As a writer and software developer, I am always on the lookout for tools that make my job easier. You would be amazed at the amount of non-writing tasks are associated with being a writer. Keeping track of contacts within the industry is one task. Another is shopping for new markets to sell my articles and book ideas into. I also have to track how much I spend for paper, postage, supplies, computer equipment, and cost of travel for meetings, conferences, etc. Then there's the tracking of assignments, deadlines, and submissions. And in those few moments when I get to be creative, I jot down my ideas for new articles, stories, and books. Somehow, I actually find time for doing the writing.
With so much to keep track of, I knew that I needed some way of keeping track of everything. At first I tried a combination of spreadsheets, contact managers, accounting software, and lots of colored sticky notes all over my office. Then the programmer in me decided that it was time to come up with something that would do it all for me. When I started my search to see what was already out there as a comparison - that's when I stumbled across Write Again! (http://www.write-again.com) from Asmoday Enterprises (http://www.asmoday.com). I was amazed at the list of features in this awesome product. I was so impressed with the free trial version that I turned around and purchased the full version the very next day. Write Again! is a gem of a find for anyone who's involved with writing. Asmoday calls Write Again! a Writing Management tool. I call it the Ultimate Writer's Business Manager! Just a quick overview of these features and you'll see why I call it this:
* A Markets & Contact Manager - which is the core of Write Again! This provides the ability to track any potential and established Market for a writer's products. You can track just about any information about a target Market, such as the Market's guidelines, pay rate, acceptable word counts, type of market (articles, electronic, books, fiction, non-fiction, etc.), the contact info, web site links, how product is accepted (email, mailed, etc.), market genres, and much more. And a big plus with me is an extensive area for notes.
* A Project Manager - This is where I like to put all my ideas, works in progress, and completed projects. This keeps track of the project type, word count, start and completion dates, rating, notes, and the ability to link documents to the project. When the project is submitted to a specific Market, it shows up under a Project Details window. I especially like the Overview window which shows an overview of all activity associated with the project. Another great feature is the ability to have Write Again! suggest open markets that a project could be submitted to.
* The Submission Manager - This is the money maker! This is where I track which projects have been submitted and to where. If it wasn't for this module, I would be lost! At a single glance I can see what the status is of all my submitted projects. Which also helps me in deciding who I need to contact to try and push a project through.
* The Time Planner - This module is great for keeping track of those tight submission deadlines. The ability to assign tasks to specific projects is a great help for not loosing track of what needs to be done.
* The Financial Manager - The Love/Hate module. I don't know of any writer who likes to keep track of their finances. It can be quite a chore keeping all those receipts. Having the Financial Manager as a part of Write Again! is a motivation toward keeping track of the expenses and income associated with writing. While it lacks many of the features of a full blown financial package, it provides just enough to keep good track of what's going on. Which, in my opinion, is better than being confused with too many features.
* Submission Status Report - This module is quite handy for quickly seeing the status of all submissions, including those that have been rejected. I especially like being able to double click on a submission in the report and have it take me to the details in the Submission Manager.
* Market Viability Report - While minimal in features, this report provides a quick overview of projects submitted, unsubmitted, accepted, never accepted, and also a listing of used and unused markets. My expectation with this report was to help me line up my projects by type and automatically see what markets they were eligible for. However, this feature is available in the Projects Manager.
Write Again! also provides utilities for backing up all your data, and the ability to convert any of the information to CSV files for importing into other applications (Like MS Office, Open Office, etc.)
The ART of Software Development in Write Again! is not only in the extensive functionality provided in a single package, but also in the ease of use of this application. I was able to use just about all of the features of Write Again! without having to crack open a manual or look at the extensive On-Line Help. I was also impressed that the user interface for Write Again! is not what you would call a standard Windows interface. Which is okay. Instead of a toolbar, Write Again! provides a row of big buttons - which means there's no confusion over small graphic icon pictures. The product is very intuitive and allows me to focus on managing the business of writing and not have to be a tech wizard in order to use it. Another reason for the ART of Software Development award for this wonderful product is the responsiveness of Asmoday Enterprises in providing support and replies to my email inquiries.
While sometimes I will run into a strange quirk or two with screen refreshing or a list box not completely going away - an exit and restart of the application will usually resolve whatever I run into. And I'm sure that some of these quirks are associated with the database development tools that Asmoday is utilizing for Write Again! Quirks aside, there is no other software application that I have come across that handles all of these aspects of the business of writing. I highly recommend Write Again! for any beginning, freelance, or professional writer. Write Again! reduces the amount of work involved with the business of writing. It is well worth the reasonable cost of registration.
Write Again! is available in Lite (donation), Standard (US $34.95), and Professional (US $49.95) versions. There is also a trial version available for checking it out before you buy. You can contact Asmoday Enterprises and download Write Again! from http://www.write-again.com
Timothy Trimble is a award winning, freelance writer, and software developer. He has written a book for Microsoft Press, over 35 articles for significant computer industry trade magazines, and is currently working on his second computer technology book to be published in early 2006. He is the Blog publisher of The ART of Software Development which can be found via his web site at http://www.timothytrimble.info