Ideas for Using Airtable

 

This post is almost redundant with all the topics from our first two posts on Airtable. As a writer, what can I use it for? The answer is just about anything.

Novel Planning

Airtable, as a database system, lets the user create any kind of project needed with the combined bells and whistles of many other programs we’ve discussed. The app lends itself to plotting a novel or a series. Each base can contain a chapter, an act, or an entire book. Plotters can find nirvana using the combined bases of Airtable, Google, and other apps that can link in. Use Airtable to outline your book, collaborate with a co-writer or editor, or even plan a whole series with linked bases to keep the details straight. Airtable is perfect for creating a series bible, especially if you have many novels planned. Bases are easily connected, and you can include research, photos, charts, and more.

Marketing Campaigns

Airtable’s bases can create an entire marketing campaign for authors for one book or many. It works with checklists and reminders and connects with Google Calendar. Events, posts, social media, and sales calls can be monitored, planned, and scheduled through Airtable. And because the program connects with Google Sheets and Excel, files can be exported, expenses and income from the campaign can be monitored easily. Add an automation about thresholds (for spending or income goals), and you have an even more powerful tool to monitor your progress. Don’t forget, automations can post to social media for you! After the initial setup of your campaign, Airtable can run much of it for you.

Templates

We talked last week about the templates on Airtable but didn’t dig into them. I won’t go through each one. I’m highlighting only two. Airtable is designed for your needs, and I don’t want to stifle any creativity by shortchanging the uses of the app.

Blogs: Airtable has a blog management calendar template set up with titles, status, schedule, editors, etc. Obviously, those of us who blog can apply this to our personal and professional posts. It could also be used for a serial series. Perhaps you regularly add a snippet of manuscript to your blog or newsletter, or maybe you post your writing to apps like Wattpad or Fanfic.com. Using this blog schedule template, you can see your pace, your content, perhaps add a feedback column.

Event Planning: Someday, we authors will get to go to signings, conferences, and events again. The Event Planning template is based on a large event. Perhaps you are the event planner for your writing group, this template can help you put together a great conference or signing. If you are just participating in an event, you can scale down the template to fit your appearance. Give yourself a packing checklist, a schedule, or a list of talking points. But again, these templates are so flexible you can morph this one for a simple bookstore signing or a marketing campaign. The handy calendar makes it easy to use for a multiple-day event.

Airtable is a powerful program and makes using a database easy. It might not be for beginners, but with all the tutorials, walkthroughs, and templates, any user can get started designing bases for their writing career.