Buzz on the WebHow Modern Technologies are Affecting Your Freelance Writing Experience

Technologies that Assist Freelance Writers Anything to do with mobile technologies is such a hot topic all over the Internet – I regularly check out sites that monitor the buzz.

I’m sure you’d like to keep abreast of all the newest, too! :)

Mobile technologies are an increasingly significant feature of contemporary life. I’m curious about how you folks are utilizing these devices flooding the market. Maybe I have some solutions you have not thought of already.

These devices can certainly increase the pleasure and flexibility of freelancing making it a more powerful experience!

Ebook readers:

Have you considered the immense advantages of an ebook reader? Most importantly, it functions as a great research assistant. As freelancers, you want to stay ahead of the curve in your specialty. To ensure that your work is relevant, you should be referencing the most up-to-date articles and books in your field.

An ebook reader increases your research options. Few of us have the luxury of actually going to a library (and shelved print versions of books/journals may be outdated). However, if you have access to an online database of scholarly works, you have doubtless already downloaded books/journals/media to your computer, and/or printed them out (what a wasteful use of paper!).

Ebook readers make working with PDF files much more convenient. Unlike most computers (even laptops), it is specifically designed to facilitate reading and navigating such documents. The format and font contrast mimic the experience of actually holding a book or magazine.

Furthermore, you can be productive comfortably in bed or while travelling! You may even be able to listen to music files such as mp3, ACC, and WAC, if your device (and your locale) offers Wi-Fi.

Document downloads are sometimes cheaper than purchasing hard copies, and of course you save on printing. An increasing number of journals and books now appear exclusively in digital format. We haven’t even begun to consider all the media capabilities that can entertain you!

So, if you have not yet seriously considered such an investment (and it will be substantial), now may be the moment. I believe that they represent time, money, and effort savings for freelance writers.

Smartphones:

For a lot of people, these seem too way complicated even to contemplate, and so they stick with a regular cell phone. This is too bad, since they miss out on many powerful and helpful functions.

First, the capability to sync with a personal email account makes smartphones stand out. Many also provide valuable internet access in situations where it would be otherwise inaccessible. Of course, this observation is not original with me, but it is nonetheless true and significant. Given the appearance on the market of Windows Phone 7 and Android, competing for market share, the near future promises more and more sophisticated, and widely helpful devices.

Why do I consider smartphones an essential tool for freelancers?

As noted earlier, email capability is immensely helpful when travelling. No more missed message alerts! Furthermore, internet access, to keep abreast of RWC orders, is a basic necessity. Finally, consider what a bonus it would be to research the web for a topic “on the go”, and determine, while in transit, whether a particular job order is feasible for you to undertake!

Additionally, these devices’ scheduling and directory features can keep you organized and connected with work and friends. This doesn’t even begin to cover smartphones’ impressive entertainment potential!

So, if you haven’t considered a smartphone yet, maybe you should be scouting out a good deal. We can tell, from the numbers of communications sent to RWC via handheld devices, that the proportion of folks choosing to ‘go mobile’ is constantly increasing.

In future articles I will be updating you further on some other digital tools that could be useful for your work.

Do you have some ideas on this topic? What devices do you use, and how? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this article.

See you later!

About a minute ago via BlackBerry :)

2 Comments

  • Simon
    November 2nd, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    Wow guys!! This is really informative. Thank you Alex. I have been thinking of fully embracing modern technology as a freelancer especially in the use of mobile applications. Now I will be fully into it. My current mobile device cannot effectively handle some applications and I will be switching soon. Again, thank you Alex for highlighting this.

  • November 3rd, 2010 at 6:52 am

    Thank you too Simon. We are glad that our tips are useful and are utilized by our users! Keep up the good work!

Add Comment

Name:*

E-Mail:*

Comment:*