The rain is falling here in Cornwall but not like the rest of the country. Hope everyone is afloat.
Next up on the conference was a talk by Lesley Pierce but thanks to Silverstone she was delayed reaching us. Amanda Grangestepped into the breach so to speak. She spoke about web sites and blogs. Questions flew in as people who hadn't taken the plunge into the web world saw the advantages.
A Quick summary of her key points:
Web Page Hints:
a. have a simple welcome page then add different pages for books
b. make sure you have a contact email on there and she suggested that use one of the many free ones available out there like hotmail.
c. have an amazon link so that it is easy for people to buy your books
Blogs:
She mentioned that blogs don't have to be maintained by just one person but could easily be done as a group so that the pressure to maintain isn't to onerous. She does a blog with several others historical writers, http://www.historicalromanceuk.blogspot.com/.
There are many types of blog formats available, blogger, wordpress and touchpad to name a few.
Newsletters are a good way of keeping in touch with readers and a sign up on both blogs and web sites is useful.
To make your web site of blog more professional looking she suggested using Slide at http://www.slide.com/ to display book covers.
Her final point was to use something like http://www.statcounter.com/ to keep track of who is visiting your site.
Next up on the conference was a talk by Lesley Pierce but thanks to Silverstone she was delayed reaching us. Amanda Grangestepped into the breach so to speak. She spoke about web sites and blogs. Questions flew in as people who hadn't taken the plunge into the web world saw the advantages.
A Quick summary of her key points:
Web Page Hints:
a. have a simple welcome page then add different pages for books
b. make sure you have a contact email on there and she suggested that use one of the many free ones available out there like hotmail.
c. have an amazon link so that it is easy for people to buy your books
Blogs:
She mentioned that blogs don't have to be maintained by just one person but could easily be done as a group so that the pressure to maintain isn't to onerous. She does a blog with several others historical writers, http://www.historicalromanceuk.blogspot.com/.
There are many types of blog formats available, blogger, wordpress and touchpad to name a few.
Newsletters are a good way of keeping in touch with readers and a sign up on both blogs and web sites is useful.
To make your web site of blog more professional looking she suggested using Slide at http://www.slide.com/ to display book covers.
Her final point was to use something like http://www.statcounter.com/ to keep track of who is visiting your site.
Eventually Lesley Pierce arrived and told us of her road to publication but the most important thing she said was 'write what your heart's telling you to do.'
On my own writing front I am just over the the half way mark of another read through of August Rock. I have had a bit more tweaking here and there. Once this read through is finished I will read it through one more time before I send it off to the RNA's New Writer's Scheme. I have to confess I am bored to tears with it at the moment which I am taking as a good sign. I am hoping it is a sign to let go.
Yesterday I finished reading Katie Fforde's Going Dutch. I loved it and it brightened a very dull day. What I loved about the book was the balance of the story of two women at different stages of life letting love back in........a deliciously satisfying read.
5 comments:
I wish you'd volunteered to write up my bits of the conference! And I'm dying to read both your mss. Being bored may be a good thing, I always hate mine by the time they go to the printers!
Hi Liz, I'm just catching up with your blog in between trips (Welsh course last week, daughter's graduation this week) and would like to thank you for some really informative postings. Also great to see photos of RNA members. Thanks for taking the time to do with and well done with the mss rewrite... I am about to embark on mine!
Lesley, I was lazy and didn't volunteer to write any - because I didn't think I could do any of the speakers just in the word allowance!
Thanks for the kind thoughts re my scripts!
Chrish it's a shame you couldn't make it. I have found my three conferences so far to be utterly brilliant - socially and from the writing side!
Hope your daughter's graduation goes well :-)
Good luck with your reread!
Liz
Thanks for all your reports of talks I missed and good luck with August Rock and A Cornish House.
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