This is the twelfth and final installment in a series of articles exploring on-line sources and search strategies for writers. This month, part two, of the writer’s guide to effective self-promotion through on-line marketing is featured.

Newsgroups

Newsgroups are internet-based discussion groups. With over 100,000 subject-specific topics, Newsgroups can be valuable venues in which to exchange ideas, as well as promote your writing career. Writers can build their reputation by active participation in discussions or offering support to other members by answering questions or sharing research resources within their specific area of expertise.

Newsgroup discussions are archived so you can sort through the information at your convenience. Many writers find participation in, or the monitoring of, newsgroups, more helpful than the transient, interactive nature of chat rooms. Newsgroups can be terrific resources for both research materials and tracking market trends. Even as ‘Lurker’, someone, who follows the dialog, but does not contribute, newsgroups are an invaluable research tool for developing realistic background and accurate vocabulary for your characters. Do you want to know how a paramedic or fire fighter really reacts to the constant parade of trauma in their workday? There are over 10,000 professional and special interest newsgroups that chronicle these and other professions.

Successful self-promotion within a newsgroup is based on reciprocal relationships. Your derived benefit is in direct relationship to what you contribute to the other members. However, as you build these on-line relationships with other members of the newsgroups it is important to remember that the newsgroup message board is a '‘public place'’ and what ever you post is accessible by thousands of people. For your own security it is advisable never to post your personal address and phone number within a message.

http://www.fairnet.org/fnvol/training/newsgrp.html   Creating Newsgroups - Everything you need to create your own newsgroup.

http://www.engl.uvic.ca/OnlineGuide/News/newGroupsWel.html - NIC Master List – a description of newsgroups.

http://www.deja.com – At Deja.com you can find discussion groups on any topic imaginable.

Signature Files

A signature file (sig.file) is the electronic equivalent of handing out a business card with each e-mail transmission. It is an especially effective promotional tool when attached to messages sent to newsgroups and mail lists. Sig.files, when used appropriately, are very successful in attracting traffic to your web site or making recipients aware of your new release or project. Your sig.file should provide basic contact information. E-mail address and URL (Uniform Resource Locator or simply stated your web site address). Unless you maintain a business address and phone number, I usually caution writers against including their personal contact information due to the very public nature Internet communications. After the basic ‘how-to-get-in-touch’ information, writers often include the name of their latest book or up-coming project with a release date. When designed properly, read compliant with ‘Netiquette’, sig.files are an accepted form of on-line self-promotion. Both Netscape and Internet Explorer have detail directions available to help you set up a sig.file as part of your e-mail signature.

Web Rings

Web rings, an increasing popular Internet tool, provide content specific navigation links for web-site visitors. Web ring members connect topic-specific sites together enabling surfers to research the linked sites efficiently. As the overall content of the World Wide Web has grown, users have become dissatisfied with traditional search engine’s ability to produce relevant Key-word results. Web rings are providing a viable alternative to the on-line researcher.

http://www.webring.org – Web Ring the shape of things to come. The why-to, how-to of web rings made easy.

http://www.looplink.com – LoopLink – States it will show you how to increase traffic to your web site.

http://www.ringsurf.com – Ring surf is a free service that lets users navegate web sites by area of interest.

 Save yourself some typing. These, as well as other sources not listed here are located on my web site: http://www.pleiadespublishing.com/research/Paranorma.html

Sandra Chevalier-Batik is senior researcher and technical writer for Pleiades Publishing Services. She develops content and information design for web sites and corporate communications.