The Word Cloud

21 Comments

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  by Ali 7 months ago

  Did just one site say this or many?
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  by SecretSpi 7 months ago

  I've always been very impressed with all the links you've posted about your kids' clothes and jam-making and all the rest - I'd tend to think that that alone is proof enough that you are well on the ball when it comes to publicity and promotion. I think that's what they are looking for rather than a writer-site (although if it's something you'd find fun to do, why not?) - given the choice between two authors whose work they love, they'd rather take the internet/publicity/social media-savvy one.
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  by Tenacityflux 7 months ago

  This was just one agent, who had quite an extensive guide for what they were looking for, and I was wondering if I had some sort of catch all web page which covered all my interests but was more writer centered, that might help build up a ground swell of opinion - I'm not sure as it would be another thing to do other than just writing, but if it helps? (Thanks SS, maybe the world of non-fiction publishing could be another option!!)
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  by Ali 7 months ago

  Maybe Facebook and Twitter. They're free, not a much work, easy to set up, you could have a link from your business site and it would tick their boxes.
  Personally I wouldn't water down your business resources. That's what's going to put bread on the table in the short/medium term.
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  by AlanP 7 months ago

  A number of people do set up general blogs. I believe the Google service is quite popular.
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  by Tenacityflux 7 months ago

  'That's what's going to put bread on the table' if only, scant crumbs as yet - buy I take your point, I was thinking of only free stuff, I have no spare cash for anything with my own .com as yet - www.undiscoveredliterarygenius.com!
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  by Ali 7 months ago

  www.publishmefuckingbookorIwillcomearoundandpourhotcheesedownyournostrils.com
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  by Tenacityflux 7 months ago

  Oh I liked that one!:0)
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  by Charlie 7 months ago

  I agree with SecretSpi on this. You've clearly demonstrated that you know how to work the new media with your previous endeavours. You could state that you'd be happy to start a more writerly site if needed, the time from acceptance to publication is pretty long anyway. Plus you could let them know that you have already got experience in marketing yourself, even if it wasn't about a book.
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  by Wrathnar the Unreasonable 7 months ago

  Hang on a minute, why do you have to do your own promotion? Isn't that something you should be able to expect agents and publishers to do? You're scaring me!
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  by Tenacityflux 7 months ago

  I think they just want to check that if you get interviewed by the dreaded Judy and Richard, you won't giggle manically at them and the climb the curtains in fear - mind you, I might do that anyway, website or no!
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  by Malcolm 7 months ago

  I have read from a number of different sources that there is an expectation from both agents and publishers for the author to do as much publicity as they can. Publishing is a business decision as well as a creative one, therefore the author that treats the possible publication of their work in a businesslike way is favoured.
  
  Every published author I have Googled has their own website and many use both Twitter and Facebook in addition. I guess the reasoning is, the more you promote yourself, the more books your likely to sell and the more you sell the better for both the publishing house and you.
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  by Ro 7 months ago

  How does the ability to set up and maintain a website or blog, and promote yourself through twitter and facebook, equal being able to stay cool, calm and collected, and be engaging, during an interview? On the internet there is a safe distance and time to think. In a real interview it's immediate. You can't edit what you say and rearrange the words you use like you can before you post anything online. You also can't be sitting there in your jammies, giant mug of tea in hand! Internet savvy does not equal real-world savvy!
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  by Athelstone 7 months ago

  Interestingly, all of the agents at the Getting Published day emphasised the importance of getting a website and using social networking such as twitter and facebook, because you will be expected to play a big part in publicising your own work, if you get a contract. However, there was a consensus that unless you're into that kind of thing anyway, the website falls into the category of good idea but not essential - until you get the deal, that is. When you get the deal, it is essential.
  
  Sounds like that particular agent is after just a bit more.
  
