Comments on: Saturday Craft Blog: To Promote or Not Promote http://www.plotmonkeys.com/802/saturday-craft-blog-to-promote-or-not-promote/ Testing the Plot Monkey Blog Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:47:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: kim h http://www.plotmonkeys.com/802/saturday-craft-blog-to-promote-or-not-promote/#comment-70828 kim h Sun, 27 Apr 2008 07:30:40 +0000 http://www.plotmonkeys.com/?p=802#comment-70828 tha t is cool love kathleen blaze books. :party: tha t is cool love kathleen blaze books.

]]> By: Julie Leto http://www.plotmonkeys.com/802/saturday-craft-blog-to-promote-or-not-promote/#comment-70819 Julie Leto Sun, 27 Apr 2008 03:40:13 +0000 http://www.plotmonkeys.com/?p=802#comment-70819 Patricia, thanks for saying so! I do like author websites for reading excerpts...but it is the excerpt, not the website, that makes me want to buy a book...and I can get those excerpts IN a bookstore, can't I? LOL! Kathleen, Bonnie & Lori...thanks so much for stopping by! Added insight is very much appreciated. I'm not an expert on this by any means...just sharing my opinion on the matter and asking questions myself. Thanks for coming by and lending your own knowledge! We at PM appreciate it! Patricia, thanks for saying so! I do like author websites for reading excerpts…but it is the excerpt, not the website, that makes me want to buy a book…and I can get those excerpts IN a bookstore, can’t I? LOL!

Kathleen, Bonnie & Lori…thanks so much for stopping by! Added insight is very much appreciated. I’m not an expert on this by any means…just sharing my opinion on the matter and asking questions myself. Thanks for coming by and lending your own knowledge! We at PM appreciate it!

]]> By: Patricia Cochran http://www.plotmonkeys.com/802/saturday-craft-blog-to-promote-or-not-promote/#comment-70795 Patricia Cochran Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:08:26 +0000 http://www.plotmonkeys.com/?p=802#comment-70795 As a reader, I don't check to see if an author has a website before I purchase her/his book! Can you see me: checking out a book in the store, then making a trip home to Google for a website, then rushing back to the store to purchase the book - if the author has a website --NOT! It's the writing, the story, even the cover, which matter to me! Pat Cochran As a reader, I don’t check to see if an author has a website before I purchase
her/his book! Can you see me: checking out a book in the store, then making
a trip home to Google for a website, then rushing back to the store to purchase
the book - if the author has a website –NOT! It’s the writing, the story, even
the cover, which matter to me!

Pat Cochran

]]> By: Kathleen O'Reilly http://www.plotmonkeys.com/802/saturday-craft-blog-to-promote-or-not-promote/#comment-70794 Kathleen O'Reilly Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:40:55 +0000 http://www.plotmonkeys.com/?p=802#comment-70794 Thank you, Katie. :cooldance: Thank you, Katie.

]]> By: katie http://www.plotmonkeys.com/802/saturday-craft-blog-to-promote-or-not-promote/#comment-70793 katie Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:38:42 +0000 http://www.plotmonkeys.com/?p=802#comment-70793 Kathleen O'Reilley, if you are out there...I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED "Sex, Straight Up" (I had to get the one before it, too). Awesome! Kathleen O’Reilley, if you are out there…I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED “Sex, Straight Up” (I had to get the one before it, too). Awesome!

]]> By: Lori Borrill http://www.plotmonkeys.com/802/saturday-craft-blog-to-promote-or-not-promote/#comment-70780 Lori Borrill Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:44:42 +0000 http://www.plotmonkeys.com/?p=802#comment-70780 Kathleen, I think you make an excellent point. My kid has a Myspace page, I have a friend who has a family photo album web, another who blogs about the countries she's traveling to. So if a pre-pubbed author wants to make a page to talk about their writing, why not? That's precisely why I'd made one myself. Not to sell a book but because I wanted to share with family and friends what I was working on, what contests I'd finaled in, where my submissions are, etc. Then it was a huge bonus to have it in place after I sold. BUT, if you're building a site because you think it will help get a marginally decent story recognized by an editor or agent, it's wasted energy. You'll gain a better edge networking RWA, getting interviews with editors, and making friends in the business....oh, and of course, writing a good book. :wub: Interesting discussion, Julie! Kathleen, I think you make an excellent point. My kid has a Myspace page, I have a friend who has a family photo album web, another who blogs about the countries she’s traveling to. So if a pre-pubbed author wants to make a page to talk about their writing, why not? That’s precisely why I’d made one myself. Not to sell a book but because I wanted to share with family and friends what I was working on, what contests I’d finaled in, where my submissions are, etc. Then it was a huge bonus to have it in place after I sold.

BUT, if you’re building a site because you think it will help get a marginally decent story recognized by an editor or agent, it’s wasted energy. You’ll gain a better edge networking RWA, getting interviews with editors, and making friends in the business….oh, and of course, writing a good book.

Interesting discussion, Julie!

