Goodle Docs/Google Drive for editting and collaboration?

[TangleLeg]

Google doesn't appear to be a very popular format for editors and writers to work together here on Lit. I'm curious as to why that is...unless it's a misperception on my part.

I'm a new author here, with one story currently in the submittal process. I've written for years, and I find that Google works very well for collaboration, IMHO.

I am not seeking an editor today. (I've already submitted a request to one volunteer editor and prefer not to muddy the waters.)

Thoughts? Opinions? Google sucks?

 

[_Lynn_]

I don't like Google Docs for writing but I have dumped a piece there to confer with another author. Yes, you can both work there at the same time but I find the options limited compared to Word.

 

[TangleLeg]

I don't like Google Docs for writing but I have dumped a piece there to confer with another author. Yes, you can both work there at the same time but I find the options limited compared to Word.

I definitely can see your point regarding option limitations. Thanks for your input.

 

[sr71plt]

The editorial world mostly uses Word's tracking change system as being the easiest to use and clearest. Also, I don't know what the Google Docs collaboration system entails, but the editing process isn't a back-and-forth process really between author and editor. On Lit. it's pretty much an editor edits and sends it back and it's up to the author to accept or reject edits, clean it up, and submit it. What you want then is a system that clearly shows suggested changes without destroying the original and permits accept/reject at the stroke of a key.

 

[TangleLeg]

The editorial world mostly uses Word's tracking change system as being the easiest to use and clearest. Also, I don't know what the Google Docs collaboration system entails, but the editing process isn't a back-and-forth process really between author and editor. On Lit. it's pretty much an editor edits and sends it back and it's up to the author to accept or reject edits, clean it up, and submit it. What you want then is a system that clearly shows suggested changes without destroying the original and permits accept/reject at the stroke of a key.

Interesting. Alright, I'm tracking. I may end up running solo then. I've pretty much reduced down to mobile devices only. I'm not sure I'll be able to work with the preferred format.

I generally do a decent job of cleaning up my writing, but I find that I tend to get blinded to some errors. Even glaring ones. When I reread the story a week later, the blindness is gone and I'm wondering how I could possibly have missed obvious mistakes.

I suppose I'll have to play it by ear and see if I can work within the established system without undue hassle for an editor.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Todger65]

Interesting. Alright, I'm tracking. I may end up running solo then. I've pretty much reduced down to mobile devices only. I'm not sure I'll be able to work with the preferred format.

I generally do a decent job of cleaning up my writing, but I find that I tend to get blinded to some errors. Even glaring ones. When I reread the story a week later, the blindness is gone and I'm wondering how I could possibly have missed obvious mistakes.

I suppose I'll have to play it by ear and see if I can work within the established system without undue hassle for an editor.

Thanks for the input.

Google docs has the option to convert to Ms word and back and then email it. The conversion back takes a while but it retains the tracking information and allows you to accept or reject the offered changes. It is not an ideal solution but it does work.

 

[sr71plt]

Google docs has the option to convert to Ms word and back and then email it. The conversion back takes a while but it retains the tracking information and allows you to accept or reject the offered changes. It is not an ideal solution but it does work.

Sounds like a useful system then.

 

[lovecraft68]

Something I have heard from several people is not to use it because somewhere there is verbage that states by posting it there Google can technically say they own it citing intellectual property.

Again I have no proof other than what I have heard, but the people I have heard it from are spread out around the world and once you hear the same story multiple times it gets to the point I will err on the side of caution.

 

[TangleLeg]

Google docs has the option to convert to Ms word and back and then email it. The conversion back takes a while but it retains the tracking information and allows you to accept or reject the offered changes. It is not an ideal solution but it does work.

Thanks. That does sound like a useful solution, especially the retention of the tracking information.

I guess I'll need to find a tolerant editor and experiment a bit.

 

[TangleLeg]

Something I have heard from several people is not to use it because somewhere there is verbage that states by posting it there Google can technically say they own it citing intellectual property.

Again I have no proof other than what I have heard, but the people I have heard it from are spread out around the world and once you hear the same story multiple times it gets to the point I will err on the side of caution.

