Do Freelance Writers Need A Website

Any one who is serious about their writing should have a personal website. Some people think that because they write poetry or short stories that they don’t need one. This is not true. Regardless of what you write, you are still a writer, and ALL writers need a website. A website is a freelance writer's portfolio, or more accurately, their resume. This is where you can showcase your work, your awards, and your success. A writer’s website also acts as their home base. You may write for numerous companies online or offline, but your website is a place that anyone can find you.

Now that you know you need a website, how do you go about getting one? There are many sites out there that work just fine but I would recommend checking out Weebly.com. I researched many other companies, and even tried some out, but this one was by far the easiest to use. I’m a writer not a computer genius so some of the other sites were a bit much for me to comprehend. What’s even better with Weebly.com is the fact that it’s free! This allows you to check it out and see how you feel about their services before you decide whether or not you want to upgrade. If you decide not to upgrade, you still have an amazing site for free!

You may be wondering what should be included in your website. I had the same questions when I started out and I was fortunate enough to have a few great people who took it upon themselves to help me, now I’m returning the favor by helping you.

You should have at least 7 pages on your site. These are your welcome page, your blog, an about you page, a page describing the services you offer, a contact page, writing samples, and testimonials. Below, I will describe each page in detail.

This is the first page your readers will see. It should display your name, and what you do. In this case you would want to list yourself as a freelance writer. A high quality photo of yourself should be somewhere on this page, this introduces you to the reader. Add any widgets you want to use on this page, and write a brief description of what can be found on your site. Also think about adding a quick message about yourself and thanking people for visiting your site.

It's a good idea to add a blog to your website, this way you won’t have a website somewhere and your blog somewhere else. This makes everything easier to find because it’s in one place, and it’s also easier for you to promote. Your blog gives you the opportunity to speak about whatever you are thinking or new projects you're working on. A blog allows readers to interact with you and get to know you. This is also a great place to add links to your works on other sites.

This is the page where you really want to brag about yourself. Explain your background, how long you have been writing, places you have been published, and any awards you have received. Your about you page should also include a professional looking photograph of yourself. You can also share links to all your social media sites here so that your readers can keep in touch with you.

OK, here is where you need to list what type of work you do. Examples can include : poetry, short stories, content writing, web articles, etc. You can also just make a list of areas that you have been published in. This would include beauty / fashion , health, sports, etc.

Some people don’t, but it’s a good idea to list some basic rates. You can look these up online to see what others are charging, but if you are just starting out I would recommend charging what you are comfortable with. Remember to add a statement saying these are just basic rates and they are subject to change due to word count, genre, or other circumstances.

This is by far the easiest page to do. You just add a contact form to your page and you’re done. This will allow clients who want to hire you to reach you, or readers with questions / comments to contact you.

On this page you need to display some of your best work. This gives clients an idea of what you can do for them. If you are a general writer, then you need to add samples for various genres of writing. If you have a certain niche, such as sports, go ahead and add a few of your best sports articles. Paste about a paragraph (or two) to your page then add a link that they can follow if they want to continue reading.

This is extremely important if you have clients that will write them for you. Even if you have done guest blogging on another’s site, have them write a few words for you to post on this page. If you don’t have any testimonials right now that’s OK, but work on getting some. I am ashamed to say that I have not added my testimonials yet, even though I know how important they are, so I will be adding them in as soon as I get a free moment.

This article is intended for newer freelance writers, to give them a head start. The world of freelance writing is very competitive and requires a lot of hard work to succeed. Sometimes it can be overwhelming so I really hope this article helps some of you out. If you need any advice please feel free to contact me.