October 30, 2009, Newsletter Issue #165: Start a Blog or Website to Showcase Your Writing

Tip of the Week

How are things going with your writing business? Maybe you have more than enough work to keep you busy - or maybe you could use more. Either way, having your own writing website and/or blog is an essential element to your success.


There are some basic things a blog or website can do for you:


1.    Give you a place to showcase your writing skills by posting articles and your portfolio.


2.    Share information that could help other writers.


3.    Bring in extre revenue through advertising, affiliate programs, and by selling your own books and information products.


The easiest way to go about getting your website set up is to start a blog. You can either use a free site like Blogger or reserve the domain, get the hosting,  and run a platform like Wordpress. I personally would reserve a domain and stay away from the free sites. I wasted a lot of time in the beginning on the free platforms and didn't gain much from it.


Some writers don't want to spend the extra money, and that's understandable. But consider this - Reserving a domain for the year costs less than $10 a year, and you can find some really inexpensive but reliable hosting packages. It isn't a lot of money but you do gain A LOT more credibility. It looks more professional which will likely land you more work.


Once you set up your site, make sure you have an About Me page, a Contact form, your rates (if applicable) and any of your published work to show as examples. You can also offer helpful articles and resources to help other writers.


 

About LifeTips

Now one of the top on-line publishers in the world, LifeTips offers tips to millions of monthly visitors. Our mission mission is to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Expert writers earn dough for what they know. And exclusive sponsors in each niche topic help us make-it-all happen.