Blogger: Rachel Kent
Are you living with a technology headache because you don’t want to spend money or because you don’t want to familiarize yourself with a new system? Don’t let your outdated technology hold you back any longer.
Spending money on the latest, greatest technology isn’t appealing to many of us. Having the new equipment might be nice, but the expense is big and the time that it takes to set up something new can be daunting. Unfortunately, resisting to upgrade to a better computer, phone or internet speed might be holding you back in your writing career.
This week, our agency hosted a private training event for our clients on how to use Pinterest effectively. It was a “live” online event that required a fast internet connection, a webcam and a microphone. A few of our clients weren’t able to get into the training room because their internet was so slow and some who were in the room couldn’t participate fully because their computers didn’t have a webcam or microphone. The clients who haven’t upgraded their systems were unable to glean the information that was provided. Webinars and online training sessions are becoming more and more prevalent in the publishing world, and if you can’t participate in them because of your dated technology you are putting yourself at a disadvantage in the competitive book marketplace.
Technology that works well is also essential for book marketing and promotion. Online video interviews, Facebook events, Twitter parties and video book club chats are more popular than ever and if your technology can’t handle these platforms you won’t have as many opportunities to sell books.
Outdated office equipment can waste precious writing and research time too. Booting up an old system, connecting to the internet through an old router or dial up (heaven forbid that you still have it) or printing with a slow printer takes way too long and can be very frustrating. Plus the time and money spent troubleshooting the breakdowns isn’t worth it either.
Has your technology ever caused a problem for you?
Is there a way you could avoid future technology “headaches?”
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I’m one of those who remember that green font in your photo. In fact, my DH even remembers amber font. I was having fun in IT way before the web was born, back in the days of dot matrix printers and floppy disks. And been having fun since.
As an IT person, I have seen plenty of technical difficulties in the last 20 years that could have been avoided had the right IT people been called in at the right time and had a bit of pecuniary investments been applied to the right products. So that I don’t embarrass anyone in my past or present, I won’t share any anecdotes here. Suffice to say that there is some truth in those Dilbert cartoons. Been there.
However, as a writer, I sympathize with my fellow writers who are technically challenged or do not have the technology to keep up with industry standards. Sometimes it’s not their fault. The problem could be location, location, location. In some areas, they are still doing dial-ups, I kid you not. In other areas, the broadband services are so poor that it’s unacceptable. So even if you upgrade all your computers and get everything set up correctly in-house, you might still be limited by that cable company or ISP, poor service, or a lack of IT infrastructure in your area.
The bright side is that things are looking up. One can easily do videoconferencing with Skype at very little cost, and if the writer’s home network is insufficient, then they could always go to Starbucks or the library. In some public libraries, they have media rooms that are soundproofed for recordings and such. I lamented the fact that they archived all their microfiches of newspapers from the 1800s to make way for the media room, but that’s another story. My point is that you find a way!
As second solution is to find a reputable IT company that can help resolve some of the technical problems, if the problems are in-house. Not everyone is naturally intuitive in technology. Just because I can look at a database problem and see solutions on the fly doesn’t mean that everyone else can do that.
And finally, an optionally best solution for a technically-challenged writer is to migrate to Apple. For example, the iPad is so easy to use that even my friend’s 8YO can use it without a manual. Find technology that is easy to use. Don’t resist it because you’re used to what use to be. Technology changes all the time — new things pop up every 6-18 months. Don’t be left behind…
Now I sign off to do the most non-technical thing on my last day of Spring break: read a hardcover book and drink a cup of chai.
Thank you, Rachel, for your post today. Much food for thought.
Apple products are more expensive, but it seems like they stay current longer and aren’t as vulnerable to virus attacks. I’m an Apple user myself!
You are so right about location! We only recently were able to get DSL (instead of satellite) and we have the fastest we can get for our area. However, going to the library or Starbucks is not an option. The library’s internet is the same as ours, and the closest Starbucks is 100 miles away.
Not everyone lives in a major metropolitan area, or even a city!
