http://www.writerswayside.com Tech tips for working writers Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:36:30 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Want to take content along on your iPhone for the long plane ride ahead? Need to bring your address list for postcards back home? Boy, do I wish I'd come across this nifty site BEFORE that long trip I took to Texas last month. The site: ebookhood.com. You can convert any ... http://www.writerswayside.com/2008/12/03/convert-any-content-for-mobile-use/ Energize your career with an intensive three-day weekend of workshops and small group sessions on the business of writing, from tapping online markets and building your brand to negotiating contracts, producing content, and developing a marketing strategy for your work. Ideal for established journalists, public relations professionals, and new writers ... http://www.writerswayside.com/2008/12/02/writing-institute-offers-top-notch-instruction/ I never got on the Windows Vista bandwagon. I heard too many sour reports from folks who bought a Vista-based computer early, and I managed to snag one of the last Dell computers shipped with Windows XP on it. No need yet to upgrade. But, I occasionally get correspondence from ... http://www.writerswayside.com/2008/11/21/how-to-deal-with-docx/ Now this is a bright idea: use your camera phone to capture notes, research, business cards, and original documents. I've been doing this since digital cameras came out, in order to make it easier on me when I do research in the field. But using your camera phone goes one ... http://www.writerswayside.com/2008/11/17/camera-phone-scanr-hours-saved/ Darren Rowse from ProBlogger has an excellent NEW blog devoted to the growing phenomenon that is Twitter. Get tips on tools, what to tweet about, and how to conduct yourself in this new universe of microblogging. As a writer, I've found Twitter quite valuable for making connections and fostering dialog, ... http://www.writerswayside.com/2008/11/10/twitter-tips-at-twitip/ In today’s digital world, sending out your content via RSS feed means that anyone and everyone can post it on their website. Good for you? It depends on the purpose of your blog or content feed. If you’re worried about misuse of your content, including swiping of work – especially ... http://www.writerswayside.com/2008/11/06/is-your-content-drifting-around-the-%e2%80%98net/ One of the most valuable daily emails I get for keeping up with Web 2.0 and social media trends is from Mashable. Their tag line is "All that's new on the web" and indeed, their correspondents push a tremendous amount of info about what's hot and new down the pipeline. ... http://www.writerswayside.com/2008/10/11/keep-up-with-mashable/ Kudos to the sharp-eyed Donncha (one of the original Wordpress founders, remember that name in your first blogroll?) for catching an insidious trick that's inherent in some Wordpress templates. Irrelevant links on your site can drain off your search engine rankings, and there's a way that some clever hackers have ... http://www.writerswayside.com/2008/10/01/has-your-wordpress-blog-been-hacked/ Before blogs ever existed, Dr. Jakob Nielsen was putting commentary on the web several times a month regards the emerging Internet and usability.  I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Information Science back in the early 1990s, and his work was among my studies, opening my ... http://www.writerswayside.com/2008/09/05/jakob-nielsens-alertbox/ Once you're published, one of the most important steps you can take to expand your online marketability is to build your own brand. What do you want to be known for? Granted, if you're like myself, your interests - and subsequently, your published work - is all over the map. ... http://www.writerswayside.com/2008/09/05/building-your-brand/