The definitive answer: it depends.
If you already have a few textbook supplements or ancillaries under your belt, you can create a basic site that showcases your education, background, skills, and publications. Then you can easily direct editors to your site so they can see your qualifications and experience.
I have my c.v. with my 200+ textbook supplements and ancillaries here, primarily to showcase my experience and convince people to buy my e-book Writing College Textbook Supplements: The Definitive Guide to Winning High-Paying Assignments in the College Textbook Publishing Market, but I’ve also used it to help me land several new projects over the last few months.
One of those projects, an interesting and well-paying one, is for a non-profit organization that found my website through a search engine and contacted me. I’ve also had one other project from an editor finding me, and a potential project fell through when we couldn’t agree on a suitable fee.
However, if you are just starting out, a website may not be worth the trouble it takes to create and maintain.
Here are a few suggestions if you do create your own website:
- Get your own domain, preferably one that is easy for people to remember.
- Learn about search engine optimization so you increase the chances that editors looking for freelance writers will find you.
- Make your site look professional. This includes having high-quality writing — proofread carefully.
- Consider using Wordpress blogging software to create your site. You don’t have to actually do a blog.
- Submit your site to the major search engines.
- Get links to your site from high-quality sites.
- Put your site in your e-mail signature file with a hotlink and a brief description of what you do.
Are you a freelance writer with a website? Tell us about it, and put the link to your site in your answer.
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