Ugh...that makes me want to explore the TOS on Google docs. (A loathsome task)

I definitely want to retain my rights.

 

[Dream_Operator]

What do Google’s Terms of Service mean for the files I upload to Google Drive?

As our Terms of Service state, “You retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold in that content. In short, what belongs to you stays yours.”

We do not claim ownership in any of your content, including any text, data, information, and files that you upload, share, or store in your Drive account. What our Terms of Service do is enable us to give you the services you want — so if you decide to share a document with someone, or want to open it on a different device, we can provide that functionality.

To sum it up:

You control who can access your files in Drive. We will not share your files and data with others except as described in our Privacy Policy. So, for example:
We will not change a Private document into a Public one;
We will not use a Private document for marketing or promotional campaigns;
We will keep your data only as long as you ask us to keep it.
You can take your data with you if you choose to stop using Google Drive.

 

[TangleLeg]

What do Google’s Terms of Service mean for the files I upload to Google Drive?

As our Terms of Service state, “You retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold in that content. In short, what belongs to you stays yours.”

We do not claim ownership in any of your content, including any text, data, information, and files that you upload, share, or store in your Drive account. What our Terms of Service do is enable us to give you the services you want — so if you decide to share a document with someone, or want to open it on a different device, we can provide that functionality.

To sum it up:

You control who can access your files in Drive. We will not share your files and data with others except as described in our Privacy Policy. So, for example:
We will not change a Private document into a Public one;
We will not use a Private document for marketing or promotional campaigns;
We will keep your data only as long as you ask us to keep it.
You can take your data with you if you choose to stop using Google Drive.

I've nothing but gratitude for this helpful post. It's both good news and hopefully a gateway to my finding a good way to work with an editor without becoming a pain in their ass.

On that note, while I could work within the constraints that an editor wants or needs, I'm looking for an opportunity to be a tad bit more collaborative than what is apparently the norm. I'd like it to be compatible and preferably enjoyable on both ends.

 

[Dream_Operator]

I use Google Docs exclusively to write and have for several years. I like it because you can write wherever you are -- during your lunch hour at work, at an airport, on your phone (to jot down an idea or piece of dialog) etc.

Yes, it's not as full featured as Word, but they continue to improve the feature set. And if your posting stories here or for Kindle, you are limited to the format rules anyway.

My editor didn't like it at first, preferring the old school method of print out and big red pen, but she's come around and uses it for some of her own writing now.

It's great for collaborating and getting real time feedback.

Regarding tracking changes: Google Docs has what it calls Revision History, which allows you to go back and revert to or look at previous versions. I don't use it, but it's there if you need that functionality.

The one thing I don't like about it is the Auto Save feature, which automatically saves the current version every minute(s). I would prefer able to establish my own save points.

Best of all it's free and you never need to worry about different file formats like you do with Word (Excel is even worse).

 

[Dream_Operator]

On that note, while I could work within the constraints that an editor wants or needs, I'm looking for an opportunity to be a tad bit more collaborative than what is apparently the norm. I'd like it to be compatible and preferably enjoyable on both ends.

I've been extremely lucky in that respect. I've found an editor who is happy to do not only copy editing, but also gives me honest intelligent feedback on the story through the google docs comments feature -- where you can highlight a word, sentence, paragraph, etc. and leave a comment (which appears on the right side of the screen) for the highlighted selection.

 

[TangleLeg]

I use Google Docs exclusively to write and have for several years. I like it because you can write wherever you are -- during your lunch hour at work, at an airport, on your phone (to jot down an idea or piece of dialog) etc.

Yes, it's not as full featured as Word, but they continue to improve the feature set. And if your posting stories here or for Kindle, you are limited to the format rules anyway.

My editor didn't like it at first, preferring the old school method of print out and big red pen, but she's come around and uses it for some of her own writing now.

It's great for collaborating and getting real time feedback.

Regarding tracking changes: Google Docs has what it calls Revision History, which allows you to go back and revert to or look at previous versions. I don't use it, but it's there if you need that functionality.

The one thing I don't like about it is the Auto Save feature, which automatically saves the current version every minute(s). I would prefer able to establish my own save points.

