Why Writers Must Make Themselves Easy to Contact
By Chuck Sambuchino | December 15, 2011 |
I always tell people that my biggest challenge of my job in helping people find literary agents is correcting bad information on the Internet. This is no doubt my biggest challenge on a day-to-day basis in helping people get published.
But if I had to pick a second frustration — one that drives me absolutely bonkers more often than I’d like to explain — it’s the fact that so many writers make themselves difficult to contact and hurt their writer platform. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve wanted to help someone or promote a book or interview an author only to find no e-mail address anywhere online. For example, at least a dozen times, I’ve found a great debut author online whose book I wanted to include in my recurring Writer’s Digest magazine column (“Breaking In”) only to find … no e-mail. No Twitter. No contact information. Plenty of times no website at all. Other times I’ve wanted to interview up-and-coming writers for one reason or another, and I face the same problem. They don’t make themselves available, and I find someone else instead. (Makes you wonder … perhaps someone reading this column right now missed out on some easy promo because they kept their e-mail hidden.)
I have no idea why people make themselves difficult to contact. I think it comes from some sort of old-school fear that if their e-mail is online, all hell will break loose and their identity will get stolen by someone in Chechnya or they’ll be deluged with spam and from hundreds of people asking to borrow money.
Take it from me — this will not happen. I make myself very available through all channels and am in a position to help people, but the amount of cold-contact e-mails I get each month is small and manageable.
The point I’m trying to make is this: In this day and age, book publicity is very valuable and very hard to come by. The last thing writers want to do is make it more difficult for editors to publicize their books. In order to give yourself the best chance at success, here are my suggestions for all up-and-coming writers in terms of making yourself available and easy to contact:
- Create a website, even a simple free WordPress blog with just 1 page. The important thing is just to have something come up when I Google your name or the name of your book. Heck, your website can be one landing page — that’s all I need. Just put some information about yourself and your book (so I know I’m contacting the correct person), and include some relevant contact info — especially an e-mail address you check regularly. Twitter’s also fine, as long as you’re on it often and respond quickly. If you want to see an example of a simple site that I set up for free, check out my writing website on WordPress.
- On that note, try to check your e-mail each day. Note how I just said “check,” not necessarily “respond to every waiting e-mail.” You just must make sure there are no pressing matters. Here’s the thing writers must, must understand: Editors and literary agents have schedules and deadlines. We also procrastinate more often than we should. This means that, plenty of times, we are contacting people at the last minute and needs an expeditious reply.
- If you want to protect yourself from spam/etc, take simple steps. An easy thing everyone does when posting an e-mail address online is adjust the formatting and write it out like this: literaryagent (at) fwmedia.com (dot) com. Spam be gone! If you’re an established author with a communicative fan base — perhaps you write for children — then include a note by your e-mail saying that “While I do read every e-mail promptly and personally, due to the sheer number of them, I cannot respond personally to all messages. Sorry.”
- Know that only listing your publicist’s contact info on your site is, in my opinion, not good enough. (I know I will catch some hell for this one.) The good thing about publicists is they understand deadlines and are usually very quick to return e-mails and touch base. But publicists get sick, too. They get buried in work just like everyone else. They may be so busy that they can’t consider media requests from non-top-tier outlets. And plus, they don’t always work on weekends (but plenty of journalists do!). That’s why you should include your own information — just in case it’s an urgent matter.And I know the subject of publicists gets kind of tricky. Plenty of publishing house publicists don’t really want writers doing their own publicity without supervision from them. If that’s the case, just use your judgment. When my humor book, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack, came out in fall 2010, we got publicity/review requests from media outlets big and small. If the media outlet was very sizeable (e.g., USA Today), or was requesting copyrighted book images to go with the story (e.g., The Huffington Post), then I knew it was something my publicist would have to approve. But everything else was fair game for me to do on my own. (She didn’t have time to get involved with everything anyway.) I solicited blog coverage. I responded to lots of interview requests. I answered people’s questions. And I did it all as fast as I could — because you never know when someone has a publicity window that’s closing fast. Just keep in mind that if it’s an emergency, your publicist will understand. I remember one time I was on a docked cruise ship in Miami an hour from when we left and would lose phone reception. That’s when I got an e-mail from a Boston Herald reporter, who wanted to ask me interview questions about how book deals worked. (Guess where she found my contact info? Who knows! It was everywhere online, because I make myself easy to contact.) Since this was not just some random blogger calling, but rather a large metropolitan newspaper, protocol said I should send the request formally through my HR division. But the reporter’s deadline was hours away. So I called the Herald back immediately and did the interview. I was careful to pay attention for any “dangerous” questions that had answers that would get me in trouble. But these concerns never materialized, and my quote appeared in the paper. And when you’re quoted in the media, your title also appears: “editor of Guide to Literary Agents.” My bosses at work couldn’t be mad that I answered some innocuous questions while getting our product out in a big media outlet. In fact, they were quite happy.
