Pro Copy Tips » Productivity

7 easy time management tips for copywriters

Dean Rieck — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:19:03 +0000

Time management isn’t something they teach in school and it’s not something most copy gurus talk about.

So even if you’re the most brilliant copywriter on the planet, you won’t get very far if you’re piddling away all the hours in your workday.

Here are some time management tips specifically for copywriters:

Eliminate distractions. Turn off the radio. Tell friends and family to not call you when you’re working. Turn down the volume on your computer so you can’t hear the *bing bong* chime when email arrives. Even little interruptions can throw you off-track.

Stop goofing around online. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. You turn on your computer and check Facebook, right? Then you visit your favorite news site. Then maybe watch some funny cat videos on YouTube. Before you know it, you’ve burned a couple hours and have nothing to show for it.

Knock it off. Do personal things on personal time and business things on business time.

Say “no.” This is a skill you must learn because it’s the best way to prevent filling your schedule with time wasters. Say no to yourself. Say no to clients. Say no to colleagues. Be nice but decisive. The busier you are, the less time you have for all those little favors, pointless meetings, and endless freebies people want.

Use a calendar. Copywriting works on deadlines, so you need to get those deadlines into a calendar. A paper calendar is okay, but I recommend a computer calendar with programmable reminders, such as the one built into ACT!, a contact management program. If you juggle many simultaneous projects, you could also use project management software.

Write up a daily to-do list. If you’re not doing this, start immediately. Make a list of each thing you must accomplish today and start working through the list. At the end of the day, every item should be crossed off. Before you leave the office, make a list for the next day.

This seems obvious, but I am always astonished at how many people don’t use lists. They rely on dozens of disorganized sticky notes or piles of paper or often nothing at all. I suppose some people can track everything in their head, but I’ve found that the only way to be SURE you get everything done is to make a list and work through it each day.

Stop being a phone slave. I screen calls with caller ID and voice mail. I never answer the phone if I don’t recognize the caller, and sometimes don’t answer even if I do. I check messages and return calls once a day when it’s convenient. I recommend you do the same.

Deal with email twice a day. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon are ideal. This is a hard one for me because I have email filling my inbox all day. And yes, some email is urgent. But by processing messages in clumps, you can save a lot of time.

Also keep in mind that you don’t have to answer every message. The delete button is your friend. When you do answer, don’t turn it into a writing project. Keep it short and to-the-point.

Being efficient with your time is really about organization and prioritization. These are just 7 ways to organize and prioritize. Do you have other tips you’d like to share?

5 essential smartphone apps for the organized freelancer

Dean Rieck — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:46:23 +0000

Whenever people find out I freelance, and have done so since the 1990s, they invariably say, “Oh, I’m not disciplined or organized enough to do that.”

Well, maybe if they had some of these handy smartphone apps, suggested by app guru David Sumner, they’d change their mind.

***

Everyone knows the score; a freelancer has traded in the confinements and limits of a traditional working life to enjoy the freedom and flexibility of being self-employed.

However, not having a boss there to tell you what to do means you are solely responsible for your work and success, which will only come with some organizational skills.

There are many apps out there perfectly suited to organizing your work and expanding your client base with ease. However, many apps are developed purely for entertainment purposes so you need to know which smartphone apps are the real deal.

timr

This app is perfect for the freelancer who has to juggle appointments and phone conferences but wants to keep a tidy workspace free from hundreds of post-it notes.

The timr app also tracks your working schedule including when you clock on and clock off. If you need to co-ordinate your schedule with colleagues, this app you can record your working hours with ease, allowing you to track how much time you have spent on each individual project.

This attention to detail and efficient time-keeping means you can bill your clients with minimal difficulty. The app comes with an easy-to-use dashboard and is a must for all freelancers no matter what platform you have.

Tweetdeck

The popularity of twitter within the freelancing community is massive. Anyone can publicize their skills and expertise by gaining more and more followers on twitter, never mind the fact that the platform itself functions as an excellent way to get in contact with potential business partners and clients.

However, one drawback with twitter is its rather basic interface, thus TweetDeck is the solution to all of your twitter concerns. With TweetDeck you can create a dashboard where you easily follow all of your most important contacts with a dedicated channel.

