3 REASONS TO HAVE A WEBSITE( CONT’ D)
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 website that wasn’ t connected to my employer, many more opportunities opened up because it was clear how people could contact me, what I could offer, and who I was already offering it to.
I consider items 2 and 3 to be gravy. No. 1 is the biggest deal; get comfortable with the tools before you get into the serious work. So, what do you say on your site if you’ re unpublished? Keep it simple. You might need only 1-2 pages on your site, a welcome / summary page, and another for an extended bio. Your site should link to your other social profiles online( Facebook, LinkedIn, etc).
Don’ t belabor your unpublished status. You deserve to have a site if you’ re unpublished; it helps indicate your seriousness about your career. But you don’ t need to explain, at length, your journey to get published or your attempts to find an agent. Briefly describe the type of writing work you do, and leave it at that.
If you do have credits, list them. They don’ t have to be major credits. Local and regional publications count, as do blog posts and online articles. Link to anything that’ s available to read online.
You don’ t have to blog. If you are interested in blogging, here’ s my 101 advice( in PDF form).
Include contact info or a contact form. A good head shot is nice, too.
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JANE SAYS:
Since 2001, I have spoken at hundreds of venues, including writing conferences, industry events, and creative writing programs. I offer thought-provoking and educational talks to audiences of writers and other creative professionals.
In the past year, I ' ve delivered keynote talks at 6 events, and I frequently teach half-day, day-long, and multi-day intensive workshops related to the business of authorship and publishing.
My many years of experience means that I know how to deliver practical and comprehensive information that anticipates the needs of the audience, directly addresses their concerns, and offers both understanding and answers. I care deeply about serving writers— and all those in the creative professions— and helping them succeed in their careers.
WRITERS’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE
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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2016