Websites
for Writers:
What To Do and How
By Kim L. Cole
Ó2002,
Kim L. Cole
Everyone
has a website. Each new movie,
months before it premieres, is granted an extensive website. Software companies have websites, as do fast food
restaurants, museums, and every Tom, Dick, and Harry.
You're a writer. Do you
really need a website? That's just
one of many questions that face writers in a cyber-filled world.
The fact is
that more and more people are turning to the web when they need information.
With the success of online stores like Amazon.com, readers are also
turning to the web for their buying needs.
Authors with popular books are well served to have their own website, if
for no other reason than to provide an official response to the inevitable fan
sites. Even if you're not yet established, authors can never go
wrong by getting their names and their titles in front of the buying public.
What
do I say?
You've
decided you're going to have a website, and you have to come up with the
content. There are a lot of
considerations here, and a lot of temptations.
A good rule of thumb is to find a focus (most likely promoting your work
and yourself) and stick with it. Evaluate
every opportunity (be it technology or a new section of the site) by how well it
furthers your focus. Most of all
have fun! If the very idea is
torture, you don't have to have a site. Spend
your time writing instead of agonizing over a website.
There is
some basic information that you really ought to provide.
A short biography is wonderful. Readers
like to know who you are, and are often entertained by what their favorite
authors do (or used to do) as a day job. Provide
an address for fan mail. I
recommend care of your publisher for snail mail.
You will also want to include book titles, summaries, and links for
purchasing. If you have magazine
sales, include links and information there as well.
Also, provide promotional teasers on your upcoming works and/or
appearances.
There are
also some things you might think about including if they appeal to you.
You can post an e-mail address. The
downside is that you're opening yourself up to any yahoo that can press
"send." The upside is that it makes you more accessible and open to
your fans, which is great. You can
also include background information on your books.
This is a great way to explain how your ideas form, or to make available
all the world building that will never make its way into a book.
You could also include chapters of upcoming books, although I recommend
clearing that with your publisher first. This
helps hook your readers before they even buy the book.
Among the
wide array of possibilities are a few things you should not do.
Do not post works on your site that were rejected by every editor the
story was eligible for. It was probably rejected for a reason, and you don't want
your low-end work representing your talent to prospective readers.
Also, don't publish works you haven't sent around yet, unless you are
okay with only selling them for second print rights.
Web publishing does count as first serial rights to many editors.
Also, avoid adding unrelated issues.
If you own a pet shop, don't combine it with your writing site.
Create a second site and link to it from your biography.
The readers who want to go look will be able to, and those that only want
information on your new book will be very appreciative.
Should
I pay a professional?
Professional
web designers are professional for a very good reason.
They're good at what they do. There
are a lot of advantages to having someone else create your site.
You won't have to learn HTML, and you don't need to know about web
design. You won't have to worry
about creating any graphics. If you
have total trust in your designer, you can even leave all the layout decisions
up to them.
As with
anything, though, there is a downside. Professional
design rates can be higher than you're able or willing to pay.
Sometimes having them create your graphics will even cost you extra.
Updates and changes can be more difficult because you have to go through
someone else. Finally, even if
someone else designs your site, you still have to figure out what you want to
say and how to say it.
What
if I do it myself?
Web design
is an interesting field in that it is not limited to the professionals.
Amateur web designers all over the world create and maintain very good
looking sites themselves. If you
choose to do this, there are benefits. The
entire project is completely under your control.
It will be much easier to make changes or do updates.
Also, your costs are reduced to what you pay for hosting.
That alone can make a big difference.
The
downside is that you will need to learn basic web design.
Depending on how you create your site, you may also need to learn HTML.
One of the bonuses is also very scary - all of the decisions are in your
hands. That makes the
responsibility totally yours, and you can't just call a web designer if you get
stuck or have problems.
My opinion
is that it's a better experience for you if you create your own site.
Writers are generally not afraid to take their destiny into their own
hands, and websites shouldn't be any different.
Also, if you find you have a talent for it, you might find another avenue
of income.
If
I do it myself, should I use WYSIWYG?
Investing
in a "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) editor is one of the
easier routes to a website. These
are programs that create websites on a point-and-click, drag-and-drop basis.
