So, I feel ready to put my writing out into the wide world, but in my research so far I have found that a lot of agents/editors saying that they expect an author to have a website that they can look at to find out more about them and their projects. But right now, I have nothing published, except for one poem in an anthology, and two ongoing novel projects that are not yet completed (though I am in the midsts of revising one).
So, what on earth should I be putting on a website? Or should I just not bother yet and instead concentrate on getting those first few publications of short stories and try to build a readership? Whenever I look at authors whose work is published on E-zines, they have a website to link to, and although my instincts lean towards the actual writing is the most important thing right now, I wouldn't want to look unprofessional by not having a website if that is the general expectation.
Chicken and egg, chicken and egg...
Cheers.
The reason for the requirement that you have a public presence is to save their advertising costs. These days a publisher will not have a budget for publicity for a new author; it really is down to you to shout your presence from the rooftops in any way you can. Some agents have stated publicly that they would reject potential new authors for that reason. If it's a toss-up between author A, who has no online presence and isn't on FB, and author B, who has and is, they'll prefer B.
Why being on FB and Twitter say anything at all constructive about you, I've no idea - mostly they say that you spend a lot of your time tweeting and posting when you should be concentrating on your work; but there are groups on FB worth joining to meet other authors writing in a similar genre.
I blog (though I'm behind at the moment!) about life in France, and about writing; I don't have a website, but once the WIP is finished, I will set one up, partly because I intend to bring the book out under a pen-name.
If you get to the point where you are ready to submit your novel, or indeed to self-publish it, then get your website/blog up and running - and advertise it wherever you can. There are millions of authors out there, and you want to sell your work, so you've got to try to stand out from the crowd. No-one is going to do this for you. Times are a-changing.
Hi Charlie,
I'm with you on blogging for the sake of blogging, but I meant it as a way of putting short stories, or even snippets of novels into the public domain; somewhere you can direct people to and start building some interest in your work (if you approach publishers / agents, etc...). There are many people out there, some good and many others not so good, who offer tips and advice on writing, so the world doesn't need any more.
Mark.
Hi Mark,
I wasn't planning on investing as such, more like setting up a basic free website as a starting point (I think places like Vista will give you a basic set up). And I don't blog, have no desire to blog at all. That's the other sticking point. I don't want to be churning out the same old writing tips that most writers seem to circulate and, TBH, I'm sick of reading (no offence to anyone out there but most of it is the same stuff going about). And I don't want to blog. I just want to write fiction.
Everyone is so busy putting their opinions out there I wonder how they have the time to actually write stories, let alone imagine them deeply enough. So I decided that if I don't want to commit to a blog there's no point starting one just because everyone else is drowning in them.
Also, I am as yet unpublished. Who am I to bandy-about writing tips! :) So, what content would go on a website of an as-yet-unpublished author, who isn't studying the craft on a uni course? Mmm...tumbleweed...nice...