I was talking to my husband today about setting up a web-page. We've had a domain forever (though it's only got his stuff on it, atm) and I could put up some of what I've written there. Even the shortest story I've got is 4K words and a scene is usually about 2K (thinks... 10 pages is 2500...) or at least not less that 1K words. I don't think that posting to this blog would work.
What do I want to get out of it?
I really would like feedback. I'm a bit worried that I'd get a lot that wasn't worth much (either saying it's stupid or loving it) but I think I've done this enough that I feel confident I could deal with sorting comments. So I'd need a commenting system of some sort. So... free for all commenting or invitation only? Or send comments back to the blog?
And how annoyed would people be to get a part of something and not the whole, or not the end?
Because besides feedback, authors usually hope to use a web-site to build a readership so that they can eventually sell books. Annoying the potential audiences would be bad. Although, it may be that having expectations to meet will be a good thing for me. A very good thing.
There's a potential problem with having a whole novel on a web-site. But probably it would be enough to simply take it down if I manage to sell it. Otherwise it might be a good idea to have a public area with a few short stories and other stuff, and an invitation-only area for works-in-progress.
Now, the invitation-only area could be an automatic thing requiring registration, so long as it's every so very slightly not-public. It's not like hordes of people are going to flock to my web site. (If they do, I could make the invitations less-than-automatic.)
Anyhow... anyone who sees this...
Would registration be too much of a hassle?
What do you think is important to include on a web-site?
What should I avoid at all costs?
I think I want to try this and as much as it's for me, it's for you... whoever *you* are.
What do I want to get out of it?
I really would like feedback. I'm a bit worried that I'd get a lot that wasn't worth much (either saying it's stupid or loving it) but I think I've done this enough that I feel confident I could deal with sorting comments. So I'd need a commenting system of some sort. So... free for all commenting or invitation only? Or send comments back to the blog?
And how annoyed would people be to get a part of something and not the whole, or not the end?
Because besides feedback, authors usually hope to use a web-site to build a readership so that they can eventually sell books. Annoying the potential audiences would be bad. Although, it may be that having expectations to meet will be a good thing for me. A very good thing.
There's a potential problem with having a whole novel on a web-site. But probably it would be enough to simply take it down if I manage to sell it. Otherwise it might be a good idea to have a public area with a few short stories and other stuff, and an invitation-only area for works-in-progress.
Now, the invitation-only area could be an automatic thing requiring registration, so long as it's every so very slightly not-public. It's not like hordes of people are going to flock to my web site. (If they do, I could make the invitations less-than-automatic.)
Anyhow... anyone who sees this...
Would registration be too much of a hassle?
What do you think is important to include on a web-site?
What should I avoid at all costs?
I think I want to try this and as much as it's for me, it's for you... whoever *you* are.
Comments
Blog anything you wouldn't be ashamed for your grandchildren to read.
And if the hinking Wizbang ads bother you, have you tried Firefox with NoScript and Adblock? It makes surfing so much faster and pleasanter!
Well I read blog posts because they never end ; )
Otherwise it might be a good idea to have a public area with a few short stories and other stuff, and an invitation-only area for works-in-progress.
One guy that published something he wrote on the internet sends out special links or email attachments with the stories. Depending on whether the author wants feedback on a website or through email.
I don't know why but the honking ad only seems to show up in the middle of the night. It's not there now, anyhow. I use Firefox and will look into adblocking, thanks.
Curiously, when I was looking up ideas about author web sites one of the things I found was people saying that they really hated a web page that made noise and someone even mentioned waking up sleeping people.
There was lots of agreement on that. No noise and no animation.