In a world where most authors are also working a 40 hour work week to pay the bills, finding time to work on your books, your author platform, and your laundry can be a challenge.  So, what can you do?  Enter productivity helpers!  Each week I will share something I have found to help me get all the words! 

Last week in Techy Talk, I told you about the keyboard that changed my life. The simple Bluetooth keyboard allowed me to unlock the computing potential of my Galaxy S9. Whether you have an Android or an iPhone based device, a simple keyboard allows you to unleash your phone’s mini computer potential.

Let’s face it, phones these days cost as much as a computer and most of us have one of those pricey pieces of tech. It might not be the newest, but if you have a Galaxy S6+ or an iPhone 9000+ it more than likely packs some processing power. So, why not unlock the potential in your pocket to maximize your time and capture all the words? I bet you are wondering HOW though. Enter Office 365!

Now, before you go groaning about Microsoft or money grabs for subscription software, hear me out. I don’t like subscription software either. Unless it has some intrinsic value. I like Word. I like PCs. I like Windows 10. I know I am looking like a tech outcast weirdo right now, but I don’t care. I’m not a big fan of Google Docs or Apple computing. I don’t hate those things, but they are not my go to. So, why do I think you need Office 365? Because of its ability to sync across all kinds of devices AND the fact for $69.99 a year you can access your MS programs on 5 different devices. Let that sink in for a moment.

Why else would you want Office 365? One Drive. I love One Drive. I have many cloud based storage services, but for the amount of money I spend on one Office 365 subscription I get access to 1 TB of storage that syncs up to my phone, my iPad, and my computer. I like to offload my giant Photoshop files and Studio files to free up space on my desktop. Plus, I get Word and Excel included.

Office 365 is an important building block in my productivity arsenal. I had a Windows 10 laptop that came with a free year of Office 365. However, I didn’t have WIFI everywhere I went. So, packing my laptop around was really award and not helping. But, once MS added the ability to log into 5 devices, I easily added Word to my phone. Pairing Word, One Drive, my phone, and my keyboard together allowed me to have an internet connected mini-PC in my purse. This set-up helped me be able to write at home on my desktop and then when I was away from home I could access and work on the file on my cell phone because it was in my One Drive. I didn’t have to worry about opening the wrong file. Sure, I look funny walking around with my full-sized keyboard hanging out of my D20 themed Think Geek Purse, but again I don’t care how odd I look. Not when words are at stake.

Also, keep in mind, new Chromebooks can support the Word App from the Google store. iPads, iPhones, Macs, PCs, and Androids can also get the apps. Once you get a subscription you can work cross-platform and that is something the 1998 college version of me could never imagine.

Next week I will tell you about another little gadget that amped up my word capturing.

Here is a LINK to check Office 365 out further!