In addition, you can create a separate channel to follow particular hash tags (#) allowing you to observe the buzz about a particular subject. For example, if you are a freelance web writer, then you can follow any tweets labeled with the hash tags “web writer” or “web copywriting jobs” to find work.

Doodle

If you work as part of a team, or if you want to improve your service and give your clients and contacts a variety of feedback options to choose from, then Doodle is your answer.

With Doodle, you can create an easy-to-use poll in an instant that allows you to create multiple options on which the users can vote. You can invite users in your phonebook simply by sending them the Doodle URL, allowing them to cast their vote in seconds.

The Doodle app makes scheduling easier than ever, and if you work online remotely with a number of colleagues, then with the Doodle app for the iPhone and Android you can co-ordinate a task or get instant feedback on a project.

Skype

Everyone knows how difficult it can be to communicate with clients and contacts in different cities or even different countries. However, since Skype burst into the market a few years ago, this problem has largely been solved.

It is now possible to call and chat with prospective clients and partners wherever they may be with ease. The Skype app is available for all platforms, and enables any freelancer to keep in touch with the needs and concerns of their clients throughout the working day.

For the freelancer with a tight budget, Skype is indispensable as it’s free of charge to use when calling other Skype contacts and offers vastly reduced rates for calls to a land line. Skype gives you the freedom to schedule important meetings and hold them wherever you wish, in your office, in the car, or at the beach.

ibluesky

Before you dive into your next project, why not try out the ibluesky mind mapping app to help organize and structure your plan of action.

With this handy little app, you can create an unlimited number of branches to flesh out your ideas and steps without the use of a pen and paper. You can swipe across the entire mind map, meaning you can create one of any size. If you need to edit a branch, just tap on the branch to change the text.

You can use color to identify which branches are more important than others, plus every mind map can be exported with ease to your desktop by email, meaning you’ll never lose track of your plans whenever your next bolt of inspiration hits. The only drawback with iBluesky is that it is so far only available for iOS systems.

No matter what field of freelancing you are in, these apps can help you stay organized and productive.

David Sumner works for twago, Europe’s largest pan-European online project platform for freelance programmers, web designers, copywriters, and translators. He has a passion for freelancing and for Smartphones and is always on the hunt for new and exciting apps.

How I set up a fun, efficient copywriter office space

Dean Rieck — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:30:20 +0000

When writers start talking about their craft, the conversation inevitably turns to office space and equipment.

No surprise there. Golfers talk about their clubs. Runners talk about their shoes. And photographers talk about their cameras.

For copywriters, the tools of the trade are, basically, an office with a desk, computer, and other stuff. So naturally every writer is a little curious about how other writers set up their workspace.

Here’s a photo of my office. I didn’t clean up or arrange anything. I just walked to the other side of the room and snapped a photo. What you see is how my workspace looks on a typical weekday.

I’ve come to this arrangement after many years of experimenting with various configurations. This “command corner” setup is what I find to be most productive.

My desk is a massive, multi-piece unit that I purchased at a local office supply store. There are about a dozen pieces, which took a couple of days to assemble.

I sit at the corner unit with a computer keyboard, monitor, phone, and work files all within reach. Extending off to either side is more work surface, much of which you can’t see in this photo. To the left is a typical desk setup. To the right are tables with a scanner, printer, copy machine, and lots of filing cabinets and drawers.

Each floor unit is topped with a hutch-like piece featuring open filing slots, closed storage, and an upper shelf. As you can see, I have some photos, plants, and a few toys to make the office more fun and homey. (Bonus points if you can find Gumby.)

I spent a little extra money for a comfortable, leather chair. My backside is an important piece of equipment and I try to make it as comfortable as possible since I’m using it for hours at a time.

There are large windows on the other side of the room overlooking my garden, but I purposely face away from that. During the summer, it would be too distracting and I might not get any work done if I could see outside.

Also out of camera range is a storage closet and shelves filled with reference books. A Mark Twain print and an original Bob Wood charcoal drawing of Huck Finn hang on the walls.

While I’m not ultra-anal about keeping my office tidy, I never let it become too cluttered. I have a place for everything and, more or less, keep everything in its place. This helps me focus on my copywriting and consulting projects and avoid wasting time and energy searching for files, notes, or reference materials.

Okay. I’ve shown you mine. Now show me yours. Post a photo of your copywriting office on your blog, Facebook page, Twitpic, or wherever you like and share a link.