I installed Skype on our PC a few years ago and UGH!!!! What a headache! From that point on, it was one thing after another. I’m going to see how it fairs on my tablet, so I can Skype my kids while I’m, umm, out of town in June. Many friends have asked if I have Skype, and I have to say that whole schpeel again. So, maybe today, since I can’t talk (had a fun day at the dentist yesterday) I’ll play around with the tablet.
Oh, and umm, I don’t mean to brag, but *I* can write HELLO on a calculator. Beat that! Ha!
You’re too funny, Jennifer. I remember doing things like that. Now my kids ask, “What’s a calculator?”
Lol! 🙂
I recently spent the last of an advance to purchase a Lenovo all-in-one and a new HP printer. I’ve just begun to set it up and have to face the new windows 8 which I pray isn’t too daunting. I hope to become expert at being able to video conference and participate more effectively in on line webinars, and want to connect with bookclubs in order to visit with them, etc.
I’ve used Skype before but when we moved my desk to make use of another bedroom some things were lost. That’s why you should never let your hubby and a neighbor take everything apart when you’re not home. 🙂 So much to keep up with and learn, but in this day we just have to or we will be left behind.
Anyone aware of new, fun, and easy to use gadgets out there to make our writing lives better?
I’m a Mac girl through and through and thankfully haven’t really had many problems with my laptop since I bought it 4 years ago. I don’t like to keep up with technology for technology’s sake, but I do have the essentials. I’m probably a product of my generation in that way!
I love Mac make-up! They have a great eyebrowwww…oh, you mean the computer thingie? 😉 Until my darling spouse goes Mac, which he won’t because all his work computers need to be synced, this house will remain a Mac-less wonder.
I am the same way, Lindsay. My equipment is actually up-to-date currently, but I don’t go out to buy the latest product just to have it. Once my old stuff gets too slow, I upgrade.
I consider myself low tech primarily because I don’t have the patience when something goes wrong. Writing a first draft with a fancy pen and a new notebook is my kind of technology. 🙂
You rock. If my hands (arthritis) could handle it, I’d be a pen and paper girl too.
Great post. Like Lindsay (and many other authors of my acquaintance) I’m a Mac person, and have been for many years. I do install all the updates and go to the new operating systems a few months after they come out (so the bugs are already out). I even installed more memory on my computer (it’s not that hard folks–Google it and you can find videos that walk you through it). And every time I spend money to keep up to date, I remind myself that it’s part of the cost of doing business.
When my husband and I were first married over 20 years ago, he was a Programmer/Analyst and owned his own PC. It wasn’t quite like the one in your picture but still rather clunky. I remember just standing there, staring at it, in awe that someone would have a computer in their home, wondering what in the world he did with it. Now, we own a desktop that is a few years old and out-of-date, two laptops, and an iPad. 🙂 As Captain Jack says, “Funny old world, ain’t?”
One of the first things I would do with an advance is upgrade both my computer and my software. And Richard makes an excellent point – YouTube is full of helpful how-to’s. Thanks, Rachel, for a great post.
I’m always turning to Youtube or Google for help!
Being married to an IT guy comes in handy in this regard. Living in the land of Apple helps too.
How brilliant to have a training event for Pinterest. My novel board inspires my story.
http://pinterest.com/jabrummett/novel-soul-salvage/
Jenni, you have one of the most beautiful Pinterest sites I have seen and you are sharp as a tack in using it for research as well as promoting. I didn’t even care for the genre you write in until I saw your boards…now, I am anxious to read whatever you write!
Thank you so much Marci! You made me 🙂
I haven’t set up my Pinterest yet, but I need to! It was great to watch the training first. I needed it.
Thanks for sharing yours!
I love technology, but I don’t understand how to use a lot of it. I wish I did, because recently, I lost out on a chance to ask questions of a celebrity during a live interview because my PC doesn’t have a webcam. Last Christmas, we visited the Apple store in our mall. My girls had the iPads playing music before I even figured out the home screen. 🙂
I hear you Cheryl! I love my Mac and iPhone…but my grandchildren, who do not have either, are always showing me new things on my phone! I am in awe of these kids who are unafraid of technology!!
