Free Online Backup and Sync: Dropbox

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Do you need a quick way to backup your writing files? Do you use more than one computer in your writing? Do you have a backup plan that you often forget to use? If you said “yes” to any of these questions, please take a look at Dropbox. It’s free, downloadable, and easy to use.

A Blog4Writers subscriber, Andrea Graham, recommended that I try Dropbox, and am I glad she did! I got a netbook for Christmas to help me manage writing on the run. At first, when working on the netbook, I would email a copy of the file in progress to one of my free webmail addresses. When I was ready to work on the file on the home computer, I’d log into the webmail and download the file. It worked, but it was slow and sometimes confusing, especially if I had multiple versions of the file.

When Andrea suggested Dropbox, I went to the site and followed directions:

  • Take the video tour at Dropbox.com.
  • Download the software.
  • Set up a username and password for Dropbox.com.
  • Download the software to your other computers.
  • Get two gigabytes of storage free.

Dropbox put an icon in my system tray and on my desktop. I can click open the Dropbox folder and drag files to it from anywhere on the computer. Once the file is in the desktop folder, Dropbox automatically syncs with the online account. If I take the netbook on the road for a day, I just open the Dropbox folder, and the file I put in Dropbox on my home computer is right there for me to work on. When I save it there, it will sync to my home computer, and the file will be updated and ready for me to work on again. Warning: If you delete a file from the Dropbox folder, it is gone. To save a file on your computer, just drag it out of Dropbox onto the desktop.

Even if you only work on one computer, the Dropbox folder is a good work-in-progress folder. And, the best feature is that you’re backing up your file online every time you save it to the Dropbox folder.

I’ll probably never need more than the two gigs of free space, but if I need more, I can upgrade to a paid plan. Check out pricing for paid plans here. I’ve used it for a couple of months now, and it’s just what I needed. I encourage you to give it a try.

Readers, if you use another service like Dropbox, comment on this post and give us the URL. If you have extensive experience with such services, contact me about writing a guest post on Blog4Writers. Email: [email protected].

Email subscribers: I haven’t figured out what’s going on with Feedburner subscription service, but sometimes the links in subscriber emails do not work. If your links don’t work, please go directly to this post on Blog4Writers. Copy and paste this URL: http://emilyakin.com/free-online-backup-and-sync-dropbox/

Consumer Reviews of Dropbox:

PC World Consumer Reviews

Productivity501.com Review

Blog! The Sequel

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Last week, I posted examples of writer blogs done by writers with little technical knowledge. Some used Blogger (URL ends with blogspot.com), while others used WordPress (URL ends with wordpress.com). Several other people sent me links to their blogs, and I want to share them with you.

Customized Blogs: These are done by the writer (alone) and still free but customized in some way.

  • Sherry M. Cook’s The Shoebox Chronicle has a custom background (free from ShabbyBlogs.com). It appears that this source provides a number of free enhancements for Blogger blogs. I think the Blogger template she uses is no longer available.
  • Go Ahead and Wear the Purple by Peggy Blann Phifer uses Blogger’s “Travel” template, but she created her own custom colors with Corel’s Paintshop Pro.

More “Plain” Blogger Blogs: Judy P. Davis has done three using free templates:

More “Plain” WordPress Blogs:

WordPress Self-hosted Blogs: Themes (designs) are free, but writer pays for hosting. Andrea Graham shares her three WordPress blogs:

Thanks to everyone who submitted their blogs for this post. Next week, I want to get on to another subject. However, you can promote your blog by commenting on this one. Just be sure to include your blog URL in your comment.

Blog! You Can Do It!

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You might say I shouldn’t have two exclamation points in my title. Well, I’m going for emphasis here, so I think it’s appropriate. In discussions with other writers, I encounter some who wonder if they should be blogging. Deep down, they know they should. There’s no better way to showcase their writing and have an online presence. But, most don’t want to spend a lot of time and/or money on it. Some are “technologically challenged” and are just plain afraid to try.

The purpose of this post is to show you some writer blogs that are (1) FREE and (2) done by writers who are admittedly not tech-savvy. I’ve limited my examples to Blogger and WordPress. Each writer created his or her own blog using free designs provided by the blog service. Some are customized with options included in their free design, but none of the blogs listed below was tinkered with by anyone other than the author.

