Creating your own website

Undercover · Aug 25, 2010

Recently I got an offer and in the contract for my novel, the publisher requests that I get my own website, page or whatever. I have a blog on google, but no one views that thing. I need something better.

And how do I get advertisement spots on other common sites? Does that cost?

The Grump · Sep 1, 2010

I used GoDaddy to do a site. It's still waiting for the original artwork to be done. But you might look at their website builder. I'm a computer klutz so if you have skills, you might come up with something better than the usual blog format.

Go luck with your book.

azbikergirl · Sep 2, 2010

Check out doteasy.com -- you can get a site free there (but without a domain name).

Deleted member 42 · Sep 2, 2010

Lmc71775 said:
Recently I got an offer and in the contract for my novel, the publisher requests that I get my own website, page or whatever. I have a blog on google, but no one views that thing. I need something better.

And how do I get advertisement spots on other common sites? Does that cost?

I'd be cautious about a publisher asking you to do this in a contract; that's a red flag.

I would, if I were you, get a free blog from Blogger or wordpress.com.

You don't have to pay anyone, it's simple, and it's easily moved later.

The way to get traffic is to have something interesting to say, and to engage in conversation with the blogging community by interacting. Link to other people's posts and comment (without being a link whore) where appropriate on other people's blogs.

Mostly though, good content drives good traffic.

benbradley · Sep 2, 2010

Lmc71775 said:
...
I have a blog on google, but no one views that thing.

You can add a signature file with a link to your blog, and it will show up at the end of every post. It's one of those myriad things under User CP, the leftmost link on the dark blue line.

Polenth · Sep 2, 2010

If no one visits your blog, either the content needs work or it needs a bit of promoting (or both). AW has a forum for blog reviews, which is a handy way of finding out what is and isn't working on a blog.

Any issues you're having with the blog won't go away if you get a website. The same principles apply to both: it needs content people want to view and you need to make sure people know it exists.

kaigal · Sep 2, 2010

I use webs.com It's free and you can upgrade it if need be, but can also allow search engines to pick you up without needing to.

Peggy Blair · Sep 2, 2010

I've heard a lot of people suggest that a publisher is impressed if an author engages in marketing efforts such as blogs and websites, but I've certainly never heard of it being a condition of a contract (as Medievalist knows, I'm a lawyer). Is the publisher going to market you as well? Or is this the publisher's way of saying you're on your own? I'm with Medievalist on this one: big red flag.

I created my blog on wordpress.com: free, easy to manoeuver, getting a good number of hits from various sources...

Undercover · Sep 4, 2010

No, the publisher is going to do their part too. They just want me to have my own blog or site to promote more. They are going to do promoting on their end too.

Thanks for the tips guys. I will check out the suggested sites

sgroyle · Sep 4, 2010

Lmc71775 said:
Recently I got an offer and in the contract for my novel, the publisher requests that I get my own website, page or whatever. I have a blog on google, but no one views that thing. I need something better.

And how do I get advertisement spots on other common sites? Does that cost?

I have written a blog about this: go here.

Of course having a website or blog and getting "traffic" are two separate things. I'm going to be writing a blog about this in the near future called, Rest to Zero. Which is what happens to your blog stats every night at midnight. If you're a typical obsessive author you'll be checking those stats all the time (I do). It's a lot of work - and very frustrating, because you have to promote while you could be writing. But it has to done.

Huge congratulations on getting a contract.

Peggy Blair · Sep 5, 2010

It is obsessive, isn't it? And it takes a while to get the search engine crawlers to find you (I've been told you need to have up around 200 posts before you show up at the top of the results/hits -- which is a lot of posting).

I have one on querying, submissions, the contract etc. because I'm a lawyer so tend to think about the 'nuts and bolts' of writing. If The Beggar's Opera ever gets published (it's agented, and in revisions currently), I would link it to the website I'd create for the book.

Any tips on driving traffic to a blog?

Deleted member 42 · Sep 5, 2010

Content drives traffic. Write regularly--at least three times a week. Link to other people's posts and your own in your posts. Comment on other people's blogs where appropriate.

