Presentation on digital tools at Gold Rush Writers conference, May 2014

1. Dancing Faster in the Datasphere
Tom Johnson
t o m @ j t j o h n s o n . c o m
2014 Gold Rush Writer's Conference
Mokelumne Hill CA
May 2-4, 2014
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2. Topics
•Search strategies and tools
•Bookmarks
•Taking notes
•Writing tools
•Living in The Cloud
•Publishing
– Ink-on-Paper
– Ebooks (or is it eBooks?)
•Misc. interesting developments in publishing
•Let’s Make Some Money! (Marketing)
•​Open Question Problem Solving (we hope)
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3. Adding apps to Bookmark Bar
3
1.Place cursor
on site’s icon in
address bar
2.Hold down
left mouse
button
3.Drag cursor
into desired
position on
BkMk bar and
release

4. Putting apps in your browser tool bar?
1.Using Firefox (but works with most browsers)…
2.View Toolbars  Bookmarks Toolbar
3.Polycola.com makes it easy to pin to
browser
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5. Live Screen Bit.ly Demo

6. Putting apps in your browser tool bar?
1.Using Firefox…
2.[demo] View ToolbarsBookmarks
Toolbar
3.Polycola.com makes it easy to pin to
browser
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7. Automatic Search and Curate
•Scoop.it -
http://www.scoop.it/
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8. Automatic Search and Curate
•Scoop.it -
http://www.scoop.it/
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9. Search strategies and tools
•Strategies:
– Librarians are always your very best friends.
• Get local or university library card to access
subscription journals
– Who else is interested in your topic?
• Organizations? Genealogists? Hobbiests?
– Where would the data be? Specialized and
organization libraries? Corporate libraries?
National libraries? Outside the country?
– Are there specific file types?
Maps and pictures. Economic data. Census
MMS.
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10. Search Strategies and Tools
•Noodletools.com - http://bit.ly/1dnhduz
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11. Search strategies and tools
•What does the NSA use?
– “Google Hacking” ( Untangling the Web: A
Guide to Internet Research )
•Google Advanced Search --
http://www.google.com/advanced_search
– Hard to find from home page. Use this URL
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12. Deeper/Richer than Google
•Invisible Web
•Think "databases" and keep your eyes open.
Find searchable databases containing invisible
web pages in the course of routine searching
in most general web directories. Of particular
value in academic research are:
– Ipl2.org -
– Infomine - infomine.ucr.edu/
•The Wikipedia "Deep Web" article provides a
fairly up-to-date summary, with links to other
resources.
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13. Deeper than Google
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14. Meta search engines
Combine two or more search engines enabling
a simultaneous search
• PolyCola - http://www.polycola.com/
Search any two major search engines
simultaneously.
•Dogpile - www.dogpile.com/
Searches four top search engines
simultaneously.
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15. Meta search engines
Combine two or more search engines
enabling a simultaneous search
• PolyCola - http://www.polycola.com/
Allows you to search any two major search
engines simultaneously.
•Dogpile - www.dogpile.com/
Searches four top search engines
simultaneously.
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16. Popular Directories
•Infomine - infomine.ucr.edu/
•Open Directory - www.dmoz.org/
•WWW Virtual Library - vlib.org/
•Internet Public Library - www.ipl.org/
•Best of the web - botw.org
•Galaxy: www.galaxy.com
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17. Historic and Speciality Journals
•Tutorials | About JSTOR
– Access for Individuals. Can read online for
free or purchase article.
– Get university (sometimes city) library card
for access.
•PubMed Tutorial - National Institutes of
Health
•Guide to Patent Searching - McKinney
Engineering Library
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18. Historic and Speciality Journals
•Tutorials | About JSTOR
– Access for Individuals. Can read online for
free or purchase article.
– Get university (sometimes city) library card
for access.
•PubMed Tutorial - National Institutes of
Health
•Guide to Patent Searching - McKinney
Engineering Library
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19. Digital Public Library of America
•An aggregator of libraries
A portal that delivers students, teachers,
scholars, and the public to incredible
resources, wherever they may be in America.
•Search Engine+
Search and scan through the united
collection of millions of items, including by
timeline, map, apps, virtual
bookshelf, format, and topic.
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20. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
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21. Taking Notes
•Goals
– Tool quickly at hand
– Auto save/back-up
– Synch across platforms
– Capture handwriting (?)
– Cheap
– Save multiple file formats – Images, PDF, text,
etc.
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22. Taking Notes
•OneNote –
bit.ly/1lqfiqT
$50 or here for $19)
(only Windows 7, 8,
8.1)
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23. Taking Notes
•Evernote –
www.evernote.com
Free and premium
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24. Taking Notes
•Google’s Keep
•Google Keep is available
online and via an Android
app. Both iterations are
free.
•OneNote and Evernote
have Web and app
elements that you can use
for free, plus paid premium
editions.
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25. Bookmarking/Note-taking
•Notetaking Review article – bit.ly/1jrgBoa
•Free Bookmark Tools (and more) –
www.supershareware.com/free-bookmark-tool-
free/
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26. Specialized Search Tools
•Google Ngram Viewer
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27. Google Scholar
•http://scholar.g
oogle.com/
•Note “case law”
possibility
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28. Google Scholar
•http://scholar.g
oogle.com/
•Investigate
“Custom range”
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29. Google Scholar
•http://scholar.g
oogle.com/
•“Interview”
results
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30. Google Scholar
•http://scholar.g
oogle.com/
•Drill into MSS
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31. Specialized Tools - Outlining
•The Outliner of Giants --
http://www.theoutlinerofgiants.com/
•Checkvist [sic] - https://checkvist.com/
Minimalist keyboard driven online outliner and task
manager for teams and individuals. Capture your
ideas and notes, create checklists and plans, share
with colleagues, and get everything done — together.
•Oak Outliner - http://oakoutliner.com/
•WorkFlowy - https://workflowy.com/
•Fargo - http://fargo.io/
“Fargo files are stored in Dropbox. We only need to
access a single sub-folder folder.”
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32. Specialized Tools - Outlining
•The Outliner of Giants --
http://www.theoutlinerofgiants.com/
•Checkvist [sic] - https://checkvist.com/
Minimalist keyboard driven online outliner and task
manager for teams and individuals. Capture your
ideas and notes, create checklists and plans, share
with colleagues, and get everything done — together.
•Oak Outliner - http://oakoutliner.com/
•WorkFlowy - https://workflowy.com/
•Fargo - http://fargo.io/
“Fargo files are stored in Dropbox. We only need to
access a single sub-folder folder.”
32

