Your website

Autodidact · Feb 27, 2009

So I'm preparing to launch my writer's website, have made some preliminary tentative decisions, but am still seeking input. So, if you have a website, tell me anything: What it does for you, why you love or hate it, how many hours it takes out of your life, what you use it for, how you did it, what you would change, or anything else you think I should know before I go weblic. Thanks.

jeffo · Feb 27, 2009

Well, I'm not sure how much I can add. I have a personal site that I'm working on making more of a writer's site. However, I'm hoping to have a few clips to post before I get there. So if you don't mind, auto, I need to add a question to yours:

If you have a web site with clips posted, how do you get around copyrights, especially if you have sold all rights to an article you wrote? As I see it, you can't post a clip if you sold all rights, can you? Or is it okay if you only post a part of the article?

inkkognito · Feb 27, 2009

I have a website to showcase my writing credits (www.barbnefer.com) that doesn't take much work now that I've set it up. All I have to do is add my latest clips and credits.

I have a blog for my book (http://counselorwannabe.blogspot.com) but for now the activity is low because it's not out yet. People are finding it tho' so I get maybe one email a week to deal with, mostly asking how to order it. Once the book is out, it will take more time because readers may send questions and I'll be updated the resource lists from the book.

I used to have a Disney Cruise Line website (www.castawayclub.com) but it takes constant updating to keep the info. current so I dumped it on my hubby. It's relatively illiterate these days, but that doesn't matter because people visit for the information, not a good read.

I have a blog for fun (http://celebrationfl.blogspot.com) that doesn't take too much time mainly because it's the thing that suffers when I am busy. It does have a loyal following and brings in gas money via passive Adsense income (Castawayclub does too but it mainly services as a vehicle for my travel agency).

I also have websites for my travel agency and counseling businesses, but those don't generally need to be updated.

I guess in summary the amount of work a website takes really depends on your purpose for it. Oh, and Jeffo, for my clips I stick to mags. that have given me permission or who have already posted my work. For the older pieces I have some scans but not the most current stuff.

Autodidact · Feb 27, 2009

jeffo said:
Well, I'm not sure how much I can add. I have a personal site that I'm working on making more of a writer's site. However, I'm hoping to have a few clips to post before I get there. So if you don't mind, auto, I need to add a question to yours:

If you have a web site with clips posted, how do you get around copyrights, especially if you have sold all rights to an article you wrote? As I see it, you can't post a clip if you sold all rights, can you? Or is it okay if you only post a part of the article?

I have no idea! Good question. Now let's wait while the people who know what they're talking about tell us the answer.

Autodidact · Feb 27, 2009

So Barb, do I have to ask them to put in the contract that I can post the article on my website?

inkkognito · Feb 27, 2009

This is the way I view it (and NOT based on any legal knowledge whatsoever). I sell first rights, so I figure for the old ones that's long since gone. For the newer ones, I don't want to "complete" with a magazine that is on sale. But for a couple of the regionals, I know the editor so I just get verbal permission. For a bigger pub, I would definitely get it in writing.

spacekadet · Feb 27, 2009

I have a website over at http://monicashaw.com

I used Writer's Residence to set up my site (note - I'm a co-creator of Writer's Residence so I'm a little biased!). It took about an hour or two to set up and I don't spend too much time on it... I probably touch it once every month or so to add a new clip (of course, if I had it my way, I'd have more clips coming in to post, but that's a separate problem entirely!).

In addition to my clips, I use it to store my resume, contact info, and basic "About Me" stuff.

I love it because all of my clips and resume are in one place and it's easy to refer to when I'm writing queries. One thing I wish it had was integrated Google Analytics, but I'm working on that. =)

I also have a couple blogs which i touch almost daily...

Personal blog: http://spacekadet.org
Fitness blog: http://smarterfitter.com/blog
Writing blog: http://writersresidence.com/blog

I link to those from my main website, but I kinda like to keep the blogs separate, and treat the monicashaw.com as more of a portfolio.

As for copyright details, if I gave up all rights than I don't include the clip, but I do list the title and publication in my resume. You can see what I mean here: http://monicashaw.com/resume

Hope this helps!

Monica

Autodidact · Feb 27, 2009

Thanks Monica. I think your website looks very sharp. I would consider that approach, in fact, would have used it just a month ago, but now I'm thinking that my website will also do a little marketing of my writing classes, show my photos, and some other things, plus it might be good to learn the hard way, so I can do others in future, so I think I'll go it alone.

jeffo · Feb 28, 2009

Very nice, Monica, thank you for sharing what you're doing, that's very helpful.

Thornby · Feb 28, 2009

I've got permission from magazines to run some of my old stories, but I don't include many articles that I've sold recently.

Since I put up my website a year ago, whenever I've sold an article I want to include, I negotiate it at the time of the sale. i.e. I say I'd like to link to your website with the article, is that OK? Also, when I sold a feature to Readers' Digest (who take all rights) last fall, I asked if I could put the first three paragraphs on my website when it was printed and then link to their site.

I'm using Wordpress and if you want to check it out, it's at http://alisonbate.ca

Mayntz · Mar 3, 2009

My website has my resume, a brief bio, descriptions of my services (writing and editing), a comprehensive list of publication credits, and a sampling of recent clips. On the front page, I have some of my most recent work as well as a brief list of the projects I'm working on. Contact information, of course, should always be prominent so clients can get in touch with you.

Once I got it set up (it's all written by hand, but I did websites years ago anyway), it's been easy to maintain. I update it probably 2-3 times per month, just tweaking the recent stuff, adding to the resume if necessary and such. I have generated work from it, but it's slow going in that regard. Still, it's valuable!

JNLister · Mar 3, 2009

I link to anything that's online as that reiterates that the outlet is 'real'.

