---
layout: post
title: Taking Care of Business: Part 3 – Trello as an Audiobook Research Tool
author: Steven
date: 2016-03-21 11:33:13
categories: 
- Musings
tags: 
- audiobook
- business
- freelance
- gtd
- software
- trello
- voiceover
featured_image: https://www.stevenjaycohen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/wsi-imageoptim-illegible-notes.jpg
---
Doing proper research before recording an audiobook can be crucial to the success of the project. If you're like me, the research happens in fits and starts. Sometimes, making notes while reviewing the text, and sometimes having moments of insight only after allowing the text to sit for a while. Having a reliable way of collecting and organizing these bits of information can simplify the process.

Once again, I am talking about a Trusted System. In Parts 1 & 2 of this series, I focused on tasks and setting priorities. You may remember that in Part 1, I said that if you had important information that was not immediately actionable, you should file it. Preparing to record an audiobook is a great example of uncovering high value information that fits the bill.

This is one of the times that I turn to Trello.

Trello is a free-form organizational tool. The metaphor it uses is a simple one: Lists and Cards. You put information onto cards, and you put those cards onto lists. Once you start playing with Trello, you start to understand how the flexibility can be quite empowering.

Here is a link to an example of how I use Trello for audiobook research: Audiobook Preparation

Four lists: Characters, Locations, Chapters, Pronunciations

I make new cards as I move along, I make new lists if needed. The cards have text, images, video, audio, and links. I can access Trello from anywhere, because it is web-based. It has an intuitive app for both iOS and Android. I can invite other people to share the board, like a proofer or editor. And, leveraging Trello's calendar and email functions, you can easily connect it to your inbox.

And, as you can see, I can make a board public so people like you can see how I use the tool. All of these features are part of their free service. No catch. They built the tool originally as an in-house tool they used among themselves while working on other things. They found it useful and decided to share.

Do you use Trello? Something else? Let me know in the comments below.

[coffee/]
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