Do You Use a Blog as Your Writer Website?

I do.

Sure, I know HTML and could code a fancy website with all the bells and whistles.

But who has time?

Not this girl.

So, when I began looking at website options a few years ago, I decided to use a WordPress blog. I searched for a free theme that contained the options I wanted.

The problem? I couldn't find exactly what I wanted on the website, so I continued searching and fine-tuning my requirements. Presto! I found what I had been looking for.

See, a problem with using a blog as your website is, well, you have to blog. And if you don't blog on a regular basis, your website appears lackluster.

A blog does not necessarily allow a user to add pages. For instance, on my site, I found a template that allowed pages, so I could include a short bio and author photo, a page that lists my clips (and it looks like I need to update them...soon!), and an introductory page to my syndicated newspaper column.

Does it need tweaking? Definitely. I could add a landing page instead of using my present blog post. I could upload pictures and give it a more personal touch.

But for now - or until I find more time to play with a website instead of writing for clients - I'll use what I have, making improvements and showcasing my work.

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8 comments author website, building new website, using a blog as a website, web presence, writer website

Friday Speak Out!: Get in the Game, Guest Post by Julie Anne Lindsey

Get in the Game

by Julie Anne Lindsey

For every thoughtful commenter on this board, there are probably more than 50 regular lurkers. I know this because I was one of them. While there is value in lurking, there is also a season for it. Eventually though, the time comes to get out of the shadows and get involved.
Initially, lurking allows new writers to learn. We learn about the publishing culture, about ways to succeed or fail, how to write a query, and how to research an agent, and then stalk them successfully. Those are all valuable lessons for a writer, but the problem comes when we eventually learn every nuance, fear and dream of our favorite agent crush, but they never learn a single thing about us.

Imagine that you are an agent reading hundreds of queries day after day. It would become very difficult to really think about the people on the other side of those queries, though I’m sure that agents do try. Now, think about this, the agent could get to the bottom of your query and see your name, and a light bulb could go on. What if she recognized it? That agent could say, “Awesome Aspiring Writer, I know her. That’s the writer who regularly adds profound inspiration and insightful comments to my blog posts,” or “Awesome Aspiring Writer, I’ve seen her blog. That girl just makes me smile.” Now, the agent may be inclined to give the practically anonymous query one more read, maybe even with a bias towards a personality that she already knows she could work with. This is a wonderful side effect of a good web presence. Wouldn’t you like to have that scenario unfold? I would.

You see, there is a time for lurking, and learning, but there is also a time to step out and make a name for yourself. So, I ask you, “Isn’t it time to get in the game?” Speak out Fridays at Wow! is just one fabulous opportunity for unpublished authors speak up. So, whip up a post for consideration here, take a deep breath, and send it. Take a chance. You’ve earned it. Get in the game.

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Julie Anne Lindsey is a wife, a homeschooling mother of 3, and all around caffeine addict. She is an unpublished author, avid reader and obsessive writer. Julie is blogging her journey to publication at Musings from the Slush Pile, where she also shares personal experience, book reviews and opening chapters from her works.
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

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6 comments Friday Speak Out, Julie Ann Lindsey, web presence, writer inspiration