If you’ve been reading this site for a while, you’ve probably noticed a gap in the software I cover and recommend. For the most part, the software, online services, and other material (like e-books) I’ve recommended have been free. There are plenty of exceptions, of course — next week I’m gearing up to do a series on […]
Although using a simple spreadsheet to track submissions can be perfectly adequate, the seams can start to unravel as you build up more and more entries. There are several good, free programs that can help you track not only your submissions but also prospective markets and the fate of your work from inception to publication. […]
One of the least glamorous parts of a writer’s job is keeping track of submissions. Knowing who you sent a query or a finished piece, what you sent them, when you sent it, and whether it’s been accepted or rejected is crucial, but mundane — especially compared with the far more fulfilling work of actually writing our work. […]
I surf the web a lot. Well, not “surf” – I have the web come to me in my trusty RSS reader, courtesy of Google. The point is, I see a lot of stuff out there on the Internet that might interest you. Here’s some of what I’ve come across lately: 25+ Pieces of Writing Software You […]
When I write articles, I use a process I call “Outline Expand Expand Done” — I write an outline, expand it a bit, expand it some more (paying attention to how pieces fit together), and repeat until I’m done. I’ll use a word processor — usually Buzzword — for shorter (<1500 words) pieces, but for longer, more complex pieces, I prefer to […]
Software for Writers: yWriter 4 Spacejock Software has released a new version of their novel-writing software yWriter. Written by a writer for writers, yWriter is a great little tool for organizing novels in progress — and just about any other long manuscript. yWriter allows you to create a book project, add chapters, scenes within chapters, and character […]
Liquid Story Binder XE is one of the few pieces of for-pay software for writers that I think is worth its salt. Mac users have their Scrivenir, which is beautiful and seems perfect for writers, but I don’t have a Mac and so I don’t have Scrivener. Liquid Story Binder (LSB from here on) is […]
PDF, the Portable Document Format, is a standard created by Adobe for circulating formatted documents over the web. Using Acrobat Reader or some other PDF reader (I like Foxit Reader, which opens much faster than Acrobat Reader and seems to work just as well), the recipient views your document exactly as it appeared on your […]
Job Profiles has a huge list of 50 open source programs, from word processors and spell checkers to weblog editing software and submission trackers, that online writers can download and use free of charge. Open source software is created by volunteers ranging from employees at huge corporations (like Sun Microsystems, which directs the development of […]
I had originally scheduled this post for later in May, but the folks at Daily Blog Tips declared May 1 RSS Appreciation Day and I decided to join in the fun. So you lucky readers get not one but two posts this Thursday — a day when I normally don’t post at all! Depending who you ask, RSS […]
