Attracting Readers and Publishers to Your Writings on the Internet

Models: Different Methods of Publishing

• Cory Doctorow: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom -- http://www.boingboing.net/

• Marylaine Block http://marylaine.com/

• Diana Gabaldon: Drums of Autumn -- see http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~gatti/gabaldon/wsjarticle97.html

• Stephen King: Riding the Bullet and The Plant -- see Katz, http://slashdot.org/features/00/11/30/1238204.shtml

• Nora Roberts http://www.noraroberts.com/
  
  
  

  Getting Started

• Who's going to host the page? Local ISPs, AOL, free sources like Geocities (see my son's page, 33 Rebellions per Minute, at http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Mezzanine/6613/), blog sites (see a compendium at http://www.lights.com/weblogs/hosting.html)

• How much code do I have to learn? Not as much as you might think, depending on the software you use (Dreamweaver, HTML-KIT, blog programs, Adobe Acrobat for scanning your manuscripts and turning them into pdf documents, etc.)

• Are there publishers who will put your book into downloadable or print on demand electronic form and split the proceeds with you? Yes. Google has a directory of some of those at http://directory.google.com/Top/Business/Publishing_and_Printing/Publishers/Electronic/. You can also do a search using the term "print on demand publishers"

• Is writing for the web different from writing for print? You better believe it. For tips, see Jakob Neilsen's "Writing for the Web," http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/, Gerry McGovern's e-mail newsletter, New Thinking http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/new_thinking.htm
  
  
  

  Build a Site Worth Visiting

• Make the site design and navigation simple and intuitive

• Exploit what the net does well: connectivity and interactivity.

• Offer extensive content to hold surfers at your site.

• Organize your material as your users are likely to look for it

• Establish your credentials and credibility upfront.

• Fill a niche -- provide information or service nobody else provides or do it better, or different, than anybody else, like my Neat New Stuff http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html
  
  
  

  Get Known Among Your Peers

  Remember, if you're not linked, you might as well not have a web site at all, so

• Familiarize yourself with what's already on the net in your area of specialization -- look at master lists, like the Mystery Writers of America's links for writers http://www.mysterywriters.org/library.html, or Google Directories, like this one for science fiction writers, http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Writers_Resources/Fiction/Science_Fiction_and_Fantasy/

• Notice what kinds of services are NOT available on these pages and provide it for your peers on your web page

• Join relevant writers' groups, like Romance Writers of America http://www.rwanational.org/ or Mystery Writers of America http://www.mysterywriters.org/

• Participate in relevant listservs, discussion groups and bulletin boards

• Let the creators of relevant subject directories in your field know your page is there

• The net is inherently interactive, so if possible, provide interactivity -- bulletin boards, discussion groups, Aska service

• Answer your e-mail!!
  
  
  

  Make Sure Search Engines, Readers and Publishers Can Find You

• Submit your site to search engines and directories under the headings users are likely to look under. AVOID CUTENESS.

• Produce the kind of deep site search engines (and netizens) like: a lot of content, frequently updated. Search engines do discriminate.

• Emphasize key content in metatags, page titles, and headers.

• Try to get librarians to list your site on their pages, because search engines pay attention to sites librarians think are good.

• Build your own 404 page.
  
  
  

  Find Out Who Your Customers Are

• Offer extra services for those who register (e.g., Salon http://salon.com/, Search Engine Watch http://searchenginewatch.com/

• Offer to send them regular updates by e-mail (NeatNew, Search Engine Watch

• Have them fill out a form to subscribe (see http://marylaine.com/subscrib.html

• Analyze your web site's statistics

• Analyze your e-mail
  
  
  

  Ways To Make Money Off Your Site

• Best case scenario: you attract publishers, re-package the material, and sell it.

• You can accept advertisements both for web pages and for e-mail offerings (make sure you're able to document who your users are)

• You can accept partnership (clickthrough) arrangements for linking to commercial vendors (e.g., Amazon)

• You can offer some content free, promote the rest, and make it available by paid subscription

• You can ask for voluntary contributions, using PayPal, or Amazon

• You can use the entire site to promote other related services you offer.

• You can get all kinds of free material for review.
  
  
  

  Take Advantage of Serendipity

  The net is built for serendipity. The opposite of serendipity is Columbusity -- having a discovery present itself and not recognizing it when you see it. Be prepared to consider unexpected opportunities.