New Copywriter Information Center

7 surprisingly easy ways to fight burnout and recharge your writing batteries

Dean Rieck — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Did you see how I mixed a metaphor in that headline?

I’m tired. It’s after 9 p.m. and I’m still working. Frankly, I’m feeling a little burned out and it’s affecting my writing.

I know I’m not alone. You feel it too, don’t you?

Sure, we writers don’t do backbreaking work like moving furniture or digging ditches, but we do brainbreaking work. Reading. Researching. Notetaking. Writing headlines. Turning features into benefits. Proofing and editing. Juggling projects. Meeting deadlines.

It’s tiring. Do this day after day for months, and you’re going to suffer the consequences.

So what can we do? Here are a few ideas.

Take breaks. Just as you can’t jog forever, you can’t write forever. You have to stop and give your writing muscles a break. Walk away from your desk. Stroll outside. Take a power nap. Just stop working for a few minutes.

I’m lucky to have a home office. I can go outside, walk around my garden, breathe fresh air, stroll around the block, and clear my mind. It really doesn’t matter what you do. It just matters that you do something else.

Get physical. There’s something about physical activity that drains away stress and refreshes the mind. And the harder the physical activity, the more mentally refreshed you feel. This has been called “active relaxation.”

It’s partly about doing something mindless. It’s partly about body chemistry. But I guarantee that even mild activity, such as walking, can do wonders for your brain power. Personally, I like go get on my bike and ride hard for an hour or so. It can pay dividends for days.

Turn off. Yeah, you’re smart. You’re carrying around a heavy-duty piece of hardware in your brainpan. But you need to pull the plug now and then and let the circuits cool off.

I’ve already said you can do this with exercise. But you can do it other ways. Get out the PlayStation and kill some zombies. Shoot hoops. Do a little yoga. Play with you kids. Read a chapter from a sleazy novel. Doesn’t matter. Just veg out for 20 minutes or so.

Sleep well. If you’re one of those freaks who can get by on 3 hours of shuteye a night, good for you. But most people need 6 to 8 hours of quality sleep. Without it, you’ll be in a partial daze all day.

You can’t force sleep. But you can set the right conditions for sleep. Go to bed and wake up at regular times to train your brain. Avoid caffeine and stimulants before bedtime. Turn off the TV and keep the bedroom dark. If you can’t turn off your brain, learn some simple breathing and relaxation techniques.

Eat right. Or eat better, at least. A good diet really does make a difference in your writing. That’s because a good diet affects your blood chemistry and that affects your brain. Now I’m not saying you have to go on a nasty soy and tree bark diet. I’m just saying use some common sense.

A big breakfast. A light lunch. A satisfying dinner with reasonable portions. And no late night snacking. Nothing can summon up a night of dreams like digestion. That robs you of the deep sleep you need to be at your best the next day. Yeah, you might enjoy your dreams and come up with some great ideas, but you’ll be too exhausted to wordsmith them.

Say no. This one is simple. Say no to work you can’t handle. Say no to favors you can’t fulfill. Say no to too many ongoing obligations. You can fit more in by being more organized and time-efficient, but there’s always a limit to what you can do.

I’m terrible at this. I’m always involved in a dozen things on any given day. But even I say no on a regular basis. I delegate whatever I can. And I try to stay focused on what’s most important to me.

Stay balanced. You have to remember why you write in the first place. It’s your job or your business, yes. But why are you doing it? Do you live to write or do you write to live?

For people like the late Isaac Asimov, it was the former. He enjoyed writing and spent nearly every waking hour doing that, 7 days a week. He would awake at 6 a.m. and write well into the night. Other than taking time to drink, that was his whole life.

But for normal folk, that’s a terrible prospect. I write to live. It’s better than making a living other ways, but I don’t want to do it all day. I want to spend time with family and friends. I need time for my other interests and obligations. So I’ve made my own decisions about what portion of my day writing takes up. You have to make yours.

In my view, writing can let you make a living, often a good living, while having more time for the things that make you happy.

How about you? How do you fight burnout?

What is the matrix? The secret tool for focused copywriting

Dean Rieck — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:00:46 +0000

It’s happened to you. It’s happened to me. It’s happened to all of us.

