Scrivener Writing Software Review
This is a writing sample from Scripted writer Bridget Wright
Managing a blog is very tedious, detailed work. Different pieces of a blog need tracking consistently, which is why most bloggers use editorial calendars. This type of tracking mechanism makes blogging work more manageable. There are several types of calendars; software-based, cloud-based and plug-ins. Deciding what is/is not needed in an editorial calendar really depends on each individual bloggers' business needs. Blog Management There are a lot of components that you have to juggle if you want to do everything efficiently because submitting your posts is just one part of the multi-step process. You need to be able to track the blog posts that you've made, blog posts that you're scheduling, load images, review blog ideas that you want to write about, etc. Those are just some of the tasks for managing one blog, but if you add in multiple blogs that you either write or manage, then you definitely need a comprehensive system to have things run as smoothly as possible. Scrivener as a Blog Writing Tool I've used Scrivener as my blog planning tool for a little over two years now. I'm still learning my way around it because the software is extremely detailed but powerful. I've learned the basic foundation of the software, and each time I use it, I learn how to use it a little bit better. Scrivener Corkboard The software can be installed on Windows and/or Mac computer systems. Image [Flickr] It's great for managing not just one, but several blogs, which is what I use it for. If you write on several different blogs, you'll no doubt get a lot of benefit from the software. But if you want to see how it works without making a full investment, go to Jennifer Mattern's writing site and download her free Scrivener template for bloggers. This is a great idea for bloggers who want to do a test drive first to see if it would fit their needs. It's also great for new bloggers who want to get a sense of managing a blog process without feeling overwhelmed. The Need for an Editorial Calendar Many bloggers use multiple editorial calendars for blog planning, scheduling, marketing and a myriad of other tasks. This post by Social Media Examiner goes over three very resourceful tools that any blogger could maximize for their use. I am especially intrigued by the post's reference to a multi-calendar tool from Divvy HQ because it has certain features that I'd love to be able to use with my current software. But there are features with my current software that I could not function efficiently without. See that's the thing about different editorial calendars; most of them have some of the features that you want or like, but none of them will likely have ALL of the features you need. And while editorial calendars or software are not absolutely essential, they do make your blogging work a bit easier to manage. When I first started blogging professionally, I didn't really have much use for an editorial calendar. I was only managing one (client) blog and posting only twice a week to that blog. It was pretty simple to do blog posts because things were so simplified. The client added their own images from their corporate stock images, and they had a social media editor who was in charge of shooting my posts off to their different platforms. But as my business began to grow and my client blogging list grew, so did the client demands and requirements. I saw the need to create a more organized, clean work stream. I needed a software that would make my blogging life easier. I'm the type of writer/blogger who does their best work when I write out my thoughts. I think and plan while I jot or doodle. Do you know what I mean? I tend to plan better that way because I can "see" what I'm thinking and doing. When I decided to get Scrivener software for my writing, I did so because it was advertised "for writers" and promised to help me get organized. And it did, somewhat. Although I'm not a book novel writer, it has been the best software investment that I've made to date as a blogger. I use Scrivener religiously for blogging and it helps me organize, write, brainstorm and troubleshoot. Managing Multiple Blogs Earlier I mentioned the job of managing multiple blogs. Scrivener has helped me manage multiple blogs and multiple clients and keep everything organized. I write on my own blog, I guest blog and then I manage private blogs and content for my clients. So there are a lot of pieces to my writing and blogging life that I have to keep together. Scrivener, while not the 100% solution to my blogging challenges, has given me the organized workflow I need on a daily basis. If you are a visual learner like me, I'm sure it can help you too. I won't try to cover everything in this post because the software is so extensive, but I am going to show you some of the basic ways that I use it for my blogging activities. Let's take a look at some of it's features. Ease of Use To manage blogging in Scrivener, I create a new binder or project (blog name) and then folders within that project. I create each folder to represent a calendar month, and then within each month, a new document is created. That document is a usually a blog post date, or post title, or whichever you prefer. I use titles AND dates so that I can keep things straight. (continued in link) total word count was 1822 words
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