It really depends on what your goals are.
If you’re planning any kind of freelance career, then it’s essential. And the same applies to journalism. A blog is a must for people doing our non-fiction writing courses
But you can limit your web presence to the basics – for instance, you could just have a blog and maybe a Twitter feed and Facebook page. And you can be very selective about what you put on it … you don’t have to disclose anything personal if you don’t want to.
For would-be writers and journalists, a career blog is their online ‘cuttings file’ – a showcase, containing some background information about you. You use it to showcase your work, and you can also write articles on just about anything.
This is a brilliant example of a career blog that sports journalism course student, Bernard Chyzy, has recently set up: Bernard Chyzy – Freelance sports Journalism. It was created by our partner organisation, Digital Creative Hub
If you’re worried about privacy, there’s no need to submit the blog to Google, so there’s little chance of anyone finding it by chance. Then, you just give the url to people like commissioning editors etc so they can see your work.
Some people write under a pen name. I’ve a friend who has several! But think it through carefully. A pen name can cause problems with things like email addresses, invoicing etc when you’re trying to get work published.
We advise everyone on our non-fiction writing course to have a private blog to begin with. You can always adapt it as your career develops.
See our online courses