LINKING ON UP! Part Two of WEBSITES AND LINKS

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief, Southern Writers Magazine

The questions we are asked a lot–– what if I am new, no one knows me, how can I get links?

Well truth is people do know you. The baker, the butcher and the candlestick maker! Yes, we mean it––but with that said…be selective. There are people who know you, your friends, your family, and there may be people you do business with but only include those that relate to your writing.

You can simply ask these people to go to your site, and if they have a site, to link to yours and you can link to theirs. These people know you. Tell them this will help you. In all seriousness, as an author, I would not put my plumber’s link on my website, since it has nothing to do with my writing. It is much better to go to the websites of people who write and link to them, then once you’ve told them you linked to them, ask them if they would check out you site and link to you.

If you are new, you have to promote your site. This should keep you on your toes to create great content, things people will find interesting and unique. Doing this means you send emails, put it on Social Medias, visit other blogs, anywhere and everywhere to start the ball rolling. Believe me it does get easier.

The thing is, know your purpose in this. You want people to come to know you as a writer–perhaps a published author. So start visiting those sites, and start creating relationships with them. Link to them; ask them to link to you. You build a relationship one-step at a time, and you build your reputation one-step at a time, do it wisely. Remember you are looking for a new audience and they are looking for a new audience. Help each other find these things. Motivational guru, Zig Ziglar once said, “Help enough other people get what they want and you will receive what you want." 

Authors can help each other build their reader base, who better to help than someone who knows what you go through from writing to marketing and selling?

One of the best places to increase your links is a writer conference. Meet and mingle, exchange cards, hook up.

I always find it interesting to get emails from writers asking me to like their page especially when they haven’t bothered to like mine. That’s like asking someone, “Click this box and tell the world you like me, but I won’t do that for you.” Really? What happened to “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you?”

Be courteous, caring and compassionate and you will build a nice following.