14 Blog or Website Essentials for Writers

Over the last five years, I've picked up a slew of information about websites and spent a summer studying essentials of website design. While I've personally designed several websites using point-and-click type software, a code master I am not! But I believe writers CAN maintain a professional web home-base by including fourteen essentials.

Why are the following fourteen details important?

Often I'll see writers commenting on blogs, and I'll click through their profile to check out their blog/website, leave a comment, or e-mail them. I add them to my social networks too.

That's why I'm surprised when I see very basic "musts" (in my humble opinion, at least) overlooked. You'd be shocked at how many writers don't include an e-mail address anywhere on their site. Agents and editors DO occasionally contact authors from websites. I contact writers from their websites. No e-mail? Missed opportunity. With the countless free e-mail services out there, I don't understand why a writer would omit this.

What about failing to engage readers? I've wanted to respond to blogs where comments were either turned off or only allowed by team members. Again, this doesn't make sense to me. If you want readers to connect with you, you have to provide them ways to do this.

Another problem? No spelled out reason for me to be on the site. If you're a writer and you're trying to build a platform, you need to be bold and tell everyone you're a writer and what you write. Don't make them guess!

Here are my fourteen blog/website essentials for writers:

1. A header with your author name and what you write (ex: Pen Name: Author of Historical Fiction)

2. If you blog regularly, a way to subscribe to your RSS feed AND a way to subscribe via e-mail (Thanks, Edie Melson, for reminding me of this in the comments--so true!!)

3.  An e-mail address for readers to contact you

4. A short biography including your name (readers want to connect with an author and they can't connect with a nameless entity)

5. Links to your social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Goodreads, YouTube, etc...)

6. If you blog regularly, allow people to comment.

8. An author photo (should reflect who you are in an appropriate, flattering manner)

7. Visual appeal--include bright photographs to draw the reader's eye in

8. Content relevant to your product (should make people want to buy your books or, if you're not published, come back to your site until you are published)

9. Easy to read fonts, preferably with dark text against a pale background

10. Relevant color scheme (ex: avoid pastels if you write thrillers)

11. Easy, clear navigation between pages

12. A call to action on your home page (ex: "Subscribe to My Newsletter" linked to a sign-up form, or "Purchase Title Here" with the cover, back-cover copy, and links to purchase your latest book)

13. Personable content geared toward readers. Writers need to engage with our audience and we won't do that if we're talking at them, coming across as superior, or boring them with stiff, formal writing.

14. Search engine priority. You want your website/blog to show up on the first page of results in search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing. Ways to accomplish this? Blog regularly, update your website often with new photos and content, pay for web-hosting and purchase your author domain name, etc...)

I could go on and on. If you  have ANY questions about starting a blog, creating a better blog, do-it-yourself websites, web-hosting, social media links, and so forth, please ask. I don't have all the answers, but I've learned a lot over the years and I'm happy to share my opinion.

What do you consider essential for a writers' blog/website?

Have a terrific weekend!

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Cheap Date: The Garden Center

On Sunday my hubby and I went to the fun store in our area--The Andersons--to buy flowers and vegetables. I love days when the sun is shining, we aren't on a deadline, and it's just the two of us. We went in with a plan and a coupon (I love coupons!!). We meandered. Judged the geraniums gorgeous. Ruled the impatiens perfect for our big pots.



After a quick lunch at the Tony Packo's café inside, we headed back outdoors and purchased all of our vegetable plants and flowers. Imagine my delight when I saw a mama duck with a dozen fuzzy ducklings waddling next to us. Who knew a duck family lived in the garden center? :)

 Next up we went to Home Depot for their holiday deals on mulch and potting soil. Yes, I had another coupon! Whoop!

It took my husband and I three hours to select and purchase all of our gardening supplies. Best three hours of my week. That's my kind of date. So far, the bunnies haven't eaten my veggie plants, but I'm keeping an eye on them. :)

Do you have an off-the-wall perfect date activity? Please share!

Enjoy your Wednesday!

