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Mary Rosenblum
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Hello all.
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Welcome to our Professional
Connection live interview.
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Tonight we'll be chatting with Tobi
Piatek.
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Educator, writer, curriculum
developer, web designer, graphic artist, intercultural communicator, eLearning
developer and speaker, Tobi Kibel Piatek combines writing, design and
marketing skills with technology. She frequently works with writers (new
and established) to help them define and build their online platform to
help them get their message in front of their audience. In her writer's
hat, Tobi focuses on writing books, columns and courses for educators. She
has developed projects for Oregon Public Broadcasting, PBS, Portland State University and more.
Her work appears in print and on the web.
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You can take a look at her
website at: www.synergenii.com
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Tobi, I'm so pleased to welcome
you here tonight. Thanks for coming!
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Thanks for inviting me.
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Mary Rosenblum
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So let's begin at the beginning
here. Which came first for you...
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the writing or the website
design?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Oh definitely writing -
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I wrote stories as soon as I
could read - around age 5 - before - long before computers much less
websites.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Oh very cool.
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And you work in education, too.
Didn't you tell me you're currently designing or working on an interactive
college course?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Yes - I am the writer of an
online course designed to help teachers and mentors and others who work
with kids, understand how to keep kids at risk, in school.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Ah, Gail as a perfect question
to start us off.
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gail
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When -- and why -- should a
writer consider developing a web-site?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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When they have something to
share with the world - a product, a service, news, information.
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Mary Rosenblum
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So even someone who's not
publishing yet can still offer prospective readers something on a website?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Oh yes - you might want a
place to post your articles for example.
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Mary Rosenblum
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So what should a novice think
about when planning a website?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Your audience. ...
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Your message and the look and
feel of the site you create must match your audience
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Mary Rosenblum
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So your audience will be your
readers or prospective readers. How do you match that site to your readers?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Your readers yes, but most
important - the ones who will BUY your book.
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Parents are the audience for kids
books. So are libraries and schools
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Mary Rosenblum
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So if you write romance, your readers
are probably women. But what if your genre is pretty diverse in terms of
readers? Say mystery? What do you go by then?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Who are you writing for? Keep
the faces of the people you imagine reading and buying your books in mind.
Women buy books for men and vice versa. Design a site that is good for
anyone.
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gail
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When you say the message must
match the audience, are you saying a writer needs to create various
web-sites if they write in different genres? Or, can that be done through
development of different "pages"?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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No - my website makes it clear
who I work with - all is you need is one site. However, if you are a
parent, looking for a book for a five year old, and you go to a site
covered with bloody corpses - there is dissonance.
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Create your site to appeal to
your most likely audience
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Mary Rosenblum
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No kidding! :-) So while you
can include your various genres under one roof, so to speak, that may not
work if you write in 'dissonant' genres, say Christian romance and erotica!
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Probably true.
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jasond
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If you use your short stories as
site content before they're published, aren't you eliminating your chances
for selling first rights?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Yes
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Why would you post your
stories on your site? Your goal, I assume is to sell them, not give them
away
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Mary Rosenblum
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More and more writers are being
encouraged by publishers to post previously published work or segments of
work for sale currently as PR.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Previously published stories
are a different issue
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gail
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When posting articles or stories
that have already been published, must the author wait until rights revert
back (if applicable) before posting them to their web-site?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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I don't know. I would guess
this is relevant to your agreement with your publisher
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You may consider, if the work
is available online, including links in your website to your content on
other sites.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I can answer that question,
actually. You must have unencumbered electronic rights in order to post on
your website.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Thank you Mary
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Mary Rosenblum
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So what do you consider some
critical components to a writer's website? Links to purchasing locations, I
assume? Powell’s, amazon.com, etc?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Most important is a domain name.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Establishing a domain name is
like choosing a location to build your home. It needs to be just right.
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k c morlock
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With our audience in mind are
there dos and don'ts for domain names?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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As a writer, you might want to
use your own name, as in www.janewrite.com, or, you might want to use a
book title, or create a domain name that reflects your expertise or theme.
Of course, someone else may share your name, or your idea for a domain
name. The best place to find out whether your choice is available, or what
options you might have is to visit www.godaddy.com. This is the place to
start your search, and purchase the domain name you choose. Notice that
when you enter a domain name, GoDaddy will offer alternatives if your
original choice is not available (e.g., janewrite.org, janeauthor.com, and
janewriteonline.com).
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When you find the name you
want, purchase that name for at least three years. First, it saves you
money, and second, it protects the name for you.
