Web Presence for Writers

Imagine the scene: a promising manuscript arrives on an editor's desk, one of fifty or more which also arrived that same morning. The editor skims the first page and feels sufficiently interested to read the synopsis. So far so good - and the editor then skims a few more pages of the MS.

On the desk are a select pile of similarly promising works, already ranked above that morning's newest additions to the slush pile simply because the text is correctly formatted to that particular publisher's requirements and the material is appropriate for that publisher's needs. Each of these select MS have appeal. Each merit a proper reading.

What happens next?

The editor will run the writer's name through a search engine (such as Google.) They do this to learn how many search results appear linked to that author. The editor will look for a website, blog, social networking sites, images, etc. The editor is looking to see if the author has a pre-existing circle of potential buyers for their MS.

If two equally promising authors' MS are side-by-side on an editor's desk, the editor will be highly likely to give more attention to the one with a strong web presence.

Publishing houses look upon every MS from the perspective of a potential business deal. If they are going to invest large sums of money into a new writer, they will be much more likely to do this if a market for that writer's work already exists. It is highly useful, then, for writers to develop their own web-presence as soon as possible.

The good news is that developing a web-presence has never been easier, and need cost only time, effort and patience.

Blogging

A blog is an online journal where the thoughts and experiences of the blogger can be shared with the world. There are numerous free blogging sites, such as LiveJournal, Blogger, Wordpress etc. Just run a quick web search with your favourite search engine, and you will be given a huge list of blog sites to choose from.

Most social networking sites, such as Facebook or MySpace, now offer a blogging facility. Whether you wish to combine these is entirely your choice, as is how you choose which blogging site to use. Maybe you know a few people who use a particular site already, or perhaps you wish to network with a specific circle of people.

Layout is down to your personal taste, and you'll find thousands of free layouts online. Most sites offer a good selection of pre-made layouts. If you're crafty with HTML then you could even have a go at designing your own layout. Pick a design with an RSS feed, a guestbook, links, and a facility to enable visitors to comment on your posts.

Successful blogging is a subject in itself, but to keep things simple here the rule of thumb is to publish quality writing regularly, and aim at your target audience without resorting to obvious selling tactics (which bore people and will drive your audience away.) Visit other people's blogs to see what works well for them, and to get a clear idea of what appeals to you. Commenting on other people's blogs is one way of driving traffic to your own blog.

Social Networking

Facebook and MySpace are probably the most well known social networking sites, but there are plenty of others to choose from. Their main purpose is to generate and build up a circle of online acquaintances who share mutual interests. With some sites you can fix-up your settings so that posts on your blog site are automatically shipped to your social networking site. This cuts down work for you, and can also encourage traffic as people from one site go to see what's happening on the other.

Some people think social networking will replace blogging entirely, but I disagree as the function of both differ. Social networks' messages tend towards the light-hearted, whereas blogging sites are more in-depth.

Author's Website

Your official website is your shop window, in effect.   In its simplest form, an author's website should contain a public email address, a brief biography, a list of published work, a calender of forthcoming events, a few quality photos, and links to your blog site and other sites.  It should succinctly explain who you are and what you do.

As always, some free sites are better than others.  Also, there is a feeling that if a person wants to give the impression of being a professional then they should offer a professional website - a paid-for website - rather than a free one.

If you look around, you can find economical web-hosting.  Really this is a topic all of its own, but basically you will need to register a domain name, arrange for this registration to be private (to ensure your domestic address and details are stored out of reach of the general public), and then you will also need to purchase web-hosting.  These three things need to be renewed, usually annually - and it is in the renewal fee that many seemingly economical companies make their real money.

For an unpublished writer, or a writer with a just a handful of publishing credits to their name, a lively blog site can easily prove more servicable than a website.  Once the writer is ready to start looking for an agent and publisher, however, a website is vital.

Once you have established your blog, social networking site and official website, you will want to drive traffic towards them. Your rank among the search engines relates to the amount of web-traffic heading to your various sites.

An agent or publisher looking at search results for you will hope to see as many links as possible, on as many sites as possible. Each of your "friends lists" will be viewed as a group of potential customers for your work.

Twitter is either loved or loathed by many, its critics disliking the very thing its fans enjoy - the immediacy of its 140-character bulletins which are instantly shared by everyone linked to your Twitter account. Many people in the writing and publishing business use Twitter to keep in touch with each other as it's quicker than sending a Round Robin email.

Forums offer feedback on writing, which can be useful. Beware of snarky cliques and plagiarists, however. My personal opinion is that joining a real-life writing group will be of more value than most online writing forums, which can become a major time-drain also.

Events are an excellent way of promoting your work and your websites. Join a writers' group and organise your own writing event. Make it an annual event if you can. Have photocopied handouts ready for the audience, with your website URL printed clearly on it. Send press releases about the event to your local newspapers and radio stations.