Blogger:

WordPress:

  • Pat Rowland’s Prayerful Ponderings (Using the custom header feature in her free design, Pat uploaded a photo that her son provided).
  • Deborah Hemstreet’s Hope for the Hope-Challenged (Uses a free template from TemplateLite.com).
  • Sue Tornai has two WordPress blogs: Kid Konnection (free WordPress design) and Pathways to Publication (using the same basic design as Pat Rowland’s but with one of the standard photos in the custom header).
  • My devotional blog: Devojournal (free WordPress Theme).

If you have a blog that uses a free service and has not been extensively customized, I will happily publish your link in the future. The writers included in this post responded to my invitation on Christian Writers Fellowship International online group. If you sent me a link and your blog is not shown, I’m saving it for a later post. E-mail me at [email protected] or post a comment on this post to send me the link to your blog.

Next week, I’ll show you how to have your blog and your website in all in one. Meanwhile, if you aren’t blogging, you need to get started. Here’s some how-to information:

Why Do You Write?

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Writing is hard work. Have you ever asked yourself, “Why am I doing this?” Honestly, I’ve had that thought a number of times myself. Sometimes it’s a good idea to remember why you started writing and to reaffirm your calling.

Early in my writing journey, I read Marlene Bagnull’s Write His Answer: A Bible Study for Christian Writers. Marlene adopted a Bible verse to remind her of her call to write (Habakkuk 2:2): “Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear, so that anyone may read it at a glance and rush to tell the others” (The Living Bible). Her website is WriteHisAnswer.com, and her entire ministry of writing, editing, and educating other writers is based on this scripture.

Searching the scriptures for other references to writing, I found that many reasons for a person to write are referenced in scripture.

  • To document agreements or events: I searched the word “write” on Biblegateway.com, and found a number of references to writing to commemorate a contract or agreement, most of them in the Old Testament. Actually, I was surprised to find so many instances of “write.” See the list here. Near the end of Revelation, John is told to “write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:5).
  • To provide an “orderly account:”See Luke 1: 1-4. We write because we want to remember events correctly so that we can share them with others. Luke realized the importance of presenting the gospel from his point of view, knowing that others might get details wrong or misinterpret word-of-mouth accounts.
  • To communicate with others: We write to share, remember, motivate, teach, or inspire. Writing helps us leave a legacy. It helps us connect with others in a way that no other communication method can. In the words of John, the Apostle, “We write this to make our joy complete.” (1 John 1:4). See the whole paragraph here.

My reasons for writing include all of the above. I have had lots of encouragement from others. That’s what keeps me going, the feedback from my readers.

Why do you write? Share your thoughts by commenting on this post.

Other articles entitled, “Why Do You Write?”

Problogger

About.com

FaithtoWrite.com

 

 

 

Happy Birthday to Blog4Writers

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Are you ready for a virtual birthday party? I can’t serve you a piece of cake, although I wish I could. However, I can pass out party favors, so stick around for the rest of the party. Blog4Writers is now one year old. Although some of the posts date back to 2008, those older posts were imported from three blogs that I combined to make Blog4Writers.

The “Parent” Blogs: Golden Rule Marketing was the outgrowth of an online marketing course I taught for The Christian PEN. The other two had their beginnings as handouts for conference sessions. I started Wired to Write as a resource for the people who attended my blogging session at Kentucky Christian Writers Conference 2008. The book review blog is no longer online, but I set it up so that I could post reviews for books on my resource list. Articles from each of the older blogs are filed chronologically in Blog4Writers.

The Mission Statement: Blog4Writers exists to provide online resources for the writer aspiring to publication as well as published writers. Subject matter will include the following categories: computers, websites and blogs, marketing, writing resources, and inspiration.

How to Find Stuff on Blog4Writers: Subscribers get new material regularly, but everything is archived for your use at any time. Check out my previous post on how to use my site.

Party Favors: To thank you for subscribing and for attending this party. I’ve formatted my print resources list for writers and my online resources list as PDFs. Just follow the links to download them: Party Favor #1 and Party Favor #2.

