At Writer’s Relief, we’ve done a pretty thorough job discussing the importance of making a good first impression to editors and agents through formatting, following submission guidelines, and a great cover or query letter.

But in a world where everything is going online, Googleability can make or break a career. Agents, editors, and potential fans will Google you out of curiosity. Best to be ready for them!

The very existence of your author website shows that you take your role as a writer seriously. It’s an invitation for anyone who is interested in your work to get to know you better.

This month’s Industry Influencer is John Kremer, the author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, editor of the Book Marketing Tip of the Week e-zine, and webmaster of a dozen websites—the most important of which is www.bookmarket.com, a leading resource in book marketing and book promotion. Read John’s advice to new writers trying to reach a broader audience, which social media platform he thinks is most valuable for writers, and how introverted writers can make the most of self-promotion.

Writer’s Relief, Inc., an author’s submission service, has announced the launch of its sister company, http://www.WebDesignRelief.com, offering custom author websites for creative writers.

President Ronnie L. Smith developed Web Design Relief because it is critical for writers to have an official author homepage—whether you’re a novelist, poet, or writer of short stories and creative nonfiction. “As writers, we know that authors need to impress literary agents and editors—key players in the publishing industry—and we know the value of reputation-building,” says Smith.

Read more at PRWeb.com

Just as writing for the web requires different tactics than writing for print, writing for social media is different than writing for the web. Writers need to evaluate their style and approach when writing for social media in order to meet the unique needs of this medium.

writersrelief:

Let’s say a visitor has come to your author website. Maybe he/she read one of your pieces in a lit mag and wants to learn more about you. Maybe said person is a literary agent who is deciding whether or not you would make a good client. Or maybe said visitor is someone you met on Facebook or someone who was referred to your site by a friend.

The problem is, when your visitors leave your site, they’ll be gone forever—unless you give them a reason to stay connected. Creating an interactive website is key.

Fact: Authors are more successful when they adapt to changes in the publishing industry. Having an author website is becoming as necessary and expected as having a business card. And there’s no webpage that’s more important on your site than your homepage. But what should a writer put on the homepage of his/her website? How do you want to greet the world?

GREAT NEWS! Writer’s Relief can help you design your author website. Check out Web Design Relief! We know the publishing industry, and we know great design. Check us out!

Thinking of posting your poem on your Facebook page? Are you serializing your short stories on your blog? Reposting an already published essay on your official author website?

Wait!

Before you post anything else, you must follow some basic rules (and avoid certain pitfalls) in order to avoid getting yourself into hot water down the line.