6
Feb
It's up to you.
I don't like being overly snarky, though sometimes I might be.
I don't want to go and offend anyone, but I also have my own opinions. If others don't agree with them – fine. Live and let die. Or something in that vein.
The topic of this post is content, and what your content says about you, the author.
Believe it or not, it says a lot.
The topics you choose tell your readers where your mind goes to wander, where it tiptoes through fields of daisies, or tapdances through minefields. (The latter is to be avoided, you tend to end up minus some limbs.)
Personally, I prefer to tiptoe through minefields, but hey… that's me.
The crux of the matter is this: What you post is out there for all to see. Once it's out there, you can't take it back. Even if you delete it, some search engine probably already archived it someplace you can't demolish — even if you want to.
And don't for one second think no one will see your unfortunate outburst. When you query an agent or a publisher, if they consider to take you on — they will research you. They'll see all that dirty laundry you hung out, rummage through your virtual drawers and navigate around your Pr0n collection. (I call 'em hunks, my other half calls it my dirty little secret. HA! What does he know…)
Anyway, what I'm saying is, people see what you write and they judge you by those posts. They'll form an opinion about what you're like. How well they may get on with you, or work with you.
If you post stuff you wouldn't want your boss to see — then don't post it.
Don't deceive yourself – any publisher / editor / agent out there is pretty much a potential boss.
They look at it with a far more critical eye than any employer ever would, because while you might never set foot out of an office - having a book out there is rather different.
There is marketing to consider. Image.
Your image can be ruined before you even get noticed, and rebuilding it is a tricky business.
And Image is important. Sure, you can pretend to be nicey-nice and all that, but that just makes you a bit bland in my opinion.
You can have opinions, we all do, but if you post it, then be rational about it, and don't jump on people if they comment and disagree with you.
Some things (and I've seen stuff like this) are just a total no-no.
For instance, if you query a sweet historical with a publisher, yet on your blog you rant and scream about how the genre sucks, and is only read by imbeciles — you think they want to work with someone who doesn't believe in their own book? Or who insults their entire readership? Them?
Not bloody likely.
(I'm being very nasty and harsh above, that isn't reflecting how I feel about sweet historicals or it's readers, it's just an example — before someone comes and hits me over the head with a brick, or something!)
Or hey, go all political! It's not like anyone cares, right? Then add religion into the mix and you've found an almost guaranteed way to offend half the population. (While the other half likely agrees with you.)
As I said, I prefer to tiptoe around in my minefields. I have my own opinion, obviously, and it may (or may not) mesh with other people's opinions. But why take the chance? I don't need to ram it down their throats, they don't need to know what I think about how well a president or prime minister is doing, or whether I do or don't like the church. Keep that stuff private, or among friends. Not out there, for all to see (and judge). There are plenty of neutral topics, blog about those instead.
Keep it light and informative. Research anything you present as fact – or else it will likely come back to bite you in the ass.
If you have a writing blog, treat it as such. Stick to topics about writing, or writing life. If you mix business and pleasure, don't go into too much detail. In both cases, be aware of your audience and consider your topics carefully.
Your content is your marketing tool. If it would impact negatively on your career – then don't put it out there.
Ah. Now look what I've done.
I've put my opinion out there, for all to see!
(I tend to avoid writing about any of my real hotbuttons though…)
Obviously you don't have to take this advice, especially since I'm not always sticking to it either, but maybe it'll give you some food for thought.
There are many blogs out there where the authors rant about every topic imaginable. It gets kind of boring, you know? And they aren't doing themselves any favors, either.
I mean, if you were a publisher — would you want to work with someone who explodes on the page every two seconds?
I know I wouldn't.
So consider what you post, before you hit that publish button.
4
Feb
One of the most asked questions in my critique group (and most other places where writers linger and mingle) is "Should I have a website?"
The answer isn't as simple as you might think.
It isn't a simple yes or no.
In fact, it's not the right question to ask.
The real question is: Should you have a web presence.
Then the answer is a resounding "Yes"
Confused?
Isn't a website the same as a web presence?
What if I have a blog? Is it also a website?
It may be confusing terminology, but it is really very straightforward.
A blog, a website, a facebook page, a myspace place, Livejournal… any of those is a web presence. I don't count Twitter among those, btw.
A website is a static entity. Most "websites" you find are what web developers and savvy internet users refer to as "Cobwebs".
A cobweb refers to an unchanging, dead site. It goes up, and never gets modified. It's static. It's… dead.
Why should your visitors return? What is the point of having a page that never changes? (Or gets only minimal updates, maybe once a year.)
Most writers are far better served by having a blog. Blogs, while they can also be static if you never post anything, allow visitors to interact with the blog owner. (There are also tons of abandoned blogs out there. It's by no means a surefire way of being on the cusp of technology.)
