When it comes calendar planning, sometimes the easiest method is to assign different tasks to different days of the week. It works with menu planning (Monday = chicken; Tuesday = beef; Friday = fish); it worked for President Bartlett’s administration during Season 5 of The West Wing (Tuesday = stimulus package; Wednesday = labor; Friday = nothing); why shouldn’t it work for bookstore content marketing? (Monday = bestsellers; Tuesday = new releases; Wednesday = teachers; Thursday = future events; etc.)

I’ve adopted a similar method at times, and I tend to define Wednesday = productivity. I mean, what better way to get through the inevitable Humpday drag than a productive tidbit?

I thought of today’s recommendation after visiting with a bookseller last night about writing reviews, blog posts, IndieNext blurbs, etc. He told me that he enjoys visiting with customers about books, but when he has to think about writing any recommendations on paper, he can’t do it.

That’s when I remembered Speechnotes.

I’ve been using Speechnotes for a few months, and I thought of it in this application because it doesn’t require pen, paper, or even a keyboard. The only thing required for this web-based app is your voice, and an internet connection on a computer with a built-in or external microphone.

You see, Speechnotes is a web-based app that you use directly from Chrome. Once you are on the site, simply click on the microphone and a graphic will indicate that you are recording.

As you speak into your microphone, your words appear on screen.

There are voice commands and shortcuts available, so when you are dictating you can either press ‘Enter’ on the keyboard or you can say “new line” or “new paragraph” to type hands-free. You can also voice the punctuation mark that you would like to insert. Once you are finished, you only have to copy and paste the text to your document.

Believe it or not, I just wrote this entire piece just by speaking into my computer. I only had to make minor edits and tweaks (and remove a few “ums” here and there).

So if you are the type of writer who is daunted by a blank page but find it easy to talk about books with customers, turn on Speechnotes and just start talking about your current favorite. If you find speaking to you computer a little weird, why not sit a co-worker down to talk about books. Or call a reader and “record” your conversation on the phone. The point is, with your thoughts so eloquently (and effortlessly) transferred to the no-longer-blank page, you’re no longer a blocked-writer.

You’re now an editor.