Tools for Writers: The business of writing
In this edition, I will be looking at tools to help you run a business as a writer. As always, I have a preference for free tools, and love that the internet has made so much available to us. All you have to do is search for it!
Keeping track of your submissions:
It is important to know which stories you have submitted, and to whom, along with any feedback that you receive. This is so that you don't waste your time, and the editors, submitting to a market which has already rejected your work. it is also helpful for those markets which don't respond, so you'll know when to resubmit. It used to be the case that publishers didn't accept simultaneous submissions, but this is changing, and many publishers now accept simultaneous submissions. Of course, if you have sold all of the rights to a story, you can't afford to make the mistake of selling it to someone else, as the publishers would be entitled to take you to court.
I've created my own database for tracking my submissions, which records different types of markets, but a spreadsheet can also be a useful way to do this. (I'd be happy to provide a copy of my database on request, but you would have to know how to use MS Access, as I can not offer any support)
If you'd prefer to have someone else do the leg work, then you can use a ready made tracker, such as the ones in these blogs:
https://www.ediejarolim.com/5-tools-track-writing-submissions/
https://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/2015/09/5-submission-tracking-software-resources-for-writers/
Accounting Software:
If you are earning money from your writing, then you need to keep a record, as tax is inevitable, and falling foul of the taxman would be disastrous. If you're only receiving a small income, then a simple spreadsheet would do it, and if you're in the UK, you can log onto the taxman's website to declare your earnings, or register as self employed.
When you need to start invoicing and running a more formal business, then you'll need accounting software. This blog has some great links to accounting software: https://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/best-free-accounting-software-8-programs-we-recommend-1136684
I've worked as a bookkeeper before, and am planning on using GnuCash, as for sensitive information like accounting, I don't want cloud based services.
Setting up a business
If you live in the UK, and want to set up your own company, extensive information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/browse/business/setting-up
It is actually quite easy to do.
Logo Design
A good logo design should be part of your marketing plan, and you can read more about branding and free logo design tools here.
Publishing Services
There are a range of services out there for budding writers, from manuscript formatting, to submission and critiquing services and I do look on them with a healthy skepticism, as in my opinion, many of them are selling a service that you can manage easily yourself, and in some cases are scams. You can read my blog here on Paying for writing services.
My preference is always for free services, or to do the work myself, and in these blog posts, I am looking for services which are free. The only downside is of course that they come with advertising!
Editing is one service I would consider paying for, as a professional editor does have specialist expertise, but if your work is accepted for publication, the publisher usually uses their own editor. But, a good editor can help prepare your work for submission.
Self publishing
In spite of the success of some writers through self publishing, I still remain sceptical, and my preference remains for traditional publishing. However, some publishing houses now have a self publishing wing, and if a book is popular, will offer a contract. Self publishing can be a way of making your work available. If you do decide to self publish, then I would recommend using an editor and other professional services, to ensure your work is commercially competitive. Too many shoddy self published books will ultimately result in readers voting with their feet!
Amazon's self publishing platform is ubiquitous. They offer free publishing, as well as a paid services for formatting and editing your work for Kindle. It is an easy to use platform, and very accessible. A friend who is a well known short story writer published books of short stories through Amazon, and did make some money.
If you write short stories, there are markets that will allow you to sell your stories. I like Cut a long story as the work is curated, so there is some quality control. However, I have yet to sell any of my work through the site
Fame without the money:
Short Stories101 will allow you to get your work out and build your portfolio, but is not currently a paying market. I do have a story on this site as well.
https://adhocfiction.com/submit/ is a weekly competition for flash fiction where the public vote for their favourite story.
Freelancing Work
I've previously written about sites which will help you find work as a writer, and you can read that blog here
You can read more about finding free images to illustrate your work here
Project Management Tools
I explored a range of Project management tools for my 'day job' as admin assistant on a research project. We finally settled on Bitrix which is free for small businesses. It includes email; calendars; cloud document storage, CRM (Customer relationship management) as well as task management. There is a range of videos to help you set up your service, and to date, I am very impressed with it. I found many of the other services that I looked at did not include all of the functionality of Bitrix. However, you may want to consider:
If you've read this far, and are still looking for more tools to play with, then a great list can be found on this blog.
And if none of these meet your needs, search the tech blogs which evaluate loads of apps and services.
Choosing the right tools
Ultimately, the tools you choose should be right for you, and your business. I am pretty tech savy, and like trying out new things, so I'm constantly searching for better tools to make my life easier. For me, a good tool needs to do what I want it to do efficiently, should be easy to navigate and relatively intuitive - I don't want to have to read manuals to figure out how to make it work. It should be easy to set up, and of course, the price has to be right - generally I like free!