We take on a copywriting assignment, ask for some background information, then squeal in horror when a truck pulls up to the door with 7 tons of brochures, reports, ads, surveys, and other stuff.

Well, here comes Sally Bagshaw to the rescue. This is Sally’s second guest post and it’s simply brilliant. Ignore it at your own peril.

***

Warning, this post may contain graphic descriptions of spreadsheets!

There’s a lot of talk about blank pages being a copywriter’s nemesis. Staring at that blinking cursor on your screen, willing yourself to begin writing, wishing that the client had sent more than “make it sizzle.”

It’s the stuff of nightmares, right?

Wrong.

I think having too much information is far harder to manage.

Drowning in background material is overwhelming, time consuming, and if you’re not careful can result in lukewarm copy – no sizzle at all.

It happens innocently enough. You ask your new client to send through some background material about them, about the company, about their services.

Maybe you haven’t worked together before; maybe they have never worked with a copywriter.

Then your email starts going crazy as the client happily sends you every single scrap of content or communication he can find. You’ve got old annual reports, brochures, presentations, workshop notes and speeches – so much background material that you’ve hit a problem.

It’s going to take longer to go through all of this information than the amount of hours you’ve set aside to write the copy.

There’s so much information that you don’t know where to start.

Help!

And now that you’ve seen it, there’s an expectation from the client that you’ll use it in some way. You may find that when you send your first draft through, the client will say, “But didn’t you see page 68 of the annual report? I would have thought that was important enough to include in the about us section.”

So what do you do? How can you take control and regain focus?

It’s simple: Develop a “content matrix.”

It’s still going to require you to read the content – but you won’t be obliged to use it all in your copy. It will allow you to choose what’s going to help you, and what you can leave sitting on the sidelines.

Step 1: Document all the background material

Create a spreadsheet (I did warn you) with the following columns:

Title of material (The 2010 Widget Product Catalog)
Content type (brochure, annual report etc.)
Year it was published (so you can guess how up-to-date it is)
Target audience (shareholders, customers, employees, etc.)
Main call to action (or goal if it isn’t sales information)
Key messages

Step 2: Document your project

On a fresh sheet in the spreadsheet create the following columns for your project:

Title of project
Content type
Target audience
Key messages
Call to action
Potential background information

See that I’ve used Potential background information? Here’s your chance to ditch the irrelevant material and list only what’s going to be useful.

Step 3: Show the matrix to your client

Email your client a copy of the spreadsheet. They may be surprised at the amount of material they’ve sent through. Make sure they agree with the information describing the project you are working on.

The benefits of the content matrix

It’s a simple idea, but it does have some real benefits:

It shows that you have taken the time to at least open the attachments that the client sent through, so they feel acknowledged.
It shows you are organized (well it is in spreadsheet).
It keeps your client (and you) focused on the project at hand. “Yes Bob, I know your speech to the investors went down really well at the conference, but we agreed the key message for this web content was going to be different.”
You can easily add new projects or background material to the spreadsheet as your relationship grows with your client.
You can quickly see where the gaps are in the client’s content mix, so you can potentially get more projects from it. “Look Bob, after reviewing the matrix it seems like you have a real gap in the communication with your investors – how about we work on some new investor relation material next.”

And best of all you feel in control. Consider it a life preserver to help you stop drowning in a sea of background material.

Have you ever been overwhelmed with background material before?

Sally Bagshaw is a web copywriter and content strategist who secretly loves spreadsheets. Visit her website at www.snappysentences.com.

Tons of productivity tips for professional writers

Dean Rieck — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:00:48 +0000

Did you ever take notes on an important topic, file them away, then forget about them?

Well, that’s what I did a couple years ago with some productivity tips for writers. I googled some nice links, thinking I’d do a quick blog post, then immediately forgot about them. Until now.

Actually, they aren’t all tips for writers. Some are for designers, bloggers, or small business owners. But they’re all good ideas from a variety of perspectives.

So here are a few of those long-lost productivity and time management tips.

By the way, here’s a little piece of advice about productivity tips: You don’t have follow every bit of advice you read. Pick two or three that work for you and go for it.

If you spend too much time worrying about time, you end up wasting time!

Merlin’s 5-step method for managing your email inbox

Dean Rieck — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:00:32 +0000

Isn’t email wonderful?

