by Annette Young
I’ve been in the writing and publishing industry for many, many years and even though the whole industry has been turned on its head in recent years, there’s never been a more important time to begin to brand yourself as a writer – yes, even if you have never been published. So what is branding? Eliminate the thought of branding irons and the word WRITER being stamped on some part of your body, instead, consider it the time when you reach out to the world prepared to show your creative self and, create a public stage upon which to promote your creative collection. Brand yourself in an unique niche or get the word out there that you want to be taken seriously as a writer.
A website is an absolute must if you want to become a published and credible writer and, build up a dedicated readership in the process.
Even if you are shy about your creative pursuits, it’s never too early or too late to build that visible foundation and to grab yourself some committed followers. In fact, by doing so, you create the opportunity to interact with others and for them to share your journey of creativity. Many writers make the mistake of trying to network with readers and followers after they have published their work and this is the wrong way to do it. While you may wish to portray yourself in a professional light so to reap the benefits of any published work, it really does make sense to carve out a dedicated niche and an interested set of followers before you really need to promote your work.
Whether you are planning to write a fiction or non-fiction book or, just love the idea of having all your short stories published, a website will tell site visitors a lot about you. There are many readers who love to have unique insights into the lives of published writers and so your site must reflect the real you. Publish snippets of your work, get feedback, reveal your personality and humour and engage with those who visit your site.
Importantly, share your trials and tribulations and, all of your successes. Encourage others and they will encourage you.
Setting up a website is not difficult, in fact, there are many ways of doing so, some will limit your possibilities later, so it’s worth getting it right from the word go. If you need help, CLICK HERE but if you want to have a go on your own, I recommend getting started as soon as you can. You don’t need a huge site, just an easy to navigate site with enough control over it to publish what you want, when you want.
However experienced or inexperienced a writer you are, don’t be afraid to establish a web presence because it’s fun to have your own site and to share your creative writing but, it’s also a great way to start being recognised and to be taken seriously as a writer.