On a side note, I should mention that if you have a specific reason for keeping your info offline — such as safety concerns — that is something relevant and totally understandable. I’ve ran into a few authors at writing conferences with crazy ex-boyfriends who have this issue.
But if you’re keeping your info locked up for no prevalent reason, please realize your name and your reach is your author platform. You WANT people to contact you. You WANT other writers to reach out from the blue. I love it when a member of the media finds my info online and writes me. I don’t even mind it when a writer sends me an e-mail with a random question. I’ve made long-term friends that way — friends who have bought my book and sung my praises to others. It’s called networking — and writer networking starts by simply making yourself available.
Photo courtesy Flickr’s Cara Photography
Chuck Sambuchino is a freelance editor of query letters, synopses, book proposals, and manuscripts. As an editor for Writer’s Digest Books, he edits the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS and the CHILDREN’S WRITER’S & ILLUSTRATOR’S MARKET. His Guide to Literary Agents Blog is one of the largest blogs in publishing. His own books include the bestselling humor book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK, which was optioned by Sony Pictures, as well as the writing guide, CREATE YOUR WRITER PLATFORM. Connect with Chuck on Twitter or at his website.
Thanks for the great tips, Chuck!
Good post. What do you think about a contact form on a website?
Contact forms — in my opinion, not preferred. But it is definitely better than nothing at all!
Ah! This is good to know. I had assumed that a contact form was the best route, but I’m headed over to my website soon to put my email up on my landing page.
Thanks for this informative post.
Good to know. I have always used my Gravity Forms premium plugin on my site and I get contacted all the time through it. Would love to hear your perspective on why contact forms do not do the job for you. (Lifelong learner here!)
Chuck,
Will do on adding an email address to the website. I’m up for an interview for anything that promotes my new and only book at this point – Peals of Thunder, a supernatural thriller where everybody gets whacked. Shoot, 28 people die on the first page.
I don’t have an agent, yet – been turned down more times than a Snoop Dogg Rap Song at a Nuns Concert, so I decided to self publish with Amazon. Today, my book finally went live, so I don’t have any sales reports yet, but will soon. Thanks for the counsel and keep up the great work.
Good points, I have no problem with being “out there’ so people can find me – I’m into a lot of different things. Spam’s not a problem, Gmail has good filters.
Mike
Good advice. I remember how thrilled I was when someone I didn’t know bothered to write and tell me they enjoyed an article I wrote. It made my week!
As obvious a thing as this is, I confess I didn’t post my email address until an agent on another site brought it up. My reasons for doing so fall under your “old school fear” category. I already get enough spam email to choke a goat, so I didn’t want to create opportunity for more.
However, I have since corrected the absent email problem.
Great points – thank you!
Hi,
Great post. The world is moving online. This migration is perhaps the greatest cultural shift of our generation. Those who stay behind will be left behind.
I am available online! My new novel, published by Harper Collins, is coming out in January.
And I live in Ireland so I cannot win the prize!
All the best for the holidays to all. I will be Tweeting this post @LPOBryan
Dear Chuck,
Great advise, particularly the suggestion on how to avoid spam! I agree too many writers miss valuable opportunities to mingle with and promote themselves to the public by being recluses.
David
I used to think that readers can use the comment box in case they need to reach me. At some point, I decided to add contact information on my site, and I started getting emails.
I can but dream of having too much fan following. I’ll be happy to deal with that if/when it happens. Besides, I like interacting with literary types so my flag is up. Com’mon, y’all, the door’s open….