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Writers Fascinate Me

Two weeks ago, I strolled through Barnes & Noble. You'd think this would be a fun outing for me--browsing a bookstore--but I'll be honest, I've struggled with bookstores for three years. Let's just say when I was a kid I spent all of my allowance on books and candy. And let's also just say during this phase of my life, I've been reduced to tears, fervently wiping my eyes in the fiction section too many times. Bookstores symbolize what I want but don't yet have.

Anyway, a pretty cover on a center display table caught my eye. I peered closer. Eloisa James! Paris in Love. I vaguely remembered following her Facebook posts the year she moved to Paris. So I opened it, shifting to let a busy mother whiz by, and scanned a few pages. My adrenaline built like a pop can shaken by a mischievous ten-year-old.

Slapping the book back on the table, I marched all the way through the store back to my car. It's not enough she's a best-selling author--whom I adore!!--now she's flitting around Paris for a year too? Like I said, I knew she moved to Paris--I didn't realize she'd used the experience to write a memoir of sorts.

All the way home I chastised myself for the ridiculous envy permeating my cells. And, not surprisingly, the adrenaline died down, leaving me drained and sad.

Three days later I stood in my local library--thankfully, the library is still my happy place!--and saw the exact book that had set me off. Paris in Love by Eloisa James. This time, I fingered the spine, knowing it wasn't a coincidence. God was telling me something.

The book follows a different format--several essays break up the majority of short Facebook-ish posts. Not everyone will go for the style, but I found it engaging. Ms. James shared intimate details about her children, their struggles fitting into their new schools, her addiction to sweets, the museums, restaurants, and daily life. No longer did I envy--instead, I grew wistful, fascinated.

What would it be like to spend a year touring museums, immersed in a new culture, trying new foods, working on writing projects, and examining life?

Honestly, I have no desire to live in Paris for a year. I'm too much of a home-body. Traveling excites me, but in small doses. This book, like other articles or memoirs about writers, helped me see a bigger world. It helped me see myself bigger in the world.

Are you fascinated with certain people? Athletes? Actresses? Authors? Please share!

Have a lovely weekend! Since Monday is Memorial Day, I'll be back on Wednesday. See you then!

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Conditioning. Not Just For Athletes.

My son plays baseball, and this year he's pitching. After the first game he pitched, his shoulder was sore. Naturally, I went online for remedies.

Whenever I go online for a "quick solution" to a problem, I get caught up in tangents. One interesting article might feature a link slightly off-topic that I have to read. Before I knew it, four hours had gone by. Yes, I had options to treat his sore arm, but even better, I found ways to prevent it from happening again. Yay!

What I learned did not surprise me. Baseball players need to condition regularly--almost every day--if they want to improve their skills and avoid injuries. Conditioning doesn't guarantee a pain-free season, but it reduces the odds of soreness, and it improves the player's overall performance.

My son and I came up with a workout plan for days he doesn't have games or practices. It's easy to follow, his arm hasn't hurt since that first game, and his pitching continues to improve.

This is what we do on off days:

1. Walk and jog for thirty minutes. We have a great route that allows us to walk 1.25 miles and jog 0.75 miles.
2. Five minutes of "form" exercises to improve balance and overall accuracy.
3. Play catch for twenty minutes.
4. Once or twice a week, my husband or I will have him pitch twenty to thirty pitches to us.

Why am I willing to give up an hour of my day three-four times a week?

Easy! My son and I now have a regular exercise routine that has a larger purpose.

1. In the past when I said, "hey, let's go exercise," I did not get an enthusiastic, "okay!" in return. But my son actually comes to me now with, "Mom, we need to run and play catch." I don't have to nag about watching too much television or playing video games. He's motivated because he wants to be the best and knows it will improve his performance.

2. I spend hours every day sitting and typing on my computer. I need to get out and exercise! Our jog/walk relieves stress, keeps me in shape, and gives me much-needed fresh air. Tossing the ball forces me to develop muscles I'm sure I've never used. Plus, my eye-hand coordination has improved.

3. Making this a non-negotiable part of our day has helped me organize my time.

4. I've always loved being with my kids, and working out with my tween son is a way we can stay connected. As he grows older, I'll continue to look for ways to spend time with him.

