Right? I think a bigger part of the problem I'm trying to address is that authors often don't know their site sucks. This is so helpful because it's helping me fine tune my thought process. Thank you!
Holly, you made me laugh. First, now I want to see your children's books. Curiosity!! And secondly, because if a site doesn't sell squat, then it's not the "perfect" site. lol.
Is it terrible that I haven't read much at Medium this week? I have a site I am trying to finish up and behind on reading. The last post of yours I read was the one where I commented to say I'd be happy to give you some kudos. But this is totally delightful. Means we've been on the same wavelength. Somehow that feels nice. :)
Well you're not wrong here. I write only for computers, and my website(s) look like something a five-year-old would reject. I don't build websites, don't want to, and obviously suck at it. I don't rely on the website for much more than bug reporting. You may have motivated me to find a designer to take care of that.
Back to "real" writers, I know two that are very talented and have good following numbers. Both are struggling financially, and rely strictly on platforms like Medium. One has a website donated by a patron, and it looks it. The other has no site. Is this part of the reason they are struggling?
Finally, a cliche-based title: Fixing a Site for Sore Eyes
With the two struggling authors, here's what I can tell you. Every client I have worked with has seen an increase in sales because of what we did with their site. But even in saying that, I know most sites do not sell or convert. I suspect it's because I came to design from offline marketing. Too many designers create pretty sites that don't sell. Your title made me laugh. I'm loving all the feedback. It helps me think.
Hi Henya. Sometimes I am for hire, but it depends how much I have on my plate at the time. Send me an email and I'll let you know a little more that might interest you. All you need to do is hit reply on any of my newsletters and it will reach me. :)
That's the goal of it, for sure, but the missing part is the focus on authors. I'm trying to cram so much into the title and feel like I'm overthinking. That's why I'm loving the feedback. It really helps me refine my thoughts.
A Step-by-Step Guide for Writers on How to Market and Promote Their Work
by Linda "Websites-R-Us" Caroll
There's your title, babe. You're welcome. Ha-Ha-Ha. ;)
Hi, everyone, my name is J.A. ("hi J.A.") and my website...sucks. Yes, yes it does. All two (3? 4?) of them. As for the workbook, you know we'd get it, but I'm not invested in learning the process, personally. Everyone has their own bandwidth, or they should.
Everyone has their own skillset-threshold, and it takes a wise, humble, and brutally honest-with-herself person to say "Yup, not my thing," while staring out like a deer in the headlights of a Snowcat. 😳😶😬🥴 So I'd buy it and hire it out, have someone design it according to the strategies you lay out in the workbook.
Hi Linda! (*waving wildly*) 2022 is the year of change, growth and 'awesome.' Exciting things ahead! I hope you're feelin' allllll that 'awesome,' too. xoja
Hi JA (*waving back*). Yup, hiring out the work would do it, too. Then the workbook becomes a job description. Too many authors/writers hire someone to do stuff for them, but don't know what the person should be doing and end up disappointed.
Someone told me 2022 is feeling like 2020-2 and I laughed. God, I hope not. xo right back.
Indeed. I warned people to manage their expectations back in 2021, but who listens to me? My mom used to always say this, and it helps. "Two men, both behind bars; one sees dirt, the other, the stars." It's not a bad view, just a slight chin-tilt's all you gotta do. (That last bit is all me, right there. *snork!*)
The "as if" made me laugh. But in truth, that's it exactly. A tool to help build a site doesn't help people know what should go on the site. That's what I'm focusing on. The driving strategy, and there's not just one. I like where you went with that title. Glad I asked for feedback, it's really helpful to kickstart the thinking process. :)
Linda, don't worry about the title. Concentrate on great names for chapters. They will be one-liners that Sell the title. My Website Sucks. My headlines: I thought SEO was a new corporate job position / But I love "my little kitty," what do you mean I don't have the copyright ? / Pseudonyms are for suckers / I'm too unique for a brand / What would Marie Kondo do? Make a sales shelf for your books so readers can find you. . . . .
