Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Several of you in our blog community are right on the verge of submitting and/or publishing. I’ve written before of things to do while you wait, but today I’m going to give you a checklist of some very specific things you can do today that will set you up for success.
Learn to use the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word. This, along with the Comments feature is how your editor will deliver edits to you. If you search YouTube you’ll find a number of tutorials. This is a good one. If you are in a critique group, using track changes for your critique process would gain you excellent experience.
Develop a system for online filing of documents. You are going to want to do folders within folders. In your documents file you will have folders for all the segments of your life. For example, you may have folders for Church, Computer, Conferences, Family, Health, Humor, Quotes, Promotion, Receipts, Speaking, Travel, Work, Writing, etc., etc. Each person’s collection of folders will be different.
Organize your writing folder. Inside your writing folder you will probably have a folder for Articles, maybe one for Anthologies, and another for Books. You’ll have others for things like Promo Ideas, Reader Mail, Submission Tracking, Writer’s Helps, etc. While you are setting these up, look at every file you have and figure out the category and whether you need a folder for that group of documents. This exercise will help you understand the different aspects of publishing, help prepare you to stay organized, and allow you to find any file quickly and intuitively.
Develop a system for storing all parts of each project. Inside each project (book or article) file you may have a more detailed submission tracker for that project. You’ll have the query, the proposal, the most current manuscript, a folder for obsolete versions of the manuscript, a folder for research material, etc. Eventually you’ll have a contract folder, a publicity and promotion folder, editor correspondence folder, etc.– all in that project folder.
Think hard about how you will name each file. Develop a system– like the initials of the working title and the date of the most recent edit. For example, if John Doe’s working title were The Heart’s True Home he might title the file: DoeTHTH51314. That way when he sends that file to an agent or publisher and it gets separated from the email, we can see the author name without opening the file. And you’ll never get confused about which manuscript is the most recent because the date is embedded in the file name.
Get your reader database file set up and begin collecting names of those who’ve already asked you to let them know when your book is available. I talk a little more about that here. Decide what information you are going to find valuable as your career grows and set up a field for each. Don’t forget that physical location is important since you’ll want to be able to reach readers regionally if you are going to be doing an event in their area.
Hone your email processing system. Don’t get into bad habits. Create a methodology for handling email and make it a habit. When you get to the point where you receive hundreds of emails each week this will keep you from getting overwhelmed.
Build your online community. We talk so much about this, I don’t want to repeat myself but if you can work on your social network now, you’ll have everything in place when you need to use that network to get the word out about your book. Don’t forget, this means building up a huge account of good will– helping others and connecting selflessly– so that when it’s time for you to ask for help you’ve already built up a community ready to give back to you.
So that’s certainly not an exhaustive list. How many of these things are you already doing? What else are you doing that I haven’t mentioned? Do have some spiffy systems we’d love to hear about. (Confession: I LOVE talking organization and systems.)
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Wendy, I’ve been wanting to learn the Track Changes feature for a while now. In the past, I’ve had two edits on my work by Track Changes from editors. And I’ve had one edit done by hand (old style). I certainly prefer Track Changes. It’s great … so clear and organized.
Shelli, Track Changes is a wonderful thing to know how to use. If anyone has read the ‘About Me’ post on my blog, they know I write with my daughter. We usually have two computers going, each of us working on our own story and helping each other when we hit a block. Throughout the day, we’ll swap laptops and read the other’s progress, and as we read, we’ll use Track Changes to make note of anything that needs to be fixed. Even if you don’t have a 24/7 writing buddy like I do, you can still do something similar if, say, your husband reads your stories. It’s a great help.
Thank you, Crystal. My daughter has been helping me edit, as well. But I’ve been doing things the old way … printing out a copy and she would circle problems (missing end quotation marks, etc). I should teach her, as well. Thank you for that encouragement.
You’re welcome, Shelli!
I have fiddled with Track Changes today … so easy! This is great!
A nice thing about Track Changes is that it prevents anyone from making changes to the manuscript that don’t show up for approval.
Great information, Wendy. I wish organization came naturally for me. I have to work at it. I do have a filing system on my computer, but I need to work on organizing my email. I haven’t started a reader database either. I have many names, but need to figure out what program to use and how to set it up. (Is there an old blog post about how to do that?) Thanks Wendy!
