Old dog learns new tricks
Building an author website in the modern age
(Almost) every time you fill out a Submittable form to submit your tender, glowing new novel manuscript to a potential agent or publisher, they ask if you have a website. This is, so I’m told, a way to present yourself to these folks as
a professional writer
media savvy
someone who has thought, at least, about marketing said novel, and
who is willing to do all or most of the marketing work themself
(because ain’t nobody gonna do it for you unless you are one of the unicorns who get picked and promoted as the Next Big Thing.)
So, ok, fine. I’ve built and run a few basic websites, but not for authors. Where do I start?
Enter the Sisters in Crime Guppy network and their ever-growing list of useful webinars and courses. There I found Lisa Norman, an energizer bunny who is leading 20+ of us through the weird and wonderful world of web design for authors, from inception to finished product. Reactions vary, but for my needs, it’s been terrific so far. I’ve learned a ton of useful stuff, am now familiar with the many choices of platform, and have finally gotten off the pot and built myself something that (I hope) deals with 1-4 above.
If you’re quick, you can watch my website develop through its final stages HERE.
So far, if you visit my site, you’ll see some photographs I’ve taken, poetry I’ve published, and a bit about me. It even links back to my blog here on Substack. Soon I hope to link to some published short stories. And at some point, the gods willing and the creek don’t rise, I will have a novel to advertise.
For now, you can follow me here by subscribing below and learn all about aging debut novelists. Or at least about this one. It’s free. And occasional.