Chuck, thanks for the great advice. I need to check my blog to make sure my contact info is clearly displayed.
I don’t have my email or phone on my website, but I do have wordpress’s contact form. I’m one of those concerned about safety, and the contact form does no reveal my email. I’ve often wondered if it is “good enough” for professional contact, though. A reader coming to an author site and using the contact form gladly is one thing – it probably seems more inviting to them – but is it different to a journalist?
Great advice, Chuck. Having my email address available has allowed me not to miss some pretty affirming emails from readers, and so far I can’t see that it’s caused a flood of spam. Even if it did, despite my filters, it’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Thanks for sharing.
Love this. Jane Friedman had a recent post on the necessity of social media, one that addresses a similar idea: we writers NEED to be connected to others if we are going to make it in the biz.
While some of us may wish we could hole up, a la JD Salinger, that’s no longer an option these days . . . not if we want to sell books (or be invited to holiday parties).
Thanks for the reminder! And here’s Jane’s post: https://janefriedman.com/2011/12/13/social-media-change-life/
I completely agree with you about making sure you have a presence on the internet and giving fans/promoters a means by which to contact you. There have been only a few times when I went to look up information about an author and only found a Wiki entry and no website. Websites for newbie and existing authors are so important. And if you have one of those, you ought to have an email account associated to that website which allows you to receive messages from the viewers of that site. The same goes for just about any Mom&Pop shop. Even if it’s just to have your location and hours. Use the internet. It’s out there. It’s essentially free (or can be if you work it right). And it’s a great way to be in contact with a potentially large fan base. Thanks for the advice and the giveaway!
I just went to my website to make sure I was contactable, and I was. I sent myself an email!
I tend to hold my info with a white-knuckled grip since I had an epic fraud experience. Thanks for the reminder about what I can release into the ether without compromising my future sanity.
Great tips, especially the email address issue.
I find the greatest struggle is not having a website and Internet presence. It’s managing those two practices along with the daily writing — and doing it all consistently and well!
Melanie,
As I recently learned from Jane Friedman during her recent webinar on starting a website, you needn’t be a blogger in order to do so. You can have the website up and make a single page about yourself until (or if) you are ready to add more. Also, she said not to blog unless you are willing to contribute to the blog 1-2x/week and keep up with your posts. Otherwise, people will think you have abandoned the site.
Hope this helps!
Linda
Great reminder to make sure all my information is as accessible as possible! Thanks!
Another wonderful “nudge” that I needed to push me further out into the stream of things. I haven’t been more active on social media out of fear as much as from lack of time. The one-page wordpress + twitter sounds about my speed.
Agreed, Chuck! I’m a freelance journalist and author. My favourite folks to interview are authors. Sometimes, though, it’s challenging to get all the information I need from them.
When authors send me to their publicist or an agent, it can make my job even harder. Publicists and agents are busy people with a multitude of clients–they’re often tough to reach. They simply can’t be as committed to promoting a book as the author.
What happens when I come up empty-handed by deadline time? I send my story without the eye-catching images that attract readers. Who loses? The author.
My advice? If a writer comes to you for information, don’t rely on someone else coming through for you. Dig it up for yourself. Keep copies of your book cover art, your author head shot, etc. on hand so you can email it upon request.
Better yet, create a media page that provides everything a writer needs. Thumbnails to a selection of downloadable high-res images for the book jacket and photos of the author. Permission to use the photos and photo credits, if necessary. Selected review quotes about the book(s). The ISBN, publication date and publisher of each title.
That way, writers can grab everything we need without even bothering to ask. That leaves more interview time for the good questions, the stuff that really matters to the writer, to the reader–and to you!
Love this whole comment!
Thanks, Chuck. I love this whole blog. ;-)
I established a second e-mail from my personal one. I used the title of my book, having “stolen” the idea from movie makers who use the titles of their movies as their web sites.
Chuck, what advice do you have for writers who write and publish under a pseudonym? Simply obtain an email address using that name, set up a web page under that name, and reply to emails “in character”?
For unpublished writers, how important is it to blog/set up a website? I can understand the necessity of one if you are trying to market your already published or soon to be published book. . . Thanks for the great posts!