Most blogs allow you to have a fixed page, or articles. Use those for static content, like book listings, useful link collections, biographies etc.
Use your actual blog posts to update your readers. Be that a new book release, a sale, an agent who signed you, an appearance, a contest, or maybe just what you had for breakfast this morning.
Keep it lively. Think of topics that might interest your readers. Maybe post a snippet of a WIP sometimes. That kind of thing.
Keep it interesting and you'll have people coming back. That's what you want. Build up a following.
Static webpages are a thing of the past, the web has evolved way beyond those, so really you don't want a webpage – you want a place where you can interact.
There are other considerations that go hand in hand with building a web presence.
Should you have your own domain?
The domain is the bit after the http://, in case you're confused.
Yes, you can certainly have a web address of iamagreatauthor.blogspot.com. Nothing wrong with that.
There are cost considerations too. A domain needs to be paid for. (About $10/pa for a .com). That's not a hell of a lot, now is it?
Then you need to consider your image. Do you mind if your "free" host (where your blog lives) puts adverts on your pages? (Most do, and they won't ask what they can put on your page, they just slap it on there.) What if that free host goes bust? It happens. Are you prepared to lose all your hard work and words of wisdom and find a new place for it? (Which you then have to set up and configure.)
If you write under the name Joan Smith – would you prefer if your readers found you via joansmith.com?
Another thing about those free hosts…
I am betting NONE of the writers who host their blogs on wordpress.com or blogspot.com / blogger.com ever read the terms of service.
Well, on those two your content is safe. It still belongs to you. I haven't really checked any others (I don't use them), but it behooves you to read those terms and conditions carefully.
For instance, a while back I posted about a "Buyer beware" when it comes to terms and conditions, after I read About.com's terms — which state anything posted on their site belongs to them and their affiliates. So make sure you read carefully before you sign on the dotted line, or you could find all those articles you write, snippets you post — belong to the service who is hosting your blog / webpages.
Hosting your own isn't as hard as people think, nor is it all that expensive.
You can get started from as little at $3 a month and often the hosting company will throw in the cost of the domain. (Beware on that, too, but I'll explain in a little bit. Bear with me.)
If you want your own, and want to host a blog, but you're not comfortable with installing it yourself, then look for a host who offers something like "Fantastico" which is a script that does it for you.
If you write erotica — make sure you choose a host who doesn't mind "Adult Content". Yes, I know it's a writer's site, not a porn site, but 99% of hosts out there will class the site of an erotica writer as an adult site. All it takes is one visitor to email your host and complain — and you will be minus a web presence because you violated their terms and conditions. (The same goes for free hosting — double check! If not sure, ASK!)
On that "Free" domain thing…
Domains cost very little to register. I would always — ALWAYS — register the domain myself, not let some webhosting company register it for me.
Why?
Because it's not hard to do, but if the hosting company registers the domain in their name (instead of yours) then it's their domain (not yours) even though you might think it is. And if you don't like it there anymore, and want to move, that super domain you found and which is associated with you — might not belong to you. Then you're faced with a domain name dispute and that's messy.
What's more, if you register your domain yourself, you often get the option to add privacy on it. That's important, because any domain out there is registered with a full address, which people can look up via a "Whois" service.
(Godaddy.com offer privacy registration, their domain panel is straightforward and they are good to work with.)
So unless you have a postbox, or you don't mind every stalker knowing where you live and what your phone number is — go for private registration.
Another thing on domains: Good, short, meaningful .com domains are practically gone.
Unless you have a name like mine, you'll likely find your name is not available as a .com.
There are other extensions available, but the first one people look for is a .com, so if you can get a great one — grab it now. Even if you don't use it right now, keep it registered. Because when you are ready to use it, and possibly need that domain… it may be gone.
Yes, it's a lot to take in, a lot to consider.
But ask yourself this:
Do you want freedom, no ads, and a domain name that never changes and which you can build on? Or will you be happy with what you can get from a free provider?
It's up to you, but I hope I've given you an idea of what is out there, and that it's not as daunting as it seems if you follow a few simple rules:
- Register a domain yourself
- Protect your privacy
- Read the terms and conditions
- Be aware of what you need, and get hosting accordingly (bought or free)
That's pretty much it.
I'll harp on about the content of a blog some other time. Because that's important too.
P.S. I'm not a Godaddy affiliate, I just like their service.
P.P.S If you come across "Myhosting.com" as a registrar… don't even think about it. If I could award them a -10 for ease of use and competence, I would. I am currently in week 5 of trying to get a domain away from them. So far, it's still sitting there, over two months after registration, and I can't do anything with it. AVOID them at all costs, it's the worst experience I've ever had with a registrar — and I've used plenty of them.