Earlier this year, I contributed a number of articles to the Daype Classified News Blog. Most of them concerned classifieds, job searching, and personal promotion. While I was researching and interviewing for the content, I often found myself thinking, “how does this apply to me?”
The most important thing I learned from my work with Daype is that an online presence is vital. This is true for any business, but I think it’s especially important for writers. Here are my top 3 reasons.
1. Writing Is What We Do
I’m a writer–anyone who visits this blog can see that. It’s stamped all over these pages, from the title to the portfolio pages to the how-tos. Thing is, anyone who writes a blog is also a writer, a fact which is contributing to the death of newspapers the world over.
Writing is a difficult business. It’s full of what-ifs and maybes. It’s also full of wannabes–after all, anyone with a pen and paper can set up shop as a writer. Which is why writers–serious writers, people who are willing to put in what my Papa would call “the hard yards”–have to establish themselves online. Why? An online presence gives you the opportunity to make yourself stand out from the crowd. It lets you demonstrate that have the necessary toolkit (grammar, vocabulary, ideas etc.) to do the job, that you’re more serious than Joe Bloe and his rant about how Starbucks killed the Coffee Connection.
2. Get To Know Your Topic
The power of blogging has been established–every man and his monkey has a blog, a Facebook page, and a Twitter feed. And while blogging is an excellent way to disseminate information, it’s also a great way to gather it.
How? Blogs are a bit like newspaper columns–the best ones have a focus. Why? A focus keeps the writing fresh and informative. Treating blogging like a newspaper beat, like a job, forces you to stay informed. And staying informed is an important part of establishing a trust-worthy web presence.
(For more, check out the exploration section in Monday’s post.)
3. Portfolio
In the words of literary agent Sara Megibow (Nelson Literary Agency):
“If I am reading sample pages that I like, the very first thing I do BEFORE asking for the full manuscript is a Google search for your website. Hopefully, you’ve included the url in your query letter but if not, I go on a hunt. No, it’s not a deal breaker if you’re not 100% web savvy, but I consider websites, blogs, etc., to be a part of the package, a part of the “resume,” so to speak. And, yes — I take it seriously.” [read more of Sara's tips in the October newsletter from Nelson Literary.]
Why do Sara and other agents look for a web presence? Because a web presence is a measure of a few things. First of all, it shows how seriously you take your job. If you’re trying to land an agent for a middle grade novel and your page is covered in curse words, it’s going to send out a lot of unprofessional signals. Similarly, if you’re trying to sell a Vampire novel and you’ve got a page full of Vampire lore, an agent may be more interested in your work.
Second, a blog is like a portfolio. It shows the quality of your writing, and, to the trained (agent) eye, it’s a glimpse into how you think. Blogging about things relevant to your craft and your niche helps industry professionals see that you’re willing to work (remember those “hard yards” from above), and, perhaps more importantly, willing to learn. After all, nobody wants to work with a know-it-all, right?
Why do you blog? Do you have a goal for your blog?
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