Writing is a primary source of income that should be stored in more than one location.

When you don’t do this and your hardware crashes, you risk missed deadlines, kill fees, and strained client relationships. In addition, you feel frustrated and angry as you try to duplicate what was lost from memory or notes.

As a longtime technical/creative writer, I regularly work with backups and archives. I understand the cost of losing your important information without a second copy.

In the end, even one day of lost productivity can exceed a year of a basic subscription for backup storage.

Why You Don’t Back Up Your Work

Developing reasons not to save data beyond your device is a creative endeavor in itself. One cause given is that your material has a greater chance of being stolen from a cloud storage platform. In other situations, your overconfidence exceeds the hardware’s actual staying power.

Then there’s procrastination. “I’ll get to it soon” never materializes when it comes to securing your work. As a result, you might be too late to do anything if your device won’t boot up.

Back Up Now for Safety Later

It takes around 20 minutes to add your data to a hardware or software storage solution. While not completely foolproof, a weight lifts from your shoulders once you finish the process. You know your work is saved and retrievable should something bad happen to the originals.

The 3-2-1 Rule

Overall, it’s best to save your material using the 3-2-1 rule. Keep at least three copies of your data on two different media types, with one stored off-site. For instance, save one to your hard drive and portable flash drive while you store a third on a cloud platform.

Cloud Storage

Commonly used platforms include Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, and Dropbox. All are easy to configure and access from your web browser, local file system, or app. If you only store text documents, each of these platforms provides an abundance of free storage—between two and 15 gigabytes (15 GB).

Further, these cloud storage applications offer additional space with a paid subscription. For example, some plans give you a capacity of one terabyte (1 TB) or more. If you don’t require this much space, you can purchase smaller amounts for a price that fits your budget.

Another benefit is mobility. You can retrieve your files from most places with or without Wi-Fi, as long as you sync the files between the platform and your device.

While it has its benefits, cloud storage isn’t completely secure. There’s always a potential for malicious activity or human error that can temporarily halt your access. Regularly saving your work helps minimize the risk.

Hardware Backups

Flash and external hard drives are common portable storage units. Depending on the amount of space you need, these devices can cost less than $20 or several hundred dollars. Both are small enough to store or take while away from home.

The downside of these drives is future compatibility. Since technology constantly evolves, a flash drive holding years of manuscripts might not work with your latest laptop. Additionally, they can be damaged or lost, leading to problems if you don’t have secondary copies.

Take a few minutes now to create a comprehensive backup plan for your writing and test it with a sample to ensure it works. Then, implement it and set a weekly reminder to sync your files. Not only will you be grateful, but you’ll also protect yourself from financial turmoil.

BIO
Rich Scott Keller is an author and tech guru. You can find his latest works, including his memoir on bipolar disorder, Faith and Slipper Socks, on his website. https://www.authorrichscottkeller.com/