A Writer’s Worst Nightmare 

It was gone. Everything. My computer was stolen, and with it went my heart and soul. The final knife in my heart – I didn’t back it up. I thought I had, but I hadn’t. Some of the most important things to me on that computer were my photos, my completed MS, and my newest work in progress. Now they were gone.

My salvation? Earlier in December, my brother had requested a copy of my book in its completed form. I saved it as a PDF and emailed it to him. He still had the copy. I also emailed several chapters of my W.I.P. to my editor and was able to retrieve them from her. But the last eleven chapters are gone.

My lesson? For the love of God, BACK UP. I went out and bought an external backup system and now back up religiously.

My photos will be gone forever, but at least my work has been somewhat saved.

But theft is only one way of losing your prized information. Viruses lay in wait for an opportunity to wipe you clean. Anti-virus software is good, but it certainly isn’t the be-all –end-all in the virus protection world. New viruses spring up daily, and even if you update your anti-virus software regularly, there’s no guarantee that it will cover the newest viruses out there.

And if not a virus, or a theft, how about an accident? A spilled drink on your laptop, or a fall from your lap, a desk, or table could also render your work forever gone.

Your best option is to back your stuff up. Be faithful about it. Here are some suggestions in how to back up your important data:

Organize

Before you back up, you want to have your files in a good organizational order. Otherwise, backing up isn’t going to do you any good if you can’t find what you’re looking for. Spend some time organizing your files and folders.

Back Up

Back up to an external drive. But remember, this drive must be handled with care. After you back up your data, unplug the drive and store it someplace safe. If you are going away for a few days, take it with you. If your home is ever broken into, you don’t want to make it too easy for a thief to gain access to it.

Set a Backup Schedule

Once you have your data backed up, set a schedule in your computer to be sure to back up on a regular basis. You might also want to add weekly a reminder in your mobile device or on a calendar.

Another option is backing up to a Cloud. for ten good reasons to do this.

A flash drive is okay for a pinch, but don’t rely too heavily on it, or CDs that can become scratched.

You’ve spilled your heart and soul into your work. Treat it with the importance it deserves.

I hope you found this information helpful. Drop me a comment and let me know your thoughts on this.

All my best,

Dee Ann

Free Antivirus Software
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www.mcafee.com/antivirus

Should you become a freelance writer?

I’ve completed my novel The Consequential Element, started querying it, and am working on my second novel. I’ve also started considering something I never thought I would… entering the world of freelance writers. I recently purchased a book on the subject, and have also joined a freelance marketing site and newsletter.

As sad as it is, I’m suffering from something that is quite incurable, really, and it is affecting my work at my day job. My doctor recently diagnosed the disease. It’s called ‘My Day Job’. I suffer from an overwhelming desire to quit it. And I'm told that this disease runs rampant, especially among Americans. She said the only known cure of this sometimes dabilitating disease is to quit, however it comes with some pretty hefty side affects. Little to no income, for one.

The thing is, I’ve come to realize that by choosing to go the traditional route in my novel publishing, there is a very long waiting period between getting discovered and getting published. In the meantime my disease grows within me, and my hunger to be a full time writer blinds my logic and strong-arms my common sense. I have come to realize that I am willing to risk the side affects of the cure.

At one of the conferences I attended last year, I met a freelance writer who writes for a food magazine and a travel magazine. She couldn’t speak more highly of the profession. And the best part? It allowed her to quit her day job. Now she spends her days – and most nights – writing. She puts way more hours into writing than she ever did at her day job, but it’s her hours, her time, and her schedule. It works for her, and I have no doubt that it would work for me.

Here are some blog posts I’ve come across that may be helpful if you are on the fence about whether or not to start freelancing.

Breaking into Freelance Writing

Breaking into Corporate Writing for Freelancers

Aliya S. King’s Pitching Advice

Are any of you freelance writers? I’d love to know. If you are, do you have a blog with good advice for freelancers? Feel free to post it in your comment. Maybe we could share a blog post on the subject.

Thanks for stopping by. As always, I wish you great success with your life and with your writing.

Dee Ann

Why Every Writer Needs to Be On Goodreads

Are your books listed on the ever-popular Goodreads? If not, you might give it some serious thought. And if you aren't familiar with it, I strongly suggest you give it a look-see. This could be the best move you make for your writing career.

I belong to Twitter, and I enjoy it. I have nearly 10K followers, have made some great friends, and have learned a great deal from the blogs I've been introduced to. But most of the people I meet on Twitter are fellow authors. Nothing against fellow authors. I absolutely love them. But they're doing the same thing I am - trying to find readers. Now, I'm all for supporting my fellow writers, but really, how many books do you think I can purchase and read? As much as I'd like to purchase each book that is offered, I just can't afford it. Instead, I RT (retweet), visit blogs, have guest bloggers, do author interviews, and give referrals as my way of supporting my comrades.

Now, back to Goodreads. My book is not in print... yet. I'm still in the querying process. But I joined Goodreads back in May of 2012 and I'm loving it. I've met great authors, joined great discussions, participated in reviews, and have built a following for my book - which, like I said, hasn't even been published... yet. I've been invited to guest blog, be interviewed, and be a guest speaker on action/adventure/thriller writing.

Not convinced that it's right for you? Check out this post by Jonathan Gunson from Bestseller Labs. He seems to think it's a pretty good idea.

Take a tour and see what you think. Drop me a line. I'd be honored to be your first friend. :)