Tips for Creating a Writer's Website

Many writer's underestimate the power of a website with their own name on it. Having a personal website is like having a business card in the world of online writing. Nothing else can provide information about you to clients seeking your services twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The cost of having an online writers portfolio is usually under fifteen dollars a month and well worth the investment. One writing job a month could easily pay for this type of advertising.

If you are unsure how to start your own website check with your Internet provider first. Most ISP's provide their subscribers with a certain amount of free web space and a unique website address. The tools that you need to create your website are usually provided free of charge as well. Be prepared to spend at least an hour or more creating your introductory web page and a half hour for each additional page, depending on your level of expertise. Luckily, most software that you will need to create your site is very user friendly and anyone should be able to create a professional looking site.

What should you have on your website? There are a few things that are a must on your website which include your resume, writing sample, and the type of work that you do. The best place to display the type of work that you do is on the header or top of the web page. An example of this would read: John Doe - Writer, Researcher and Editor. This clearly identifies what types of work you do as well as providing search engines with enough pertinent information to list you in searches. The second thing you will want to have on your site is your resume. Create your resume on a blank page using a color and font that is easy to look at. Many writers use either a white or cream colored page that can easily be downloaded or printed out on a client's computer. The same goes for writing samples that you may have. Writer's may opt to show only parts of articles on their website in order to protect the content. In this day and age of technology it is not unusual to have your online work plagiarized. Provide links to your online articles if you don't want to show lengthy samples of your work.