5. It's helped me overcome my childhood fear of getting hit by a ball. Two years ago, I could NOT play catch. I was scared of the ball, didn't understand the mitt concept, and cowered when a ball came my way. But I decided I had to get over that--my husband can't be the only one in our house to play catch with our son. My hubby and son taught me how to throw, how to catch, and toned down their laughter at my pitiful attempts. Just this week I got clipped in the knee by a ball, but I shook it off. I've had several nasty bruises due to failed catching attempts. I do not let that stop me.

My son will continue to train and condition off-season. When you get to a higher level in sports, you can no longer afford to take months off between seasons. He understands that winter means hopping on the treadmill and tossing the ball in our basement. The workouts will be less intense, but they will be regular.

I also condition myself for writing.

Every weekday I do writing related tasks. I either write, revise, plot, or study a book on the writing craft. I do this because I know it will improve my performance.

When you get to a higher level in writing, you can no longer afford to take months off between books. A handful of times a year I'll take a week or two off. Christmas, our summer vacation, when I'm feeling burned out--we all need true vacations. But even if I took a longer period off of writing or revising, I would be reading books in my genre, studying craft books, jotting down and exploring story ideas.

Just like my son conditions for a higher purpose, I keep everything writing-related a top priority in my life so I don't fall into a slump or lose the hard-earned writing muscles I've honed. I want to be my best, and that means consistency, dedication, and focus.

What motivates you? Do you condition for anything in your life?

Have a fabulous Wednesday!!

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So Let's Just Say...

So let's just say I'm texting a friend when my dog runs into our glass patio door. Sophie saw a robin and apparently forgot that little problem called glass. I might have muttered, "Dummy," and kept texting on my way to our garage.

We have a refrigerator out there where I keep sodas, beer, bottled waters, and Gatorades. I needed a pop.

I'm texting. Walking. Into the garage. Shut the door.

And...

So let's just say I got locked out of the house. In ugly white socks. No shoes. But I had my cell phone. (Bonus!!)

Ten minutes later, I cracked open my pop, cranked out another text, and entered my house.

You all have imaginations. Let's just say YOU got locked out of your house with no shoes on but with your cell phone in hand. What would you do?

Have a fabulous Monday!!

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My Book Review Policy

I love books, just love them! Goodreads helps me keep track of the books I've read, but I'm not just a reader. As a writer, I had to create my own policy for any public reviews I post.

Over the years, I've talked to other authors about publicly reviewing books. Some don't post reviews at all. Some will rate a book but not review it. Others rate and review every book they read, whether they liked the book or not. And some are like me--they rate and review books they love, but don't review books they find so-so or worse.

I pick up a book with the expectation I will like it. I don't read books that don't interest me. If the book was written by a close friend, I may offer to be an influencer for the book, and because it's written by a someone I like, I look forward to reading it.

Posting reviews on sites like Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Christianbook.com can be intimidating to me. I may be bubbly, but I'm always honest. I will not post a review for a book I didn't love. The vast majority of my ratings are four and five stars.

Questions I wrestle with:

1. Will an author be offended if I give her book a four-star rather than a five-star rating?

If I give a book a four-star rating--I loved the book! A small element distracted me from the story--one I try to tactfully address in the review--and prevented me from going full-blown five-stars. A four star review from me is a GREAT REVIEW! If anything major pulled me out of the book, I would give it a three-star or less, and I probably wouldn't post a public review.

2. Do I mark books as read in Goodreads that I personally didn't like even though the writing was stellar?

Since I'm a writer as well as a reader, I do not include books I didn't like on my Goodreads list. One or two of my earliest reviews included two-star ratings of NY Times Bestsellers I was sorely disappointed with, but I no longer even mark those in Goodreads. I try to review every book I read and enjoy, but sometimes, I lack the time and only mark a book as read.

3. What about posting my review on online book retailer sites?

Occasionally I copy my Goodreads review of a book to Amazon and other retailers. But I usually only do this for books I've agreed to influence. Like all of you, I'm busy.

4. What do I owe authors?

If I've offered to influence a book, I owe the author a thorough reading of the book, reviews on various sites if I enjoyed it, and I always help spread the word about it.