I don’t think I’ve ever blogged about specific programs for keeping your database but any database or contact program would work. The hard thing is deciding at the outset the info you need to collect.
One suggestion I have is to work out your file naming and storage system on paper, and keep a couple of copies that that paper in a safe place.
The reason’s twofold –
1 – We generally ‘remember’ better if we write something, rather than type it.
2 – Working out a folder hierarchy by hand is generally much faster that doing it straight away in the Windows file manager. You can see inconsistencies develop, and logical pathways and branches are more readily apparent.
Some other thoughts –
* Keep hard copies of important documents, and keep digital copies on secure media (flash drives, external HD’s, etc) that are not connected to your digital device 24/7
* When you open up a copy of any file to make revisions, the first thing you do should be a ‘save as’ under the new name, so if Word crashes you only lose ‘new’ stuff.
Good suggestions, especially about using old-fshion pen and paper to work out systems. I still use several handwritten systems because the act of writing with a good pen spurs creativity for me.
When it comes to computer back-ups I use the overkill method. My computer automatically backs up to an external drive through Time Machine (Mac) plus I automatically store in DropBox (cloud storage).
This is very helpful (coming from someone who learned some of this the hard way). Thanks, Wendy.
It’s a lot harder to do all this while writing, editing, marketing, answering reader mail, etc., isn’t it Suzanne.
Ahhh, this post makes my organizer’s heart go pitter-pat! I love your suggestions, Wendy. When I begin a new story, I have a lot files that go into that file, including a Marketing file which contains one sheets, and other things I’ll need. I have a folder for vary lengths of synopses so I can print off whichever one I need for a given situation.
You’ve taken me to the next level, though, with this article. I’ll definitely begin working on some of these. Thank you for sharing this!
And we didn’t even talk about color-coding our files. . . 🙂
LOL. OH, yes, colors!!!
This is a wonderful line up of things to do to get ready, Wendy! I can check off numbers one, three, and four, and I’m working on eight. This week I accquired a Facebook page, A Twitter page, and a Pinterest page. So far the only one I’ve semi figured out how to use is Facebook. Twitter is a little confusing, and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to pin on my Pinterest page… I suppose I’ll figure it out in time.
Congratulations, Crystal, on all the positive steps you’re taking.
I’ve found Twitter a great way to make connections with other writers. One way is to watch for planned discussions by sources you know are legitimate, such as Writer’s Digest, and join in the discussion. Also look for writer’s groups. You might want to tweet something about what you’re doing and add a hash tag to it, for example, #I love writing. The hash tags will help attract people with similar interests to you. The important thing, I think, in using Twitter is to connect with people in a genuine way. Be interested in having a discussion with them rather than seeing them as a way to build followers. Also, retweet things that you truly find helpful or inspirational. Don’t retweet just as a quid pro quo. If you do this, you’ll attract more people who share your interests and values. But DO retweet, especially from those who retweet you. Finally, personally welcome and thank everyone who follows you. (Confession: recently, I have not kept up with this and need to get back to doing it). First, I just think it’s the right thing to do (so that part is a value thing for me) but it also has a benefit. I’ve discovered that most people really appreciate it and often they retweet my welcome to all their followers which, in turn, gains more followers for me.
Many blessings on your efforts. 🙂
Thank you for the encouragement, Christine!
What great information, Christine. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Crystal!
Thanks, Wendy! I was glad I was able to share something helpful. 🙂
That’s a steep learning curve, Crystal– all three at once. Just play around and you’ll find which ones feel best. I think the key to all of this is to cut ourselves some slack. We can’t do it all but step by step. . .
I would consider myself somewhat of an expert with Microsoft Track Changes and Comments since I use both of them constantly at work. I need to work on everything else that you mentioned.
You could probably do an even better tutorial, Lori. It’s a great feature, though, isn’t it?
I am a list girl, Wendy, so this post is fabulous. Thank you! I like to name documents so that all pertinent information is in the file name, but I hadn’t thought of initials. Genius! I’m starting that right away.
I had a crash course in Track Changes when I received my Genesis contest feedback a couple of years ago. Another benefit to contests. 🙂 I also have a system for filing on my flashdrive, although it could use some tweaking. I have a folder for each ms with more folders inside for characters, research, contest information if applicable, critiques, submission information. Eventually, I hope to add a marketing folder as well. I still need a reader database, but I’m handling email and building an online community.
