In order to try and stay more consistent with the Write of the Day Blog, I'm hosting occasional guest blogs by other writers. Todays blog is by Canadian Author, A.F. Stewart. Please check out the links to her regular blogs at the bottom of this post. Thanks!
These two concepts of perception and presentation sometimes get overlooked by new writers, but in today’s online world they are more important than ever. I see many hopeful, newbie writers posting sloppily written stories to online sites and it makes me cringe.
These two concepts of perception and presentation sometimes get overlooked by new writers, but in today’s online world they are more important than ever. I see many hopeful, newbie writers posting sloppily written stories to online sites and it makes me cringe.
Now when I say “sloppily written”, I don’t mean a few typos or sentences that could use a bit of editing or a clichéd bit of prose. That comes with the writer territory, especially when you are starting out. No, I’m talking about frequent, dreadful grammar mistakes, noticeable spelling errors, run-on sentences and just plain careless editing; things easily fixable by running a story through your computer’s spell-check. These writers don’t seem to realize that this screams “amateur” and “bad writer” and it turns many readers away. Plus online, you never know who might stop by to read what you post; you may be damaging your reputation in ways you are not aware.
Also, you need to watch how you present yourself when you comment on other posts or email fellow writers. Not capitalizing the “I” pronoun, rambling sentences, terrible grammar and numerous typos do not inspire confidence in your abilities as a writer.
Another common perception and presentation mistake, at least in my opinion, happens in marketing. Many writers are anxious to sell or just inexperienced in marketing and they use spam techniques to promote their books, bombarding every site with blatant ad-like comments. This is not the way to market yourself or your books. You may gain interest in your books, but you will also alienate people who find such things rude, especially if you are posting irrelevant comments in groups. For instance, don’t promote your murder mystery in a group devoted to fantasy and sci-fi.
Good marketing should interact and target. Post those obvious self-promotional ads on sites and in groups set up for that type of marketing; that is what they are there for. Otherwise interact with groups and sites; a “Hey guys, wonderful news. I’ve got a new book coming out...” does more for your online status than a spam ad people ignore.
The one thing a writer has to remember is there are real people, potential readers, on the other side of cyber-space. You need to make the best impression possible.
photo of me, if you want to include it in the post, and here are my blog links:
photo of me, if you want to include it in the post, and here are my blog links:
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