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Finally, once established, a Web site can provide secondary income to your actual writing. You might decide to publish a weekly column and set up an e-mail list of subscribers. With enough subscribers on your list, advertisers WILL want to pay you to reach your audience. Or you get a book accepted by a publisher . well of course you'll want to sell a few copies from your site.
Of course, not everyone has Web design skills, or planned a Web presence in their budget (which, in my case was about $0.00). But do not be deterred. You don't need to register a domain name though it does help. A domain name looks better than a long URL and you have an e-mail address that stays
same.
You can also choose to use space on another domain name -- often a far cheaper option than getting your own domain and paying server-hosting fees.
If you really, really can't put an HTML page together (and with
software packaged with
major browsers, it's easy to make simple pages), consider trading services with a budding designer. Only
other night on an e-mail list I subscribe to, a Web designer requested help with writing a press release. She couldn't afford to pay anyone to write it, and would happily have traded HTML services for a well-written release.

C.S. Paquin is a nationally published writer in both the business and humor markets. Cheryl has a Master Of Arts in Journalism and has been writing freelance for over five years. She contributes regularly to regional publications in Minnesota. She is the owner and editor of www.WritersLounge.com, a site for creative nonfiction and essay writers.