How to Promote Yourself as a Writer

The business of writing has been transformed by the internet. Nowadays it is easier than ever to sell work across the globe on a daily basis, without having to wait weeks for the postal service to send your queries and manuscripts across continents.

But it is arguably more important than ever to be able to promote yourself and get your name known in the writing world. Snagging assignments and getting jobs isn't that hard if you know your stuff, but there is a lot of competition snapping at your heels and going for the same jobs as you.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to promote yourself is to get your own website up and running - and it doesn't need to cost hundreds of dollars either.

If you are anxious about spending money on your own website, try one of the free services first. A free website usually only comes with a single webpage, and you will not be able to do nearly as much with it as if you bought your own, but it is a useful way to provide links to your work all across the internet.

Assuming, however, that you are serious about your work as a writer, you will be better served by having a professional website with your own domain name. You can still have links to published work, but you can also sell directly from your site if you have books or similar items to sell, provided you have the right tools to do so.

You can also have a blog, a newsletter, and perhaps a free report to give away to encourage visitors to keep coming back for more.

The most important thing to remember is that traffic to your site has to be generated by you, so make sure you include a link to your site in every email you send, and perhaps have some business cards printed which promote your site.

Promoting yourself as a writer is an ongoing process, but with a website of your own you will have a specific place to direct people to. As your writing career grows, so will your site, as you find new and interesting ways to promote and use it.