I’m serious. Everyone complains about email now, but many copywriters just starting out now don’t remember the good old days when there was no email. I remember having to actually pick up the phone to talk to clients. *gasp!* To send copy, design, proposals, invoices, and other documents, I’d use a fax or FedEx.

Sometimes, I would use an ancient data storage device called a “floppy disk” to send files. I still have a small pile of them in my office somewhere, sitting idle and useless since most computers now don’t have a floppy drive.

But today, it’s all done by email. Send a message. Send an invoice. Send copy. The copywriting business today is all about managing a blur of emails all day long.

Which brings me to my point. Isn’t email a pain in the butt?

All those emails can really eat up a big chunk of your day if you let them. Communicating with clients or bosses or colleagues is important, but if you don’t manage email efficiently, the time loss is huge. And if you’re one of those types who uses your inbox as an archive of your life, you’re in deep trouble.

For me, email management is a massive issue, since I run a copywriting business and help run an influential and rapidly growing nonprofit. I use templates to answer common questions. I use filters to auto sort messages into different in-boxes. I try to keep replies short. But I still get overwhelmed on some days.

Merlin Mann to the rescue. Merlin is the founder of 43folders, a blog about finding the time to do your best creative work. He gave a presentation to Google youngsters employees about how to handle email. His method is called Inbox Zero.

It’s all common sense, really. But if you’re flummoxed about the avalanche of email you get and send, this may help you sort things out and conquer your inbox.

I’m curious, what email management issues do you have? Are you able to get your inbox to zero every time you check your email?

Track your copywriting projects the easy, low-tech way

Dean Rieck — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:52 +0000

Organization doesn’t come naturally to most writers, but when you become a professional copywriter, you enter the business world. And that means you MUST organize and track your copywriting projects.

This is especially important when you work for a busy marketing department or launch a freelance practice. You could have a dozen copy projects running at one time. Without a practical way to track all those projects, you’ll be a nervous wreck. And you’ll start screwing up and missing deadlines.

Does this mean you have to buy an expensive, complex project tracking computer program with a 300-page user manual? Nope. I use a simple low-tech system that you can set up in a few minutes.

If you can find a computer program or online tool that works for you, fine. I use a wide variety of programs and tools for my business.

But for tracking projects, most of the tools I’ve seen are vastly over-complicated. And if a program doesn’t make the job simpler, why bother? With my system, I spend less time wrestling with software and have more time available for writing.

So how does my copy project tracking system work? You’ll need …

1. A “job” spreadsheet. Use whatever software you have, Excel, Works, or whatever. I use OpenOffice.org.

2. A calendar. Since I already use ACT! for contact management, I decided to use the built-in calendar. It has the added advantage of tying projects to my client records. However, Windows includes a calendar. And there are dozens of other calendar programs available. Take your pick.

3. Computer folders. I have a big folder for active clients where I keep a separate folder for each client. In each client’s folder, I create an individual folder for each project.

4. File folders. These are just ordinary, manila folders with a tab at the top. If you plan to recycle folders like I do, you’ll also want some labels.

Now I’ll tell you how I set up my system, but feel free to modify it to suit your own needs.

First, set up your job spreadsheet. Click here to look at my spreadsheet template. This will make it easier to follow along. I’ve included a few sample projects just to show how it works.

Create the following columns:

Job/Invoice – This is for a unique 6-digit number for each job. It represents the year, month, and day the project starts. If the project starts on February 8, 2010, the job number is 100208 (10=2010, 02=February, 08=the 8th).

Client - The name of the business you’re writing for, such as World Wild Widgets, Inc.

Project Name – The name assigned to the project, such as New Widget Brochure Copy.

Contact – The name of the person you report to.

Start – The first day you work on the project.

End – The last day you work on the project.

Billed – The day you invoiced for the project.

Received – The day you received payment.

Invoice – The amount of the invoice.

Services – The amount you paid to hire designers or other vendors, if that is required. This may also include the cost of buying photos or other items that represent significant out-of-pocket cost.

Net - Invoice – Services = Net.

Hours – Your total hours worked on the project. I don’t bill per hour, but I track hours to see how profitable each project is. This is useful for making adjustments to a fee schedule.

Per Hour – Net / Hours = Per Hour.

Now that you have your columns set up, insert a formula to do totals for the Invoice, Services, Net, and Hours columns. Usually the formula looks something like SUM(L5:L151), where “SUM” means “add” and “L5″ (or whatever) represents a starting or ending cell in the column.

