Six Steps to be a Green Writer and Save Money
Environmentally and Budget Friendly Tips for Writing
Dec 2, 2008
Writers use a monumental amount of paper, ink, envelopes, postage, and electricity. These all impact the environment as well as the writer's budget. There are ways to act both in an environmentally and budget friendly manner. Here are six environmentally friendly things writers can do.
1. Correspond Electronically Whenever Possible. Look for magazines that accept online submissions for shorter works like poetry, short stories, essays, and articles. If an agent accepts queries via email, take advantage of the opportunity. Be sure to read guidelines thoroughly and follow said guidelines closely before submitting electronically. Don't assume it's acceptable unless the agent, magazine, or publisher explicitly says it is. Use email to communicate with other writers. Most experts will answer questions via email. Join online groups to correspond with other writers and experts. Communicating electronically saves money on postage, paper, and envelopes as well as the gas for delivery.
2. Turn off computers and printers when not in use. This decreases the amount of electricity used and lowers energy bills. In Easy Green Living, Renee Loux says turning off a computer can save as much as $186 on electricity bills in a year. Shutting the screen off will also prolong the screen's life. When electricity is saved, less energy is produced saving carbon emissions.
3. Print less. Read research material online. Bookmark material to read later or print it to a pdf instead of on paper whenever possible. Save emails needed for reference or record keeping in digital form. Back up every document on your computer to an external source such as a thumb drive or CD on a regular basis.
4. Reuse paper. Print drafts on the back side of already printed pages. Cut already used sheets of paper into pieces to use for scrap paper. When handwriting drafts, use both sides of the paper.
5. Recycle paper and ink cartridges. Paper can go in the recycle bin once it's no longer useful. Shredded paper can either go in the recycle bin or be composted. Old manuscript drafts can be repurposed by putting the shredded pages around new plantings to keep bugs and weeds at bay. The paper rots and fertilizes the ground. If using toxic inks, it's better to place it in the recycling bin. Shredded paper also makes good packing material. Make sure to use a confetti shredder rather than a strip shredder. Take advantage of the prepaid envelopes to return used printer cartridges that now come with most printer cartridges to send the cartridges back to the company for recycling. It only costs you a few minutes and no money to return the cartridges, so it's worth it to decrease the waste in the landfills.
6. Rescue books destined for destruction. Publishers sometimes offer authors the opportunity to buy overruns and/or returned books at a discounted price. Authors should take advantage of this opportunity. Books can often be sold at other book signings or on the Internet. It's nice to be able to provide that desired out-of-print book to a new fan. Decreasing the destruction of the books also decreases waste in the form of paper and ink lost as well as the energy and pollution that accompanies the destruction.
Writers can do much to be environmentally friendly, but must also remain aware of publishing industry standards. Technologies such as digital printing, aka print-on-demand, promise to reduce the need for overruns and therefore the need for warehousing and destroying books once it becomes standard in the publishing industry.
Do what can be done today for tomorrow and embrace changes that are environmentally friendly.
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