Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Glorious Website

My new website is officially launched! Check it out.

Of course, I have 50 billion additional things to add and adjust and so forth, but isn't it pretty?

The graphic is totally custom and was designed by JustTwoGirls. They did a fabulous job of bringing my mental picture to the big screen and I couldn't be happier. Plus, I get to control the content all I like and you know how us writers are usually control freaks. :)

A website is a key requirement for any writer. The interent is your availability access point to thousands of readers that would never otherwise get to meet or see you. If you don't want to spend the money and time on a website before you sell, I totally understand. I did a down-and-dirty easy website with some information on me and my writing before the sale. There are also some free hosting services out there, and a lot provide templates so you don't even have to know html to get by.

If you don't want to go the website route before sale, then you definitely ought to blog. What does it take - like fifteen minutes out of your day? But the benefits can be enormous. And it takes a huge amount of time to bring your blog readership up. You need to visit and post to other blogs to bring traffic to yours. You need other bloggers to post a link to your blog on their blog. It's a somewhat involved process and it can't be achieved overnight. So get started early. You may think you have nothing to say, but I know that's not true. Everyone has something to say a couple of times a week. Start small and simple.

When the big sale comes, get hopping on your website right away. Custom designs do not happen overnight. They require constant tweaking and adjusting until you're happy with the graphic and it actually works in the site. So don't delay. And while your web designers are pounding away on the site, you should be writing your content - at least the basics - your book info, bio, etc. You need to be ready to load as soon as the site is available. Mostly because it's amazing how much time you can spend changing the font, then the size of the font, then changing it back.................

8 comments:

Jaye Wells said...

OMG, that web site kicks ass.

I blog and link it to my url, which currently has no other content. Once I get this current projeect out and making th rounds, I plan on harassing my web designer friend.

Congrats on the cool site!

Anonymous said...

Rumble on the Bayou looks fabulous! So does the website!

And I have to heartily second everything you said about blogging. I do my level best to post every day even if I don't have anything to say. I feel sorta like I'm the Seinfeld of the blogosphere. *grin*

Jana DeLeon said...

Jaye - web site designer friend? Sounds like a gold mine to me. Good luck with your concept planning and launch. And I'm so glad you like the site. I feel half bald (I am sooooo not a web designer or programmer).

Hi Tori - Seinfeld of the blogosphere, huh? Not a bad person to be, I would think. :) And thanks for the comments on Rumble and the site. Everything is going great - fabulous cover, fabulous website. Now, if I can just get some fabulous reviews - which will probably start to filter in this month. (fingers crossed)

Colleen Gleason said...

I love it, Jana! It looks fabulous! Well worth the wait.

I try to blog every day during the week--and there are lots of times I don't have anything to say, but I do anyway. :-)

Part of the time-eater of blogging isn't so much the blogging itself, it's the visiting and reading other blogs. Love doing it; but the time just slips away.

Jana DeLeon said...

Hi Colleen - I hear ya on the reading blogs. It can easily become a full-time job - like I don't have enough of those already with the Trainer/Writer/Marketing/Wife hats I'm wearing. :)

Anonymous said...

Jana,
Amazing website! Love it. So, explain to this Michigan girl exactly what a bayou is like - is it a river surrounded by marshy land? Your camp sounds like a great place to spend childhood summers. Can't see me swimming with the alligators though!

Jana DeLeon said...

Holli, you visited! I miss you guys already. I'm counting the days until Dallas, unless I can finagle a way up north before then. :)

Your question spurred an entire post so enjoy your bayou tour!

Kelly (Lynn) Parra said...

Jana, I love the graphic! It's adorable and fits perfectly! Great job!!

 
An Austin DesignWorks Production