I believe your writer’s website is (or should be) the center piece of your internet presence. The crown jewel at the center of your online web. All outside links should lead to your homepage. Anytime you sell a story, or publish a book, that web address should be included in the ‘About the author’ para, and a corresponding link to your latest writerly triumph posted on your site.
I like to think of it as a kind of online gallery. At the click of a button, folks from all around the world can pop in to find out about you and your writing, watch your book trailers, listen to podcasts etc, as well as follow links to your online stories and places which sell your work (at least they can if you have them).
Why then, do I think it’s NOT a good idea to have your blog there (or at least, only there)?
Because, from a strictly self-promotional point of view, there are two types of people in the world: those who’ve at least heard of you, and those who aren’t even aware you exist.
What about that mirrored site thingy? Can’t I use that?
Sure. In this technological age, it’s possible to duplicate your journal entries on several blog sites at once, including your own website, but there’s so much more to an online presence than just being there. You still need to be ‘Active in the community’, as it were, otherwise your blog is only reaching that pool of folks who’ve already heard of you, and that’s a tiny pond compared to the ocean of people who haven’t.
To me, your website is really for people who at the very least, know your name. Your blog, on the other hand, is for everyone, and that’s why it doesn’t belong on your site. It belongs out there in big wide world, where it has more opportunities to add to that list of people who know your name. It's there to let people know you exist, that you’re an interesting person, and yes, that you happen to be a writer.
From a self-promotional point of view, your never-ending goal is to increase the number of people who’ve at least heard of you, because some of those folks will remember your name when they see it on the spine of a book, or the index of a magazine, and if you’ve done your self-promotion well, and your work appeals to them, a teeny-tiny percentage of those folks will make a purchase which they would not otherwise have made.
[Edited after discussion with
jimhines and saetter]
That’s why, when I update my site in the New Year, I may well mirror this journal there (if I can figure out how to do it), but I'll still think of them as seperate entities.
How about you?
Do you think a writer’s blog should be separate from his/her website?
I like to think of it as a kind of online gallery. At the click of a button, folks from all around the world can pop in to find out about you and your writing, watch your book trailers, listen to podcasts etc, as well as follow links to your online stories and places which sell your work (at least they can if you have them).
Why then, do I think it’s NOT a good idea to have your blog there (or at least, only there)?
Because, from a strictly self-promotional point of view, there are two types of people in the world: those who’ve at least heard of you, and those who aren’t even aware you exist.
What about that mirrored site thingy? Can’t I use that?
Sure. In this technological age, it’s possible to duplicate your journal entries on several blog sites at once, including your own website, but there’s so much more to an online presence than just being there. You still need to be ‘Active in the community’, as it were, otherwise your blog is only reaching that pool of folks who’ve already heard of you, and that’s a tiny pond compared to the ocean of people who haven’t.
To me, your website is really for people who at the very least, know your name. Your blog, on the other hand, is for everyone, and that’s why it doesn’t belong on your site. It belongs out there in big wide world, where it has more opportunities to add to that list of people who know your name. It's there to let people know you exist, that you’re an interesting person, and yes, that you happen to be a writer.
From a self-promotional point of view, your never-ending goal is to increase the number of people who’ve at least heard of you, because some of those folks will remember your name when they see it on the spine of a book, or the index of a magazine, and if you’ve done your self-promotion well, and your work appeals to them, a teeny-tiny percentage of those folks will make a purchase which they would not otherwise have made.
[Edited after discussion with
jimhines and saetter] That’s why, when I update my site in the New Year, I may well mirror this journal there (if I can figure out how to do it), but I'll still think of them as seperate entities.
How about you?
Do you think a writer’s blog should be separate from his/her website?
- Current Mood:
creative
Profile
- jongibbs
- Jon Gibbs
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Things What I Wrote and Other Stuff
No longer in print but there are still some copies floating around out there
No longer in print but there are still some copies floating around out there
THE MEAGER PUDDLE OF LIMELIGHT AWARDS
No longer in print but there are still some copies floating around out there
THE MEAGER PUDDLE OF LIMELIGHT AWARDS
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Comments
1. I like Wordpress, and it allows me to incorporate everything.
2. This gives me a central, "official" blog for those who just want to use RSS feeds or whatever, but feeds out to LJ and other places.
3. For those who choose to follow my blog at the web site, they're also getting the sidebars, which means they'll see information on the latest novel, links to free fiction, and so on.
