If we're in the first line, no breaks are needed
+    // - Otherwise there must be 2 breaks before the previous character. Depending on how many breaks exist already, we
+    //      may need to insert 0, 1 or 2 breaks
+
+    let neededBreaks = 2;
+    let isInFirstLine = true;
+    for (let i = startPosition - 1; i >= 0 && neededBreaks >= 0; i--) {
+      switch (text.charCodeAt(i)) {
+        case 32: // blank space
+          continue;
+        case 10: // line break
+          neededBreaks--;
+          isInFirstLine = false;
+          break;
+        default:
+          return neededBreaks;
+      }
+    }
+    return isInFirstLine ? 0 : neededBreaks;
+  },
+
+  /**
+   *  Gets the number of line-breaks that would have to be inserted after the given 'startPosition'
+   *  to make sure there's an empty line between 'startPosition' and the next text
+   */
+  getBreaksNeededForEmptyLineAfter(text = "", startPosition: number): number {
+    if (startPosition === text.length - 1) return 0;
+
+    // rules:
+    // - If we're in the first line, no breaks are needed
+    // - Otherwise there must be 2 breaks before the previous character. Depending on how many breaks exist already, we
+    //      may need to insert 0, 1 or 2 breaks
+
+    let neededBreaks = 2;
+    let isInLastLine = true;
+    for (let i = startPosition; i < text.length && neededBreaks >= 0; i++) {
+      switch (text.charCodeAt(i)) {
+        case 32:
+          continue;
+        case 10: {
+          neededBreaks--;
+          isInLastLine = false;
+          break;
+        }
+        default:
+          return neededBreaks;
+      }
+    }
+    return isInLastLine ? 0 : neededBreaks;
+  },
+  getSelectedText(textSection: TextState): string {
+    return textSection.text.slice(
+      textSection.selection.start,
+      textSection.selection.end
+    );
+  },
+  getCharactersBeforeSelection(
+    textState: TextState,
+    characters: number
+  ): string {
+    return textState.text.slice(
+      textState.selection.start - characters,
+      textState.selection.start
+    );
+  },
+  getCharactersAfterSelection(
+    textState: TextState,
+    characters: number
+  ): string {
+    return textState.text.slice(
+      textState.selection.end,
+      textState.selection.end + characters
+    );
+  }
+};