writerly ways

[cornerofmadness]

Let's talk author's platforms (Yes again, that'll distract me from my failure to make progress this week)

I was thinking about the author's website. Granted I have little money now and very little anyone would want to SEE on said website. I could probably get a cheapo one to build for Jana. She's got several stories out now and who knows maybe by the end of the year a novel (if she ever gets off her butt and starts working)

Here's an example, Douglas Clegg's author website (or you can go check out hierath's) Granted Clegg has many novels out and a lot more content to put on a website (and no I'm not stalking Clegg or Musk, just that I see their stuff daily between LJ and facebook). I think he has a well put together site. You can get:

a) access to his writer's blog
B) facebook/myspace/twitter social networking
c) free samples to some of this novels

Now if you were going an author's website what would you like to see there? I think even more than the fan related side of this, I love that Clegg has something for the booksellers. In this day and age you must be willing to help yourself sell your books.

That said I'm not one to actually GO to an author's website much (or even follow too many of them on social networking) so I'm not sure what people who really like that sort of thing are looking for. However, I want to provide that content for people who might one day find their way to mine.

I've made only minor progress at all this week (granted it's the last two weeks of class. What the hell DO I expect to accomplish?) I need to go type out some stuff for Riding With Strangers. I did field a few ideas and the zombiesque one really seemed to strike a chord. I'll put it on the top of the heap. I should post up some of the living goddess story to see what others think of it. I should have some of Riding up later tonight.

I'm thinking I REALLY need to do more than just the weekly progress bars. I might need to go back to the stories I"m actively writing and put up their OWN bars. I'm slacking. I'm used to the Jan/Feb post holiday/nano rest period but it's nearly may and I'm only 17% of the way in on where i want to be. that isn't good.

yearly progress

29439 / 175000 words. 17% done!

Riding with Strangers -

31554 / 65000 words. 49% done!

Splinters of Silver & Cold Iron -

73681 / 80000 words. 92% done!

Beneath the Torn Sky -

54971 / 80000 words. 69% done!

Machiavelli Moon Edited yes/no - NO dammnit

Comments

[chaos-by-design.livejournal.com]

It's funny how I always find Hei to be ten times hotter when he's in evil!Contractor mode as opposed to his naive!student persona.

I want to lick your icon and take it home with me.

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

you've touched on why I haven't done much work on a writer's website yet -- not much to put on it. many publishers want your "platform" plan in place before they'll consider you, but doesn't that become a chicken or egg scenerio?

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i agree. It is. I guess maybe they're looking to see if we know enough to know we're supposed to have one. A lot of places won't even look at you unless you have something. Right now I have the blog and the goodreads. It's a start

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

you know, I can't argue that at all. She made this image into walls as well

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I have only the usual: Facebook, MySpace, LiveJournal ... and all polluted with my non-writing rants of various kinds. Emily and I are planning to pull together a writer's site for me over the summer, but first we're doing even more research than I've done already to make sure we get it right.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that's what i'm trying to do here. see how no one cared too much and honestly i wonderi f fans DO care? I know I don't

[winters-queen.livejournal.com]

If you look around, you could probably find a pretty cheap webservice plan that is maybe a couple bucks a month and has plenty of room to put on it.

What you could have on is the different anthologies that could be found with your stories in it, a bio and all that basic stuff. I guess if you wanted to do something, you could probably look at those that you follow and get a basic idea of what would work.

[marynachaotica.livejournal.com]

Hey now wait a second here! I DO have a novel completed, been completed since a few months before Gerry's death. Just can't find a publisher for it.

Get off my butt and work? *giggling* Girlfriend.....

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

working certianly helps

[marynachaotica.livejournal.com]

There are many definitions of working. Are you talking about going out and getting a job? I'm afraid that isn't feasible for me....you see if I get a job I lose the pension (what there is of it) and the health insurance. The local stated if I got a job it would prove I didn't need the pension and health insurance. According to a cousin, who is a revenue officer with the IRS, they are well within their legal rights to do something like that, which she feels is flat wrong. And so do I!

Now if you're talking about working as in writing....I do have some other book projects on the to-do list. But there is the annoying thing called trying to get this house fixed, on my own, and dealing with the everyday crap that seems to go along with being a widow AND going to college. You know...it sure seems like studying used to be a lot easier when I was younger! For some reason it takes me twice as long and I have to work twice as hard just to stay even with the rest of those in my classes.

Reckon this house will be done, or as done as I can get it, in the next month or so. Plus one of the book ideas is actually already in rough draft form. Go me! *lol*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

YOU'RE the one who brought up getting off your butt and working. That's all I was referring to

[marynachaotica.livejournal.com]

Oh well I was referring to working on the house, working on the college stuff, and working on my writing. I wasn't upset with you for referring to working! Far from it. Just wanted some clarification to what you were referring to is all.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yeah i've looked at those. I'm just curious if people were to go to a website what would THEY want on it. I don't look at author's websites. That part of the platform is such a miss with me. Unless i'm getting some freebie teaser pages, and i see it elsewhere i never go looking

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

Fans probably don't care about a writer's website until they've read at least two or three books by that same writer, which makes building a platform in advance something of a waste.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i know. and yet....sigh. whatever. i can start with a cheap site and go from there

cheap web site

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

My thinking, also.