Occasionally, I get requests from authors to review their books. I've also won books from blog contests and later been asked by the author to post a review. I do not feel I owe these authors anything.

I find it off-putting to be asked by a casual acquaintance via a Twitter direct message or something similar if "I will do her a favor and review her book." It takes me several hours to read a novel, something I usually have to do in stolen pockets of time. I then analyze what I liked about the story and take more time writing and posting reviews.

Reviews are an investment of my time, and I am selective about what I agree to. If the author is a friend, someone I've met in person, someone I've reached out to because I liked her other books, or someone who writes in my genre, I usually jump at the chance to help her out. But if the author is someone I've only interacted with a few times on Twitter, who writes in a genre I typically don't read, or is self-published and I'm not familiar with her, I will always give a gentle no.

If I have won a book through a blog contest, I will be offended if the author then requests a review for the book. Authors who give away books should not expect anything in return from the winner. Period.

I am an unusual reader. I may own a book for three years before I decide to read it. The library stack of books on my coffee table may appeal to me more than the latest and greatest in my mailbox. Reading is truly a pleasure for me, and I refuse to put rules on it. I have rules for every other aspect of my life. I read what I want, when I want!

5. How can authors be more effective about asking for reviews?

If you're an author trying to get reviews for an upcoming book, don't just throw Twitter direct messages or Facebook posts out to random people. Put a little time and thought into it. Do some research. Check the blogs you're considering to see what genre books are typically featured. If you think your book could be a match, go ahead and send an e-mail to the person along the lines of:

"I enjoy your blog and notice you occasionally host authors and review books. My book, Title Here, is a contemporary romance through Blank Publishing and will be released on Future Date. Would you be interested in reviewing my book? If not, would you consider hosting me around my release date? Please do not feel obligated. My e-mail address is addy@email.com. Thank you, Author."

Book reviews are a tricky business. When we publicly post our opinion about a book--even when we loved the book--we risk hurting a fellow author's feelings. I created a policy a few years ago that works for me, and at the end of the day, I stand by my decision.

Do you post public reviews online? Do you have a policy? I'd love to hear it!

Have a terrific weekend!!

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Things I Miss from My Early Twenties

I know this is shocking, but I'm not in my twenties anymore. *gasp!!* We won't get into actual ages or anything, but if rings in a tree trunk tell the age of the tree, let's just say the lines in my forehead tell the age of me. :)

*cough* Thirty-one. *cough*  Okay. I lied. I'm older than that. And I'm crying about it!!

Age has gifted me with many things--focused ambition, perseverance, a desire to do God's will rather than my own--but it's also taken away some things.


Here are some things I miss from my early twenties.

1. Free time.

I married young, but even with a full-time job, full time classes at the university, and a relentless schedule, I managed to catch a movie here or there, shop just because, and read a book all the way through in one sitting. When I graduated college and only worked a full time job? The whole free time thing really opened up!

2. Free time.

I exercised regularly. Ate what I wanted when I wanted it. Fit a run in at any pocket of time available. My time was my own, and I loved it!

3. Free time.

I've been a stay-at-home mom for years, and I'm letting you in on a little secret--I don't have much free time. It's a choice, yes, one I'm thankful for and blessed with, but I spend every weekday, all day, writing or working on writing-related tasks. Evenings? Sports, homework, meals, any "emergency" that requires a run to the store or a load of laundry. Enough said.

4. Free time.

Back in the good old days, Saturdays meant sleeping in. Sleeping in is one of my favorite things to do. Saturday morning free time is something I really, really miss.

5. Free time.

Visiting our parents didn't require White House levels of planning. We hopped in a car, drove up north on a Friday night, and headed back home on Sunday afternoon. We could because we had free time.

***

My early twenties were far from perfect. I have some pockets of sadness left over from those days, as we all do. But the one thing I do miss--having time just for me.

This July and August, I will have free time again, and I'm anticipating every second of it!! Yay!!

What is lacking in your life right now? Is it a phase or permanent? Do you need help making peace with it?

Have an amazing Wednesday!!

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