• All aspiring writers, whether they write fiction, non-fiction, poetry or plays, need to look beyond the flashy aspects of the Internet. Buried beneath the surface of the graphics and pretty text is the mother lode of information that a writer can use for research and for insight into a host of subjects. All writers should learn how to navigate the Internet through their favourite search engine, and I heartily recommend they learn more than one of these. The faster and more comprehensive the search, the better the writing that can come of all this knowledge. In the old days, we went to the library. Now the library can come to us.

• Allow yourself *plenty* of time to explore gently and think about what you're doing, what routes you would like to pursue and which ignore. Also, be very open to change plans, to turn your perceptions upside down as you gather more evidence and see what is out there, what can be done and what is difficult to do. Accept no one else's view or manifesto of what it is you should be doing or how it should be done. What do they know about your writing? If you trust them to tell you the 'best way' then why not let them write it for you? Listen to their advice, learn, and then decide for yourself.

• Be professional and develop a wide network of others for research, writing and educating yourself in a wide range of subject matter.

• Be very certain what kinds of rights you are negotiating when you agree to have your work published on the web. Be aggressive about protecting all rights you do not assign. Infringement is probably the biggest problem with web publishing. Writers can only blame electronic publishers for so long -- in the end, the most savvy writers will prevail on the web and maximize their earning potential. I say, learn the ropes, be up on litigation, and be aggressive about your rights.

• Collaborative writing groups are able to produce a lot of material very quickly, we've also developed our own group shorthand and performance language(s). However, in collaborative situations, and especially where one or more members needs to publish for academia or credit etc. it is important to clarify to some degree authorship and ownership.

• Do lots of surfing and reading of what's out there, and trAce is a good place to start - though there are lots of other good places for writers too. Take part and respond - join discussion groups and forums and give feedback, you'll get a lot more from your online interactions that way.

• Don’t wait until you think you know what you're doing. You'll never take the plunge. The best way to learn is to do, to teach what you do to others, and to collaborate.

• Don't be put off by Luddite responses

• Edit yourself: think radio not print.

• Get a high-speed connection, be sure to proof your own work twice, back up your data, and be sure you provide links for what you have online on your own website or any resume/promotional material you have.

• Get a web site, simple but professional looking. You'll save heaps of time communicating: this is your CV and PR, provided you keep updating it and adding to it.

• Give your writing away for free, if you are not living from royalties of exclusive publishing contracts. I recommend using a copyleft like the "Open Publication License" or the "GNU Free Documentation License”. Making writing freely available on mailing lists and my web site greatly increases its circulation and popularity and, for me personally, has had nothing but positive effects.

• Go for it but remember that writing for the net is different to writing for print. Your work must be just as good in terms of quality, but you must write more visual and concise. People tend to skim read when on the net and want to pick out relevant facts quickly and easily.

• Go for it! Use the web as a resource to gather and display, and most of all enjoy it. Take your time and use it as an opportunity to forge links and build up a profile. Working as a writer can be a lonely business. The web allows you to meet other writers and share your thoughts, views and frustrations.

• I cannot stress enough the importance of researching on the net. Even if you can't find your topic using key words, there is always someone out there who will kindly respond to your questions over the email system. I have had lots of information in this way from all over the world.

• I consider my Internet access an integral part of the tools I use to write. Although I write primarily fiction and poetry, nearly every new project results in a degree of research that is most easily and efficiently conducted on the Internet. Despite the fact that my longer works typically require a great deal of text research, my initial inquiries are made online and the list of resources comprised of titles gleaned from Internet sites. I have no doubt that, given the kind of research I do, working online saves me a great deal of time and energy.

• I hope that all the writers working online will come to understand that their electronic work is shaping a brand new language of literature. As such, we are all engaged in a powerful process for innovation and change.

• It's important for writers to be connected to a writing community, and the net conquers geographical or cultural isolation.

• Keep an email address just for displaying in public, but make sure it's not your usual email address. You'll receive heaps of spam once your email address is shown online. Get a virus detector and keep it up to date.

• Keep your web site current.

• Learn basic HTML or Dreamweaver and web authoring: having an online presence is now an essential aspect of being 'visible' as a writer, and it can be expensive to employ someone else to create the site for you. The DIY approach also means that you have complete control over the content, frequency of updates, etc.

