Thoughts about Jer’s Novel Writer

That will change eventually, of course, but I just heard from someone who upgraded their software solely so they could use Jer’s Nove Writer. Pretty cool, but it reminds me to take time out from putting in features that help me write and edit to put in features so that people can pay me for the software.

Tootin’ my own horn here a bit today. I’m just too excited about the vision for this software that’s growing in my head.

One of the key things that differentiates Jer’s Novel Writer from other writing programs is the margin notes. I recently upgraded the margin note system with features that I thought were pretty cool at the time. Tonight I was putting together a sample screenplay project for one of my faithful beta testers and it really started to come home to me just how unbelievably powerful these notes can become, without interfering in the writing process at all. Those cool new features were just a stepping stone. Tonight I saw the future.

I have long said that every word processor will have margin notes eventually. The idea is just too good, too useful, to ignore. Some guy programming in his jammies part-time can never keep ahead of the big dogs. Or maybe he can. Here’s why my program is different than everyone else’s: I spend more time writing with it than I do working on it.

4 thoughts on “Thoughts about Jer’s Novel Writer

  1. OK, now you have me drooling over the possibilities. How long until I can see a Windoze version? Or should I save up my pennies until I can get a Mac to sit alongside the Wondize machine that I have to use because it’s compatible with work? Or should I quit my job until I can have a Mac at work?

  2. Or buy a Mac…on a teacher’s salary, well, that’s roughly equivalent to quitting your job.. Gerald’s still young. Perhaps you could sell him to the Mac factories in exchange for some sort of sorry IBook. Personally, I’d keep yer job, and Gerald. Macs got a fancy package, a big price tag, and no support, Gerald at least plays the cello and does the dishes. Really, it’s up to you. The Mac might be better at homework…were someone to help it. In the long run, I bet Gerald could out duel one o’ them bastards too!

  3. Jer,

    The software is pretty much ready to sell. My advice would be to sell it like Tinderbox does. Freeze features. Hammer on it to make sure there is no data loss. Sell it with the deal that all subsequent releases within a year are free and after that you require a small subscription.

    Fair to you because you get paid for doing the work. Fair to us because we get what we paid for plus a year’s worth of fixes. If it is worth it to us, we will buy a subscription after that year to have those features we just have to have and are constantly pesturing you for. Fair to you because you get paid for maintenance as well.

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