Keep it simple. Not everyone will have the same cool and fast computer that you've got. Some of us still have land lines, and our machines are older than some of your favorite T-shirts.
Spring for a real website that's all about YOUR work, and doesn't have Google / Yahoo ads on the side to help pay for things. Those just look tacky and distract from what you're trying to sell--which is
yourself. Shell out some dollars and look prosperous.
I have clear pictures of the book covers, links to where people can buy them, and lengthy excerpts to get 'em hooked. Each book has a TV-Guide synopsis. On another page I give background (if it's interesting) on the writing of the book, locations I used, what inspired the story or a character--fun stuff.
I've got photos up of real-world places that I've been to that were used in the books. It's kind of cool to see the actual street where the hero kicked the bad guy's ass.
Keep your bio SIMPLE. Less is more. Anything over 100 words and my eyes glaze over.
I also have a writer's FAQ help page--with links to this site and others--so neos can get help. Keep it short and sweet.
If it's your first novel don't assume--as I did with my first novel and I was a moron back then--that you know everything about writing now and can hand out the wisdom of the sages.
That's Uncle Jim's job.
Things to leave out:
Cute sparkly things that follow the cursor.
Annoying sound effects.
Pop up ads--even for your own stuff.
Music. You have to pay a royalty to the recording company. Some people won't share your taste and will be annoyed by the noise.
Fancy transitions from one page to another.
Long downloads. (Caused by music, sound effects, fancy transitions, etc.)
NO pictures of your cute kids. You love 'em but so do certain creepy-types you don't want coming over.
If you're shy you don't even need a pic of yourself.
Leave politics and religion out, unless that's what you write. I've lost respect for a couple of fav writers because they rant about this and that. If it's not to do with your books leave it out.
Fancy fonts. If another computer doesn't have the same font you're using it will change it to something else. Stick with Arial or Times Roman.
Unreadable fonts. This is an ad, not performance art. Make sure Great Aunt Murgatroyd with the glass eye can read your wordage.
Busy backgrounds. Too much crap in the background distracts from your copy. I have my bookcovers as backgrounds--but Photoshopped so they're ghostly-faded almost to white and thus don't compete with the words. Otherwise, a blank background in a neutral color is best.
Horror writers -- avoid the cliche of black with red letters or red with black. Everyone's done that one to--well--death. It's hard on the eyes, so people won't stay to read.
Not enough contrast between background and font color. Try reading muddy blue against a black background. You won't, so you leave the site.
Don't clone another writer's website.
It's okay to use a similar format, but make up your own words.
Some years back a "writer" (1 self-pubbed disaster that PublishAmerica would have rejected) copied my FAQ pages and pasted it on her site as her own. There were minor changes, but it was clearly my stuff. I complained, the host server made her behave. She said her web designer did it, wasn't HER, nope, not at all. Tacky
and no manners. Tsk-tsk.
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Once it's up, view your website on other computers. What looked great on your home machine is a dog's breakfast on another. Then you find your Java Applet (or whatever I used) doesn't work at all and is the reason why no one comes to visit for more than a minute.
KEEP IT UPDATED and mention that on the opening page. Once a month is good.
PROOFREAD--GET FRIENDS TO PROOFREAD.
THEN PROOF IT AGAIN!
USE THE EFFING SPELLCHECKER! If you're sloppy on the site, readers might think you're sloppy at writing and won't buy your books.
Larf a minnit--be funny. Angst-ridden *Authors* are a dime a gross. Cheerful persons who clearly love their craft are more approachable.
The first time my green and unpublished self met an Angster I was ready to run away--he was just scary. He seemed put out by having to appear in public, and acted as though I should be hugely grateful he allowed me in the store.
I don't make enough money at this job to be anything less than pleasant in public--which includes the website.
