As a writer and software developer, I’m always looking for tools that make my job easier. You’d be surprised at the number of non-writing tasks associated with being a writer. Keeping track of contacts within the industry is a chore. Another is to find new markets to sell my articles and book ideas. I also have to keep track of how much I spend on paper, postage, supplies, computer equipment, and travel costs for meetings, conferences, etc. Then there is the tracking of tasks, deadlines and submissions. And in those few moments when I can be creative, I jot down my ideas for new articles, stories, and books. Somehow, I find time to write.
With so much to keep track of, I knew I needed some way to keep track of everything. At first I tried a combination of spreadsheets, contact managers, accounting software, and lots of colorful sticky notes around the office. Then the programmer in me decided it was time to come up with something that would do it all for me. When I started my search to see what was already available for comparison, that’s when I came across Write Again! (http://www.write-again.com) from Asmoday Enterprises (http://www.asmoday.com). I was amazed at the list of features of this amazing product. I was so impressed with the free trial that I turned around and bought the full version the next day.
Write it again! is a gem of a find for anyone involved with writing. Asmoday calls Write again! a writing management tool. I call it the Ultimate Writer Business Manager! Just a quick overview of these features and you’ll see why I’m calling it that:
* A Markets and Contacts Manager, which is the core of Write Again! This provides the ability to track any potential and established markets for a writer’s products. You can track almost any information about a target market, such as market guidelines, pay rate, acceptable word count, market type (articles, e-books, fiction, non-fiction, etc.), contact information, web site links, how the product is accepted (email, postal mail, etc.), market genres and much more. And a big plus with me is a large area for notes.
* A Project Manager – This is where I like to put all my ideas, work in progress and completed projects. This keeps track of project type, word count, start and end dates, grade, notes, and the ability to link documents to the project. When the project is submitted to a specific market, it appears in the Project Details window. I particularly like the overview window which shows an overview of all activity associated with the project. Another great feature is the ability to write back. suggest open markets to which a project can be presented.
* The Submission Manager – This is the money maker! This is where I keep track of which projects have been submitted and where. If it wasn’t for this module, I’d be lost! At a glance I can see the status of all my submitted projects. Which also helps me decide who I should contact to try to push a project forward.
* The Time Planner – This module is great for keeping track of those tight shipping deadlines. The ability to assign tasks to specific projects is a great help to keep track of what needs to be done.
* The Financial Manager – The Love/Hate module. I don’t know of any writer who likes to keep track of their finances. It can be quite a task to keep all those receipts. Having the Financial Manager as part of Write Again! it is a motivation to keep track of the expenses and income associated with writing. While it lacks many of the features of a full financial package, it does provide enough to keep a good track of what’s going on. Which, in my opinion, is better than getting confused with too many functions.
* Submission Status Report – This module is quite useful for quickly viewing the status of all submissions, including those that have been rejected. I especially like being able to double click on a shipment in the report and have it take me to the details in the Shipment Manager.
* Market Feasibility Report – While it has minimal features, this report provides a quick overview of projects submitted, not submitted, accepted, never accepted and also a list of used and unused markets. My expectation with this report was to help me align my projects by type and automatically see which markets they were eligible for. However, this feature is available in the Project Manager.
Write it again! it also provides utilities to back up all your data and the ability to convert any data to CSV files for import into other applications (such as MS Office, Open Office, etc.)
The ART of software development in Write Again! It is not only in the extensive functionality provided in a single package, but also in the ease of use of this application. I was able to use almost all the features of Write Again! without having to open a manual or consult the extensive online Help. I was also impressed that the user interface of Write Again! it’s not what you’d call a standard Windows interface. which is fine Instead of a toolbar, Write Again! provides a row of large buttons, which means there is no confusion about small graphic icon images. The product is very intuitive and allows me to focus on running the writing business and not have to be a tech wizard to use it. Another reason for the ART of Software Development award for this wonderful product is the responsiveness of Asmoday Enterprises in providing support and answers to my email queries.
While I sometimes run into a weird quirk or two with the screen refreshing or a list box not completely going away, an exit and restart of the app will usually resolve whatever I run into. And I’m sure some of these quirks are associated with the database development tools Asmoday is using for Write Again! Quirks aside, there is no other software application I have come across that handles all of these aspects of the writing business. I recommend writing again! for any beginner, freelance or professional writer. Write it again! reduces the amount of work related to the business of writing. It is well worth the reasonable cost of registration.
Write it again! it is available in Lite (donation), Standard (US$34.95), and Professional (US$49.95) versions. There is also a trial version available to check before you buy. You can contact Asmoday Enterprises and download Write Again! from http://www.write-again.com