The benefits are many. WYSIWYG
programs are generally very easy to use from the beginning.
They can also speed up the creation of new pages, and updating existing
pages is also fairly simple. You
are able to view your page as you create it, so there aren't surprises.
The
downside is that the more advanced options of the program may take a lot of time
to learn. Or worse, it may not have
options to create the effects you want. If
you buy an editor with a lot of advanced features and options, the price is
usually rather high. Also, many
WYSIWYG programs insert extra, or junk, coding into your pages.
This may slow loading time, or it may even cause your page to display
incorrectly in certain browsers.
Without any
editorial comment from me, here are some possibilities for WYSIWYG programs, at
varying cost levels and with different options.
o
Site
Design Machine
o
Macromedia
Dreamweaver
o
CoffeeCup
HTML Editor
o
Microsoft
FrontPage 2000
How
about learning HTML?
If you
decide the WYSIWYG editors are not for you, you will need to learn HTML.
I recommend purchasing a book or taking a class which teaches XHTML along
with HTML, since both are in use right now.
If you
learn how to code your own pages, you will never have junk coding unless you put
it in yourself. You also won't have
to worry about what options you have with creating your site.
Your only limit will be what you learn.
Once you've learned HTML it is easy to proceed.
Techniques such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and Server Side Includes
(SSI) are great to have, and not much harder to learn than HTML itself.
Of course,
first you have to learn HTML. This
will require purchasing one or more books on the subject, or perhaps signing up
for a computer class. Hand coding
can also make creating your initial pages a more time consuming process
(although updating is considerably easier).
Another thing to watch for is that small mistakes can make a big
difference in how your page displays, and they can take a long time to find.
I always
recommend learning to hand code your pages.
Not only does this grant you a great deal of play room on your site, but
it means that you are not dependent on a program or a person to do your work for
you. It's all in your hands.
If you choose to learn HTML, here are a few books to help get you
started.
o
Sam's
Teach Yourself HTML and XHTML in 24 Hours by
Michael Morrison, Dick Oliver
o
Web
Design in a Nutshell by Jennifer
Niederst
o
HTML
and XHTML: The Definitive Guide
by Chuck Musciano, Bill Kennedy
o
Learning
Web Design: A Beginner’s Guide
to HTML, Graphics, and Beyond by
Jennifer Niederst, Richard Koman
What
should my page look like?
It should
look like your site. No, that's not
a too-cute saying. I mean that your
site should be a reflection of your personality, and also of the type of writing
you do. A horror writer's site
might be dark, while a science fiction writer's site would have shiny surfaces
and a slick feel. Create a site you
feel comfortable looking at, because it increases the chances your readers will
be comfortable too. Also, remember
one thing: white space is your best
friend.
One issue
is whether your site should use frames or not.
This is very much a matter of opinion.
Frames offer the benefits of consistent and clear navigation.
You can choose to have graphic heavy titles and menus with frames,
because they will only need to load once (instead of with every page).
Also, frames work the same as a picture frame to keep your content within
a regulated space, which can help reduce clutter.
Not
everything about frames is great. You
have to be twice as careful with your off-site links and be sure that they don't
get trapped within your frames. The
worst case scenario is when another person's site may seem to be a part of
yours. Also, I will admit that a
very small minority of people use browsers that can't read frames.
If you use frames you will lose those users.
Finally, some dislike the picture frame quality, and feel that it limits
a designer's creativity.
It is
possible to sidestep the issue by creating both a framed and non-framed version
of the site. I admit frankly,
though, that it is twice as much work and can make updating your site seem a
daunting task. I have had
non-framed sites, and framed sites, and I have maintained a site with an option
for either. I prefer framed for
ease of use and updating, but neither has a clear advantage.
What
about graphics?
Graphics
can be very useful to liven up your text, and they help keep your readers from
getting bored. Plain text is easy
to design, but not much to look at. Graphics
also attract the eyes in much the same way as a front bookstore display.
Unfortunately, graphics can also work against you if you don't use them
carefully.