You might as well set up a simple one-page blog. It’s easy and will help. Let’s just say I live in Virginia Beach and am trying to get a writers group together. If I Google some keywords and your site says you’re “an aspiring writer in Virginia Beach,” you will come up. Then we become friends. And when your book comes out, I help spread the word. Etc.
Excellent article and the point are right on target! Thanks for sharing.
The occasional fan letter that finds its way into my e-mail box more than makes up for the spam.
I just had this experience trying to contact an author whose work I admire. So I assumed she would love hearing that . . . but I couldn’t find her online. I’m in the middle of planning my blog and web presence, so I appreciate your advice.
One question for you, Chuck — how do you find the email from the Boston Herald amidst all the spam? Do you have a great filter or do you just examine your inbox really carefully?
Thanks for the advice. This is great information.
Well this is good to know, I’ll definitely keep this in mind for later. Or is it too soon to make a website if you haven’t published a book?
Very good article. It nails the reasons to be reachable.
And if you happen to get an article published, you can ask for a link to your “website” in any bio. Gives you a way to kind of pre-screen contact emails too.
And you can then blog about the article and link to it, etc. etc. etc.
But to do all the etc. etc. etc. you have to have a place to start and as Chuck said, a way they can contact you.
Lynn
Thanks for the advice. It encouraged me to be brave enough to update my bio on my blog. It now has my contact information.
Thanks for a chance at winning one of your giveaways. I’ll happily take “2012 Guide to Literary Agents” off your hands (or anyone else’s) since I’m in dire need of one.
Happy reading, writing, and blogging!
I hadn’t even thought about this — sometimes it’s the easiest steps that gets overlooked, don’t you think?
I’ll definately start adding contact info to anything relevant, I can tell you that much.
-J.
Chuck you are so right. Back in the dark ages of the 1990s when the internet was young and I was a journal editor trying to track down reviewers in all corners of the world (and I do mean all corners), I can’t tell you how frustrating it was to be unable to locate contact information for the person we were looking for.
Folks, if you want to be part of the community you don’t have to leave the door wide open, but at least put out the electronic welcome mat.
Excellent advice. I have a blog (that I’m sorely neglectful of) but it does have links to my book and other relevant information. That reminds me that I should check to make sure I have contact info in there, as well.
[…] A suggestion from Chuck Sambuchino: […]
This was extremely helpful, but I seem to have a problem with creating a website. I’ve tried many designing websites with many different templates, but it seems I can’t find a particular one that could help me design my writing/contact platform style. Also, many of them require a fee, and it’s hard to come by a job to forward any money in today’s economy. So if you could recommend such a website, it would be quite helpful.
Also, when you are contacted by a publisher or interviewer, what kind of traditional questions will be asked? It would be nice to know in advance.
Lastly, what kind of information, aside from contact information and book information, what would you recommend to also add to the website? I am sure there is more to it than such simplistic terms.
thanks for the good tips! I’ve been trying to convince several clients and friends that their “old-school fears” are indeed irrational as long as they take a few simple precautions – it just isn’t enough today to be a good writer if you’re not connected more widely!
Thanks for the great blog. I also feel frustrated when I’ve written a review, would like to do a follow up interview and when I go to the writer’s website–no contact info of any kind. I guess some writers really don’t want to hear anything from their readers, ever… or, as you point out, any publicity. More than a bit counterproductive!
Great post! I have a lot of work ahead of me in this area, but I’m starting to see it’s not as daunting as I’ve let myself believe.
I was just reading about this in Carolyn Howard Johnson’s book “The Frugal Book Promoter”. She talks about getting your name ‘out there’, and you can’t unless you post it!
I’m always a bit worried about putting my info out there, but I think the benefits would far outweigh the risks. Thanks for the info!
I’ve tried to follow this. People can get in touch with me via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or LinkedIn, as well as through my website.
All very good information! and so true. I haven’t published yet, but I’m going to try pretty soon, and I’ve already got a very functional and busy book blog.
I was uncertain about starting my website, but I’m so glad I did. Not only do I have a way to “present” myself to interested parties, but I’ve also connected with so many other writers through my blog.