]]> By: Bonnie Edwards http://www.plotmonkeys.com/802/saturday-craft-blog-to-promote-or-not-promote/#comment-70775 Bonnie Edwards Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:20:31 +0000 http://www.plotmonkeys.com/?p=802#comment-70775 Great topic...and since this is my first time here, forgive me if I mess something up...all these dancing dudes are distracting! Jodie, I'm laughing at your trials and tribs with WordPress. I've been as frustrated as you are! And, quite frankly, it destroys my creative buzz to get frustrated with WP and doing site maintenance. I'm now in the process of trying to hand over the whole thing to a designer. I didn't design the site, but foolishly thought I could learn enough to do updates etc. I'm fine now with text but widgets hate me...and there's no way I can figure out the middle section with my newest covers....I think that may be sidebar widgets...ARRGGGHHH!!!! Anyway...my point is that a lot of time and creative energy can be put into websites. And all of it is taken away from your writing energy. So, I absolutely agree that parking your domain name(s) is a great idea...and a very positive step toward your professional attitude and career, trying to learn website design and maintenance can actually set writers back. Ok, so I wanted to find a dancing dude to emphasize my point but I'm afraid I'll lose the whole comment if I mess with this.... Great post, Julie! Great topic…and since this is my first time here, forgive me if I mess something up…all these dancing dudes are distracting!

Jodie, I’m laughing at your trials and tribs with WordPress. I’ve been as frustrated as you are! And, quite frankly, it destroys my creative buzz to get frustrated with WP and doing site maintenance.

I’m now in the process of trying to hand over the whole thing to a designer. I didn’t design the site, but foolishly thought I could learn enough to do updates etc. I’m fine now with text but widgets hate me…and there’s no way I can figure out the middle section with my newest covers….I think that may be sidebar widgets…ARRGGGHHH!!!!

Anyway…my point is that a lot of time and creative energy can be put into websites. And all of it is taken away from your writing energy.

So, I absolutely agree that parking your domain name(s) is a great idea…and a very positive step toward your professional attitude and career, trying to learn website design and maintenance can actually set writers back.

Ok, so I wanted to find a dancing dude to emphasize my point but I’m afraid I’ll lose the whole comment if I mess with this….

Great post, Julie!

]]> By: Kathleen O'Reilly http://www.plotmonkeys.com/802/saturday-craft-blog-to-promote-or-not-promote/#comment-70774 Kathleen O'Reilly Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:28:54 +0000 http://www.plotmonkeys.com/?p=802#comment-70774 With websites, I think it's what the writer is comfortable with. Tons of non-author people have blogs and websites, or a myspace page, so it's not surprising that an aspiring author can use that to showcase your talents. But like anything else with writing, there aren't rules. People have to find what works for them, their abilities, their monies (or lack thereof). I do think creativity counts in this biz, and if an editor or a publisher sees something in you that they can exploit (i.e. you're a great promotor, or have a web-following, or whatever), then you get bonus points, but it's always, always, always about the book first and foremost. With websites, I think it’s what the writer is comfortable with. Tons of non-author people have blogs and websites, or a myspace page, so it’s not surprising that an aspiring author can use that to showcase your talents. But like anything else with writing, there aren’t rules. People have to find what works for them, their abilities, their monies (or lack thereof). I do think creativity counts in this biz, and if an editor or a publisher sees something in you that they can exploit (i.e. you’re a great promotor, or have a web-following, or whatever), then you get bonus points, but it’s always, always, always about the book first and foremost.

]]> By: Julie Leto http://www.plotmonkeys.com/802/saturday-craft-blog-to-promote-or-not-promote/#comment-70772 Julie Leto Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:58:37 +0000 http://www.plotmonkeys.com/?p=802#comment-70772 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/03/28/should-aspiring-authors-establish-a-web-presence/#more-1264 This link goes to someone with a different opinion than mine...but I still maintain that if you don't have a website, but you've written a fabulous book, you will find representation and or a publishing contract. I do not think, though I could be wrong, that a publisher and/or agent would say, "this person isn't serious if they don't have a website." I'd be shocked...and frankly, I don't think that would be the type of editor I wanted to have. I mean...Linda Howard doesn't maintain her own website...does that make her less than professional? Um, no! And I've seen plenty of multi-published, professional authors with less-than-impressive websites. Anyway, I still maintain that good writing and good timing are key. The rest is fluff and extra. http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/03/28/should-aspiring-authors-establish-a-web-presence/#more-1264

This link goes to someone with a different opinion than mine…but I still maintain that if you don’t have a website, but you’ve written a fabulous book, you will find representation and or a publishing contract.

I do not think, though I could be wrong, that a publisher and/or agent would say, “this person isn’t serious if they don’t have a website.” I’d be shocked…and frankly, I don’t think that would be the type of editor I wanted to have.

I mean…Linda Howard doesn’t maintain her own website…does that make her less than professional? Um, no! And I’ve seen plenty of multi-published, professional authors with less-than-impressive websites.

Anyway, I still maintain that good writing and good timing are key. The rest is fluff and extra.

]]> By: limecello http://www.plotmonkeys.com/802/saturday-craft-blog-to-promote-or-not-promote/#comment-70767 limecello Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:20:51 +0000 http://www.plotmonkeys.com/?p=802#comment-70767 Great advice, Julie. This makes so much sense. Also, it makes me glad I'm currently in more of an editor, not writer position. Although, my material isn't nearly as fun as what you write! Great advice, Julie. This makes so much sense. Also, it makes me glad I’m currently in more of an editor, not writer position. Although, my material isn’t nearly as fun as what you write!

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