With the number of online platforms available and free software now, self-publishing has become much more easier and more accessible. Having an audience to view or share your work with is a different story entirely. Here are some of the things I wished I did before publishing my work online.
Studied SEO and built a website first.
You might think otherwise, but SEO and websites are still important. Sure there are platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc... where you can have your work published, but there are a lot of reasons why these things still matter:
1. You own your content. In the event that some of these websites go down, (maybe unlikely, but it can still happen,) you will still have your content online. There should always be a base of operations. You can use these platforms to get your work discovered, but a website builds a stronger online presence. Plus we all know what is going on in these platforms politically. Having your own website can also serve as a great press kit if you are serious about reaching out to people. It will make your work look more professional, and it is also a great way to tell your story by writing blogs. An active blog raises your chances to get found on Google which brings us to the next topic...
2. Google is still the king when it comes to SEO. Google is still the primary search engine when it comes to research. Everything else is just a close second. So when someone wants to know about "Mumble Rap Folk Trap Punk Sadcore Music" the majority of people will always enter that query on Google first.
3. People still look for a place where they can find out more info about your work. Even with the existence of social media, people will always try to find other places or platforms where they can have a deeper understanding of what you do. You also raise the potential of people seeing your work and showing them how serious you are.
Planned and organized my thoughts and ideas
I should have at least kept a journal and a list of all the things I wanted to accomplish. Seeing things in a list makes it easier to decide what to do first and how feasible things are. Plus seeing that list slowly getting crossed out would make it feel that you might be going somewhere.
Didn't get overly excited and published willy-nilly.
I wished I had more patience and executed properly. But different circumstances sometimes cloud our better judgment. I just wished I had built upon a bigger library of work before getting things out there. There are times when I feel like I am still scrambling to catch up on what I want things done.
Joined an online community first, even if I didn't have anything published yet.
The internet is a wonderful place. Online communities will help you understand what the lay of the land is. Plus it's also a great way to make friends who can potentially be your audience. Not every community is welcoming though, but as soon you find the right people, at least you know where to hype up your upcoming work.
Told my friends and my family
At least you should let them know what your goals and intentions are. The thing is, I know they can be horrible at times, but they are actually the first ones who will provide you support and appreciation once things are out there. Some of them would rib you but a lot of them will actually cheer for you and encourage you to push on and continue whatever it is that you want to do, even if they don't understand what you are doing. Just maybe give them a snippet of what you are working on, at least the first 20 of them would give you a time of their day.
Well, those are just some of the little things I wish I did before getting my work out there. Feel free to comment below what you wish you did!
Another Day,
Slackerman
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