I read a conversation recently where someone was advising authors to not let out a whole lot of personal information, lest they attract the attentions of a stalker.
IDK, a nice, nonviolent stalker might do wonders for book sales;)
Great post! In the past I have tried to contact a writer of a novel or article, to applaud their work, only to not be able to find them!! Availability is so important! Great writing! Lisa McManus Lange
http://www.lisamcmanuslange.blogspot.com
While reading this post, I switched over to my blog to make sure that I had my contact information. So glad I did when I noticed that it wasn’t clear how to contact me. Now, my email address, twitter and Google+ information has been added.
Thanks for the advice!
Both of these books sound awesome! Love the humor. But also very much appreciate the helpful resource for us writers. Each would be wonderful to get. It’s always encouraging to read candid tips and information from people who have ‘been there, done that’ who are seeking to pass what they’ve learned along.
Aside from writing out the [at] and [dot] portions of the email, just get another email address if you’re so worried. Then either check it, or have it show up in program like Outback or Thunderbird. Or, if using Gmail or a service with similar capabilities, create a filter that will file everything with certain keywords into a specific folder you can check at your leisure. It’s really not that hard!
Chuck, this was a GREAT post and I am retweeting. I don’t understand why writers hide in cyberspace. Very frustrating! By the same token, there are many opera singers who don’t provide an email address. After checking a couple places, if they won’t tell me how I can find them, I give up, in which case an interview has gone to another singer. Some people lock their Tweets, too, which I don’t get.
Please–writers, artists! I know you all are special and have gentle spirits. But giving adequate contact info isn’t somehow selling out. Consider it a courtesy to other busy professionals.
Merry Christmas!
Nothing like hitting the nail on the head, Chuck. I’m the effort behind the blog https://debutauthors.wordpress.com. We write book for Pete’s sake. We want folks to buy them. That means folks will read our words. So, if we expose ourselves via a book to which we’ve attached our authorship, surely we realize it is only a brief step for a reader to search us on the net. We leave traces even when we don’t want to. Just ask Shannen Rossmiller, debut author of “The Unexpected Patriot. Tracing folks on the internet was much of her effort. I say, don’t be afraid, but don’t be stupid, either.
I agree. ALL websites should have contact information. So frustrating when you find a product or person or place you want to connect with. No contact info makes the whole point of a website useless.
I don’t understand why some writers don’t have websites. Especially if they have written several books. Ive been trying for two days to find a book,to purchase and decided to contact the author. To no avail!!! It is very frustrating because there is not even a website for the author. If you write books you should at least have a website to keep fans posted with updates and news
Great Tips!
As a person who interviews authors I haves hard time when I can’t find the authors contact information. It’s really annoying when I want to get in touch with them to see if they would be willing to let me interview them. I just pass over those authors. I think people really hurt themselves if they don’t bother making themselves accessible.
The advice given here is great. I try to stay as active online as I can, because you never know when you are going to stumble upon the right person. I try to make sure I read all of my emails, and check my spam to make sure nothing got send there for some odd reason.
Some writers are super responsive, like Jodi Picoult. She personally responded to the email I sent her.
Thank you for the great tips. I have a contact form on my website. It may not be the most popular option, but it slows the spam down. It also goes straight to my email inbox, which makes it easier for me to see and respond to it. I also include all of my social media sites, from Twitter, to Facebook, to Youtube. My goal is to be easy to contact, and I think I do a pretty good job of it.
I have found that several authors I love aren’t so easy to get ahold of. It’s frustrating when you want to share how much you love the book and have no way to do so.
Great tips! I ended up making a few e-mails that I was fine with posting in different places. (As a result, those e-mail addresses are also more descriptive.)
Sean Connery said it best, “Writers write so readers can read”. Once you’re established writer you have no more obligation make yourself available than a puppeteer has an obligation to present their true selves.
I do have a blog/website, where besides blogging, I also have an online portfolio of my work. I don’t list an email address, however; I just use a contact form. I’m also available on Twitter and Facebook (and LinkedIn)…
Hi Chuck,
Excellent advice for anyone who has a dream and has told the world. However, if you are going to put your dream out there you have to make sure the people who can make them come true can reach you.
