WordPress – Almost An Author

Writers Chat Recap for July, Part 1

Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Brandy Bow, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

WordPress Tour and Demonstration with Rhonda Dragomir

Creating a website can be challenging, but Rhonda’s tour, tips, and ideas make it easier. In today’s episode she demonstrates how to create a web page using a versatile theme and different plug-ins. Rhonda also shares the importance of page colors (hex codes), fonts, and images. For more information check out this week’s replay.

Watch the July 6^th replay.

Rhonda Dragomir, website designer extraordinaire, is a multimedia creative who treasures her fairy tale life in Central Kentucky, insisting her home is her castle, even if her prince refuses to dig a moat. She has published works in several anthologies and periodicals, along with numerous Bible studies used weekly by more than 10,000 women around the world. You can connect with Rhonda on social media or at rhondadragomir.com.

Conquering Query Letters with Tracy Crump

You’ve written a riveting article or come up with a fascinating idea for a book. You’ve identified which market will be the perfect fit for your writing. Now all you have to do is convince a busy editor who receives thousands of submissions every month to publish your work. Tracy Crump, demonstrates how you can master the art of writing a one-page query letter that will get editors’ attention and persuade them to publish your projects.

Watch the July 13^th replay.

Bio

Tracy Crump, author, editor, and speaker has more than a hundred published pieces and leads workshops at writer’s conferences. Her passion for the written word led her to help other writers improve their craft and is co-founder the Write Life Workshops, where she conduct workshops and webinars. You can connect with Tracy on social media or at www.tracycrump.com.

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
on Zoom. Here’s our permanent Zoom room link.

Why every author needs to build a strong website – Part 1

Do you need a website as an author? Let’s think about this for just a moment. In this day and age when you are curious about something don’t you resort to Googling it? The internet has dramatically changed how you research something you are interested in. What happens when someone types in your name to see if you are a Christian author? What’s the first thing they see in the search results?

I challenge you to Google yourself if you are not sure of this yet. You may be surprised by the results! Articles you haven’t thought about in months, perhaps years. The page your publisher put up that perhaps you don’t love the copy from? What does your Google search show about yourself?

An author’s website is a critical tool that is a central platform for many items that can not only help you build your brand but also to sell your books. However, a poorly constructed or “unplugged” website can also do detriment to your brand. Having worked with many publishers I can tell you that when a publishing house is looking at signing you one factor is your potential market. An author with a solid website that is socially integrated and has followers is a major bonus for a publisher or agent. This means you will be easier to market and therefore they are taking less of a chance in signing your book.

How do you get a great website? Well, first let me just say that not all websites are equal and they don’t always have to cost a fortune to be effective. I have personally run across people that prey upon authors to get “quick cash” by being webmasters that do very little or designers with price tags that cost into the $1500-$2000 range. These are more likely than not never going to make your ROI (return of investment) back. Also places that charge like that are more likely to require you to go through them for every single small change will only add onto that price tag.

Here are some tips on avoiding being put in a negative situation when having your website built:

Make sure you have control – With all of my authors I make sure that when my group builds a site that my business doesn’t own any of the domains or hostings. This is all done in the clients name. This protects you in the event something ever happened to the vendor. If you legally own the domain and hosting directly then you can always get someone to fix it. When someone else owns the hosting you could be left in the dark if your vendor disappears.
Create a site you can update/post from on your own – All the templates we use we teach authors to use. The reason for this is simple. If you want to change a color of a certain text or add a new post you are not stuck waiting for the webmaster to do it.
Make sure the vendor offers support – You wouldn’t buy a brand new car without the warranty would you? Make sure the vendor is able to offer support for everyday issues without too much fuss.

In my next post I will cover self-hosting on your own and the benefits of WordPress as a hosting platform for your website. If you have questions or would like a free assessment of your website please contact me at www.Meetme.so/MeaghanBurnett.