A Writer’s Online Presence: Starting With the Basics

by Elizabeth S. Craig

I often sense a lot of anxiety for writers about promo and having an online presence. Many feel overwhelmed by the idea of trying to be everywhere at once—blogging, posting on every social platform, creating videos, and maintaining a website that rivals those of bestselling authors.

The good news is that you don’t need to do all of that, especially when you’re just starting out. A focused, manageable approach serves most writers better than a fruitless attempt to dominate the internet.

Website Essentials: Less Is More

Your website is your online home base, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. Focus on these fundamentals:

• An About page that tells visitors who you are and what you write
• A Books page (even if you have just one or are still writing your first)
• A Contact method (a simple form or email address)
• Your privacy policy (required by law in many places)

That’s it for starters. You can add more pages later, but these four elements serve most new authors well.

A few important points about your site:

Keep it current. An outdated website is worse than no website at all. If you can’t update a blog regularly, don’t start one yet.

Make sure it’s mobile-friendly. More than half of web browsing happens on phones. Most modern website templates handle this automatically.

Prioritize readability. Dark text on a light background with a standard font size serves your visitors better than creative but hard-to-read design choices.

Social Media: Quality Over Quantity

The biggest mistake I see new writers make is attempting to maintain active accounts on every social platform simultaneously. This approach leads to burnout pretty quickly.

Instead:

• Choose ONE platform to focus on initially
• Select it based on where your potential readers actually spend time
• Interact genuinely rather than just broadcasting about your book
• Post consistently (even if that’s just once a week) rather than sporadically

You can expand to other platforms later, but mastering one before adding another will serve you better in the long run.

Email List: Your Most Valuable Asset

If you only build one connection method with readers, make it an email newsletter list. Unlike social media, where platforms control who sees your posts, your email list belongs to you.

Start simply:

• Add a sign-up form to your website
• Offer something of value in exchange for emails (a short story, first chapter, etc.)
• Send occasional updates—no need for weekly newsletters
• Focus on quality communications rather than frequency

Sustainable Practices for the Long Haul

The writing career is a marathon, not a sprint.

Set realistic schedules. If you can only manage social media once a week, that’s your current capacity. Honor it.

Batch your online tasks. Designate specific times for website updates and social media rather than letting them interrupt your writing.

Automate what makes sense. Tools like Hootsuite or Buffer can schedule social posts, but don’t automate personal interactions.

Evaluate regularly. Every few months, assess what’s working and what isn’t. Adjust accordingly.

Remember that your primary job is writing books, not maintaining an online presence. The internet tools should serve your writing career, not the other way around.

If you’re a new writer, how are you establishing your online presence? For more established writers, can you offer any tips?