Margie, that's a really good perspective. I've been fixated on a title because I want to start building a list for the book. But maybe working on chapter heads will help. Thanks!
I've not even gotten to the point of developing an "author's website" I'm clueless and would love your workbook. As for the service, Getting Author's Webpages to be Worthy Investments comes to mind based on your writeup.
You and so many other authors. The ideal time is when you start writing the book, but it seldom happens that way. I hope I can help with that. Your title is actually a good selling point. :)
p.s. the only people coming to my page are marketers. Introducing The dollhouse I always wanted: My website (https://www.margiepearl.com). It's a disaster.
Marketers? How so? You mean all those people trying to sell you seo and such? I get a lot of those, too. My website is a disaster right now, too. It's like the shoemaker whose kids don't have shoes. We need to have a group website fixing project. lol
Right? I think a bigger part of the problem I'm trying to address is that authors often don't know their site sucks. This is so helpful because it's helping me fine tune my thought process. Thank you!
The front page -- throwback to the 90's maybe, but some people are doing that again, on purpose, and calling it "brutalism" -- lol.
Darn. Good thing you said that. I would have.
Omg, lol, that's priceless. I had no idea that writing user manuals paid royalties. I would have thought they were a one-off payment and done.
Oh. lol.
Holly, you made me laugh. First, now I want to see your children's books. Curiosity!! And secondly, because if a site doesn't sell squat, then it's not the "perfect" site. lol.
I'm interested in learning how to make a website that doesn't suck :) Possible title:
Create a Website Worthy of your Book(s)
Thanks! Worthy is a good thought to throw in the brain storm.
Hahaha I find it coincidental that this is your newsletter in the same week that I publicly admitted my website sucks 😁😁 Did I inspire you?
Is it terrible that I haven't read much at Medium this week? I have a site I am trying to finish up and behind on reading. The last post of yours I read was the one where I commented to say I'd be happy to give you some kudos. But this is totally delightful. Means we've been on the same wavelength. Somehow that feels nice. :)
Yup that's the post where I said my site sucks. Subliminal messaging 😁😁
Right? I went back to see if there was some I missed, but there wasn't. Then it dawned on me. lol. Subliminal, indeed.
A Website Workout For Authors
(subtitle) Making it Work For You.
You know, if I change "workout" to "workbook" that's actually pretty killer. I am just loving the feedback here. So glad I asked. :)
Yes please. My website is non existent. . 'The Ultimate Website for Writers '
Tree, that's a really great title. Man, I just love the brainstorming happening in here.
Well you're not wrong here. I write only for computers, and my website(s) look like something a five-year-old would reject. I don't build websites, don't want to, and obviously suck at it. I don't rely on the website for much more than bug reporting. You may have motivated me to find a designer to take care of that.
Back to "real" writers, I know two that are very talented and have good following numbers. Both are struggling financially, and rely strictly on platforms like Medium. One has a website donated by a patron, and it looks it. The other has no site. Is this part of the reason they are struggling?
Finally, a cliche-based title: Fixing a Site for Sore Eyes
With the two struggling authors, here's what I can tell you. Every client I have worked with has seen an increase in sales because of what we did with their site. But even in saying that, I know most sites do not sell or convert. I suspect it's because I came to design from offline marketing. Too many designers create pretty sites that don't sell. Your title made me laugh. I'm loving all the feedback. It helps me think.
Hi Linda, I'm interested in your workbook...also, are you for hire?
Hi Henya. Sometimes I am for hire, but it depends how much I have on my plate at the time. Send me an email and I'll let you know a little more that might interest you. All you need to do is hit reply on any of my newsletters and it will reach me. :)
henyad@gmail.com
How to Make Your Website Work for You! OR How to Make Your Wesite Earn you Money!
