Hello there! 🙂
Can you believe we’re three weeks into NaNoWriMo already? I sure can’t… Only nine days to go! The pressure…
Anyway, allow me to introduce Mary Crawford, author of many contemporary romance novels with a focus on diversity and inclusion, and the recently published The Power of Dictation. A proud graduate of Western Oregon University and Willamette University College of Law, Mary writes full time now. She has written and published over two dozen books and has several more underway. She volunteers her time to a variety of causes and has worked as a Civil Rights Attorney and diversity advocate. In her spare time, she loves to cook, decorate cakes, and, of course, obsessively, compulsively read.
Mary can be found on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
The Power of Dictation
Hi Mary! I know it’s a pretty straightforward question with a title like this, but what is The Power of Dictation about?
In short, The Power of Dictation is about incorporating voice recognition software into your workflow as an author. It doesn’t matter whether you use Windows or Mac, this book covers how to choose the right programme for your needs, how to set it up, and how to use voice recognition optimally.
How is The Power of Dictation different from the books already out there?
There are a couple of ways my book is different than the books already on the market. First, you don’t have to have a degree in computer science to understand my book. My book is very straightforward. It’s written for those of us who are not scientific geeks.
Secondly, a lot of books on the market at the moment don’t adequately address Dragon Professional Individual for Mac. Since this is the product I use every day, I spent a fair amount of time talking about it. Even though Nuance took it off the market days before my book was published, I still think it is a solid choice for Mac users. There are some in this industry who recommend Parallels or Boot Camp to run dual software programmes on your Mac so that you can run Windows and run Dragon Professional Individual 15.3 for Windows instead of the Mac programme on your Mac. For me, since Dragon Professional Individual 6.0.8 for Mac still runs exceptionally well under Mojave, there’s no need to panic just yet. There may come a time in the next couple of years where I need to revisit my decision, but at this point, I’m still comfortable recommending that people purchase Dragon Professional Individual 6.0 (which you upgrade to 6.0.8 after purchase). Although Nuance no longer sells it, it is still available through Amazon, Best Buy, and TigerDirect.
Why did you write, or should I say dictated, The Power of Dictation?
I have been using voice recognition software for thirty years and giving advice in forums for decades. Lots of people told me that I should write it all down and put it in a book. Finally, the timing was right for me and I took a break from my fiction writing and did just that.
Who will benefit from The Power of Dictation?                                                                                                          Â
My book is intended both for beginning users and advanced users of voice recognition software. There’s a little something for everyone. Although it targets authors, anyone interested in voice-recognition software will find something useful in my book. I discuss both Mac and Windows versions of Dragon software—as well as other alternatives.
Thank you so much, Mary! Now last but not least, what’s the best writing advice you were ever given?
Words can be fixed—but only if you get them on the page first.
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(The Amazon links in this post are affiliate links, which means I receive a small percentage if you buy through these links.)