Comments on: Four Months & Marketing http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/ about the craft and business of fiction Wed, 23 May 2012 23:52:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Frances http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117955 Frances Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:44:37 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117955 Gorgeous website and easy to navigate. Really captures the tone of your book. I also vote "no music." I find it highly annoying when I visit a site and a song automatically starts playing--especially if I'm listening to music already. Gorgeous website and easy to navigate. Really captures the tone of your book. I also vote “no music.” I find it highly annoying when I visit a site and a song automatically starts playing–especially if I’m listening to music already.

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]]> By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117559 Therese Walsh Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:31:07 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117559 Melanie, it means a lot, thank you. Lori, thanks for your comment about the photo journal. We worked long and hard on that, so I'm glad it intrigues. Sean, thank you. I appreciate your ideas for the main page (length issues and also the possibility that other pages might load in the same frame). I'll run everything by my designer. Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts on the music issue! Melanie, it means a lot, thank you.

Lori, thanks for your comment about the photo journal. We worked long and hard on that, so I’m glad it intrigues.

Sean, thank you. I appreciate your ideas for the main page (length issues and also the possibility that other pages might load in the same frame). I’ll run everything by my designer.

Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts on the music issue!

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]]> By: Sean http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117536 Sean Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:16:33 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117536 The website is gorgeous. While I find the music a wonderful touch, I agree with others in that it should be optional and not something that is sprung on the visitor. In addition, the main index page is just slightly too long for some web browsers without having to scroll just a little, specifically Safari. It hides the music bar from view. It may be better if the controls for the music were slipped in on the sidebar or at the top of the page where it is more noticeable. And on a final note, each page of your website is exactly the same layout, so would it not be better to arrange it so that each page loads within that same frame on the index page? That way if people wish to listen to the music it continues to play while they are browsing the different pages of your site. The website is gorgeous. While I find the music a wonderful touch, I agree with others in that it should be optional and not something that is sprung on the visitor. In addition, the main index page is just slightly too long for some web browsers without having to scroll just a little, specifically Safari. It hides the music bar from view. It may be better if the controls for the music were slipped in on the sidebar or at the top of the page where it is more noticeable.
And on a final note, each page of your website is exactly the same layout, so would it not be better to arrange it so that each page loads within that same frame on the index page? That way if people wish to listen to the music it continues to play while they are browsing the different pages of your site.

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]]> By: Lori A. May http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117527 Lori A. May Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:31:30 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117527 Therese, Your website is beautiful. It shows the amount of work you put into it. Plus, I love the photo journal. That adds a great deal of interest. As for music, I agree with others. Make it optional, if you can, for all the aforementioned reasons. It adds a nice touch, but is one of those things that people either love or hate so it's best to use caution. Great post! I look forward to seeing more of your journey. - Lori Therese,

Your website is beautiful. It shows the amount of work you put into it. Plus, I love the photo journal. That adds a great deal of interest.

As for music, I agree with others. Make it optional, if you can, for all the aforementioned reasons. It adds a nice touch, but is one of those things that people either love or hate so it’s best to use caution.

Great post! I look forward to seeing more of your journey.

- Lori

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]]> By: Melanie http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117526 Melanie Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:00:59 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117526 Oh, wow, I love it (and I'm a graphic designer if that means anything :P ). Great post, too. Oh, wow, I love it (and I’m a graphic designer if that means anything :P ). Great post, too.

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]]> By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117514 Therese Walsh Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:13:51 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117514 Thanks, Richard and Kath! Thea, website designs can range in cost, depending on what you're looking for--or you can put one together yourself for the cost of web software. All of the social media is free. The personal WordPress blog (reserved) is free. As far as supplementing promo efforts, you can put as much or as little money into that as you'd like. Thanks to Jeremiah and Kristan for thoughts on the music. I'll see if my web designer can include some sort of pop up that lets the reader decide at the start if they'd like music or not. (There is a way to turn off sound, though--at the bottom of the page.) Kristan, what you've suggested about the personal blog/spinoff is what I'd thought up as well. Thanks, everyone! Thanks, Richard and Kath!

Thea, website designs can range in cost, depending on what you’re looking for–or you can put one together yourself for the cost of web software. All of the social media is free. The personal WordPress blog (reserved) is free. As far as supplementing promo efforts, you can put as much or as little money into that as you’d like.

Thanks to Jeremiah and Kristan for thoughts on the music. I’ll see if my web designer can include some sort of pop up that lets the reader decide at the start if they’d like music or not. (There is a way to turn off sound, though–at the bottom of the page.)

Kristan, what you’ve suggested about the personal blog/spinoff is what I’d thought up as well.

Thanks, everyone!

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]]> By: Kristan http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117511 Kristan Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:34:42 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117511 I think your website looks truly lovely (and what a great photo of you on the bio page!) but I have to vote against music. I really hate it when I load a page and music just starts playing -- what if I'm at work, or in a library, or just happen to have my speakers up too loud? It also slows down the loading of a site, but that didn't seem to be too big a factor for your site. 2 more cents: I think that if you don't feel like blogging separately from WU, you could just cross-post what you blog here. Yes it's redundant (although you could do an excerpt with a "Read more" link back to the WU post) but it keeps people going to your site for fresh material without putting too much additional burden on you. Plus then, if you do at some point want to blog something that doesn't fit here, then you have an outlet/venue for it. Anyway, congrats on all of this new stuff -- it's so exciting! I think your website looks truly lovely (and what a great photo of you on the bio page!) but I have to vote against music. I really hate it when I load a page and music just starts playing — what if I’m at work, or in a library, or just happen to have my speakers up too loud? It also slows down the loading of a site, but that didn’t seem to be too big a factor for your site.

2 more cents: I think that if you don’t feel like blogging separately from WU, you could just cross-post what you blog here. Yes it’s redundant (although you could do an excerpt with a “Read more” link back to the WU post) but it keeps people going to your site for fresh material without putting too much additional burden on you. Plus then, if you do at some point want to blog something that doesn’t fit here, then you have an outlet/venue for it.

Anyway, congrats on all of this new stuff — it’s so exciting!

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]]> By: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117510 Kathleen Bolton Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:29:59 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117510 Therese, this is such an exciting time! It's a ton of work, but bask in the NOW of this moment. It's awesome to watch. Therese, this is such an exciting time! It’s a ton of work, but bask in the NOW of this moment. It’s awesome to watch.

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]]> By: thea http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117509 thea Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:12:54 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117509 what kind of financial investment is called for with all these new marketing tools? what kind of financial investment is called for with all these new marketing tools?

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]]> By: Jeremiah http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117508 Jeremiah Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:12:16 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/06/16/four-months-marketing/#comment-117508 Just wanted to pipe in about the music on the webpage. I would highly recommend making that optional. Allow users to click "play" if they want to hear, otherwise leave it off. Some people may find your website while they're at work, when they're supposed to be working, and if the website suddenly starts music they may leave immediately to make the music stop. Otherwise, you've done a good job on the website. Congrats on your accomplishment! Good luck. - Jeremiah Just wanted to pipe in about the music on the webpage. I would highly recommend making that optional. Allow users to click “play” if they want to hear, otherwise leave it off.

Some people may find your website while they’re at work, when they’re supposed to be working, and if the website suddenly starts music they may leave immediately to make the music stop.

Otherwise, you’ve done a good job on the website.

Congrats on your accomplishment! Good luck.

- Jeremiah

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