33. Specialized Tools - Outlining
•The Outliner of Giants --
http://www.theoutlinerofgiants.com/
•Checkvist [sic] - https://checkvist.com/
Minimalist keyboard driven online outliner and task
manager for teams and individuals. Capture your
ideas and notes, create checklists and plans, share
with colleagues, and get everything done — together.
•Oak Outliner - http://oakoutliner.com/
•WorkFlowy - https://workflowy.com/
•Fargo - http://fargo.io/
“Fargo files are stored in Dropbox. We only need to
access a single sub-folder folder.”
33

34. Specialized Tools - Outlining
•The Outliner of Giants --
http://www.theoutlinerofgiants.com/
•Checkvist [sic] -
https://checkvist.com/
Minimalist keyboard driven online
outliner and task manager for teams
and individuals. Capture your ideas
and notes, create checklists and plans,
share with colleagues, and get
everything done — together.
•Oak Outliner
-
http://oakout
liner.com/
•WorkFlowy - https://workflowy.com/
•Fargo - http://fargo.io/
“Fargo files are stored in Dropbox. We
only need to access a single sub-folder
folder.”
34

35. Specialized Tools - Outlining
•The Outliner of Giants --
http://www.theoutlinerofgiants.com/
•Checkvist [sic] -
https://checkvist.com/
Minimalist keyboard driven online
outliner and task manager for teams
and individuals. Capture your ideas
and notes, create checklists and plans,
share with colleagues, and get
everything done — together.
•Oak Outliner -
http://oakoutliner.com/
•WorkFlowy -
https://workflowy.com/
•Fargo - http://fargo.io/
“Fargo files are stored in Dropbox. We
only need to access a single sub-folder
folder.”
35

