This question has been coming up a lot lately, and there’s a whole speech I give about this, so I thought I’d write it down and just refer people to this post. It’s a topic right now because in the last few months all of the enterprise IT publications I write for have decided to […]
Do I quote vendors in articles? Read More »
UPDATE FEB. 2021: Lately, I’ve been testing out a new online collaboration tool called Notion. The basic plan, which includes sharing with up to five collaborators, is free. It allows for embedded related tables. It supports PDF exports for things like invoices and contracts. It even has Kanban boards. It’s got functions. Upgrading to unlimited
Online Filemaker alternatives: Coda, Zoho, AppSheet, AppGyver, and more Read More »
New update, June 18: I’ve started a new virtual Zoom-based MeetUp group for speculative fiction writers. If you write science fiction, fantasy or horror, check us out. Update: Since this post was first published, several people have contacted me from all around the country wanting to drop into our meetings, and a couple have! We’re
My writing groups meet on Zoom Read More »
Another tool useful for writers that I’ve talked about this one in writers’ meetings before is Otter.AI. It transcribes your dictation. You just talk, and it converts it into text, with any smartphone. And it’s free. I use it in the car while driving. I just talk to myself, and it takes notes. Unlike other
Otter.AI just announced a great free deal on its transcription Read More »
A friend of a friend just called me, asking for advice on how to become a technology journalist. I promised to send him some links and figured I’d post them here so that I have everything in one place for the next person who asks. If you need some help with your journalism entries, see
The tech journalist starter kit Read More »
The Lost King of Krim, a novella of the Krim virtual world that was released last month, hit multiple Amazon category bestseller lists this month. It is one of the top 100 free books in the “Best Sellers in Private Investigator Mysteries” category, in the “Two-Hour Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads” and also one
The Lost King of Krim hits multiple Amazon category bestseller lists Read More »
I am putting together a writers’ Mastermind group, to meet Sunday mornings via conference calls, such as Skype or Facebook video. You can read my full bio here, but the basic summary is that I’ve been a journalist for more than 20 years and am now switching to fiction writing. I’m going the self-published route,
Sunday morning writing Mastermind group Read More »
I use Google Docs. I tried a lot of other platforms — Word, Filemaker, Coda, and a bunch of others — but I like Google Docs for the following reasons: 1. I can view and edit from any device, anywhere. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, inspiration strikes! 2. I can dictate, and
14 reasons why I use Google Docs to write my novels Read More »
The Lost King of Krim, a novella of the Krim virtual world, is out on Amazon and other booksellers. Meanwhile, the series prequel, Krim Times, which was first released in January 2019, is back on the Amazon best seller list for the “Best Sellers in 90-Minute Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads” category. I don’t
New book out, ‘Krim Times’ back on category best seller list Read More »
If you have a small business, and need a website where you can post your hours and contact information, some pictures, and a few articles, most website platforms are either expensive, or hard to use, or both. As much as you need your website, you might also need to get in touch with the website
How to have a simple but professional-looking website for around $12 a year Read More »
As an editor of a couple of different niche online publications, and a writer for some major tech magazines, I get dozens of unsolicited content offers a day. I can’t ignore them, because I’m always looking for expert sources for the articles I write about cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and am always looking for guest
10 signs a content offer is spam Read More »
In case you’re wondering what I’ve been doing with myself now that I’m not blogging about OpenSim as much, here’s an update. First, I’m super busy at my day job. I’m covering artificial intelligence for IDG’s CIO magazine and cybersecurity for CSO. I’ve also been getting my new blog, Upsider, up and running. Today, we
My new computer setup Read More »
Six years ago, DabbleDB was shut down. It was a major blow, since I had been using their easy but powerful online database for everything from editorial workflow to invoicing. We experimented with a wide variety of options, and eventually settled on three: Google Docs and Spreadsheets for event management and accounting, WordPress for website
Online database update — Airtable looks extremely promising Read More »
A couple of my friends have been redoing their professional portfolio websites lately, which inspired me to do some research on current trends in business and news website design. As a result of this research, I was finally inspired to bring this site up to date, and since I’m constitutionally incapable of doing something without
How to create a website that looks like this one Read More »
I work with a lot of beginning freelance writers, and enjoy seeing them move up to larger publications. They all understand the need to improve their writing and reporting skills. However, few pay as much attention to their marketing skills. Here are the basics it takes to get started. Social media For freelance writers the
Basic marketing for a freelance writer Read More »