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This is very important: Save
ALL the documentation you receive from GoDaddy – you will need it when you
establish your host. Remember your password.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I think you'd better explain
how domain names work in general for those who don't entirely understand
it.
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And host for that matter.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Once your have a domain name,
you will need a web host. Essentially, your host provides the real estate
(unreal estate?) on which to build your site.
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Your domain creates an address
where people can find you on the web. This address is the place where you
build your site. Your host owns the property - you pay rent in the form of
hosting fees
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Mary Rosenblum
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What about the usually-free
website space offered by such companies as earthlink, comcast, and yahoo?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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You are already paying them
for some service such as email and the ability to get onto the web
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So, web space is provided as
part of your package of services
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Mary Rosenblum
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Are they a good choice for
hosts?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Yes - depending on your needs.
Not all websites contain the same content and features. If you want more
than a very basic site, you may want to consider other hosts
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quixote
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What should we look for in a
hosting service? (Considering that most writers are not very wealthy)
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Its not the hosting service
that's of greatest importance, its the web content. As long as you have
enough space to host your site, and the site does not tend to crash every
day, you are probably fine.
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gail
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Is there a clear benefit to
creating a web-site for promotion of only one novel?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Yes - ...
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You build a website as part of
your business platform. It is a way to establish your identity. Do you
really exist in this high tech world if you can't be found on Google?
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Your website is another way
for you connect with – readers, editors, other writers, book store owners,
resources, the public -
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Mary Rosenblum
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That is a very great reality,
and these days publishers nearly require you to have a website.
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infinitedot
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How can you best market your
site online?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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A website, no matter how well
done, is a little like a lonely platform. It doesn’t do much good unless
people a) know its there, and b) know how to get there.
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Viewers who get to your web
site, arrive in different ways – they may enter your web address (if they
know it), you may Google your name or a title (also requires know
something. Or, they can search for e.g., children’s books about fire
trucks. It’s the searches that hold potential for a wide array of visitors
– but how do you bring them to your site selling your book about fire
trucks, and not the dozen other sites like that out on the web?
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You need Keywords.
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The term Keyword refers to a
word or phrase used by Internet users to find information online
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Mary Rosenblum
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And these are embedded on the
web page, correct?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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And in the back end - in the
html code
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gskearney
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Are any of the promotional
services worth the money? I'm talking about people who say they can get
your site into more search engines and such.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Keywords are big business. I
know that these services have benefited many people - are they worth it for
you? It depends on so many factors.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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There are ways to do this yourself
however. Your keywords should describe you, your product, your location,
your services, your titles, your expertise, your target audience etc.
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payton
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What about using those templates
offered by yahoo? Do these work pretty well for making a website?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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That's a clear yes and no
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They have the advantage of
being inexpensive - but, if you do not work with them properly, they look
like they are worth every penny you spent :-) Unless you can create links,
can be consistent in your choice of fonts, have decent color sense, and
understand how to write you copy, and plan your navigation, they can look
really bad
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jasond
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When providing samples/excerpts
for your site, is it better to use the regular text of the html document or
use a PDF?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Once again it depends. If I am
going to just read a quick 'taste' of your work ... text is fine. If I am
going to download a chapter ... then pdf.
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Mary Rosenblum
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You mentioned navigation. Can
we talk about its importance here? What makes for 'good' navigation and
what is a problem?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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There's a great rule for web
design - Don’t Make Me Think. Good navigation is simple, obvious and
consistent. Click here to go to the About Page, here to find my email
address. No mysteries
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Mary Rosenblum
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One example...I visited a
writers webpage the other day and looked for a link to purchase the book.
Could not find one anywhere.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Poor planning - its like
having a store that no one can find
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k c morlock
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Should a writer find a web maker
or use software and what kind?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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In my opinion - most writers
are good writers. Web design is a skill. Its easy to build a bad website.
It takes a professional to build a great one
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Mary Rosenblum
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So let's take a minute here.
Say a writer comes to you. He write hard-boiled mysteries. And he wants a
website. Where do you begin? What do you include? How do you do the design
process? Can you walk us through this scenario?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Is his book in print? What
does he want his site to do? He might want to sell books and related
materials on the site - or he may want to just link to Amazon....
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Does he want to include a
calendar of events to let people know about readings or sales?
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What kind of art or photos
does he want to include? Does he want hi-end features such as flash? A
video or audio of himself reading? Links to interviews/
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As you can see - this is not
simple. A key question - what is your budget?