That's the goal of it, for sure, but the missing part is the focus on authors. I'm trying to cram so much into the title and feel like I'm overthinking. That's why I'm loving the feedback. It really helps me refine my thoughts.
"My Website Sucks!"
A Step-by-Step Guide for Writers on How to Market and Promote Their Work
by Linda "Websites-R-Us" Caroll
There's your title, babe. You're welcome. Ha-Ha-Ha. ;)
Hi, everyone, my name is J.A. ("hi J.A.") and my website...sucks. Yes, yes it does. All two (3? 4?) of them. As for the workbook, you know we'd get it, but I'm not invested in learning the process, personally. Everyone has their own bandwidth, or they should.
Everyone has their own skillset-threshold, and it takes a wise, humble, and brutally honest-with-herself person to say "Yup, not my thing," while staring out like a deer in the headlights of a Snowcat. 😳😶😬🥴 So I'd buy it and hire it out, have someone design it according to the strategies you lay out in the workbook.
Hi Linda! (*waving wildly*) 2022 is the year of change, growth and 'awesome.' Exciting things ahead! I hope you're feelin' allllll that 'awesome,' too. xoja
Is Websites-R-Us a possible copyright violation?😆😆😆😆😆😆Probably. Hilarious.
lol. Possibly more than probable.
Hi JA (*waving back*). Yup, hiring out the work would do it, too. Then the workbook becomes a job description. Too many authors/writers hire someone to do stuff for them, but don't know what the person should be doing and end up disappointed.
Someone told me 2022 is feeling like 2020-2 and I laughed. God, I hope not. xo right back.
Indeed. I warned people to manage their expectations back in 2021, but who listens to me? My mom used to always say this, and it helps. "Two men, both behind bars; one sees dirt, the other, the stars." It's not a bad view, just a slight chin-tilt's all you gotta do. (That last bit is all me, right there. *snork!*)
I was just thinking today that my website sucks and was about to buy an elementor page template to fix it. LOL. As if…
Yes! Please, I would love your workbook. I can’t wait to use it to transform my site.
Hmmm… title for the book. Maybe, “How to Wake up Your Dull Author Website so Your Books Sell” or something like that.
The "as if" made me laugh. But in truth, that's it exactly. A tool to help build a site doesn't help people know what should go on the site. That's what I'm focusing on. The driving strategy, and there's not just one. I like where you went with that title. Glad I asked for feedback, it's really helpful to kickstart the thinking process. :)
Linda, don't worry about the title. Concentrate on great names for chapters. They will be one-liners that Sell the title. My Website Sucks. My headlines: I thought SEO was a new corporate job position / But I love "my little kitty," what do you mean I don't have the copyright ? / Pseudonyms are for suckers / I'm too unique for a brand / What would Marie Kondo do? Make a sales shelf for your books so readers can find you. . . . .
Margie, that's a really good perspective. I've been fixated on a title because I want to start building a list for the book. But maybe working on chapter heads will help. Thanks!
I'm interested.
Thanks, Carol!
I've not even gotten to the point of developing an "author's website" I'm clueless and would love your workbook. As for the service, Getting Author's Webpages to be Worthy Investments comes to mind based on your writeup.
You and so many other authors. The ideal time is when you start writing the book, but it seldom happens that way. I hope I can help with that. Your title is actually a good selling point. :)
I’ve started the Novel- I think it’s a great premise, but it’s a bit grand in scope for my writing ability.
p.s. the only people coming to my page are marketers. Introducing The dollhouse I always wanted: My website (https://www.margiepearl.com). It's a disaster.
Marketers? How so? You mean all those people trying to sell you seo and such? I get a lot of those, too. My website is a disaster right now, too. It's like the shoemaker whose kids don't have shoes. We need to have a group website fixing project. lol
Possible Title: Is Your website sucking Wind? This workbook will fix that!
You'd be shocked how close that is to the working title on the word document. lol
And I didn’t know I was psychic. Smile!!🙃