Professionalism in Writing: A Guest Post by Lynley Wayne

The Novel Approach is pleased to have Lynley Wayne with us today to offer some great common sense tips for authors, whether you’re an established author or just beginning your writing career.

Writing, unlike other professions, has a lot of flexibility. We can write anywhere. Whether it’s down the road at our favorite coffee shop. Sitting in the bleachers of our child’s game. Curled up on the couch in our pajamas. In our cars while on a lunch break from the day job. Standing in line at the post office.

You get the idea.

And while it’s nice, it also makes it easier for some to forget that at the end of the day writing is still a profession. As such, there needs to be a certain level of professionalism. How you present yourself online, and in public, is important.

Let’s start with something simple, the author’s name. Oftentimes the name is the first impression a reader has of you. It doesn’t matter if you use a pen name or your real name. Your name says a lot about you. People form opinions based on a name. If you chose to write under a pen name (as I do), then make sure it’s a name you will still be comfortable using ten years from now. Make sure you will have no problem answering to it in public, and I don’t just mean at writing conventions. If someone hollers it in the middle of a crowded mall, would you smile and wave, or would you duck and hide?

Another thing to think of is website domains, blog titles, and/or email addresses. For all of these it should be the author name. If you write under the name of Janie Doe, then your domain name should be http://www.JanieDoe.com or .net or .org. Your email address should be JanieDoe@email.com. If you can’t get your name @ email.com, then try authorJanieDoe@email.com or JanieDoe.author@email.com. Even better would be Janie@janiedoe.com. Not only is it more professional, but it is also easier for readers to remember. Let’s not forget editors, publishers, agents, and bloggers.

Nowadays it seems like everyone is online. Social media allows us to connect with people like never before. The down side? It allows people to connect like never before. Meaning, we have a greater chance to say the wrong thing. We have to be more careful of what we say and how we say it, because once it goes into cyberspace there is no getting it back, it’s out there forever.

Think of it this way. Every interaction, whether it be in person, on social media, or through email, is a job interview. Always put your best self forward.

About the Author: Lynley Wayne is the pen name of a thirty-something female living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. When not writing, she can usually be found reading and thinking up creative ways to avoid housework. She is married to a very understanding man who doesn’t complain when she spends hours in front of the computer, or talks for hours about whatever story she’s working on, or asks random off the wall questions. He also keeps her fed on those occasions when her muse has taken over and she loses days at a time. Yeah, basically he’s vying for sainthood.

Lynley strongly believes everyone is entitled to their own version of happiness, no matter how it may differ from the norm. She writes characters she wants to read and hopes others like reading about them as much as she enjoyed writing them.

It is her hope that one day society will be able to look past the labels and see the person behind them. That they will realize we are all the same. Until that time comes, she will continue telling stories of a love others may believe is wrong, but she thinks is nothing short of beautiful.

You can find Lynley online at: www.lynleywayne.com, www.twitter.com/@LynleyWayne, www.facebook.com/lynley.wayne.1, & www.facebook.com/LynleyWayne