Self Publishing: Establish an Online Presence
Creating a story of your own then publish it.
Write A Way: Journey to Creativity
"Set priorities for your goals. A major part of successful living lies in the ability to put first things first. Indeed, the reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first."
~ Robert J. McKain
Self-Publishing: Establish An Online Presence
By Sandra Lee Schubert
If you would like to have your writing move past your page and into the hands of others there are some things you need to do. It helps to have many friends on your side as you write and when you move to a published product.
A writer who wants to be published has to use every medium at their disposal to promote themselves. The internet has some wonderful opportunities to create exposure without too much effort or money.
Here are some advantages to establishing an online presence:
Writing can be a lonely activity.
There are not many opportunities to take a break and chat at the water cooler. The advantage is that you don't take too many breaks. There are ways for the lonely writer to have community and in the process create an online presence. Meeting like-minded, trapped at their desk, colleagues can uplift your spirits when you are stuck or just need a little break.
Online communities are cost effective.
You usually don't have to pay a fee to join one. There are all kind of communities that will fit your needs and temperament. The easy ones to join are usually part of your email provider. AOL, Yahoo, MSN, Google, as well as others - all have groups. Search for writers and writing groups or sites. What kind of groups are they? Writing groups can be divided into all the genres from sci-fi to poetry. Some groups are loose with no ground rules and others have strict requirements. Decide if you want social activity or a group that is dedicated to your area of interest. Paid membership sites are also an option. At a paid site, the information is geared to specific areas and will have experts to provide inside information. Paid sites guarantee you will deal with people who are serious about their topic and information. These participants will be a bit more developed. If you pick your group wisely, you can receive support, feedback, and knowledge.
You can learn something or can share your expertise
Consider online groups like
www.lime.com,
www.eons.com,
www.mediabistro.com,
www.writers.net,
or
www.about.com.
You will find professionals in many areas that add to your knowledge base. Add your profile; create blogs or articles for the community to read. These sites are packed with information, courses, and articles from people just like yourself. If you are looking for the best place to podcast - it is likely someone has already done the work for you. You will get an idea of what has worked and not worked by doing a little online searching. In some cases you can become an expert and reach new levels of community and exposure. On sites like
www.Helium.com
you can get paid for adding your articles. Or you may able to become an expert on other sites.
Built-in Marketing
Some popular social sites like
www.myspace.com
and
www.facebook.com
and
www.xanga.com
do well because they reach thousands of people. Authors have been successful in marketing their books on these sites. Use them to build up your lists for mailings and promotions. Private sites that are theme-directed, (example:
MediaBistro
for Media people) allow you to post full profiles and media kits, plus links and samples of your work. These groups also ask for a nominal fee keeping out the casual group hopper.
Some tips for Establishing an Online Presence
- Try a couple of groups to see what suits you the best. All groups ebb and flow; hang out in one or two for a few months. The goal is be in a group that provides support, information and maybe some inspiration. And when the time comes, there will be ready made market for your article, book or whatever you decide to publish. You are also there to support others. Don't hesitate to provide a plug now and then for a blog, website, or a book that you really like.
- Creating an online presence ID: What is it that you want to represent on the web? Is it your book or articles? Think of being online as a big old media kit. Write out a description for yourself. How do you want people to contact you? If you want to promote yourself, you can't successfully hide behind a pseudonym. To start you may want to use a "stage name" until you have a feel for the seriousness of a group. At some point you will most likely have to give out your name. Use a PO Box for mail, a service number for phone calls and a dedicated email for messages. Keep your private life as separate as you can from your public life. Be friendly but careful and make your online life a pleasant experience
- Remember online can be forever. Things have a way of coming back to haunt you. The beauty queens have proven that even a private site can be made public. Make certain to post only those things that will advance your career and not your bad reputation. It may be fun to reminisce about your wild drinking days, but too much detail may turn a publisher off. Keep it clean and keep it professional. But have fun along the way.
Creative Prompts
The Internet is a wide open area for exploration. Take a Saturday afternoon to investigate what it has to offer. Bookmark sites, blogs, and groups that interest you. Try a couple out and discover what the worldwide web has to offer.
Sandra Schubert is the creator and instructor for the Self-Healing Expressions online writing course
Writing for Life: Creating a Story of Your Own.
This creative journal writing course features interactive Web Tools. To learn more about Sandra and her
online writing course,
click here:
Copyright © 2007 Sandra Lee Schubert. All rights reserved. If you are interested in publishing this article, please email
.
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