For print only stuff, I've put scans up but usually wait until the issue is no longer on sale (and don't put stuff up at all where back issues are a major part of the publication's business) out of courtesy.

Autodidact · Mar 3, 2009

Mayntz said:
My website has my resume, a brief bio, descriptions of my services (writing and editing), a comprehensive list of publication credits, and a sampling of recent clips. On the front page, I have some of my most recent work as well as a brief list of the projects I'm working on. Contact information, of course, should always be prominent so clients can get in touch with you.

Once I got it set up (it's all written by hand, but I did websites years ago anyway), it's been easy to maintain. I update it probably 2-3 times per month, just tweaking the recent stuff, adding to the resume if necessary and such. I have generated work from it, but it's slow going in that regard. Still, it's valuable!

Very neat, Melissa. Very helpful to review yours. So you used HTML with your very own hands? The alphabetical dealie is pretty impressive. The look is kind of light, which is nice.

So, since you know about SEO, if I search something like writer, birds, or something, you should come up, right?

It's very businesslike.

Autodidact · Mar 3, 2009

JNLister said:
I link to anything that's online as that reiterates that the outlet is 'real'.

For print only stuff, I've put scans up but usually wait until the issue is no longer on sale (and don't put stuff up at all where back issues are a major part of the publication's business) out of courtesy.

John: I see you're all about links. Lots of words on your site turn out to be links. Something to think about. Do you think you get work from your site? What does it accomplish for you? How did you do it? Design it yourself? Using what?

And for everyone: Who's your web host and do you like them?

Thanks again all. I :heart:

AW.

spacekadet · Mar 3, 2009

Autodidact - I can't speak for JNLister, but I know my website has helped me land at least one writing gig. I got my first commission, for a UK national newspaper, after sending the website address to an editor who asked to see some writing samples.

As for hosting. I have my domain through Sitelutions (I HIGHLY recommend them - cheap as chips) host my page with Writer's Residence, which lets me map my Writer's Residence page to my domain name.

Melissa - Autodidact is right on the money. Your website is fabulous. You may blush, but yours was one of the websites I referenced when designing templates for Writer's Residence. You've given a LOT of us inspiration and we thank you for it!

Monica

inkkognito · Mar 5, 2009

I've had my websites through ipower for years and I really like them. Easy to use tools and very reliable.

Autodidact · Mar 5, 2009

Thanks, Monica. Are you using the lite, mid, big or giga site? ($1, 7 9 or 10/mo?)

Autodidact · Mar 5, 2009

Barb: ipower looks very reasonable, and if you're happy with the reliability, I may to there. I assume you're using the middle size, $5.95/mo plan?

Everyone: did you use HTML, pay someone, use a WYSIWYG (if so, which?) or use a template? Are you happy with that decision.

My tentative plan, given that I basically try to freelance at little or no cost, is to pay around $5/mo for hosting and use KompoZer to design my own. I know almost nothing about this, other than having just read a Dummies book and Missing Manual book on the subject. Anyone here use it? Or should I spring for DreamWeaver? Or is it hopeless, and I'm going to have to pay someone?

inkkognito · Mar 5, 2009

It's either the smallest or middle plan that I have. I use Dreamweaver or code in straight HTML, but only because I used to work as a web designer. Ipower actually has templates so you could start off with nothing at all, just using their tools, then get software later. I wouldn't bother hiring someone unless you really want something fancy.

Autodidact · Mar 5, 2009

Hmmm I could start with their templates, and move to a WYSIWYG later...ipower is sounding very attractive.

I have found that Barb is a fount of wisdom and generosity. But is your website in your sig? I want to look at it.

inkkognito · Mar 5, 2009

I have various websites hosted there:

www.barbnefer.com

www.bnlifeskills.com

www.dclexpert.com

You can have multiple URLs under the same package, so that allowed me to buy barbnefer.com and barbaranefer.com. My husband hosts our castawayclub.com website elsewhere for no special reason other than it's the cheapest he found for what he wants...I stay out of that whole mess ever since I turned that site over to him.

You can do a lot more with sites at ipower but I don't have any time to devote to sprucing mine up so they are very basic and don't really showcase the available features.

Autodidact · Mar 5, 2009

Very interesting how different the 3 sites are--for 3 different purposes. And I see from the first one that you're published in The Writer. Ooooh. I want to be published there when I grow up.

jeffo · Mar 6, 2009

You certainly do not need to buy software to make your web page. There is too much that can be had for free. Heck, you can use Microsoft Word to make basic pages, just "Save As Web Page." Search download.com or tucows.com and you can find html editors and web page creators for nothing. It might take you a little to figure out each one, but that's how I got started (with Hot Dog, many years ago, and it was so good it's no longer free).

Your website

Autodidact

...in my Maidenform Bra.

jeffo

inkkognito

Onlyifyouwanttowillyoufin daway-Enya

Autodidact

...in my Maidenform Bra.

Autodidact

...in my Maidenform Bra.

inkkognito

Onlyifyouwanttowillyoufin daway-Enya

spacekadet

Autodidact

...in my Maidenform Bra.

jeffo

Thornby

Mayntz

JNLister

Autodidact

...in my Maidenform Bra.

Autodidact

...in my Maidenform Bra.

spacekadet

inkkognito

Onlyifyouwanttowillyoufin daway-Enya

Autodidact

...in my Maidenform Bra.

Autodidact

...in my Maidenform Bra.

inkkognito

Onlyifyouwanttowillyoufin daway-Enya

Autodidact

...in my Maidenform Bra.

inkkognito

Onlyifyouwanttowillyoufin daway-Enya

Autodidact

...in my Maidenform Bra.

jeffo