Implications of Creating a Writer Project Focused Website

I can't see why it would be a disadvantage to be a writer. It's even a useful skill in many jobs.

You might want to take care not to cross the PG line on posts. And I rarely talk about anything political, unless it's so obvious that anyone who disagrees, I don't honestly care what they think of me. I posted something about how Bree Newsome shouldn't have been arrested for climbing that flagpole to remove the Confederate flag, and that black churches--in fact any churches--shouldn't be burning to the ground. But I stay mum about political candidates and such.

Mostly, mine is about stories. I also do author interviews, book reviews, that sort of thing.

I can't see an employer being upset that you write in your spare time. It's a harmless enough passion.

It depends what you write. Is it the stuff an employer would brag about having you on the payroll, or will it bring disrepute.

Tread carefully is my default advice.

Don't make comments like, "If I can get this writing gig going, I can tell my boss to sod off."

I agree with CathleenT. It's really about what kind of content you put on your blog. I don't know if employers will read it, but there's a distinct possibility that they will see it and if it's not all PG, the reactions depend on the kind of person you're dealing with. So one one hand, yes. Everything you post on the internet reflects on you. On the other hand, if you eventually publish under your own name (which presumably you plan to do, or your project website would be set up under a pen name) people will see all of that stuff associated with you anyways. So it's really your call.

My employers know what I write. If they have a problem with it and fire me, so be it. It won't stop me from writing fiction or blog posts.

I work in the legal profession and it has caused me to become very careful about what I put on the internet. It can and will make a difference to future employers. They will google you, and it can (perhaps in some cases subconsciously) affect how you're perceived if not in some cases impact whether you are hired. It can be a positive as well as a negative, but you'll never know that in advance, and once it's out there it's very hard to take it down. You have to make the choice, but I agree with WriterDude - tread very carefully.

This is actually a best-practice kind of thing to do if you're thinking of doing some freelance writing work down the road or even if you just do writing as a passion project thing on the side. It can really help people find you and a web portfolio is kind of standard issue for creative-type jobs. It's a must for designers and artists and such, for obvious reasons. You may find if you ever apply for a gig at a studio where a designer or artist is doing the hiring that they almost expect one.

A lot of journalists also keep online writing portfolios. Most of them are good examples of how to present stuff professionally.

I don't post unpublished work on mine except as sample writing--and those are projects that are either wrapped or aren't likely to go anywhere. Because I sometimes move between managerial/production roles and writer roles, for some projects I have summary pages describing what I did, what I changed, what I learned, and a bit about how my creative process fit into the project. All that stuff is for deep-divers, though. Mostly it's just a semi-designed list of my showcase projects.

allthefeels said:

I work in the legal profession and it has caused me to become very careful about what I put on the internet. It can and will make a difference to future employers. They will google you, and it can (perhaps in some cases subconsciously) affect how you're perceived if not in some cases impact whether you are hired. It can be a positive as well as a negative, but you'll never know that in advance, and once it's out there it's very hard to take it down. You have to make the choice, but I agree with WriterDude - tread very carefully.

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I mean, yeah. IANAL and you are, so I won't contradict this. Prudence is good.

The basis of that prudence is knowing how to use web tools well, though. Not using them at all also sends a bad signal. I've occasionally hired folks for small projects and if I can't find a web presence of some kind, be it a portfolio or LinkedIn or Twitter or something, I get a little concerned. It's good professional practice to have at least a landing point.

That way you control the narrative. There is something online about almost everyone, whether we know it or not. I'm pretty sure, for instance, I've got a couple of videos out there from soccer parents proclaiming me the Worst. Ref. Ever.!!!11!!!11!! I can only hope the production quality is good. Meanwhile, anyone who Googles me is much more likely to find my Twitter or my portfolio--both of which I keep properly curated for profession-related stuff.

VeryBigBeard said:

The basis of that prudence is knowing how to use web tools well, though. Not using them at all also sends a bad signal. I've occasionally hired folks for small projects and if I can't find a web presence of some kind, be it a portfolio or LinkedIn or Twitter or something, I get a little concerned. It's good professional practice to have at least a landing point.

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I completely agree. Like anything else, it's a tool and you have to think about how you want to use it. I have an online presence, but it's one that I've thought about and evaluated. We can't always control what's put out there about us, but we can choose what we put out there about ourselves, and it should never be done thoughtlessly.