Date: 2008-05-07 14:38 Subject: Websites for Writers: Planning your website - part 1 Security: Public Tags: planning your website, websites for writers

Okay, you're a writer. Writers have websites. You've probably seen them, or someone's told you should have one. You've got hold of a copy of website editing program like Dreamweaver, or you read a book about HTML, or you know someone who made a website for a friend or colleague. You're all ready to go, to build your website and be part of the web, because... Well, because...

To be honest, it's possible you don't quite know why. And even if you do know why, you may well not know what you want to do with your website when you've got it.

This is pretty normal.

It's very tempting to launch yourself into designing and building your website straight away, but if you do, it will go wrong. The time you spend planning will pay itself back later on. So, for now, no designs, no content. Let's just think about your website.

If you've already decided that, for whatever reason, you do need or want a website, you can skip the rest of this entry and move right on to the next one (coming up shortly), where we'll start to plan out your website in detail. If you're not sure, continue reading here…
( Read about planning your website )

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Date: 2008-05-07 14:55 Subject: Websites for Writers: Planning your website - part 2 Security: Public Tags: planning your website, websites for writers

In the last journal entry, I talked about whether you need a website or not. If you're still reading, I assume you think you might. Now let's really start to plan out your website. As always, feel free to ask questions, argue, comment or whatever.

2. Who is the target audience for your website?

When I ask this question, most people say 'everyone' or come up with a vast, diverse list of audiences. Your audience isn't everyone. It can't even be lots of different groups.

You can't appeal to everyone with a website. If you try, it will fail. Just as your stories can't appeal to every reader, neither can your website.

Likewise, your audience isn't you. Although few people would answer the question with 'Me', that's what a lot of people seem to think. When you're deciding, as you will later, what to include, how to write it and what your site should look like, you need to keep this in mind. Your website is for your visitors, not for you.
( Read more about planning your website )

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