My birthday wish for Blog4Writers is that the number of e-mail subscribers will double between now and next birthday. If you find Blog4Writers helpful, please tell your writer friends so that they can subscribe.

What’s your wish for Blog4Writers? Your input is welcomed. Suggest topics or writing books for review, or just let me know what current topics are most helpful. Just link to the blog and comment on this post. E-mail me privately if you like: [email protected].

Build Your Own Writers Conference

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Would you like to attend a writers’ conference—but you can’t get away or don’t have the money? I’m in that situation myself this year, and here’s what I’m going to do about it. I’m putting together my own personal conference. I can assemble the components now and work on them when I have the time.

Here’s my action plan:

  • Choose subject matter to study this year. Then find ways to get that information outside of conferences: books, online courses, writers’ groups (in person and online), and/or mentors.
  • Find other ways to network with writers and editors.

For the next few weeks, I’ll be assembling my conference content and resources list. When I’m done, I’ll share it with you. First, I’ll look for free resources, but, if I don’t find what I’m looking for, I’ll seek low-cost alternatives.

Subscribers, your input is welcomed. Are there any print or online resources that have helped in your self-education? Any courses or groups that you can recommend? Post your ideas in the comment section for all to see.

See my other posts on writers conferences here.

Book Review: For the Write Reason

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First, I need to report the results of last week’s survey. Of the subscribers who participated, the majority have no preference regarding subject matter on Blog4Writers. Second choice was random topics. Just one person preferred series of articles on a single topic. So, today, I’m giving you a book report, which I have not done for a while.

For the Write Reason: Subtitle is 31 Writers, Agents and Editors Share Their Experiences With Christian Publishing.

Imagine having a different editor, agent or published writer to sit down with you each day and share their experience in the Christian publishing industry. That’s what you get with For the Write Reason. Read a chapter a day for a month and get more person-to person inspiration than you’d ever get at a writers’ conference.

Each chapter begins with a personal story from someone who has succeeded in the publishing industry, sometimes in first person and sometimes in interview format. They share their successes, but they also describe their failures, disappointments, and doubts. The 31 chapters offer advice on topics every aspiring writer must deal with at some point. Examples are: “Born to Write” and “Confirming God’s Call.” Chapters close with Bible readings and an inspirational/devotional message. Finally, the writer challenges you to action with a question or “homework” assignment for the day. Also included are a number of appendices with practical information on how to get your work published.

Although the book is designed as a daily study or devotional, I think you’ll find it useful as a reference. The titles of the chapters will help you to identify stories that might be most helpful to you at any given time. Since it was published in 2005, you might think it contains old information. Don’t let that stop you from finding your own copy of this book. The basics are still the same.

General editor, Marybeth Whalen, is a writer-speaker with Proverbs 31 Ministries. Having received encouragement from other writers on her quest for publication, Marybeth wanted to pass it on to the next generation of Christian writers.

Buy it on Amazon at this link:
For the Write Reason: 31 Writers, Agents and Editors Share Their Experiences with Christian Publishing

See my other reviews on books about writing here.

 

What Does It Cost You to Write?

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Whatever your reason for writing, there’s a cost associated with it—time, resources, missed opportunities. What I’m suggesting goes beyond the old saying, “Time is money.”

Effort Expended: Does writing “come easy” for you? If not, should you consider giving up? Many novice writers think that, if you’re called and/or gifted, the writing should be effortless. In truth, writing is hard work—for everyone. Nobody sends the first draft off to the publisher. Another adage applies here: “Writing is re-writing.” And re-writing again.

Opportunity Cost: What would you do with the time if not writing? In business, opportunity cost refers to what you’re giving up when you choose to devote resources to writing. See the economic definition here. If you were not working on your current project, what would you be doing? Would you be better off doing that instead of writing? Always weigh the alternatives and be sure you are doing the right thing for you.

Actual Expense: You choose to spend your time and effort writing. To top it off, it also costs money for you to write and submit your work for publication. Equipment, supplies, networking and promotional expenditures are necessary. At times, you may feel guilty spending money on what you need to get your writing career off the ground. Rarely has a writer succeeded in getting published without spending some money to make it happen.

