Was there a time when writers could just *write*? Now, from all that I read, a writer must be a master networker, building her own fan base and developing contacts in the industry. It makes this loner want to go huddle in a corner and cry. All I ever wanted to do, I whimper from around the thumb in my mouth, was tell a good story.
That is the concept behind sites like and Authonomy (where have an account but I have yet to contribute). I’m not sure what I think about this idea of posting your work publicly. It seems to me that, even though HarperCollins may be fine with this, other publishers might not. I haven’t seen what agents think of this, either. WeBOOK has a similar concept, although it seems to appeal to a lot of beginning writers.
At any rate, we all need blogs and/or websites these days. If Queen Elizabeth can have her own Youtube channel, the time has come for everyone to have a blog. Seriously. I’ve read that some agents and publishers immediately do a Google search on new authors who submit. A blog is not hard to set up. I’ve chosen Blogspot because it easily integrates with my Google Docs, Gmail, etc.
I think it’s important to build up the list of blogs that you follow, too. Read other writers, but also read what the agents and editors have to say. I am thrilled that some extremely talented agents are letting us know, in no uncertain terms, what to do and not do. (Rule #1: Don’t stalk the agents. They don’t like it.)
Once you have a blog, start leaving comments. Obviously, don’t leave a comment unless you have something to say, and definitely don’t spam! Use your real (or pen) name and link it back to your blog/website.
Don’t forget offline ideas like having business cards for your blog and adding a discreet signature to your email.
Any other ideas for creating a web presence for writers?
