The reclusive writer has a reason to be so — and that option. Salinger was an avid writer of letters and self-promoter until he found success. The New Yorker didn’t come knocking on his door one day in the hope that he was a writer and maybe he had a few things to say. Salinger’s rebellion began with success, but it’s against the various forces which look to control and interpret, commodify and contextualize the author. Salinger’s choice was to remove himself and preserve his personal sense of identity over the ‘networked’ identity. To put it another way, in the Stone Age we carved our names into rock. In the Information Age there are graffiti waves of text and global tides of data, but we’re still looking for stone. Once we find it, like Salinger, there’s that option.

I actually recall Krissy writing about this on her blog some time ago. I'm always excited if a writer I like has a strong web presence, and I can follow what they're up to, but I will still follow an author's work if they don't. Nam Le has a website but he's not overly 'present' in online communities--that certainly doesn't diminish my interest in him and his work. I followed Krissy Kneen from the beginning via her blog (and so did others who have now bought her book) so you can see how sometimes it works very well establishing online presence first. I think in that case, the content has to be interesting in its own right (and not just self-promotional). But if I liked a writer and they were a recluse, refusing to do festivals/interviews/anything, I would still like their work. I think it must be hard for some of them who feel pressured to have a public persona, when they would rather be tucked up in their study, creating.

And the flip side to what Angela said is that sometimes I wish certain authors would be more of a recluse, let their work speak for itself and refuse to do publicity :-) I get an an image of the writer from their books and feel let down when a photo or the voice or the mannerisms blow that image out of the water.

It's an interesting one ... I often think it's interesting that writers - who need to shut themselves up and work intensely on their own in order to get the bulk of their work done - need to shop themselves around. Though I love going to writers festivals, I sometimes feel for the writers who have to get up and speak to crowds to spruik their wares. Some love it, but I'm sure many more don't.

In some ways, being present in online communities might be a more natural way for some introverted writers to have a public presence. It's far more similar to the act of writing than speaking on a stage is.

That said, I agree with LiteraryMinded that while I enjoy following authors who blog because they genuinely have something to say, and/or enjoy doing it, I'm equally happy to follow writers with no online presence (or public presence). An online presence is not necessary, but it is obviously a promotional bonus. (And half-assed author blogs are - like a bad public appearance - detrimental.)

As an emerging writer in this digital age, I think it is almost essential to have some sort of web presence. There is a new generation of readers approaching and, well, they don’t actually read much. But this new generation is on the internet – almost religiously. Through word of mouth – or word of email – interesting websites may be forwarded to friends. On my website and blog I try to write articles that not only appeal to the literary reader, but also the working-class reader and this new generation. By writing blog posts that are both informative and humorous, I think I’m reaching readers that don’t usually read. So eventually, when my book does – hopefully – get picked up by a publisher, I have a large group of people willing and ready to buy my book. We all know that bookshops, distributors and publishers don’t give emerging writers the time and patience they need to flourish. If the book isn’t selling – it’s out. So as emerging writers we need to embrace this tool that we have – the internet – and market ourselves, because sadly, nobody else will.

The Atwood blog and the twittering around the new book is surely as much of an exercise in consciousness raising around the theme of the new novel as anything else - planet-awareness. (Though she seems to rather like Twitter, doesn't she). I'm not crazy about blogs promoting upcoming pubs as singletons, and the blog she is writing does seem rather disconnected from the website (no Home link, is there?) but it looks as though it has a mission apart from sales, which is nice for a change.

Reclusive authors can indeed retreat to blogs if required - Lauren Cerand, a New York publicist, has suggested this. Don't know where this leaves the Salingers of the world though. Maybe they won't need paper bags in the future.

Hi Koraly, can't working-class readers be literary readers as well? I have to work and I read Anne Michaels. Does that count?

Hi Koraly, can't working-class readers be literary readers as well? :-) I have to work and I read Anne Michaels. Does that count? :-)