With inflation at a forty-year high, we’re surrounded by rising prices. And when it comes to the business of writing, the cost of creativity is increasing, too.
There’s also a growing trend in the software industry to move away from one-time purchase options towards a subscription-based model. Microsoft Office began its annual subscription plan in 2013, and more companies are following suit. While we can still buy Microsoft Office for a one-off fee, they’d much prefer it if we gave them money every year. But why pay for something annually, when there are free alternatives available?
So as price rises continue, is it possible to cut the cost of writing, and still be creative?
Office staples
The publishing industry has welcomed Bill Gates and his Microsoft Office with open arms. In the thirty-odd years I’ve been writing, every magazine and traditional publisher, and most writing competitions, ask for submissions in Microsoft Word format (doc, docx).
But other word processors
