I have several authors whose books are coming out in the next few seasons, and so I have been giving a lot of thought to an author's image and participation on the web. I am dead positive Caren has blogged about websites before, but I thought the topic bears repeating and emphasizing. So here's my take.

As a writer, you have different needs before publication and after. Before publication, it's simply useful for you to have a web presence of some sort, so that you can build a community and become aware of the publishing industry. When you begin looking for an agent, it's useful for us to be able to find you when we search for you. Having something as simple as a blog that you update regularly can be very helpful.

But this changes when you have a book coming out. Your blog was great before, but now you're a professional and it's important to look like a professional. This when you need a site and platform that conveys said professionalism and can handle updates and fresh content and media. This is also when you need to OWN your own domain name. No more yourname.blogspot.com or whatever. (Though really, at only $10 a year to register a domain, you should do that as early as you can. Your name is equity.)

Some people argue that websites aren't that important. Especially for certain book markets. But the truth is, the internet is here and it's not worth fighting it. When you aren't findable in a Google search, I think you aren't educated about the web. Having a website might not ensure success, but it can never hurt. 

So what does a good website do?

•  It conveys information (filling the first need people have to learn more)
•  It changes frequently and provides NEW content (this keeps people coming back)

By doing these things you build a community. Books are social. You need to support that. The best websites out there are things that keep you coming back. Static websites are dead and useless.

And you don't have to spend a bazillion dollars getting someone to design a fancy site for you. A friend of mine said yesterday, "When I see a site with tons of flashy animation, I know it's a terrible website." Flash isn't information. 

There are a lot of platforms out there today that can handle this for you. You can do something as simple as a Wordpress site (which actually lets you use your domain name now) which leaves you confined to a template, but is free and you can have easy access to your content. This website uses Squarespace. Both let you include media and tie-ins to the social web, which is also equity. And there are many more.

So do your homework. Find the right platform for you and your comfort level with technology. Get a friend to help. But have access to your name and your content. Be findable. Think about the image you want to portray. Make it look professional. And update regularly.