Writers Need Websites – The Why and How Explained

By its very nature, the Internet allows writers to promote and publish their work to an international audience. Many writers' websites have already turned previously unpublished authors into household names, with loyal readers from all walks.

Those writers who have delayed or avoided creating an internet presence for themselves have missed out on some huge opportunities to showcase their talent. A writer's website should not be viewed as an indulgence. It makes good business sense for anyone whose goal is to make money from their craft to take advantage of the huge market opportunities that the internet offers.

And the great news is that building a website is dead-easy with some very user-friendly, yet sophisticated software on the market nowadays.

But first, some solid reasons why websites are good for writers.

Build Credibility

When submitting your work to a publisher for the first time, you need to set yourself apart from the other précis and bios that an editor receives. By being able to direct them to your website, you have the opportunity to impress them in a visual, and even aural way. The current crop of website building software packages allow you to VERY easily incorporate an audio or short video recording into your website.

Not only does this hold the reader's attention, but it also has the ability to introduce your personality into the project. Having selections from your portfolio enables the reader to view your different styles with a minimum of effort.

Adding a link to your website rather than creating file attachments that the reader will need to download, saves time for the reader and eliminates the need to print out attachments. Editors can be lazy - make it as easy as possible for them to see how good you are!

Reduce Repetition

Having a writer's website will allow you to refer publishers, editors and clients to a one-stop shop. It is something you will need to publish once, and update whenever you like. You do not have to produce a separate document with every proposal you submit.

More Readers = More Work

If you are planning to post your writing services to a freelance writers network like elance.com, having a professional writers website gives you the opportunity to detail your writing style, topics of expertise, previous experience etc in much greater detail than you are able to do in your project proposal.

Not only will this get you more work now, but by showcasing your experience you will also be top of mind when that client posts future projects on you specialist topics.

Market Yourself

And by that I don't mean indulge in a hype-rich, over the top sales pitch. You are a writer, and the writing that you demonstrate in your website will be the best type of promotion you can have. Make your writers website factual and informative, with excellent grammar and spelling and you will probably be invited to write content for other websites as well.

Building a Writer's Website

Building a website is E-A-S-Y. I can't say this often enough. The trouble is many people still believe that creating and publishing a website is the preserve of computer geeks (with no offence to geeks intended).

But it is not. The top software programs for building websites all use WYSIWYG technology (What You See Is What You Get). Put simply, you just type into the pages as you would with a word processor (all the technical stuff is done in the background).

Writer's websites have particular needs, e.g. incorporating article examples, covers of books, testimonials etc. The great news is that good programs come with templates to suit these needs all ready to 'fill in the gaps', but because they were created by professional graphic artists, they look sensational.

Successful writers have websites

Don't be left behind by technology. The best-selling website building program - and the only one I am going to recommend on this site (it is THAT good!) is XSitePro because it ensures your website will be professional, yet easy to create and publish. It is the perfect vehicle  to showcase your writing skills, with a responsive help desk, tutorial, and members forum to ensure you are not alone throughout your website building journey.