• Learn to program. Learn to read. Learn to write. Learn to see. Learn to hear. Learn to listen. File>Move to Folder>Drafts. Be prepared to learn for the rest of your life. Don't get nostalgic.

• Learn to refine criteria when using a search engine. Investigate numerous sites in order to find those you initially feel comfortable with. Bookmark them. Use chat rooms and discussion groups to learn the conventions.

• Lurk for a while before you post. It really helps to learn the culture of a particular message board before one participates actively.

• Make sure you understand publishing rights and be wary of online publishers. You may want to check to make sure they are legitimate.

• Make use of all the interactive, kinetic, programming or aesthetic resources that the digital medium affords you.

• My advice to writers now entering the world of new media is to discover the practical, intellectual, and creative advantages of really exploring new media as its own form, rather than as a quicker, more flexible, more collaborative canvas on which to write. In particular, I recommend that writers acquire at least an elementary understanding of the open-standard protocols that will be critical in supporting the creation and circulation of writing in the future. This includes not just HTML but such more powerful and well-formed mark-up systems as TEI and XML. Publishing one's own work or the work of others is the single most powerful aspect of the new technologies for writers – far and away more powerful than quicker or smarter ways of editing a text. And learning something about the philosophy and practice of mark-up languages (leaving the practice, usually, to word-processor software and other applications that will automatically convert to HTML, XML, etc.) is crucial to learning how to control that self/other-publishing process. In the near future, the excellence of a text will depend not just on its standalone excellence but the intelligence and gracefulness with which it is designed to circulate among, and within, the works of others (through manual or automated means of searching, indexing, sampling, quotation, citation, etc.). I see no reason why authors should not have at least some hand in the design of that "network effect".

• My writing has mainly been restricted to email and my own website rather than contributing to open-sites, and I do think that copyright can be a problem as it seems that some people assume that as it's on the web it's free and can be used as they like, but I'd rather take the risk and post my work on my website, and be a part of the community of writers out there sharing their work, than not do so. It does seem that the web is one of the most exciting mediums for writers, and it'd be a shame to miss out on it.

• Organise your bookmarks/favourites well so you can find those valuable web pages again. Search for it/save it/organise it.

• Planning the project or site is very important. It is so easy to get bogged down in the technical details, good planning is essential to maintain direction.

• Read as much online work as you can access, make sure you have a good understanding of usability.

• Resist the temptation to take the media to its limits. Concentrate on carefully chosen and well-edited text and image. Remember those still using older, slower machines.

• Take a subsidised training course, e.g., in business, website design or production training.

• The Internet really has, I believe, changed the status quo of publishing. It is possible to publish yourself at very little cost, as well as opening up vast areas in which to experiment and explore. For me personally, the Internet makes my life as a writer seem that little bit less isolating and restrictive.

• There are excellent publishers online, and very good literature. Finding workshops is no problem, and it's fascinating to see how many writers love to connect with each other and share their stories, help each other, and encourage each other. It is a vast community out there, and one that is easy to become lost in. A few places to start: Critters Critique for Science Fiction. Zoetrope studios for the literary-minded. TrAce online writing centre - of course! There are Yahoo groups dedicated to different genres, from sci-fi to mystery to romance.

• There is no such thing as 'writing' online... the verb is inadequate... as the medium requires other skills in addition to text production such as a bit of scripting, graphical awareness, a sense of the changes in the society in which the technology is embedded... so be prepared to learn new things and challenge your preconceived notions of your art.

• Try to solve technical problems before asking others. You'll discover that you are much more capable and knowledgeable than you imagined, and every problem attacked means an increase in your skill level even if you need help to solve it in the end. Open yourself to all possibilities and impossibilities. Be proactive and experiment daily. Make sure you have plenty of time to learn and interact.

• Working online, I believe, is truly fulfilling. At your fingertips is a world of literary wealth just waiting to be unearthed. It is especially invaluable if you happen to be a freelance writer with a family to take care of, and operating from home. I know there is a debate raging about ‘writing for pay’ but I feel that if you get to practice your writing on a website (acceptance with no pay) you are still the winner – you get a by-line and a free bio, and a link to your homepage. Not only does your writing world open up, your opportunities to publish multiply.

Last edited: 6 February 2003