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Mary Rosenblum
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And let's talk money here,
because very few writers have a lot. The expert designer sounds like the
optimal answer but...what ball park
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Mary Rosenblum
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are we playing in here, in
terms of price?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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500$ -50000$ and up
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Mary Rosenblum
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Is that per year? One time?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Develop and design fees - one
time. There maintenance fees, depending on how often the site changes, and
there will be additional hosting fees - which can be quite low, or higher
depending on the site features
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gail
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Once a web-site has been
activated, is it still possible to add, remove, or change its content and
appearance?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Oh yes. That's the beauty of
the web. Unlike print, it can change in an instant
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gail
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When you design a web-site, do
you guide your clients through the relative needs and requirements, or
would you expect they have that data already decided?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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I am there guru and guide. I
create not only a site design, but help them understand what they need to
include to make the website work for them - as a marketing tool.
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gail
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My previous question was poorly phrased...Is
there a benefit to creating separate web-sites for each novel published?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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No - its best to create a
domain by Author Name - which is fairly standard. So, for example, at www.susanfletcher.com , I site I
designed, Susan has many books. Each book has its own page on the site.
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copper
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Do we wait until the novel is
published or merely written?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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When the novel is sold, you
will want to begin to plan your marketing approach
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Mary Rosenblum
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Do you think there's any
benefit to arousing reader interest before the book is sold?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Building buzz is good - also,
planning ahead is good
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quixote
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Some writers (Jerry Pournelle
comes to mind) show a log on their work in progress - can this be done on a
web page -or is that a 'blog'?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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I am unfamiliar with what he
does so I can not comment
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gail
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Some publishers want to know
what the author has planned with regard to marketing and promotion. To that
end, would it be better to establish a web-site before the novel's been
sold?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Not necessarily - just the
fact that you plan a site should be enough before you have the check in
hand
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gail
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How effective is blogging, as
opposed to creating a web-site, for novice writers?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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They are different animals. A blog
can be part of your site - and a great marketing tool. However, they
require a lot of work to keep current and fresh. Your site is less
demanding
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Mary Rosenblum
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What about people who want to
use Facebook or Myspace instead of a website?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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They have their place,
especially to build buzz with younger audiences.
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dt4heaven
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If you build your own web site
how can you be sure it is seen?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Refer back to the Keywords discussion
earlier
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jasond
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Do you use Dreamweaver or
something else?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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I use dreamweaver
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gail
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I've heard it said that when
using a web-site for promotional purposes it's best to keep it as
clean-looking as possible...skipping all the "frou-frou"
graphics, fonts, and other distractions. Would you agree with this when
designing a site for a creative-type? :)
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Who said? Beautiful design is
its own reward - but bad design can really hurt your site
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Check out my site - www.synergenii.com
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gskearney
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The problem is that graphic
skills and writing skill are rarely found in the same brain. At least get
someone with good visual taste to help with design if you don't have the
skill yourself.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Someone like me
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Mary Rosenblum
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I was about to say that. J
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Thanks
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Mary Rosenblum
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When you take on clients do you
handle the hosting as well?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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I am associated with a hosting
company
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Mary Rosenblum
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So it can be simple for your
clients. J
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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This allows me to create high
end sites that are very complex. Not all writers are poor remember - those
who market and sell well, have money to spend
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I try to make everything
simple and direct for my clients
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Mary Rosenblum
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Can we use your website as an
example? Can you explain to us why you designed it the way you did? I think
that will be an excellent illustration of what we've been talking about
tonight.
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www.synergenii.com
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Why I designed it like I did? Its
actually a new design and a new look. I got tired of the old look. I wanted
something very simple. An important aspect are words on the home page -
these are my key audience
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My targets - and my services
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Anyone looking understands
what I do, and who I do it for and with
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Mary Rosenblum
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The main words, larger font:
Creative Communications
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Yes?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Content Design • Web Design • eMail
Marketing • Educational Materials • Presentations
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Educators • Writers • Designers
• Entrepreneurs • Organizations
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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No explanations needed.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I'm just putting up the words
you mentioned so folk don't have to click over there to see.
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Very clear.
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Your service first...large
font.
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Your services next.
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Your potential clients next.
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gail
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Very nice design -- I've been
perusing its contents since this forum began. J
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Thank you. My portfolio pages
link to sites and projects I've designed so that potential clients can see
my design skills and the variety of possibilities
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gail
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Is it possible for a writer
(with some knowledge of HTML) to have a web-site designed for them, but
which they can then do their own maintenance and upkeep?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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ABSOLUTELY
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quixote
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It has a very clean look. In
services you mention 'self managed sites' -available. How much control does
the owner have?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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I specialize in creating
self-managed sites
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You can add text, edit text,
add pages, add photos and lots more.