Good blog! I have a digital camera and a digital tape recorder that I haven’t learned how to use yet. Want to buy a Nook but would have to learn how to use that. I don’t think it’s the lack of brains (lol), but the lack of time it takes to learn all these things. I’ve promised myself I will–someday!
Technology can be a thorn in my side. I get by okay, but I am slower than most, not having grown up with it. My lack of speed is what makes me feel intimidated. My typing skills are great, but the techno part of it just makes me crazy at times!
I have voice activated software and the super cool headset that goes with it. But, like everything else it takes time to get up to “high speed”. I was training with it and said “oh wait!” the response was “Kuwait? Kuwait!”
“NO!” I chided. “Know? Know?”
The point it that technology take time and patience to learn and master…something that we don’t always take into consideration, but is very valuable once we have it down.
Thanks Rachel for the reminder
p.s. does this mean it is time to toss my mimeograph supplies?
Mimeograph? I haven’t heard that word in ages…oh, way to date myself. Ahem…what’s that?
Not that I was sent to the office…much. But, anyone who went to elementary school and did the huge amounts of worksheets recognized the purple outline of the mimeograph copies..and the yummy smell. It makes me want to eat a blob of paste and run with scissors just thinking about it :~)
LOL! I remember using mimeographs as a teacher–purple all over my hands and kids sniffing the paper like addicts!
Yeah, way to date myself…oh, well. 🙂
Lol! I don’t know what a mimeograph is. 🙂
Wow, Rachel. You’re really dating yourself…in the opposite direction. 🙂 We called mimeographs “dittos” or “ditto sheets.” And I can still remember the smell, too. How funny!
Now, you made me feel old. 🙂
Can I just say how much I love that your agency does training seminars for your clients? Happy sigh. I wonder how common that is?
We’ve got fairly fast internet, but if we had to upgrade it, I’m pretty sure my husband would be okay with that–it would help him when he plays his XBox online. 🙂
I’m blessed to be married to a technology wizard. Nonetheless, I’m slow to adopt new technology. It’s kind of like social media, trying to discern which will prove to be vital tools versus flashes in the proverbial pan. A morning spent struggling to learn new technology is a morning NOT spent writing, so I like some assurance that the sacrifice will be worth it, that I’m not pouring time and money into tomorrow’s Betamax.
Great post Rachel!
I am fascinated by technology and hopefully will continue to keep up. My biggest concern is staying in touch with my grandchildren! I blogged on this subject and consequently was interviewed by a CNN reporter who was researching how grandparents are staying in touch with grandchildren and she found my blog out there in cyber world! What a hoot!
Witnessing what happened to my mother (84 years old) when everyone started posting photos of grandchildren and greatgrands on Facebook, instead of sending printed copies or even emailing pictures…I fear for the future! (LOL) Bless my mother’s heart, she mastered using her iPad (took about 6 months)and now she can view all the pictures.
I have a “computer genius” on stand-bye! He’s been my life-saver in all things techno! And he’s not expensive…I am blessed!
Have a tea-riffic weekend!
Everyone needs a computer genius on standby! I have my brother. He’s amazing.
My dad’s a tech wizard, and I’m no slouch myself. I can troubleshoot an awful lot of stuff on my own. Our house is PC all the way. I still live at home and my dad keeps talking about upgrading our modem so we don’t run into buffering problems when both TV’s are using Netflix.
I’m approaching the point of new computer though. Not looking forward to upgrading to Windows 8, but thanks to Stardoc I can at least get the Start menu back and set the default boot-up to the desktop instead of the live tiles. I’m working on a really tight budget too, something that isn’t possible with Macs.
My husband just allowed me to purchase a MacBook Pro with retina display. It should arrive soon. I’m slightly overwhelmed with the thought of changing over from my checkered past with PC after PC and my last crash. Then, I’ll have to see how things work with all of my photos/blogs/Pinterest/files, etc, etc. I’ve built an empire here in Crystal Land, but looks like I’ll be starting anew.