Best of all it's free and you never need to worry about different file formats like you do with Word (Excel is even worse).

Exactly. Both of your comments nailed the reasons I like Google docs. I write almost exclusively on the fly until I'm proof reading the final drafts.

 

[TangleLeg]

I really appreciate all the help and advice that's been given here as I learn to navigate this new environment.

You guys do Lit proud.

I was going to post for some additional input, but I thought it would be wiser to start a new thread with this question. Please feel free to check it out, as the quality of input here has been awesome.

Thanks!

 

[TangleLeg]

Thank you all again for your help. I'm grateful. As a result of following some of the advice I received here, I may have found exactly the kind of editor I would like to work with. I will, of course, respect her privacy here, but she seems very compatible.

Thanks again!

 

[veloo]

I use Google Docs exclusively to write and have for several years. I like it because you can write wherever you are -- during your lunch hour at work, at an airport, on your phone (to jot down an idea or piece of dialog) etc.

Yes, it's not as full featured as Word, but they continue to improve the feature set. And if your posting stories here or for Kindle, you are limited to the format rules anyway.

My editor didn't like it at first, preferring the old school method of print out and big red pen, but she's come around and uses it for some of her own writing now.

It's great for collaborating and getting real time feedback.

Regarding tracking changes: Google Docs has what it calls Revision History, which allows you to go back and revert to or look at previous versions. I don't use it, but it's there if you need that functionality.

The one thing I don't like about it is the Auto Save feature, which automatically saves the current version every minute(s). I would prefer able to establish my own save points.

Best of all it's free and you never need to worry about different file formats like you do with Word (Excel is even worse).

and if i may add some to the above, i really like the collaboration features in google docs. real-time with multiple people. and you can set permissions so some users can only comment, and not actually edit the docs. that makes it very easy to accept/reject changes. i have gone exclusively google docs in the past few years. best feature.. i can work on any device from anywhere. happy to help/edit some authors when i'm not too busy.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

I don't like Google Docs for writing but I have dumped a piece there to confer with another author. Yes, you can both work there at the same time but I find the options limited compared to Word.

For someone who likes correct grammar in board posts, shouldn't it be 'compared with word' rather than 'compared to', or have I misread my Strunk & White.

 

[sr71plt]

I'd be amused that you were using Strunk and White as your authority for writing fiction except there's no evidence you've written any fiction for nine years.

 

[desertslave]

Not to muddy the waters, but Apache's OpenOffice is another excellent alternative to MSWord. It even has a comparable macro-writer which will import almost all Word macros without a hiccup.

I've been a loyal Word user since 1989, but this new subscription nonsense (vs. egregious full upgrade pricing) has done me in. I researched several competitors, and OpenOffice was a solid winner. The spreadsheet and database components are also very good, and highly intuitive for former Office users.

 

[TangleLeg]

Not to muddy the waters, but Apache's OpenOffice is another excellent alternative to MSWord. It even has a comparable macro-writer which will import almost all Word macros without a hiccup.

I've been a loyal Word user since 1989, but this new subscription nonsense (vs. egregious full upgrade pricing) has done me in. I researched several competitors, and OpenOffice was a solid winner. The spreadsheet and database components are also very good, and highly intuitive for former Office users.

I wouldn't say that muddies the waters. I've used Open Office as an alternative to Microsoft and I think it's an unsung hero.

MS's pricing alone is enough to make them a joke.

Crowd sourcing for the win.

 

[veloo]

due to concerns of what would/could happen to what they had created or helped, most of the openoffice developers & users moved to libreoffice, a while back. i guess open source has similar ethos as literotica, as opposed to microsoft's dodgy business tactics.

 

[TangleLeg]

due to concerns of what would/could happen to what they had created or helped, most of the openoffice developers & users moved to libreoffice, a while back. i guess open source has similar ethos as literotica, as opposed to microsoft's dodgy business tactics.

I hadn't heard of libreoffice until now. Thanks for the tip.

 

[robertreams]

I find it very usable. Used it for my students when I was an English teacher. But they bug the shit out of you to get "Google Chrome" and keep telling you your ID is incomplete if you don't haveit.