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Its a cool program
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I build a template so that the
design stays consistent
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Mary Rosenblum
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Very nice service, Tobi.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Thanks. By the way - you do
not need any html or web skills to use the self-managed site. Its similar
to using a word processor
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jasond
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You mentioned godaddy for domain
names. any recommendations for reliable/affordable hosting?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Call or email me !!!
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I have a long and good
relationship with a host who is reliable and excellent and affordable
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jokerman
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Could someone start off with
writing.com or the like instead?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Instead of a domain name?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Is that one of the websites
that allow authors to have space there?
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I would think your own domain
name is a lot better.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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A domain name is cheap seven
or eight dollars a year - and generic ones are not available. How would
anyone find you without a good domain name?
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gail
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As a resident of Canada, should I
consider using a US (or international?) host for greater reliability or
global accessibility -- or, is that even a factor?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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I don't know
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Mary Rosenblum
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I doubt it. Where your host is
located doesn't make any difference. Mine is physically in the UK.
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My feeling is that the website
is very important, especially if you're doing any self promotion at all.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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I agree
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Mary Rosenblum
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And in this day of publishing
you are expected to self promote, even if you publish with New York publisher.
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Everybody googles first.
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I know that when I look for
guests, I'm shocked if I can't find a website for that person.
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And...it rarely happens.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Its a great way to build your platform
too - send your friends an email and send them to your site. That's basic
marketing
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Mary Rosenblum
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A technophobe friend of mine, a
SF writer no less, got told he HAD to have a website up. NOW.
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Yes, that would be one way to
spread your website, wouldn't it, Tobi? Include that url on your emails?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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I hear that more and more
frequently - I get panicked calls from writers needing a site NOW
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Mary Rosenblum
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Publishers want that website.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Include your web address on
EVERYTHING
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Mary Rosenblum
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What about cross linking? You
include links to other sites, they link to you. Another good way to
proliferate your site?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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True The more links you have,
the stronger your platform. And that’s the bottom line – to help your
website do its work for you – invite people in by getting the word out.
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also . Create and send an eNewsletter
– keep yourself in front of your audience on a regular basis, showcase
articles, press, events, etc., and create new content for new uses (think
articles and your website) at the same time. SynerGenii can help with this.
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Mary Rosenblum
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So you're really offering a marketing
plan as much as you are designing a website, right?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Yes - they go in hand in hand.
Your site is the platform for your marketing efforts - everything links to
it
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jasond
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I'm currently working on a site
to showcase my graphic design portfolio. Should I develop a separate site
for my writing or just branch it off the art site?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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It is usually easiest to have
one site. I often design sites with two "doors' one that links to one
area and the other to a second area - many of us offer a variety of
services
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Mary Rosenblum
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I recommend, Jasond, that you
go look at the website portfolio on Tobi's website.
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And since we're getting close
to the end of our chat, I'd like to give you the opportunity...
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Or call or email for specific
ideas
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Mary Rosenblum
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to go into detail about just
what you offer. It sounds as if you are offering a lot for that outlay of
hard earned cash.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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My website says it all (good
design and planning you know)
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Websites for writers that will
not only look good, but become the basis of a marketing campaign, and grow
with the writer
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Graphic design, photography,
and Content Development. I learned long ago that writing for the web is
totally different than writing for print, I will help you get your message
out on the web
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Mary Rosenblum
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Do you offer the client an
estimate on cost when you first discuss what they want?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Of course - the client fills
out a form that helps us both understand what he or she is looking for.
That is what I use to determine costs
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gail
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Would fiction and non-fiction be
"disparate" markets for a writer's web-site?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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No - YOU are the subject of
your site. Your products are YOUR work. Design the site to feature you as
author with different skills and services
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quixote
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From synergenii: " Learn
about Search Engines, keywords and metatags" - How?
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Enter those words in Google
and read ... that's a good way to start. When you talk to a web designer,
ask about these things as well
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Mary Rosenblum
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We're going to let Tobi skip
out a bit early...she has a deadline to meet. Tobi, thank you so much for
joining us tonight.
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gail
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Synergenii is in my favorites folder!
J Thank you for a very informative forum.
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Mary Rosenblum
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You have given folks some good
things to think about in terms of a website, and I hope you end up with
some new clients.
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quixote
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Thank you
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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I hope to hear from you. I
love being a favorite, Thank you all for your questions
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Mary Rosenblum
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And thank you for your great
answers! You do a lovely job with your websites.
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Tobi Kibel Piatek
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Good night
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Mary Rosenblum
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Good night, all! Have a great
weekend.
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