You want good links going out, and coming in to your blog.

Use clear titles on your posts.

Peggy Blair · Sep 5, 2010

Thanks for the advice! Btw, Medievalist, I linked to your comments/link several days ago on Typos and Skitts Law.

http://peggyblair.wordpress.com/

The Grump · Sep 5, 2010

Traffic from search engines is also dependent upon your keywords -- both at the bottom and in the text of your blog. Visitors found my blog on Google before I'd completed a hundred blogs.

veinglory · Sep 5, 2010

Asking for this in the contract rather than informally is bizarre.

That said I would suggest that you make the blog successful and make that successful. Map a domain onto it for $10 a year and it counts as a website.

Page rank comes from incoming links, links to your blog from you sig line here for a start.

Deleted member 42 · Sep 5, 2010

The Grump said:
Traffic from search engines is also dependent upon your keywords -- both at the bottom and in the text of your blog. Visitors found my blog on Google before I'd completed a hundred blogs.

If you write well, you don't really have to worry about SEO; and Google doesn't pay any attention at all to the tags or labels--those are used by real people to track topics.

In terms of one of the easiest, best ways to properly use metatdata for search engine ranking, the title is very important. Next, to write the body of your post in an intelligent way, using the basic principles of good writing. Don't key word stuff--that actually hurts you.

Do write interesting, persuasive prose--prose that will interest human readers, who will link to you in their posts, or in their blog rolls. Do link to other interesting, appropriate well-written blogs and blog posts; those outgoing links also help.

veinglory · Sep 5, 2010

I agree. Write good content and people wil find it, the most you can do is help bring it to their attention quicker. I have several sites that are popular because of their content, but most people get to my writer site by googling my pen name--so they were already looking for me. I think a publisher over-emphasising a website about the book per se is rather suspicious.

Peggy Blair · Sep 5, 2010

How do you create a signature line for these posts? (I'm a newbie, be gentle

)

Deleted member 42 · Sep 5, 2010

Peggy Blair said:
How do you create a signature line for these posts? (I'm a newbie, be gentle )

Go to your User CP, scroll down to Edit Signature.

Don't use html; use the vBulletin formatting tools.

If you get stuck, post a note in FAQ (or PM me) for help.

Peggy Blair · Sep 5, 2010

Great, got it, thanks!

Polenth · Sep 5, 2010

Peggy Blair said:
(I've been told you need to have up around 200 posts before you show up at the top of the results/hits -- which is a lot of posting).

Search engine ranking isn't based on how many posts you have. It's based on the quality of links to each post and the relevancy to the search. Quality posts are more likely to get quality links. Focus on quality rather than quantity.

zpeteman · Sep 5, 2010

I just finished revamping my site for the new book coming out this Christmas. I use domain.com for hosting. I just bought three new domains to point to the site which cost $10 each (yearly).

Hosting costs about $5 per month (total - not per domain). I built the original site with Rapidweaver and a few plugins that cost me about $100 or so. The revamp is still built in Rapidweaver. I used a new theme and gave the whole thing a simpler look. I'm satisfied with it and it's really flexible.

Rapidweaver probably isn't for someone who's a complete novice to design and web hosting but it's a great tool if you've got some basic skills.

www.aspeterson.com if you're interested in seeing what I'm talking about.

Undercover · Sep 5, 2010

You guys have been very informative. Thank you all. I did the signature link and that is working...along with some other tips I recieved here.

Thanks again!!!

MariaZ · Sep 7, 2010

LMC71775,

For what it's worth, I use Blogger. I had a web site once but unless you update it frequently it becomes burdensome. People need to see something new, otherwise there's no reason to visit. Blogger now has the advantage of allowing you to add pages simulating a web site look.

Also, if you Google for blog backgrounds you can customize your blog even more.

But what others have said is true. You need good content AND you need to visit and comment on other blogs. Make yourself visible and approachable and people will visit. Entertain, educate or inform and you'll develop a loyal following.

Just don't expect it to occur overnight. These things take time.

Creating your own website

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