So—after you think about what it costs you to write, you must decide if you’re willing to pay. You’re not the first person to struggle with these issues. Some of the most famous writers were right where you are now. They asked themselves, “Is is worth it?” They said, “Yes.” What’s your answer?

Wisdom from Famous Writers (who were Christians):

  • Samuel Johnson (1709-1784): What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.
  • Ben Franklin (1706-1790): Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.
  • Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826): The glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money.

Should You Write for Free?

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Art by Emily Akin with WordArt

Should you take any opportunity to get your work published, even if it means submitting to non-paying markets? My answer would be sometimes “yes,” and sometimes “no.”

Yes, because non-paying markets give you:

  • Bylines to use when marketing to other publications. (You can sell reprints after the piece is published.)
  • A chance to establish yourself as an expert in your subject matter and showcase your writing.

No, non-paying markets will not get your submissions because:

  • It’s just not fair for publications not to pay their writers. (The Bible does teach that the laborer is worthy of his/her wages.)
  • You need some income from your writing in order to justify spending time on it.

Maybe, if:

  • I’m just not getting published, and I’m ready to try anything.
  • I’ve had a lot of work published recently, and I want to “give back” to the community.

How do you feel about this? I’d love to hear your comments. Instructions on how to comment are in a previous post here.

Note: After last week’s article using the Four P’s of the marketing mix to analyze your writing effort, I decided to check and see how many of the articles on Blog4writers fit into the four categories (Product, Promotion, Place, and Price). I could not believe that I had not one single article dealing with Price. This article fills that gap, and I plan to add more this year.

And I need your assistance:

I’m planning subject matter for Blog4Writers 2011. Please help my participating in my one-question survey. Just click on the “Take Our Survey” button and go where it leads.

Jumpstart Your Writing with the Four P’s

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The Four P’s (Product, Promotion, Place, and Price) are components of the Marketing Mix, a planning model developed by Neil H. Borden in the sixties. The fact that it has been around so long is a testament to its effectiveness as a business tool. Writers, like it or not, must think like business managers if they want to sell their work. But, how do you adapt this model to your own situation?

In previous articles, I have described how writers can use this tool. See the article links at the end of this post. Rather than telling you how to use the Four P’s, today I will show you how I use it for Blog4writers. And, don’t forget, you take the customer’s point of view, not yours.

Product: Blog4writers is a free online collection of articles and resources for writers seeking to publish their work. Although it is targeted to Christian writers, those who write for secular markets will also find useful information here.

  • Articles are less than 500 words and contain links to further information.
  • Topics (categories) are marketing, websites and blogs, writers’ resources (online and print), “Get Organized,” and inspirational.
  • In the marketing category, articles are marked with sub-categories Product, Place, Promotion, and Price.

Promotion: I use standard blog promotion methods, but word of mouth has worked best for me. The people who have met me, either online or in person, are most likely to subscribe. Here’s a list of my promotion methods.

  • I post on Facebook and Twitter announcing new articles. I usually wait until after the subscription feed has been out a day or two. That way, I can tell whether traffic is coming from the feed or from the social networks.
  • I belong to three online Christian writers’ groups. If someone on those groups asks a question, I check to see if I have an article on the blog that answers that question. I then post the link to the group.
  • I ordered free business cards from Vistaprint promoting Blog4writers and carry them with me so that I don’t miss an opportunity to promote!

Place: In manufacturing, the Place component applies to the distribution—how the customer accesses the product. Users access Blog4Writers via the Internet. Also, I “place” the URL in my other blogs and in my e-mail signature to remind people that it’s available.

Price: Well, for Blog4writers, that’s easy. It’s free to anyone who takes the time to check it out. Maybe not exactly free, though. You do have to spend a little effort to search for the information you need.

Four P’s analysis can be used for projects large and small, for your entire writing effort or just for one part of it. It makes you think about what you’re trying to do, and it jumpstarts your creative thought processes. Try it, and let me know how it works out.

My previous articles:

Market Better, Sell More

Golden Rule Marketing for Writers