Insert a formula for the Per Hour column to track your average profit per hour. It should look something like K3/L3, where you’re dividing the Net column sum by the Hours column sum.

Don’t worry, these formulas are generally built in and you can apply them with a couple clicks. Or you can save my spreadsheet template and use it for yourself.

You’ll notice that I use colors for the data. Green means an active project. Red means a project that is finished and has been invoiced. Black means a completed, paid project.

That’s it for the spreadsheet.

Next, you’ll need your calendar, but all you have to do with this is mark the due date for each project. I use red to indicate due dates so they stand out. If your calendar offers an “alarm” to warn you when something is due, you can use that too.

Finally, when you start a project, create a computer folder and a physical folder.

Each computer folder is labeled with the job name and number. So, for example, if I’m writing a sales letter for XYZ Company starting on December 10, 2010, the computer folder is labeled “XYZ Sales Letter 101210. This is where I keep project briefs, samples, research, copy files, etc.

Each physical folder is labeled with the client name plus job name and number. I don’t use paper any more than I have to, but I like to brainstorm on paper and organize notes this way. Plus, I keep a job sheet inside this folder to track activities and time.

And there you have it. This simple system is easy to manage, tracks the status and profit of each project, provides basic information for later reference, and helps you meet deadlines. It’s mercifully low-tech, so you have no software to buy or learn. It’s worked for me for years.

When I find something better, I’ll use it. But so far, I haven’t. If you have what you think is a better system or a simple project tracking tool, let me know.

Double your reading speed with this odd little trick

Dean Rieck — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Copywriting isn’t just about writing, it’s also about reading. A lot of reading.

If you’re like me, you’ll spend anywhere from 25% to 50% of every project reading background materials, ads, reports, surveys, and notes. And then there are the books, blog posts, articles, and other things you’ll read to stay current.

Obviously, the faster you can read, the more productive you can be. If you can double your reading speed, you can double your productivity.

There are many things you can do to read faster, but I’ve learned one of the most important is to stop subvocalizing. Say what?

Subvocalizing is pronouncing every word you read, either under your breath or in your head. By learning how to read visually, seeing words and grasping their meaning without the sound of the word, you can double your reading speed.

This is easier said than done. So here is a video that demonstrates a weird trick to help you get out of the subvocalizing habit and boost your reading speed. (You may not want to do this when people are around. They might start to worry about your sanity.)

Do you have any other tricks for reading faster?

Secret Google search hacks and tools for copywriters

Dean Rieck — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:37 +0000

I was chatting recently with Don Hauptman, one of the legends of copywriting, and he asked me if I had any “secrets” for finding information quickly online.

Well, of course I do. My schedule simply doesn’t permit me to flail around while doing research, so I use some little known Google hacks and tools to speed things along.

The Hacks

There are tons of search hacks, but here are the ones I’ve found most useful.

Generic Search
Type: investment newsletter
Google searches for: the words investment and newsletter

Either / Or Search
Type: investment OR newsletter
Google searches for: either the word investment or the word newsletter

Exact Search
Type: “investment newsletter”
Google searches for: the exact phrase investment newsletter

Exclusion Search
Type: investment -newsletter
Google searches for: the word investment but not the word newsletter

Synonymous Search
Type: ~investment
Google searches for: the word investment and synonyms

Definition Search
Type: define: investment
Google searches for: definitions of the word investment

Page Title Search
Type: allintitle: investment newsletter
Google searches for: keywords in page titles

URL Keyword Search
Type: inurl: investment newsletter
Google searches for: keywords in page URLs

The Tools

In addition to the search hacks, here are some bonus Google search tools that can be helpful when you need to find information fast.

Go to Google and click on “more,” then click on “even more” to reveal a full page of search tools:

Blog Search — search for blogs on specific topics
Books — search the full text of books
Directory — search by topic or category
Earth – explore the world
Finance — business info, news, and charts
Images – search for images
Maps – view maps and directions, including terrain and satellite images
News – search thousands of news stories
Patent Search — search the full text of US Patents
Scholar — search for scholarly papers
Videos — search for videos

Also, check out some other research and writing resources that can help save time.

Can you believe we used to have to run to the library for things like this? Thank goodness for the Internet!