The Future for Writers
Twenty years ago, the only guarantee that a writer’s work would be seen by someone other than your immediate family members was finding an agent, a publisher, or establishing connections with local newspapers and magazines. The 21st century has opened up a world of opportunities for the Christian writer when it comes to:
- What to write – inspirational pieces, devotionals, novels, short stories, self-help articles;
- Getting your material published - self-publishing vs. traditional publishing;
- E-books or printed material.
My stories and articles had gathered dust on my computer for years, and while I enjoyed writing, I despaired of anyone ever reading my work, as most people prefer reading books during their commute to work than wade through stories on A4 sheets of paper. Recently, I joined a writer’s forum, where I discovered a solution to my dilemma and a wonderful tool for today’s writer – the writer’s website.
I later attended a writing workshop, where I was advised to create a presence on the Internet. In other words, a showcase for my writing; I immediately saw the benefits of that idea. Rather than attempting to convince friends and sundry to read my bits of paper, I simply sent a link to the interested party, so they could visit and peruse my writing at their leisure.
Moreover, a website would act as my CV, and would be available to anyone wanting access to my writing – from friends to potential publishers. What I didn’t bargain for was the fact that, once the website was up and running, it provided me with a motive to write often. Since my readers could revisit the website, it needed regular updates with fresh material. One pertinent reason for setting this up also, is that I could pray for God to touch people with whom I might never come in contact with, but whom He could easily direct towards my written ministry. I even began a couple of blogs (web journal), one of which I have used as a taster for my latest novel. To my pleasant surprise, I’ve had visitors returning to the site to keep up with the trials of my heroine.
Where to start
The World Wide Web is an international superhighway where people make pit stops on their journeys in search of everything under the sun; the world’s largest library, shopping mall, church, bookshop, you name it; and for a writer, a gold mine. It costs little to set up your own stall; all that’s required are a few hours of your time, daily, weekly or monthly.
Though unfamiliar with the technical language for building websites (HTML), I was able to design a basic website after signing up with a free website provider (webhost). My first task was to decide the contents of the site. My portfolio included some inspirational articles, published and otherwise, some short stories, and a poem or two. Working my way through the website provider’s instructions, I designed a reasonable looking site, and once I was satisfied with the design, and had loaded enough material, I emailed my contacts with the details.
Provided you have ready access to the Internet, creating a website needn’t be a hike up Mount Everest. There are several web hosts available. A good place to start is with your own ISP (Internet Service Provider), who may allow you a certain amount of free web space as part of your service. There are also other sites like www.freewebs.com, who offer free websites, tools and templates with full instructions for building a website. The process is fairly easy for even the uninitiated.
If you are looking to design or buy a website, a good place to start is at www.google.com. You’ll find a host of information ranging from website hosts to how to build websites. I’ve included a few links to start you off at the bottom of this article. You have the options of designing your own website through templates provided by the website hosts, or using Microsoft FrontPage or other web design software. If you’re feeling flush or the technological speak is jargon to you, or you want a professional look off the bat, hire a web designer to build a site to your specification.
Many free webhosts make their money indirectly by running advertisements off your site, which you might not mind if you are starting off with a basic website. Your website name, (known as your domain name) will be something like www.webhostname.com/yourwebsitename. Think very carefully before choosing your domain name. The more specifically you can tailor it to your writing, the more people are likely to find it when doing a search. It’s no use calling your website www.lovingjesus.com unless you intend to write solely about loving Jesus. If you write devotionals, try a domain name that reflects this, to help the reader find your website easily.
For more professional-sounding domain names, check sites like www.123.reg.co.uk, where you can confirm the availability of the domain name you’re considering. Prices start at about £2.99 a year. You can buy as many names as you wish, but a word of caution – if you don’t keep up the payments for your domain name, it will revert to the public pool once your subscription expires.
Some practical advice for beginners
Give your website a simple and functional look, and use the necessary tools to present your best work. Check your spelling and grammar. Make sure your work is concise, pithy and well presented. That article or short story might be just what that publisher, or editor has been looking for.
Update your site frequently. The more interesting your pages are, the more repeat traffic (readers) you will generate to your site.
Above all, pray. Pray for the Lord to use your website as a resource to reach the unknown reader, and who knows, only eternity will tell how many souls your ministry can touch by you putting your work on the net.
The Internet is the way forward and a great platform for the serious writer. You never know who might be prowling the Internet looking for articles or material that you prepared earlier.
Useful Links:
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