We are in Thailand so cannot win the book, but if you want to interview us about the release of our latest book or our just completed first book proposal, I want to make it easy for you:
Email: wtalbot@marriedwithluggage.com
Website: https://www.marriedwithluggage.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marriedwithluggage
Twitter: warrentalbot
Next book website: https://www.whenfearblinks.com
I simply could not resist. Thank you for the encouragement and reminder.
The days of JD Salinger are over. Extraordinary circumstances aside (e.g. crazy ex-boyfriends, stalkers, etc.), there is no reason to make yourself inaccessible online, especially for up-and-coming authors. You want as many people as possible talking about your book. I also like your idea of at least having a single page website, but I’ll stick around longer if there is more material. Thanks for the post.
I’m definitely guilty of this! I just recently put a plug in on the blog that will email me. It really helps now to have my email on my iPhone because I can just sit and read when I’m doing little things like being deadlocked in traffic, etc.
Great insight and advice. Thanks, Chuck for this and all your other articles…
Thanks for the information! It baffles me that aspiring published authors would be unwilling to put themselves completely ‘out there.’ After putting in so much time and effort (and worry), I foresee myself checking email every 15 minutes, glancing at my phone to make sure it’s not on silent, and making sure every contact avenue is up and running.
I always thought I gave too much information (regular address, two e-mail addresses, two phone numbers, website, several social networking links, etc.), but after reading this, I know I’m doing the right thing. Thanks for validating my neurosis.
Hugs,
Lee
Thank you, Chuck! I honestly assumed I had this contact stuff all worked out until I realized that I didn’t–or at least not 100%. I’m hesitant to admit my ignorance, but I’ve so often seen email addresses with (at), (dot) and yet had no idea that it was all about deterring spam. Definitely a handy tidbit to go along with all the other excellent info you’ve provided here.
Funny, my son was Christmas shopping online last night and came across your book “How to survive a Garden Gnome Attack.” He thought it would make the perfect gift for his older sister who has a rather bizarre fear of Gnomes. (We make our best efforts to appear sympathetic, but seriously–a fear of Gnomes????!!) So cool to come across your post here at WU :-)
Honestly, I check my email frequently throughout the day (waiting on those query responses!) and most of my social media pages are public. For a breakout novelist, would that be enough?
Thanks for the article. It was very informative. I would love to win the Guide to Agents!
Great article! In an age where information is everywhere and people can be reached in so many different ways, why do creative types continue to suffer in silence, hoping to be discovered? Why is that isolation and angst considered noble? Why must we all suffer for our art? Ick. If no one knows who you are or where to reach you, your manuscripts become liners for birdcages. Thanks! E.F.
Great post, Chuck! However, I do have a contact form on my site rather than an e-mail address. I find that the problem isn’t spam (Gmail does a good job at filtering that) but having to reply to the same sort of requests for advice and free info over and over again, plus getting so many bulk-mail press releases about books and apps that the “real” mail gets lost.
I reached the point where I realized if I took the time to reply to each one, I’d be spending all my time answering email and none doing paid work. :-\
It’s true that I may be missing out on opportunities because people are turned off by the contact form but for me, it’s a worthwhile tradeoff.
I have a blog, but it never occured to me whether my email was available on my site. Going to check now!
Thanks for the tips.
Great article! One of my pet peeves about websites in general is when they don’t have contact info readily accessible. What’s the point of having a website if people can’t figure out how to reach you?! Thanks for the excellent post and Happy Holidays!
When I start working with a business on its web content — first thing I look for is “About” and contact information. It’s surprisingly how many businesses (not just a writer problem!) make it hard to find contact information. It sends a subtle (intended or not) message that they don’t want to help and they’re also losing on sales.
This great advice. I would love to read more of it.
When I started writing — and learning about publishing — the whole “networking” idea scared me silly. Not so much anymore. I love twitter, and my blog (where I have my email!), and commenting on other blogs as a way to make real connections with people who love books and relish words. Thanks for pointing out the many practical advantages too.
I wanted to buy a carved garden gnome once but my husband said “garden gnomes look evil” and wouldn’t let me buy it. I;d like to win the garden gnome and give it to him as a gift!
By the way, love your advice.
Just added it to my blog. If you’d have asked me before I looked, I would’ve sworn it was already there. Go figure. Thanks for the advice!
