I’m working on the third non-fiction book for TSTC Publishing so I do a lot of online research. I’m also a book consultant so I do a lot of online research on agents and publishers - and looking up of terms or things that writers use in their manuscripts. I also edit for companies, which can mean more online research. And I’ve taken on creating and maintaining a third website.
In other words, I do a lot of googling. I do general google research. I google publishing news through the “news” search option on Google.
Yesterday was a duh moment. I discovered Google has the option of searching books.
Books.
There are so many ways to search - News, Images, Web, Maps, Shopping… But I found if I click “more,” there are even more ways to search -- Group, Scholar, Finance, Blogs …. and Books.
Wow. You can search for more than just a particular author. Enter a search term and see what you come up with.
Have you clicked on the “more” to see what other searches you can do via Google?
I've never clicked on more but now I can't wait to go try it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJane Kennedy Sutton
http://janekennedysutton.blogspot.com/
I usually have so many choices with the first search, I don't try for more, but sometimes there are stubborn items I can't seem to find. I'll have to try the More option. Thanks,
ReplyDeleteMorgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
I learned about the book search function from reading about the Cassie Edwards plagiarism brouhaha. Until then, it never occurred to me you could look up book content! But wow! does it work. I think teachers everywhere are discovering this feature to seek out plagiarism in term papers.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see I wasn't the only one who hadn't clicked "more"!
ReplyDeleteHelen you are NOT the only one. I'm going to try it just now. I am a technoidiot who learns only enough to get busy. I'm sure I'm missing loads of ways to make my life easier because of it.
ReplyDeleteOooh yeah, you can gather a gaggle of gigabytes of info on Google. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Old Silly from Free Spirit Blog
I hear you Marvin. I, for sure, know about a gaggle of gigabytes of info!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip ..... I also used Google Earth and Images researching my book to accurately describe locations such as a Starbucks in Cambridge, MA, certain five star hotels in Boston, and high rises in Manhattan.
ReplyDeleteAn author has to paint an accurate picture, and readers who live in the area will appreciate your book and hopefully have good things to say about it to their friends.
Stephen Tremp
http://www.stephentremp.blogspot.com/
There's more? Cool, now I know!
ReplyDeleteAnd I use Google Earth often, too.
L. Diane Wolfe
www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
www.spunkonastick.net
www.thecircleoffriends.net
I am oblivious to loads of google's features. Great Tip.
ReplyDeleteStephen, great way to use Google Earth. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I barely set up Google Alerts this year, so don't feel bad!
ReplyDeleteI suppose it never occurred to me to search books on Google, though I frequently search authors on Google.
--Lisa
http://authorlisalogan.blogspot.com
Google Alerts. Another thing I can't set up. My daughter was going to help me but I forgot to ask her when she was here recently. Bleh.
ReplyDeleteGood to know! I'll have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Nancy, from Just a Thought…
Helen,
ReplyDeleteThen you've missed out on the whole lawsuit/settlement brouhaha.
My publisher actually submitted books to Google Search because they think it's great for people to be able to find information from the book online, which will hopefully lead some to buy the books. I encourage my clients to list their books, as well.
However, Google included lots of books in Search without the publishers' permission, and they were sued in a class action lawsuit.
There is a lot of controversy in the publishing world about whether this is a good thing or not. The Settlement Administrator has a Web site where authors can claim their books and apply for payment from the settlement: http://www.googlebooksettlement.com/
Google is now planning to sell books (or at least access to them). You can find out more about this at http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/06/01/google.e.book.sales/
Lillie Ammann
A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye
Oh, yes. And checking out the Google Labs every now and then can be quite interesting. http://www.googlelabs.com/
ReplyDeleteCheck it out.
~jon