http://pagedmedia.com Because authors deserve professional websites. Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:45:17 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en "Text Prefs":http://www.message.uk.com/textprefs/ -- a U.K. design firm is conducting a survey on how people like to read onscreen text. Tell them how you like it! They've promised to publish the findings so we can all do better at designing things people read. http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/text-prefs/ The new site I've designed for "Justine Larbalestier":http://justinelarbalestier.com/ just went live. This has been a great project, and Justine's been a joy to work with. I did some tricksy things with WordPress to make the design work, especially on the home page. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll write about ... http://pagedmedia.com/client-news/site-launch-justine-larbalestier/ How to "work with a designer":http://www.will-harris.com/design/working-with-designers.html and "a publicist":http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/authors/the_author_publicist_dynamic_88706.asp. http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/how-to/ "100 Personal Branding Tactics Using Social Media":http://www.chrisbrogan.com/100-personal-branding-tactics-using-social-media/ -- great overview of how to use the various social media sites to promote yourself. Password management is key here, since you could be signing up for a dozen services or more. Make a spreadsheet! (via our colleague, "Jeremy Tolbert":http://www.jeremiahtolbert.com/2008/links-for-2008-06-21/) http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/personal-branding-using-social-media/ "How to Make the Worst Website":http://alecrios.com/how-to-make-the-worst-website -- featuring lots of the things "we tell you not to do":/category/50ways/. Here's one thing you can do today: if you have a splash page on your site (the kind that shows a big image and says "Enter here"), _take it down_. Let visitors ... http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/how-to-make-the-worst-website/ "Book Launch 2.0":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxschLOAr-s -- hilarious video! Are you familiar with all the sites mentioned? (via "JKS Communications":http://www.jkscommunications.com/blog/) http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/book-launch-20/ "Before Hiring a Web Developer or Designer":http://gbhxonline.com/hosting/2008/03/before-hiring-a-web-developer-or-designer/ -- These are four very good questions to ask. "The differences in website quality out there are almost unbelievable, yet from the surface, the part you see, they are equally imperceptible." http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/before-hiring-a-web-developer-or-designer/ "JacketFlap":http://www.jacketflap.com/index.asp -- social networking for children's and YA authors and illustrators http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/jacketflap/ "17 Tips For Getting Bloggers To Write About You":http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206903066 http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/17-tips-for-getting-bloggers-to-write-about-you/ Agent "Rachel Vater":http://www.lowensteinyost.com/agent_3.html has just posted a "long, informative discussion on websites":http://raleva31.livejournal.com/52449.html for authors, both published and unpublished. She is absolutely correct. Bookmark this post! (UPDATE: She has "a follow-up":http://raleva31.livejournal.com/52543.html, answering many of the questions that came up in the comments.) http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/an-agent-talks-websites/ "Typetester":http://typetester.maratz.com/ is a handy tool that lets you compare fonts and see how they'll look on screen. Its drop-down menus let you know which fonts are standard on PCs and Macs, but you can also compare other fonts from your own collection. "CSS Type Set":http://csstypeset.com/ is similar tool that generates ... http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/typetester-screen-font-comparison/ Are most of your readers in the US, or elsewhere? Do you have a concentration of readers in Spokane, where your book was featured at a book discussion six months ago? Where should your publisher send you on your next tour? How can you find out? h3. 1. Analyze your web visitors. Using ... http://pagedmedia.com/diy/its-10pm-do-you-know-where-your-readers-are/ Building a website? "Ask yourself these questions first.":http://www.businessknowhow.com/internet/markques.htm http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/building-a-website-ask-yourself-these-questions-first/ How _should_ authors use MySpace? We've rounded up several opinions, some contradictory: * "MySpace Addict":http://www.sfnovelists.com/2007/12/04/myspace-addict/ * "Using MySpace as an Author Promotional Tool":http://www.resource-onlinesite.com/2007/11/05/using-myspace-as-an-author-promotional-tool/ * "How Many Friends Does Your Book Have?":http://www.mediabistro.com/articles/cache/a8194.asp * "The Author Trap":http://mjroseblog.typepad.com/buzz_balls_hype/2007/02/the_author_trap.html * "Making MySpace Work for You":http://www.rwanational.org/cs/career/making_myspace_work_for_you (RWA members only; registration required) http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/using-myspace/ Over on "Deep Genre":http://www.deepgenre.com/, a group blog of fantasy authors, there's a great discussion on "what readers want on authors' sites":http://www.deepgenre.com/wordpress/admin/misc/what-works-on-an-author-website. We see the same discussion pop up pretty regularly elsewhere, but this group is unusually detailed and articulate. They describe what they look for at different stages of their ... http://pagedmedia.com/elsewhere/what-readers-look-for-on-authors-websites/