Over the past few years, I’ve had conversations with many writers who tell me that they’re too busy writing to worry about creating an Internet presence. But I say that writers have been given a gift with this new age of social media. Never before have writers been able to get the attention of a global audience without paying the high price of advertising or public relations and marketing professionals, and without the help of agents and publishers.
Think about it. Facebook, Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn, and other social media venues have created cost-effective ways to link writers with readers, and writers with other writers, publishers and agents. While social media is free to use, it does tend to take a lot of your time, which translates into money. But you get back more than what you put into a value-packed Internet presence. This is a great return on your investment (ROI).
Have you taken advantage of the potential for creating a name for yourself? Do you understand the connection between social media and your website, and between your website and sales of your books and other materials? If not, then I suggest you devote at least one day a week learning about all the opportunities for creating an Internet Presence, which in turn becomes your writer’s platform. In essence, you get a podium, a microphone and an audience. You get to speak, teach, inspire, educate, motivate and interact with people you would never otherwise come in contact with.
When I created a Twitter site for my writing life, I started connecting with the like-minded and discovered that as a professional writer, I had a lot to share with up-and-coming writers. Many who follow me on Twitter know that I use my Twitter site to encourage and inspire. At the same time, I am sending links to my Newsvine.com site and eventually, I’ll lead readers to the website that I’m in the process of creating around my new project. I also have dozens of clients that use my skills in social media and marketing to sell books, products and services. These clients understand the importance of establishing and building an Internet presence, and have outsourced these tasks.
If you’re in the process of writing a book, you should begin your social media strategy right now. That way, when your book comes out you will be announcing it to an existing audience. I suggest you grow your Twitter following and start finding friends to your Facebook page right away. Add yourself to LinkedIn and create a blog where you can share on the subject you are writing about. You can create excitement about your upcoming book, and you can get people interested in you as a writer.
Jamee Rae has been writing professionally for 26 years. She is the co-author of "Follow The Solid Rock Road. Pathway to Radical Recovery." You can find her on Twitter and on Facebook. You can also contact Jamee at 541-301-3717.