36. Specialized Tools - Outlining
•The Outliner of Giants --
http://www.theoutlinerofgiants.com/
•Checkvist [sic] - https://checkvist.com/
Minimalist keyboard driven online outliner and
task manager for teams and individuals. Capture
your ideas and notes, create checklists and plans,
share with colleagues, and get everything done —
together.
•Oak Outliner - http://oakoutliner.com/
•WorkFlowy - https://workflowy.com/
•Fargo - “Fargo files
are stored in
Dropbox. We only
need to access a
single sub-folder
folder.”
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37. Cloud Storage
•Someone else maintains the software
•Good security and backups
•Can usually share files or folders
•Accessible with variety of devices
•Often free
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38. Cloud Storage
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39. Cloud Storage
•12 free cloud storage options
•Amazon Cloud - amzn.to/1jUCPRm
•Dropbox -- www.dropbox.com
•Box -- www.box.com
•Google Docs – docs.google.com/
•SugarSync -- www.sugarsync.com
($75=60Gb)
•Skydrive -- onedrive.live.com/about/en-us/
Sometimes complicated to manage and log-
in
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40. New Writing Tools
•Wattpad – www.wattpad.com
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41. New Writing Tools
•Wattpad – www.wattpad.com
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42. New Writing Tools
•Wattpad – www.wattpad.com
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43. Listen to the words
•Audiobook sales growth has exploded due
to the ability to download audiobooks from
sites like Audible.com, iTunes
and ChristianAudio.com.
•Audiobook mavens are able to read so much
because they listen to books while driving,
working out, or cooking.
•Never goes out of print
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44. Listen to the words
•Audio books can boost I-o-P sales
•Give You Access to Non-Readers.
•Having an Audiobook Makes You Easier to
Find.
•Audiobooks Are Cheap & Easy to Make.
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45. Audio Books
•Bonus tracks – e.g. interviews with author (like DVDs)
•YOU be sure to keep YOUR audio rights
•Why Audiobooks Are the Next Big Thing in Self-
Publishing Media Shift Essay by Laura Caldwell
http://to.pbs.org/1krkX1e
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46. Misc., interesting stuff
•ACX – an Amazon [audio] Platform
http://www.acx.com/
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47. Misc., interesting stuff
•ACX – an Amazon [audio] Platform
http://www.acx.com/
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48. Misc., interesting stuff
•ACX – an Amazon [audio] Platform
http://www.acx.com/
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49. Majority of Americans Read Ebooks
•54% of Americans currently read ebooks
•Those who read more ebooks read more books on
average than other Americans.
•1/3 of those who read ebooks exclusively, or more
than print, read more than 20 books a year; 1/5 of
those who read more in print read more than 20
books a year.
•Ebook readers also purchase more books, about
double what other readers buy.
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50. New Publishing Forms/Tools
•Amazon’s “Kindle Single Interview” -
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Source: Trends uncovered by the Thin Reads - www.thinreads.com/

51. New Publishing Forms/Tools
Trends uncovered by the Thin Reads - www.thinreads.com/
•Amazon’s “Kindle Single Interview” -
•Hip eyewear manufacturer Warby Parker -- first advertiser to support an e-book
single with its sponsorship of the nonfiction e-book single “Coronado High.”
•Magazine publishers got serious about e-book singles. Discover, Fast Company
and Philadelphia Magazine all published excellent e-book singles at the end of
the summer.
•Below the neck publishing got hot and heavy. There were several nonfiction e-
book singles published during the third quarter that focused on private body
parts. Kat George wrote about her vagina in “Pink Bits.” Nicci Leigh spotlighted
her breast issues in “Money Bags.” And January Nelson edited “Penis,” a
collection of essays about you-know-what.
•More publishers entered the e-book single market offering long-form journalism
and short stories to niche audiences.
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52. The “So what?” Factor
•What are your motives for writing?
– Creative pleasure, message, to be published,
reach a wider audience, make money?
•Think about tools to satisfy your motivation
•If beyond “creative pleasure” –
– BYOP -- Hardcover, paperback, ebook, PDF,
audio
– Break MSS up into short chapters, i.e.
serialize
(sell subscriptions?)
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53. New Marketing and Promotion
Videos
•Create your own trailers.
– www.wevideo.com/
– www.danielhallpresents.com/trailers
•Examples of book trailers
– www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5DF567077855684
D
•Facebook group for this guy’s trailer
projecxts. PPT, etc. are there.
– www.facebook.com/groups/375248959250492/
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54. Book Trailer
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55. Book Trailer
•Example
•https://www.facebook.com/pages/Promoti
onal-Book-Trailers/151424788262866
•http://fantasy-
faction.com/2012/promotional-trailers
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56. New Marketing and Promotion
Videos
•Create your own trailers.
– www.wevideo.com/
– www.danielhallpresents.com/trailers
•Examples of book trailers
– www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5DF567077855684
D
•Facebook group for this guy’s trailer
projecxts. PPT, etc. are there.
– www.facebook.com/groups/375248959250492/
56

57. New Marketing and Promotion
Videos
•Create your own trailers.
– www.wevideo.com/
– www.danielhallpresents.com/trailers
•Examples of book trailers
– www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5DF567077855684
D
•Facebook group for this guy’s trailer
projects. PPT, etc. are there.
– www.facebook.com/groups/375248959250492/
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58. Dancing Faster in the Datasphere
Tom Johnson
t o m @ j t j o h n s o n . c o m
2014 Gold Rush Writer's Conference
Mokelumne Hill CA
May 2-4, 2014
58