The development of the internet has made it easier than ever for a writer to get their name known and find readers for their work. Building an online presence is a long and often time consuming process. However, the rewards for a writer can be huge as they gather a following and (hopefully) sell more books. Below is a list of essential websites that can help turn a writer from an unknown into an internet celebrity.
WordPress: This is the blogging platform of choice for those in the know. Most of the mega bloggers use wordpress and since it’s free there is no reason why you can’t also. WordPress’ biggest advantages are that it is easy to set up, very Google search friendly and has easy to install widgets that will give your blog that professional look.
Twitter: Frankly if you haven’t heard of Twitter then you are probably dead! Twitter is the hottest kid on the block at the moment. It allows users to collect followers and then send out group messages. You really have to give twitter a go to see what all the fuss is about but used correctly Twitter will improve your web profile hugely. This article I wrote might help: A writer’s guide to Twitter.
Facebook: Perhaps not the easiest website to use for promoting your talents but the site’s massive popularity means it can’t be ignored. I would suggest you avoid inviting every Tom, Dick and Harry to join your personal page and instead set up a group or fan page.
Linked In: The best way to think of Linked In is as Facebook for professionals. The system of making friends is more cumbersome that Facebook but the site’s power lies in its popular groups. I would recommend writers join Linked In and comment on relevant groups whenever possible.
Hoot suite: Maintaining social media sites can be time consuming, so any tool that will help is welcomed with open arms. There are a growing band of Twitter tools but for me Hoot Suite is the best. My two favourite features are the ability to see how many people click on your Tweet links but also the ability to schedule Tweets to appear in the future giving you a consistent Twitter presence.
Google analytics: This site is an absolute must. It’s free and keeps track of the hits to your blog. Simple but powerful.
Google reader: If a writer is to stay in contact with their community then reading blogs is essential. However, clicking from one site to another each day can be time consuming. Google reader is an RSS aggregator. In English this means it collects all of the latest blog posts onto one place making the reading process quick and easy.
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