Writers Tricks of the Trade Volume 6, Issue 5

3 Reasons to Have a Website If You’re Unpublished JANE FRIEDMAN JANE FRIEDMAN Here is some advice about websites from Jane Friedman, former publishing and media exec who now serves as a full-time assistant professor of e-media at the University of Cincinnati Many thanks to Jane for giving me permission to periodically reprint some of her articles. You can read more of her work at www.janefriedman.com. She has spoken about writing, publishing, and the future of media at more than 200 events since 2001, including South by Southwest, BookExpo America, and the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. Her articles and creative work have appeared in prestigious magazines like Writer’s Market and Writer’s Digest.  Jane writes: When I tell writers it’s mandatory they have a website, those who are unpublished will immediately ask, “But what do I say on my website if I’m unpublished?” I’ll answer that question in a moment, but this question assumes that there’s no benefit to having a site unless it’s to market, promote, and sell a book. But there are several good reasons to start a site even if you’re not yet established. Get over the learning curve. While it’s easy nowadays to get a full-fledged site up and running in 24 hours, even with your own domain name (through services such as WordPress.com), you still need to learn new systems and become accustomed to new tools. Don’t wait to start this process until the day you need a site. Educate yourself in advance. Start building a simple site today so you can have a killer site when it’s most important to you. Here’s an example of a simple and effective site for an emerging writer. Build awareness. In marketing communications, you have to distinguish between goals that are to (a) make a sale and (b) build awareness. At least half of the advertising you see is meant to build awareness rather than make a sale. Why? Because we’re more likely to buy a product we’ve been hearing about—assuming a positive impression has been formed. Having a site (and participating in social media) helps build awareness of who you are and what you do. As positive impressions collect, it’s an investment in your future success as an author or provider of services. Open up opportunities. You never know who might visit or stumble on your site. You never know who’s listening. You never know who’s searching. When I had my own SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2016 PAGE 22 WRITERS’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Writers Tricks of the Trade Volume 6, Issue 5 | Page 30