But I’ve tried to stay in step with the latest technology, although, I feel pretty lame about it most days.
Crystal, thanks for following my novel Pinterest board.
(I missed the online training due to a conflicting family schedule. Bummer!) I’m the one who resists the latest and greatest technology. My husband is a teacher and is always eager to get an upgrade. He knows the benefits for his students and our children. I’m blessed with his persistence. 🙂 I understand updated technology benefits my writing. In fact, recently I had my website redone for that very reason. Thanks for the post, Rachel!
I recorded it! Figuring out how to load it up for you to watch today.
Oh how I can relate to this post! Last month we ran out of Internet data at the beginning of the cycle and had to go 20 days without it. I was right in the middle of an awesome opportunity and I was limited by it, but you have to do what you can with what you got and overcome the obstacles, because sometimes it isn’t the lack of desire but lack of funds or something or another. Still we are working toward staying up to date with the changing of technology. Lucky for me, my hubby is for it and pushes me past my reluctance to change. Ha! He got me a new computer and its pulling teeth to learn the windows 8, but my old, faithful computer was dying.
My brain freezes up when I have to learn something new, especially like Pinterest, Twitter, WANAtribe, but I’m forging on ahead, and it gets easier. 🙂 Now I just have to figure out how to get my scanner/printer hooked up to my new computer. 🙂
Is it bad that I recognize the computer in your photo? I began on something similar, the TRS-80, Model 3. Of course, it was way back in 7th grade. But we thought they were pretty amazing.
I’ve recently switched from PC to Mac. The price tag was frightening, but I’m enjoying the new system.
One new technology that has caught my eye recently is the little credit card readers you can attach to your phone or iPad. What a wonderful thing from writers who want to sell books at speaking events!
I was so sad to miss out on the Pinterest Training session! I had a pre-scheduled booking I was unable to change.
I have updated technology and could have participated too.
Would love to catch the recorded session!
I finally had to hire a techie to help me update everything! Not my personal specialty but I am constantly taking classes to update.
A big thank you to Erin for her generous offer help out her fellow Bookies!
Thank you, Rachel,
My friend “Growler” had a tech. problem once. He had to wear a shock collar because he barked at the neighbors cats too much . . . but donnie solved the problem. He designed a “bark collar” electronic jamming device and Growler was such a happy dog.
P.S. He still barks at cats, but now he uses his “nice bark”.
By he – I mean Growler, not donnie. Sorry.
I’m an official techno-idiot, but I use a Mac so I manage most things. Haven’t tried Pinterest yet, though. I don’t have a smart phone and don’t like to share things about my kids and grandkids on the internet so I might not have much to post there.
Jan, I use Pinterest to share neat things I find on the Internet: decorating ideas, Sunday school or Christmas crafts, book giveaways. I never post anything about my family. I’m not comfortable with it. But I could see using it to post my book covers like Guardian Angel does to promote their books.
I’ve seen computers with amber fonts. And I also know what a mimeograph is. (Was.)
I do alright with my technology. I could be savvier, but I read how-tos and blogs, and I try to do most things for myself. It helps that my hubby is a programmer. He’s the one that hooks up wires/screens. I’ve bypassed him, though, with my knowledge of blogging and social media. I learned all of it on the fly, by doing it myself.
At times, though, it feels really tiresome to be my own technical support on top of everything else. I’d LOVE to hire someone to design a web site for me. I can do it, now, but I Just. Don’t. Wanna.
Oh technology…bliss and bane. As a freelance editor, I have to deal with technology issues with every new client. I generally use Microsoft Word because of its ubiquitous nature and excellent “track changes” features (especially the new version in Word 2013). But so many clients have outdated versions of Word that it is always a headache to work out a clean transfer from my version to theirs; one client (who is NOT a first-time author) is still using a DEMO version of Word.
As a side note, I am pleased with the direction Microsoft is headed with using subscriptions for Office (which update automatically) instead of a one-time software purchase. If consumers get on board with this, it will solve my current problems with Word. One can only hope…