Keeping your writing organized in Google Docs
While I like Google Docs a lot, there are a few things about it that I’m not really keen on. One is the way in which documents are organized. I should say how they’re organized when you first set up your Google Docs account.
The main portion of the Google Docs window is a list of your documents. They’re displayed in the order in which you last opened or viewed them — newest ones at the top. If you have a lot of documents, this can make finding the one you want a bit of a chore. You can use the Google Docs search engine, but search only eases that chore if you have a pretty good idea of what you’re looking for.
It’s easy, though, to organize your writing in Google Docs. Curious? Read on.
Use folders
Folders in Google Docs aren’t quite like the folders you have on your computer. They’re more a way of tagging documents so that they’re easier to find and to organize.
To create a folder, click the Create New button in the left portion of the Google Docs window and select Folder from the list of options that appears. You’ll be asked to name the folder. And that’s where you need to think about how you want to structure your folders in Google Docs.
Your first instinct may be to name the folder Writing and put all of your writing into it. That could work, but I’m not sure that’s the most efficient way to do it. Here’s how I structure my folders:
- A folder called Articles, with subfolders for the markets to which I’m submitting work
- A folder called Blogging, with subfolders for each of the three blogs I maintain along with subfolders for guest or paid blogging that I do
- A folder called Queries that contains both query letters and spreadsheets tracking my queries and submissions
- Individual folders for any personal writing projects I’m working on
- A folder called Client Work, with subfolders for each client (I ask for permission to use Google Docs for those projects, of course)
- A folder called Outlines for … well, that should be obvious!
I also have folders for presentations, invoices, and notes. Usually, though, I associate notes with the writing projects I’m working on.
To put your writing into those folders, find the documents that you want to tag in the main portion of the Google Docs window. Click the checkbox beside the document and then click the Folders button. Click the folder into which you want to put the document, and then click Apply Changes.
Doing that can be pretty tedious. A faster way to do this is to select multiple documents and then assign them to folders.
When you need to find a document, click on the name of the folder in the left portion of the Google Docs window. When you’re in a folder, you can also search within the folder — the Google Docs search ignores all other documents and folders.
Set up a separate Google Docs account
If you use your Google Docs account for both personal documents and your writing, things can get messy. Even when you group everything in folders. As with anything, the more folders you create the more you have to search through. Admittedly, the search function in Google Docs is very good but why sift through more search results than you have to?
One way to get around that is to have a separate Google Docs account for your writing. And nothing else except your writing. Everything else — letters, expense spreadsheets, etc. — stays in your personal account. For your writing, just mirror the type of folder structure I described earlier and you should be good to go.
Remember that you can move your writing from one Google Docs account very easily. I explained how to do that here and here.
The drawback here? You’ll have to worry about two Google Docs accounts to maintain. Two sets of documents, two sets of user names, and two sets of passwords.
Thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment.