3b. When I do blog posts that really explode (Neil Gaiman Facts, that Slush Pile poem, etc.), I suddenly get hit with hundreds or thousands of new readers. If they're coming to jimchines.com/blog to check out the post, they also get the info on Jim the writer and my books. If the blog was separate, it would require another click to then visit my web site, which I suspect most of them wouldn't do.
This was originally just supposed to be my two cents, but I think I'm up to at least a quarter...
I also started having my blog mirror to LJ, even though those posts have been very scarce lately. The posts are also mirrored to my Facebook. Right now, my website is pretty quiet. Most of the people who know me are on LJ or FB. But I still want that to be the center of my web presence. LJ and FB are spokes off that hub.
If your blog is mostly rants and ravings and sputterings of frustration, yes, keep it apart. If your blog is a blend of updates, self promotion, as well as other random stuff, then why no have it mirrored from or to your website? Jill Myles
Like you mentino, the key is to be active in all the places you send your blog posts.
Edited at 2009-12-07 09:01 pm (UTC)
If you have the blog on your site, then if someone googles you, you're making it easy for them to find both blog and website. If they're separate, you're losing the opportunity to drive them to your site from the blog itself.
That being said, I agree completely that you need to be active in the communities to which your blog is mirrored -- otherwise you're not getting any advantage whatsoever.
From a self-promotional point of view, I think the goal isn't so much to drive traffic to your website (though that's a plus of course) as it is to increase the number of people who’ve at least heard of you, because some of those folks will remember your name when they see it on the spine of a book, or the index of a magazine, and if you’ve done your self-promotion well, and your work appeals to them, a teeny-tiny percentage of those folks will make a purchase which they would not otherwise have made.
Thanks for sharing :)
I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to not having lots of things to put on the website, though I've been giving it a lot of thought lately, and I have some ideas about how to change that, which I'll be covering in next week's TFAOSP post :)
Do the same criteria apply?
For me, the emphasis isn't so much on where it's mirrored, as to whether or not you actively engage with the community to which you mirror it, as opposed to just answering comments left on your own posts, if that makes sense :)
But if they haven't heard of you, why would they visit your site?
I'm not trying to argue, I'm just confused :)
I keep mine separate, but I link to one from the other.
Jenn
Thanks for sharing, Jenn :)
It's not that I don't think people would enjoy reading a blog if it was only on someone's website, it's that they wouldn't know it was there.
Sure, we need something new for website visitors, but those folks already know you. From a self-promotional POV, a blog will get way more new readers if it's out in the world where people can see it, than if it's only on your site, don't you think?
What do you blog about?
You can have fun entertaining and personal stuff or you can have updates and comments on your work.
When I get my website up, I may have a blog on it, but it will be far different from my LJ one. More focused on the work, projects, and news. So new readers can find old stuff or learn when new stuff is coming out.
I don't want it to be a personal blog where I talk about the family and sports or what we did on vacation.
It's important to know what your comfortable sharing with people. My personal life is just that--personal.
But whatever a writer decides to do, they should make sure they keep it somewhat professional. People have a tendency to judge based on what they read--even if it happens to be something that has nothing to do with writing or your work.
As for content, I'd say a little diversity is a good thing, but if you don't have an overall theme, I imagine you'd be losing old readers as fast as you bring in new ones.
I didn't realize you don't have a website. Is it imminent?
LJ is mainly for personal/non-writing stuff stuff though I also use it to flag up new entries on my other blog (along with Facebook and Twitter). The website blog is more professional and writing orientated, and generally comes up as the top hit (or even top x hits) if anyone googles my name(s); there are thumbnails of my books alongside the text to tempt potential punters.
This works for me, but whether it's the most effective strategy I could employ is another matter.
I'm not sure I could run two different blogs. I get confused enough as it is :)
Do you think? I hadn't really thought of this before now except to feel that mentioned irritation when I can't comment directly from my friends page.
Thanks for the input :)
Edited at 2009-12-07 11:28 pm (UTC)
I guess I'm confused. How is a blog inherently more "findable" than a web site? Isn't everything that's on the web, "out there" in the world?
Hmm... unless your definition of a blog = a web log that resides on a social networking oriented blogging service such as Livejournal?
Yep :)
Yes, I think that's key to both gaining and maintaining a following (at least until you're Stephen King huge).