Writing – Page 118 – Jean's Writing

How you can avoid my mistakes

Published on May 18, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell24 Comments

And boy do I make a lot of them. Or so it seems.

I hope by sharing with you, these posts will stand as a reminder to myself, not to repeat the same mistakes over again. big mistakes

Why? Because mistakes are costly.

Mistakes cost when you have to do something over and over, not just in time but often in money too.

How you can avoid my mistakes…

Use the right software for the right job.

I tried to use “workaround” software but that only make the job harder and take longer. You know what I mean like using a shoe to hang a picture instead of hunting down that long-lost hammer in the garage.

A little investment is worth your time and sanity.

No one software does everything. Pick the one that works best for each task.

Listed at the bottom are some of the ones I discovered and love.

Don’t go with the hype.

Adobe Acrobat has been the go to forever. Gag. I bought Adobe Acrobat and went almost batshit crazy trying to get it to work like I wanted. Canceled my purchase, did more research, and bought Nitro10. Happy days!

Some free things are good.

Again with Adobe, people have sworn by Adobe Photoshop for years, forget about it. I have discovered a program that is cheaper and easier, in my opinion, to use called Sumo Paint.

Paint Net is a great program for sizing the DPI of your pictures and drawings. It’s free and super easy to use.

Canva.com is great for making a book cover. Although you may still have to change the DPI after it’s finished.

Do you have a software that has made publishing easier?

A favorite software you can’t live without?

Do tell…

Talk to me, the lights on and comments are now open.

Keep reading I’ve listed links to my favorite software must haves at the bottom of the page!

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdelland Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Nitro Pro PDF Software for You

Nitro Pro has a monthly plan or yearly for $159. Worth every penny. Very user-friendly. And it offers a free trial period. Interfaces well with Word documents so if you can use Word you can use Nitro.

Serif PagePlus X8 desktop publisher

I love this for formatting a picture book. My editor suggested I give the program a look and I’m so glad I did. Inserting and moving pictures around is so easy even I can do it. After done just publish to PDF and voila! Ready to submit to IngramSpark. There are later versions X9 and X10, but I bought X8 on sale for $39.99. I love a sale. Reg price is $119.

Sumo Paint Photoshopping in your browser

You can use this program online for FREE or upgrade to Sumo Paint Pro for $4.00 a month. This is an amazing photoshop program for almost nothing. It’s easy to learn and there are several videos on YouTube to help.

Paint.NET a free image and photo editing software

Are you fearless as a writer?

Published on May 17, 2016May 16, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell1 Comment

Or are you timid, lady-like and reserved?

Wish I could say that I’m fearless especially when it comes to my writing and to submitting to editors.

But, I’m not. Like many women, I struggle against my upbringing.

“Don’t be pushy, don’t be loud, don’t assume, remember your place, wait your turn….”

Well, that doesn’t work if you want to succeed as a writer.

Did you turn around a send off another piece to that editor who rejected your story or did you sit and sulk? After all, they were just being nice with that note saying they liked it but it just didn’t meet their needs at the time. Right?

Wrong!

And, now I’m kicking myself for being such a wimp after reading this article by Kelli Russell Agodon, who worked as a Co-Editor-in-Chief for six years. Apparently, when an editor takes the time to write a note on your rejection letter, they mean it. (Her article link is at the bottom.)

Women writers, unlike men, often wait much longer before sending additional stories to the publication after receiving a rejection. Men write something new and send it off right away.

Geesh, sometimes I’m such a dunce.

What about you?

Have you ever dismissed a note on a rejection letter?

Did you think the editor was just being nice?

Or did you do a quick turn around and send in another piece?

Talk to me, the lights on and comments are now open.

Keep reading great links at the bottom of the page!

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdelland Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Want to know what a real editor has to say? Click and read:

Submit Like A Man: How Women Writers Can Become More Successful

From the Editor’s Desk: Why we’re becoming believers in Facebook Live

Do you have a sweet tooth?

Published on May 16, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell10 Comments

You may say no, but I bet you do.

Everyone has a sweet tooth, even if it’s a tiny one.

Me, I love sweets! And I love learning something new about writing.

Imagine my excitement when I opened a blog and read all about writing with Twinkies. You read that right.

I mean, who doesn’t love those sweet, make your teeth hurt cream filled cakes? But what did those lovely little darlings have to do with writing? I had to know.

Thanks to Robin Rivera over at Write On Sisters for explaining that every writer needs to give their readers a little tasty cake throughout the story.

Are you as intrigued as I was? Then click read —

Story Twinkies: Do You Need One?

How do you get rid of a case of the Writer Blues?

Published on May 11, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell28 Comments

Anybody have any suggestions?

For answers, I went to my trusty friend Mr. Google.

Sometimes the Writer Blues (WB) grab hold of you when you become discouraged over a work in progress (WIP). Other times WB sneaks up on you after a completed project. Such is my case.

I open my notebook and flip through my idea list. Nope, nope, dumb, who the hell wrote that?

I open my WIP file folder on my computer. A folder filled with story starts that sounded promising when I jotted down the opening paragraphs or even first chapters. Nope, nope, oh hell no!

Okay, clear mind. Take a walk. Back inside, short walk, it’s hot in Texas.

Do a mindless task, laundry, yes, do some laundry. We now have clean underwear. But didn’t do jack for generating a story idea.

That’s when I noticed the first symptoms. A half-gallon of Blue Bell Vanilla ice cream is almost gone and the wine cooler needs replenishing. Maybe I should check into one of those wine by the month clubs. Wonder if there is one for ice cream too. Hmm… I’ll Google it.

Now, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, the WB’s.

And how can I rid myself of this dang malady!

How do you get rid of the Writer Blues and begin a new project?

Got any tricks or tips to share?

I hear you- time to quit whining and just write something!

Talk to me, the lights on and comments are now open.

Keep reading great links at the bottom of the page!

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdelland Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.