Sarah-Beth Watkins - The Writers Internet: A Creative Guide to the World Wide Web

First published by Compass Books, 2013
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Text copyright: Sarah-Beth Watkins 2012

ISBN: 978 1 78099 785 8

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To Jake and Shay for letting me have the computer for more than five minutes!
And to Stig, without whom this writer would not have the support to get her manuscript finished.
Love you guys.

The Internet is one of mans greatest inventions. We can now source information, find friends, talk to other writers and look into archives from all around the globe with the click of a mouse. Almost everyone has access to the Internet, whether it is at home, or in a local cafe, hotel or library. It is an amazing tool for writers that is just asking to be used - for sometimes hours on end!

Yet people still have a reluctance to use it to its maximum potential. If you were born in the age before the Internet, its something that you will have to learn to use rather than having grown up using. Children today use the Internet as easily as turning on the TV. Ok, some TVs actually have the Internet too! But like any new technology, there is a learning process involved but once you begin that process, you are on the way to being Internet savvy.

I took computers as a subject at college in the eighties. Hoorah for word processing, spreadsheets and database! But the Internet? Nowhere to be seen, heard or otherwise used. I have had to keep myself up-to-date with technology and Im not technically minded. The great thing about the Internet is you learn it from using it and as a writer, I am constantly learning new ways in which it can complement my writing.

And the thing is you dont have to learn everything. A writer doesnt have to be able to build a website from scratch or be able to decode those secret symbols and messages that run on the screen. You can become as skilled as little or as much as you want. All you need to do is to use the Internet for your own purpose, the purpose of being a writer.

This book will show you how by looking at the main ways in which a writer can use the Internet. Whether its making money or making contacts, the Internet is an increasingly valuable asset to writers and it is not one to be ignored. More and more of our communication occurs across the World Wide Web. Dont get left behind!

Im not going to bore you with a detailed description of the history of the Internet! The early days were complex and technical. If you are interested in a more detailed history, you can look for concise information on Wikipedia or a similar reference site. What I do want to show you is how recent the Internet is.

Hotmail, the first email service, came online in 1996. Google, one of the top search engines, started in 1998. Wikipedia came along in 2001. Then social networking started with the event of MySpace in 2003 followed by Facebook in 2004, although at that time, it was only for college students. YouTube arrived in 2005 and Twitter in 2006. In 2007, the Iphone was launched and mobile web applications began their development.

Today it is estimated that there are over 644 million active websites. The Internet is still a relatively new phenomenon with new sites arriving daily and new developments making it even more accessible and exciting to use. With so much progress in such a short space of time, who knows what the Internet will be capable of in five or ten years time?

I noticed the rapid change in technology more after working as a freelance writer for fifteen years and then taking a break. I had been used to sending out articles and stories by post and including an SAE, waiting anxiously for a positive reply or cheque by return. When I returned to writing, I realised that this wasnt the norm anymore. Magazines wanted email submissions, publishers wanted queries sent in by electronic form and websites just wanted your work! Payment was now electronic or through PayPal and the poor little SAE was a thing of the past. I had to up my Internet skills and start using it to my advantage.

At least I would save on post!

The Internet is something then, that as writers, we cant ignore. It is our newest medium of communication and that includes the written word. As more and more people use the Internet, we need to make sure that we are using it too. It is the medium of the future and a way in which our writing can be brought to a global audience.

There are many ways in which the Internet can work for you. Here are a few:

Making Friends

You can find and talk to other writers online, share the ups and downs of producing a masterpiece and support each other in progressing your work. Being connected to other writers can be hugely beneficial in offsetting the times when you are working in solitude.

Researching Ideas

You have a great idea for a book but its set in ancient Mayan times. What did they wear? Eat? What did their houses look like? Their temples? An Internet search will give you the info you are looking for and you will also be able to see if your idea has already been used by researching books set in the same time period.

Earning an Extra Income

What writer doesnt want an extra income? There are websites out there that will pay for your contributions in a vast range of subjects and genres. Whether writing blogs, web content, reviews or straight forward articles, there is a market for them.

Networking

You can make friends but you can also network with other people. The Internet can be used to connect you to other professional people in the book and magazine industries. Communicating with editors and publishers across the Net can only open more doors for you.

Creating a Fan-base

Social networking can help you to create a fan-base. As writers we all need readers! People who love your writing will want to look you up. Having your own website or blog will attract your readers too.

Promoting your Work

There are many different ways of promoting your work online like having a website, getting other sites to review your work or having your profile on appropriate pages. Promoting your work online is an opportunity no writer should miss.

Promoting Yourself

Its not just about your work but about you as a writer. You dont have to have your life story available but posting regular snippets will intrigue and delight your fans. Let people into your world and you create more followers, more readers and ultimately more sales.