Remember
that a page has to load before anyone can see it. So try to make sure that your graphic files have as small a
weight as possible without damaging their look. Five kilobytes and under is usually best, unless you've
warned the user that it's a full-page graphic.
Avoid animated graphics unless they're really important to your site.
They're easy to overdo, and a lot of long-time surfers are sick to death
of them. Finally, be wary of background graphics.
Good ones can be a great addition, but bad ones can make your text
utterly unreadable.
Make sure
your graphics are easy to read, if they include words, or easy to understand, if
they are only images. Obscure
symbols won't help your user navigate your site, and you'll lose them right
there. Remember, also, that the
reader has to know a graphic is a link before they can click on it.
Also, all graphics should have a purpose.
"I think it's neat looking," is not a purpose as far as web
design is concerned. Be careful
with your graphics and sugar to taste (so to speak).
Finally, make sure your graphics have height and width tags so that your
page doesn't change shape as it loads. Your
readers will thank you.
I've
made a site. Where do I host it?
That
depends on a lot of different factors. Holly
Lisle's site needed to be on a host that would support all the features of the
Forward Motion Community. That
automatically meant a paid host, as ad-free cost-free hosts do not provide that
type of service. So take a look at
your site and see what you have. Think
carefully about what is necessary, and what your budget will provide for.
Choose your host accordingly.
I provide
below a list of search engines and list sites.
Doing your own research is much more efficient than just going with my
recommendation, for a number of reasons. For
one, I haven't tried every host on earth and cannot in good conscience limit my
recommendations to the hosts I have tried.
For another, hosting packages and prices change daily.
The bargain of the week today might be next month's top-end, price-heavy
package. This way you can use their
updated listings to choose the hosting package that's ready for you when you are
ready for it.
Free
Hosts
Many free
hosts offer space but require that their pop-up or banner ad appear on your
site. You do not have to use such a
host. There are many free hosts
that do not require any ads on your site at all.
I would recommend searching until you find one that will work for you.
The downside of free sites is that they do not all offer FTP access, and
there are often strong limits on your storage size and perhaps also transfer
rates. Do your research and make
sure you agree to their requirements and limits.
o
100 Best Free Web Space Services
- http://100best-free-web-space.com/
o
Free Web Hosting List - http://www.clickherefree.com/
o
FreeWebspace.Net - http://www.freewebspace.net/
Paid
Hosts
You are now
paying for your service. So make
sure you get what you're paying for. No
paid host should ever impose advertisements on your site.
If you find one that does, keep looking.
Also, there is often a correlation between how much space you get and how
much you pay. Ditto for the options
and support. Don't stop on the
first low price you find, or the first high price that offers everything you
want. Look at many different hosts
and compare them all before you choose. Also,
be sure you understand the terms of your contract. If you sign a two year contract, you may be out a lot of
money when you find the service stinks. Always
do your research.
o
Web Hosting Ratings - http://www.webhostingratings.com/
o
Host Search - http://www.hostsearch.com/
o
Host Review - http://www.hostreview.com/
Call
me for the christening
You're
ready now to make the decisions you need to make. Whether you pay a professional web designer or decide to
become one yourself, this should give you the basics you need to begin.
As always, remember the writer's two favorite tools.
Research your decisions before you make them, and read
everything you can find about web design. Whether
someone else delivers it to you or you create it from day one, this site is
still yours. Your words will be on
it, and your worlds discussed within. Be
sure that you're proud of it before you send it out into the world to speak for
you.
o
Sams
Teach Yourself HTML and XHTML in 24 Hours by
Michael Morrison, Dick Oliver
o
Publisher: Sams; ISBN: 0672320762; 5th edition (February 15, 2001)
o
Web
Design in a Nutshell by Jennifer
Niederst
o
Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates; ISBN: 0596001967; 2nd edition (October 15,
2001)
o
HTML
and XHTML: The Definitive Guide
by Chuck Musciano, Bill Kennedy
o
Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates; ISBN: 059600026X; 4th edition (August 2000)
o
Learning
Web Design: A Beginner’s Guide to
HTML, Graphics, and Beyond by
Jennifer Niederst, Richard Koman
o
Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates; ISBN: 0596000367; (March 15, 2001)
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