Sounds like you are just about set for next steps, Meghan.
Wendy, these tasks are great. It seems the busier I am, the more wasted time I battle against. Often, I end up doing double research needlessly. Thank you for steering me in the right direction.
And when it comes to research, Jim, many writers swear by Evernote for organizing mountains of data. Might be something else to play with.
On emails to readers –
Please don’t use those ‘personalizing’ functions that try to give the impression that a mass email is personal. It’s usually glaringly obvious from the tone of the message that it’s not personal, and can put people off. It’s fake.
If it’s a mass email just say something like “I’d like to let all my readers know…”, or put the information in the form of a newsletter.
Amen. I’m uncomfortable with the slick salesman feel of those personalized mass mailings.
Such great suggestions, Wendy. If we can set up systems to keep the technical and logistic side of things organized and ticking along, it frees up that brain space for the creative juices.
For me this seeps into the plotting process, too– a detailed chart showing each scene, its POV, its objective(s), and a sentence or two of notes about plot points, setting, etc., and then my favorite– a column for checking that scene off once it’s done. Having my book in chart form helps me so much during the actual drafting– though inevitably parts of it end up changing from the initial vision as I write.
Thanks for your great tips! I love them all, especially the file-naming pointers. Thanks, Wendy! 🙂
Amanda, you are organization personified. You love it, don’t you?
Great advice, Wendy. In early personal computing days, crashes were common. I have a healthy fear of losing it all. I back up anything I wouldn’t want to do over–even a single well-turned sentence.
File management, paper or electronic, is always a challenge. Do the folks with a never-ending list of saved documents also have skyscraper stacks on the desk?
I hope not. I have mountains of files and documents on my computer but except for my beautiful notebooks, I’m very nearly paperless.
Oh, yes, I LOVE Track Changes! I’m learning Scrivener and using it for my WIP just because of how easy it is to keep all the research together. I try to treat email as I do snail mail: Handle it once, then file it. Like I said, I try to do that although I don’t always succeed. Great post, Wendy!
Can you use Track Changes with Scrivener?
I wish I had time to learn Scrivener. It fascinates me. I sat through a tutorial on it but until you begin working with it, I found it hard to get a handle on it.
Hey Wendy – Great post! My fingers get all tingly when we talk organization…I love it! 🙂 One thing we use to keep organized is use Evernote. It has been a lifesaver! And I always have files with me – on my iPad, iPhone, etc. – and it’s easy to search with their tag system. Huge fan!
Evernote is very helpful when it comes to organizing story ideas, and research.
I also save links to on-line articles by topic.
I’ve played with Evernote enough to see how amazing it could be but I wish I were an experienced practitioner. (Isn’t it fun to see all the organization mavens come out to play?)
It is!! Yes, Evernote does take some time to “find a good groove” but when you do, it’s awesome 🙂 There is a great tutorial called “Evernote Essentials” that was very helpful in walking us through everything Evernote offered. If anyone is looking for help with it, that’s a great starting point.
I live and breathe by track changes. My folders exists but could use a type A personality. 🙂 i LOVE LOVE social networking and building my readership.
It’s a blessing that you love it. Too many writers do it because they must but they begrudge the time and effort, and it usually shows.
I think whoever invented Track Changes should get a medal!!
As outgoing as I appear to be, I am still really shy about social networking. Like, REALLY shy.
I think most writers are naturally introverts but in order to be successful we must be communicators so we learn to use social media and connect with people.
I was surprised how shy you really are in person, but you are just as charming in the flesh as on the screen.
Aww, thank you, Wendy.
ACFW was a tempest in a hurricane for me! And yes, parts of it were just brutally hard.
And parts of it? Sunday? Ahhh!! Now I know what it feels like when a feather takes aim and down I go!
I love track changes as well. And the folders within folders is something I’ve used, but I love Wendy’s suggestion of how to name them. I do follow Andrew’s advice to plot out the folders on paper first, and I also have a few hard-copy folders, because, for me, sometimes its faster to find what I’m looking for in an organized hard copy system. The hard part for me? While I love creatively setting up the files, I get lazy using them effectively and sometimes just bunch everything together, requiring time to take care of it better later.
I think you’ve hit the bane of our efforts. We can design a perfect system but when time crunches we often get sloppy until only a major overhaul will get us back on the straight and narrow. (Experience speaking.)