  And Wrath, yes, the publisher will have a marketing strategy to publicise your work, but it will almost certainly involve you and your shiny new website. They'll set up the local radio interviews, and the signings etc. but unless you're very lucky, they'll expect you to take care of the web stuff.
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  by Kate7 7 months ago

  I'm not sure about a website. I ran one myself a few years back and found it was a pain in the bum. Things were always going horribly wrong. I think a blog would be a good idea though and am looking into this myself. Loving Alisters website address though :)
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  by Aaron 7 months ago

  I think that the earlier you start your website/blog then the more readers/followers you can build up before your book gets released. Anything that sets you apart from the crowd and shows your level of commitment and determination can only be a good thing to have on your 'writers cv'. Its all about transferable skills. They think that if you can market yourself well in one form of media, then you can do it in others. If you are commited enough to running a website, then you are commited enough to finish future novels. It's a circle where you basically need to do the job, before you get the job!
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  by Joanna 7 months ago

  I agree you've got to generate as much publicity as you can but be warned, a blog takes up a huge amount of time especially when you're just getting used to it like I am. I started mine last week and I reckon I spend up to about two hours a day either writing posts - to generate traffic you've got to update several times a week at least at first, researching for pictures to accompany the posts, fine tuning the blog - it took twenty minutes this morning to find the setting that would allow people to comment freely wihtout waiting for me to approve the post, and visiting and commenting on other blogs so I'll get return visits. I haven't even started on the widgets yet or putting in links or categorizing posts...
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  by Aaron 7 months ago

  I completely agree with you Joanna that, while it is rewarding in the long run, it is a lot of hard work marketing yourself as a writer. Especially as it is often difficult to find the time to devote to a career as an author and when you have the time you want to spend it actually doing some writing! I admire everyone who does manage to write and market themselves well and once the initial setting up and teething problems are out of the way then i am sure that your blog will be successful too :) Familiarity will make things easier and i think one post a day, even if it is just a short update on your progress, or a brief review of a book you have read, is enough to keep people looking on a daily basis. Content is king (or queen)! Its great that you are putting visual images with your posts too. Your one post a day can easily be copied and pasted onto your own personal blog, your facebook page, your myspace page and anywhere else, plus a tweet a day with links to it and you are done :)
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  by EmmaD 7 months ago

  Three different issues here, I think:
  
  1) being able to show a possible agent/publisher that you know your way round the social networks. If you do that in the course of your day job - or say some leisure interest you're involved with - I'd suggest that's plenty; as someone says further up, you'll just be able to transfer those skills to promoting yourself as an author when you've got a contract.
  
  2) being able to show a possible agent/publisher that you know it'll be needed. There are still writers who don't really 'get' it... (not to mention authors who don't have a website, which I find staggering). Even mentioning that you understand the need in a covering letter would be no bad thing.
  
  3) promoting yourself as a writer, before you've got that contract. This is trickier, because in one sense there's not a huge amount to promote, unless you're a natural blogger about all sorts of everything. (And it's positively a bad idea, I'd suggest, to blog about rejections and other professional setbacks). I do also think it's not so necessary, though if you find a blog fun and rewarding it'll do you good when it comes to a publisher deciding whether your book's saleable, because there'll be your blog-readers as a core market. But a dusty-looking blog that hasn't been updated for months is worse than nothing, I'd suggest. As Joanna says, it's quite a commitment. Better to focus on Twitter and FB and being busy in a network sense, if that's a realistic proposition.
  
  One possiblity is the group blog. Strictly Writing was started by a mixed bag of writers, and it's excellent. Group blogs take a bit of organising, but once it's up and running no one person has to take it all on, and its visiblity on the web is help a lot by having more traffic to and fro than a single blogger can easily generat.
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  by John Taylor 7 months ago

  I'm on the point of making the same decision, Tfx, because I really need a website to promote my storytelling. I know a little about web design, but not enough, and I'm considering joining a local arts collective as an alternative. They have a joint website, jointly funded, and maintained by someone who knows what he's doing. I'm not sure of costs yet. It would be fine for my storytelling, because I don't aim to travel far from my area, but may be less useful for promoting myself to the wider world as an author. A pet web designer would be useful.
  Ro's point is interesting – and, to be honest, I'm much better at the face-to-face publicity than the web version. I just put my storyteller's imaginary hat on and pretend I'm not shy and retiring.
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  by Tenacityflux 7 months ago

  I think the point ultimately is to show that you have something to say - I doubt that really many writers are lucky to get broadcast interviews, but even in my own limited way I have been interviewed on subjects as varied from wedding dresses, baking, writing and general vox pops kind of stuff - and the reverse argument is that if you can't write on a subject in an interesting way in a blog when you have time and the benefit of slippers, then you haven't a hope in hell of doing it in front of the camera.