Sometimes we need to be reminded of the basics. This post made me see the value of creating a simple website. I frequently google companies, products, and authors, so why not consider that most people do as well? No-cost advertising is the best!
It amazes me that writers don’t make themselves available in every way possible. I thought that was promotion 101, but that might just be my PR background talking. Loved your tip on how to list your email to avoid spam. I’m going to go change how mine’s listed right now!
Hi Chuck
I’m just finishing my first novel – mystery/thriller – and own a website on GoDaddy I set up a couple of years ago for a business purpose and I plan to rework it. I’m not that adept at social networking etc. but is it difficult to tie all those sources into one website? Seems to me a new author would do whatever he/she could to get as much exposure as possible especially if E-publishing the book.
I find it incredible how many responses or websites of companies and services don’t include easy contact info. They do have great phone barriers though.
In any event, I’m looking forward to getting it published and look forward to gleaning as much more great advice you can give as I proceed. Cheers, Randy
I am a literary agent, but I am also an author and editor and a former publisher. One of the things I do is I purchase an email service through my domain provider and give each author their own unique @jamesliteraryservices.com email address.
I also make sure that their websites, emails, Facebook fan pages, LinkedIn accounts, Twitter streams, and Google+ accounts are linked from my home page.
But it is not just hard for you to get a hold of some authors. I have an author in his 70s who I cannot get a hold of at all. He seems to rarely read his email and doesn’t ever answer his phone!
Thanks for the tips! Good to know a wordpress will do just fine because that’s what I’ve got.
As I am just starting to build my platform, this was really helpful advice. Thanks!
Good point, Mr. Sambuchino. Sure there are some concerns about having identity out there, but with the free email sites, twitter, and other modes of connection available, the risks can be reduced.
Good points all around. What do you think about a phone number? I’ve been leery to get my own “Writing contact” phone number, preferring to do it via email/twitter/FB page, pub company. Besides, $$ and all, how many times will I need it at the beginning?
Being a freelance writer and translator, I completely agree with your post. Your website is also your business card in this day and age. It would be ridiculous not to put your contact info on your business card…
Thanks for the great post and happy holidays!
I’m not querying agents yet, but I try to make my contact information widely available, even now. I have a website, which I’m working on updating. If anyone can give me some advice on how to make my website look the same on IE as it does on FF,I’d appreciate it. I also have twitter, and Facebook and I check my email every day. I don’t have any problems with this, especially with the help of Trillian.
Thanks for the great article though. I hadn’t considered posting my email that way.
Nice article loaded with a vat of helpful information…but I’m still baffled as to why the contact form isn’t suitable or preferred as a method of making oneself readily available as a writer. I’ve even added an endearing picture of an eggshell my brood scrawled upon to remind visitors that contacting me was “…an egg-cellent idea,” in hopes that doing so might make my form seem more personalized and perhaps inviting.
Of course, I do this because I abhor spam and WordPress does a terrific job of eradicating such a loathsome beast. ;-D
If you have the time and inclination, please do let me know your thoughts on this…
thanks so much for the advice…bummer time of year for me…sure could use the humor and safety tips against garden gnomes ;D
Good article. I have my email available some places, not in others. I’ve been told that many people model their product using the scarcity principle, though with the internet, ubiquity (making it available everywhere) is usually more valuable. This just reinforces that idea. I appreciate the tips.
On the same note, it is a red flag for me when a potential agent is not competently plugged in.
Good advice! No one wants a missed opportunity because of a missed communication opportunity. I think another option people forget about is that you can create a new email specifically for the website, for your “out there” communication so people won’t necessarily have your personal details. (Sorry if someone else already mentioned that, I didn’t get to read everything.)
I’ve been more open about letting my email float around the internet (or at least ONE of my emails), especially since I’m still “small-time”. But there’s one author out there who had to remove her email from her website because she was getting too many negative emails (perhaps her blog is a bit polarizing). ::shudder:: Scary.
Thank you for the giveaway!
This article really makes me want to create a simple one page site with summaries of some of my work and easy-to-find contact information…hmm, definitely something to think about!