I use Microsoft OneNote to keep track of ideas, pics, links, emails, files, lists, etc. It synchs with my phone so I always have access to everything! (Evernote is similar.) I also save my docs to Dropbox instead of/in addition to my hard drive. If anything happens to my computer, all my files are instantly available online and on my phone.
Yep. I couldn’t live without Dropbox. My desk computer, iPad and iPhone — I’ve always got access to anything.
I’m not familiar with One Note but sounds like it must be the Microsoft version of Evernote.
Agreed on Dropbox. It solves a myriad of issues, not the least of which is switching between devices. It’s at the top of the list of writing essentials for me.
Thank you, Wendy. I love these ideas. The categories for the writing folder were particularl helpful to me. 🙂
You’ll need to tweak those and figure out what you need. Sometimes you’ll have similar folders in several places. For instance I have a photographs folder in my Books & Such folder for photos of writers, agents, etc. I have a photographs file in each client’s file with their headshots in it and I have a photographs file in my family file. (All that plus the files I keep in iPhoto)
Thanks Wendy for a great post! I love organizing things as well! Keep it clean, neat and simple! To Crystal – when you get comfortable with Twitter – you will see that you can make lists of all your followers and the people you follow. It’s great to have a list for readers, another for authors (esp in specific genre), publishers, etc. So if you simply want to read what your readers have posted, you access that list. If you want to see what other “Mystery writer’s” are up to – you access that list. You can also just read how many times your name has been mentioned and by whom. As Facebook seems to be on the wane, try to pick up twitter! Andrew – I also agree with having paper and digital copies of everything. Use external hard drives (Dropbox-Amy) as well as main computer. I’ve had paper destroyed by and computers that have crashed!Wendy – a great post!
Sounds like you are already well organized. Great suggestions for using Twitter smarter.
What a great idea! I haven’t don’t this with Twitter yet.
Jeanne – go to your twitter page that lists the number of followers and tweets etc. scroll down and click on lists. You may not have any lists yet but I am quite certain you are on lists made by other people on twitter. Its surprising the first time you see it. Go to lists and click – then click member of and see what happens! Let me know – good luck.
This is a fantastic list for me! I need to work on almost every one of these. I thought Track Changes was a whole separate program, so I’m happy to know I can start figuring it out now.
Once you start playing with it, you’ll love it.
I feel I have the first five covered. It’s two of the last three I struggle with, mainly because I’m much better organizing and researching than name collecting and tribe building.
I know. And without both disciplines– organization and tribe-building– we will not be as successful. If you can just learn to love connecting with people that’s all it takes.
Thank you so much for the link to the Track Changes tutorial, Wendy. I needed that!
It helps to have someone walk you through it, doesn’t it. I keep forgetting that there is a YouTube tutorial for everything from changing a tire to doing brain surgery. (Okay, maybe not DIY brain surgery.)
Email organization is where I need the most work. I’m looking for a system that works. All suggestions welcome!
Me too. The thing that has helped me is gmail with two its boxes– the inbox and the archives. Nothing is deleted, it goes to archives so I can safely delete an email when I’ve acted on it and know that I still have it if I need to refer to it again in a searchable archive. That way you can have a clean inbox with a copy of all email.
That’s a great idea. Thanks!
I love Track Changes and the comments feature! I need to work on organizing my old files and my research. I’ve heard good things about Scrivener and may give it a try. Thanks for the great suggestions!
Wow. What good information!
Wonderful tips! Definitely helpful even for the Type A like me. I’m usually a mess with organizing my computer files in spite of my usual tendencies.
I wanted to look into your tips under “Get your reader database file set up and begin collecting names” and the link to another page, but the link does not work. I wanted to let you know in case others are looking for the page too.
Thanks!
Good suggestions, Wendy.
I’ve been doing the document file naming thing you mention for a long time. But I suggest adding the date in order of Year-Month-Date, always with beginning zeroes, to get the alphabetizing correct. I don’t use my name since I’m not submitting to agents/editors, but that’s a good suggestion for those who are. At the beginning of a writing session, I open the last file and rename it immediately with the day’s date. Tonight when I work on my novel, I’ll first save the file as:
Headshots 2014-05-14
Without the zeroes the alphabetizing is messed up. Without the year first files for projects extending over more than one year (e.g. Nov-March) will not alphabetize correctly. Every month or so I delete the files more than a month old.