If you want to earn your money as a writer, should you have your own website to promote your writing? The question can be answered with a qualified yes no matter what kind of writing you plan to do or are doing. If you want the writing jobs that get advertised, you need it to promote yourself and pack in the information you can't get on a business card or into a CV. And as an author, you want to promote your books to help sales and to impress future publishers. If you're dabbling or starting out, there is time to think about.
As a writer, you can walk into a meeting and hand out business cards, or send out pitches to newspapers and magazines, or apply for jobs looking for a writer. A potential client might be reading your pitch or looking at your business card and then go to your website for more information and more proof of your prowess as a writer.
This is the modern world for writers and authors. The paper trail is gone and everything is handled through online communication. Your website is part and parcel of it. Potential clients want to see examples of your writing and they want to see them now. Your website is the final pitch and possible clincher in any proposal you care to make. Editors at major publishing companies will bin a pitch, no matter how promising, if there is no website to go with it. A website has become that important.
A writer's website is quick and easy to create in less than an hour even lacking in depth knowledge of the art of website building. It won't bring in any search results for free, but at least it is ready for the curious clients that get hold of your details. Once created, the only updating you need to do is to put up fresh excerpts and information as you progress.
You only need a few things to start immediately:
Your name
A hosting company
A website builder
Hosting companies let you choose your template from their library. You want one that is simple and professional looking for technical writers, you might go for something more fancy for fantasy authors. As a copywriter, you want a look showing you to be serious and well worth the money; as an author, you will have to decide on the brand you want to promote but should show your level headed self before running amok on a publisher's visuals.
Once you have chosen your template, you're ready to insert information into the site. A static front page is recommended. 'Static' means that the front page always stays the same. This is the default setting with most hosting companies; you don’t have to change any settings.
Welcome visitors to your site and tell them a little about yourself and what you do. I found that often you are advised to use third person as the best practice; I beg to differ on that. I find pages that use third person cumbersome to read and exuding a pretentious self-importance. When recommending expert writers to interested parties, I usually recommend the ones that use first person to introduce themselves as being more personally engaging. Information on this page should be brief and friendly. Include how long you have been writing, the types of writing that you do, and where you are physically located. This is only the entry page. Details and in-depth information belong on other pages.
Add a list of links to direct visitors to other pages you have; your template will allow you to set this up as you wish and to name them. The next page could be named as ‘examples’ and should include a drop down list to the titles of your writing examples. Depending on how broad your writing venture is, logical categories help readers find relevant texts. Titles like Healthcare, Technology, Business, or Translation help a potential client to quickly find relevant writing instead of having to wade through tons of pages.
When you choose your examples, follow these two rules:
At the end of the example, tell the visitor where and when it was published. If it’s still available online, a link to it is mandatory; check that it is still working every few months. Never put up an unpublished sample. The minute you do this, it is now published and can't be used as unique content anymore.
Last, but definitely not least, you need a service page detailing your writing services, the types of writing that you do and your pricing. Including a list of former clients is great but not essential. Never include a client's name or brand without their permission.
Beyond that you will have to do all your own marketing. Add your website to every site and community you are a member of if you are allowed to. Be sure to place a link to it on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and any other social network you belong to. Habitually include it when you make forum comments. Whenever possible, include your website address. As with business cards, the more people see it, the more likely you are to get new clients.
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