How could I do this? What did I get myself into? I’m going to either not having anything to say, or I’m going to sound like an idiot.
Those are some of my thoughts leading up to my first appearance as a panelist last month. (By the way, I don’t know why it’s taken so long to write about that evening. Thanks to my friend Mark for prompting me to do so.) It took place at Firehouse Theatre on the evening of Wednesday, May 30. The James River Writers talk was titled, “What I Wish I Knew Before My First Book.”
“What I Wish I Knew Before My First Book,” panelists Kristen Green, Sharon Harrigan, Tracey Livesay, Gwen Cole, and me, J. P. Cane (I’m the one in the red shirt) Photo courtesy of Kris Spisak
Thank you to James River Writers for inviting me to moderate the panel discussion on author websites.
Thank you to author Anne Westrick and Pubslush Development Director Justine Schofield for making my job easier by being engaging and knowledgeable panelists!
And thank you to all who came out to Firehouse Theater tonight to learn more about what goes into making successful author websites.
Author Anne Westrick answers my website questions while Justine Schofield of Pubslush looks on.
In the first half of the program, we covered domain names, free hosting, and examples of authors doing it right with their websites. And for those who do not know what Pubslush is, it’s a crowdfunding site specifically for authors. Justine took us through some of the projects getting funded and how the process works.
In Q&A, we covered search engine optimization, responsive web design, copyright concerns, and how much to put on your site versus saving it for publication elsewhere.
It was a privilege to be up there, as for the past seven (?) years I’ve been in the audience at the Writing Shows. I hope attendees found it worthwhile and that I get to do it again.
My personal view is that websites are crucial for any business. And writing is a business. Your site can sell you as much as it can sell your work. It’s open all the time, ready to serve your customers. It’s also a process. You don’t have to get it right when you first start. Trial and error are great teachers. Set goals and deadlines for yourself, then assess when you reach those milestones.
I am grateful to James River Writers for inviting me to moderate their April Writing Show, “The Author Website: Build It to Build a Following.” Web programming is something I quite enjoy and I’m fortunate to be able to earn a living from it. (Now to be able write for a living, ah, that would be something! Unlikely: Most Authors Earn Less than Minimum Wage)
I look forward to seeing the Writing Show from this new perspective! I hope to see you there — if you do attend, I’d appreciate feedback afterward or here in the comments.
Promote your book using book trailers. How? you may (and should) ask. Come to this month’s James River Writers Writing Show. The panel experts are all set to answer your questions on how to use trailers to promote your work. Read more about the event, and be sure to register for the event!
I am grateful to James River Writers for inviting me to moderate their April Writing Show, “