I volunteer for a couple of writing groups. As part of my duties, I email writers, and other professionals on a regular basis.

One thing I’ve noticed lately is the high number of people who use strange names for their email accounts.

As a writer, you should be branding your name wherever possible. Names like elfprincess, edit845, or yrgm33 won’t help you gain name recognition, or even help people associate your name with your email account.

If you are serious about your writing, you should take steps to be viewed as a professional when using email.

• Use your name or your pseudonym if you possibly can.
• Don’t use your family’s email account for business.
• Don’t send professional email using your husband’s name on the account.

Be professional with your social networking. Allow your personality to come through in your writing, but don’t share anything that you wouldn’t want published in a national magazine.

Also, no one cares what you are having for lunch, unless you write cookbooks and are teasing folks with your newest, greatest recipe.

Editors, agents, critics, and your readers are active on the social networking sites. You never know who may read your next post.

It’s become common for editors, agents, employers, and other business contacts  to “Google” the name of people before entering into a business relationship.

• Make sure you aren’t writing anything online that will reflect badly on you.
• Protect your online presence by setting up a Google alert on your name to see what others are saying about you.
• “Google” yourself regularly to find out if your entries project a professional online presence.
• Check your pseudonym(s) as well.

Act as professionally on the Internet as you do in face-to-face meetings with your business contacts and your readers.

Here are some examples of folks who didn’t project a professional online presence.  Have a laugh, but don’t let this be you.

http://www.resumebear.com/blog/index.php/2009/04/10/30-ways-to-loose-a-job-on-twitter/

Write on,

Lynn Jordan