On April 16, 2022, Kasie and Rex were back on the air live to talk about the various technologies available to help writers create, publish, and sell their stories. Here are the show notes:

Theme for the day

Technology for Writers

Agenda

• Technology that is being used
• Technology that should be used
• Technology we need to learn more about before using

Link to the podcast

Segment 1/2

SCWA is now taking registrations for the Paths to Publishing series, a four-part event sequence in May featuring these topics and speakers:

• May 3rd Raegan Teller
• May 10th Alexa and Kasie talk indie press publishing and the necessary promotion of one’s own work
• May 17th Hub City Press is represented by Meg Reid and Anjali Enjeti talking about university and small press business models and opportunities
• May 24 Amy Bishop and JC JC Peterson talk about getting an agent, pitching big publishing houses, and the other joys and challenges of working with large publishers

Use the link above to register. Recordings are only available to registered participants and while SCWA members get a discount, it is a paid series.

I’ve been on the radio a lot this week. Wednesday morning I started a conversation about data brokers that continued into Thursday afternoon’s show and while it may not seem directly relevant to our writing world, in fact we are more in the digital space than ever and ought to know what that means for our art, our business, storytelling, and the future of the industry as a whole. So today we’re going to get as tech nerdy as we can without bringing in a guest. It’s just Rex and me bumping around these issues and topics so take whatever we say with some caution: we are authors, not software developers or engineers.

Here are a few things I think we can safely take on in a general “How does this affect authors” kind of way:

• Digital platform building and the insights we’re giving away
• Digital marketing tools like email lists
• Digital plagiarism
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Scrivener, Google Docs, Word and other tools writers use to create manuscripts
• Temi and other voice-to-text options
• Wattpad, Vella and other serialization platforms
• Digital submissions – via email or submittable
• Twitter and other ways to find and stalk agents and publishers

Segment 3/4

The South Carolina Writers Association continues to be the best way to build your writing career in the state. With dozens of chapters organized regionally – Chapin/Irmo, Columbia I, II, and II all here in the area – and virtual chapters aligned by genre – short fiction, poetry, and romance among them – you’re sure to find a supportive group to share your work and get help on revision. Critique groups are essential for growing as a writer and the SCWA is a supportive, encouraging environment. Visit myscwa.org to learn more. 

SCWA has opened its digital journal The Petigru Review for submissions from SCWA members only. On May 1, they’ll begin accepting submissions from non-members. They have also opened registration for the Fall Conference in Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. Ever been to a conference at the beach? It’s the best! Make plans to come and register at myscwa.org/events

Back to the digital conversation and some thoughts on these adjacent topics:

• If you know what the people want, do you deliver it?
• Creative entrepreneurship is a means-based approach; so finding one’s audience is critical
• Patronage – Patreon.com – and earning ongoing support from readers
• NFTs and publishers, authors, and limited editions of your work
• Collective storytelling and the gamer-streamer-collaborative world

Just lists and ideas at this point because I really don’t know where we’ll go with these. But considering our shared interest in promoting our own work and staying in front of the curve on marketing and sales opportunities, these topics might breed some longer-form discussion in later episodes.