[Electric Speed] Digital tools and resources for writers

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Welcome to the newest installment of Electric Speed, my personal newsletter where I share digital tools and resources for authors. I am not paid to recommend or advertise any tools or services; in rare cases when I do receive compensation, it is clearly disclosed. Have feedback? Send me an email.

Write marketing copy that performs well online

A reader of Electric Speed recently asked if I could share resources on how to write better blog headlines and SEO (search engine optimized) copy. One of the best all-in-one resources for this is Backlinko. Here's their free copywriting guide. Tip: This is also a great resource for researching your target market for a nonfiction book proposal—and writing more effective book descriptions at Amazon.

Listen Notes: a podcast search engine

This site is like Google for podcasts. If you're looking for a podcast episode about a specific person, show, or topic, just type in your keyword phrase and get results from more than 650,000 podcasts. (I tried a vanity search and it performed beautifully!)

Colorize black & white photos

ColouriseSG is a simple site that attempts to add color to any B&W photo you upload. It's backed by GovTech in Singapore; they do not store the photos you upload. Here's where you can learn more about the project.

A clarification—and new developments—regarding Patreon

In the last issue of Electric Speed, I mentioned Ko-fi as an interesting patronage alternative to Patreon because it doesn’t require tiers. However, Patreon does not in fact require membership tiers. Rather, tier creation is one of the five steps it asks you to complete before submitting your Patreon page for review. Someone new to Patreon might not realize this process does not mandate tier creation. My thanks to Mateja Klaric for bringing this to my attention.

However, things are in flux: Patreon just announced it's rolling out new plans for joining in May.

"Patreon Lite" will be a simple patronage option without tiers that charges 5 percent of donations (plus processing fees).
"Patreon Pro" will include member tiers and charge 8 percent.
"Patreon Premium" will charge 12 percent and offer features not currently available.

Existing Patreon users will be put on a Pro plan with existing pricing and features (5 percent). If you have any interest in Patreon, you may want to create an account today to get grandfathered in at the 5 percent rate, assuming you want membership tiers.

My newest book is now available in audio!

This month marks the 1-year anniversary of the release of The Business of Being a Writer, and I'm delighted to report that the long-awaited audiobook edition will be available starting March 26. The retail price is $20.95, but Audible members can get it cheaper.

Most popular blog posts this month:

Have an excellent weekend!
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The business education every writer needs

Library Journal starred review: “Friedman’s 20-plus years in the industry ... combine to create an invaluable compendium of practical advice with encouragement for aspiring and seasoned writers alike.”

Publishers Weekly: “A comprehensive and eminently readable guide that should be on every writer’s desk. ... Destined to become a staple reference book for writers and those interested in publishing careers.”

Start reading now at Amazon.

Where Jane Is Speaking Next

UW-Madison's Writers' Institute (Madison, WI), April 4–7
DPLAfest (Chicago), April 17–18
Stockholm Writers Festival (Sweden), May 3–5
Writers' Retreat: God's Whisper Farm (Radiant, VA), June 21–23
Midwest Writers Workshop (Muncie, IN), July 25–27
SCBWI (Los Angeles), Aug. 9–12

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