For me, being easy to contact has been at least partially (and in some cases, fully) responsible for geting an unexpected article assignment, receiving lovely notes from readers, rekindling friendships with writers I’d lost touch with, receiving requests to teach a workshop, being invited to contribute to an essay collection, and other good things.
I used to think the “important” communications would always come via email, but now I see that they arrive so many ways — Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, contact form, blog, etc.
Good advice. I’m thinking that linking the page you described to a facebook account, or at least a facebook fan page would be wise.
It’s not just writers. It makes me crazy to not be able to easily find an artist’s contact information so that I can feature his/her work in a magazine. Sometimes the only way to contact artists is through their Etsy shops, which requires that I create an Etsy account and use their communication system. I don’t like web forms either; as a writer/editor, I want to keep track of who I contacted and when. An email address lets me do that easily!
Thank you for a great post on one of my personal pet peeves!
Dead on, Chuck – being accessible is completely necessary as a freelancer of any stripe. I had my identity stolen before ever having an online business. Since I took the plunge and became accessible online, the only down side has been spam.
Nothing, I repeat nothing has happened as a consequence of being a freelance artist who is easy to contact. Except for jobs!
I’ve had this pet peeve for years myself, so it’s good to see a professional with the same problem. I’ve always begged writers & authors & anyone with a product in the public arena, to include contact info for both online & offline communications. For similar reasons as mentioned here, no one can afford to be unreachable. I was disabled & homebound for 10 years, offline, and wanted to contact writers & authors, but many could only be contacted through a publisher, who then forwarded their mail, could be 6-12 months later, if they ever received anything at all. Some replied with their direct contact info, others I never heard from. Just recently a writer contacted ME, wanting me to do a review of her books, after liking my Amazon.com reviews, so it’s a good thing I had the contact option there enabled! Mostly fearing either spam or fan overload, is the reason for withholding such info, and as you so obviously stated, there’s ways around most of these issues; even in the case of fearing an attack or stalker, one could use PO boxes in a nearby town, or a remailer service such as mailboxes etc., even anonymous online forwarding services exist for this purpose and are free & easy to use. No one has to know where you are exactly, in order to be able to contact you legitimately, so I agree completely that there’s no reason to be unavailable in one’s work is in public arena. Thanks for such a concise & logical article.
Thank you! Most helpful.
Thanks for the tips! Working out contact stuff is really important to me right now, since I’m just getting started AGAIN. (Took a few years off because of my daughter’s chronic illness, and both the speaking and writing industry has changed in the interim.)
Great thoughts, thank you! Don’t know if this will help the spam-phobes or not but I established an e-mail account just for the writing business. That keeps things sorted out in my mind. Got one for personal stuff, one for shopping, and one for business. Check them regularly!!!!
Thanks so much for the great info! My goal for the holiday break is, per you advice, create my online profile & start on at least a basic web page. I’m in the revision phase of my first completed manuscript. Your articles & advice have beeen invaluable along the way.
Thank you for insight and positive reminders to be proactive in considering the needs of journalists interested enough in the writer’s latest work to go searching for them. By Googling your name every 4-6 weeks, you can see what sites are coming up in your Top 10 hits. Installing Google analytics on your web site is another means of collecting data on who spends time on your site, which page(s) and for how long. It’s more fun to write than to analyze data, but if your goal is to be published often, again as Chuck says, you must make it easy to be found. More artists, writers and photographers are glued to their computers on weekends and tend to respond quickly when you reach out to them with respect and brevity.
As social media change our world, we can’t afford to be entirely private. I have a crazy ex-boyfriend, so I don’t say where I live on Facebook, but I’m putting myself out there, as my “serious” writer friends are. Thanks for this article, and Happy New Year!
Excellent advice! 2011 is not 1971! :-)
Chuck,
Thanks you for the wonderful advice in your well written article. I accidentally found you on twitter while looking around on it. I am so glad now that I have!
Have a Happy and Successful New Year!
~Wren
Hi Chuck,
I am an experienced, award winning principal writing my first book on school change. I find your advice very valuable and practical. I only wonder why a serious writer would overlook something so important. As creative people we must remember that writing is a business and two crucial aspects of any business is marketing and promotion. Incidentally, you can’t achieve either without access. Thanks for the gift.