As promised, below is the handout. Feel free to cut and paste and use yourself. I just ask that if you share this, you give me credit at least once.
Tech for Writers:
Tips, Tricks, and Tools to Help You Produce and Promote Your Words
Tech
Passwords – base plus identifier
Privacy – rare today, but security is still possible
Backup
iDrive – recommended, 5GB free
Cyphertite – 8GB free
MiMedia – 7GB free
Carbonite and Mozy, 2GB free, aimed at consumers
Keep OS and malware protection current
Never trust links in emails from strangers
Download.com – safe place to download software (free and trials)
Blogs and Website
URLs – Finding the best domain name
Whois.com – global table of existing domain names
Domain names – GoDaddy, hundreds of others
Blog first, add website when needed
Cheap website hosting
GaskinWebServices.com
Bluehost.com
Writing
Word Processors
MS Office
LibreOffice.org- full office suite
Abiword.com
Tip: make your word processor full screen to avoid distractions
Writing Programs (organizers, bulletin board views, etc)
Scrivener - $40 – LiteratureAndLatte.com
yWriter - spacejock.com/yWriter5.html
LitLift – online, co-authors supported
Celtx.com – online screenwriting software
FastPencil – online, good for collaborators and reviewers
Organizing and Checking Programs
Mind Mapping Software
TheBrain.com (best), Xmind.net, Coggle.it, many others
Grammar checking
Microsoft Word
Grammarly.com
Readibility Checkers
Hemingway – www.hemingwayapp.com
ReadabilityFormulas.com
WritingTester.com
Social Media Traps
Privacy – none
Twitter – Tequila and hand grenade
New: bigger image in profile, pin your favorites, add images.
Time suck to the max unless you control yourself (automated tools)
Social Media Marketing
Mailing lists
MailChimp, Constant Contact, Vertical Response etc.
Facebook author's page – no limit to Friends
Instagram if you have something that relies on images
Ditto for Pinterest
YouTube – your personal channel is FREE
Follow people who matter to your audience to get more followers
Not authors, but leading book reviewers etc.
Give something to get something – free short story for email address
Every message goes everywhere – YouTube video gets blogged, tweeted etc
Affinity forums, sites, blogs around your book subject
Put social link icons on your blog and website
Free images from flickr: https://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/by-2.0/
Social Media Tools
Blog – WordPress or Blogger / Blogspot
Subject, Frequency, ALWAYS include an image
Title and first paragraph
Power of Three – blog title, first paragraph, image title, Twitter post, Instagram
Comment on other blogs, always comment back
Include photos and links in your Profile (now expanded)
2-4 tweets per day recommended.
Automation tools – HootSuite, TweetAdder ($55+), TweetDeck, SocialOomph
Author page, post regularly, use photos (linked to Instagram and Pinterest)
Post questions to encourage comments
"Like" complementary pages
Instagram, Pinterest
Great for image-friendly topics
Can post text in Pinterest, some pin book chapters
James Gaskin
james@gaskin.com
WAGbooks.com (boutique publishing company)
TechForWriters.com (blog)
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