Category Archives: Author information

You’re invited! Come see my fab new website!

March 6, 2016Author informationAustralian fiction, Australiana, author websites, automaton, contemporary fiction, imbroglio, intrigue, mystery, romantic suspense, suspenseAlana Woods

You’re invited to check out my fab new website!

I love new things, don’t you? I actually love fab old things too, but this one is new and I’m really pleased with it. Proud, too, of the accomplishment.

So I want to share it with absolutely everyone.

My books on Amazon Imbroglio | Automaton | Tapestries | 25 Writing Tips

The prompt was a problem with the blog sharing capabilities of my old website. That raised it’s very annoying head just two weeks before I was due to renew my website registration for another year or two.

It was obviously a sign from above to move on. So I did. To WordPress. Boy, was that ever a steep learning curve!

Incredibly annoyingly—at least in the short term—was the fact that I was unable to transfer my existing data. I therefore had to start from scratch.

That turned out to be a good thing because it made me analyse what my old site had offered and whether I wanted to replicate it.

I decided I didn’t.

I thought about what I, as a reader, like to see on author pages.

Information about their books, yes, but also information about them. I like to know something about the lives of the authors I read. Not nosy stuff, definitely not. But where they live, what interests them and what they occasionally get up to.

And here’s the result.

I’ve completely overhauled my book pages to include the story behind the story and location pics. I’ve also gone the extra mile and chosen the Australian actors I’d love to play my lead characters if the books were to be made into movies. Come check them out. Here are a few. imbroglio stars | automaton stars

Essie Davis channeling Pryne Fisher--news.com website

There are character interviews too.

So come visit. Tell me what you think. Like a few pages. Subscribe to my site and two blogs. The invitation includes it all!!

Oh, and turn on your sound.

Cheers from me
Alana

Is there any instance of when you SHOULD leave a comment?

January 24, 2016Author informationauthor interviews, authors, blog posts, blog sites, book promotions, comment boxes, comments, contemporary fiction, features, guest posts, interviews, leave a reply, promotionsAlana Woods

Is there any instance of when you SHOULD leave a comment on a blog post?

I can think of one—which is the subject of my post today.

My books on Amazon Imbroglio | Automaton | Tapestries | 25 Writing Tips

Leaving comments is an ongoing source of discussion. I’ve seen two posts by other bloggers in just the last week.

I’m not going to enter into the general debate about leaving them versus not leaving them.

I have a very definite situation in mind.

Guest posts, interviews, promotions

It’s when we guest post on another’s blog site. What’s the etiquette of responding once the post is published?

If you’ve been lucky enough to be a guest on another blog, been interviewed or had your book/s featured, do you say a public thank you in the comments box at the bottom of the post?

The blog host probably spent quite a bit of time preparing the post. My thinking is they should be publicly thanked for their efforts. It’s the polite thing to do, isn’t it?

A blogging master

I was first presented with this several years ago when I was new to blogging. One of my first guest appearances was on UK author Morgen Bailey’s blog. Now there’s an incredibly busy blogger who knows what she’s about.

In the information she provided me with was the request that after the event I visit the blog and leave a comment. I did, and it’s a lesson that has stayed with me.

In subsequent guest appearances I’ve both commented on the blog site and privately thanked the host via email.

In my own blog posts featuring guests I haven’t followed Morgen’s lead by asking the guest to leave a comment but I’ve decided to do so in future.

The reason being that I rarely receive that public thank you on the post itself. I often receive an email. Sometimes I receive a comment on e.g. Facebook. And in both instances I appreciate the courtesy and thoughtfulness.

However, in more than a few instances I’ve not received any follow-up thank you or comment.

What are your thoughts on this?

What should an author website contain?

December 26, 2015Author informationAlana Woods' author interviews, Alana Woods' book review, Alana Woods' website, Amazon author pages, Australian fiction, Australiana, contemporary fiction, Intrigue Queen of thriller fiction, My World of Books, Travel TalesAlana Woods

I’ve just had to build a new author website from scratch.

My books on Amazon Imbroglio | Automaton | Tapestries | 25 Writing Tips

I recently changed website provider and host, and as my old provider didn’t allow me to export data I was forced to start again.

It focused my thinking on this question: Who am I reaching out to and what information should I be providing them with?

I tried to be all things to all people with my old one. Information about my books, me and my writing for the reading public—but I also had pages dedicated to indie authors to help them navigate the tricky shoals of publishing.

I realise now that’s not the way to go. The two purposes are at odds. I imagine readers found it confusing and, to be brutal with myself, uninteresting.

And authors? … well, frankly, my pages palled in the face of many other sites that actually are dedicated to them.

I realised that my purpose as an author is to concentrate on readers.

That brought me to another question: How interested am I in behind-the-scenes information about the books I read and their authors?

In relation to books the answer was that it tickles me to know what inspired a story.

In relation to authors it was wanting to know a little about their lives—only as much as they’re willing to give, of course—and how that has steered their stories.

So … today I’m announcing my new website is ready to receive visitors.

My new author website

alanawoods.com

It welcomes old fans and new.

Each of My books has a dedicated page containing cover image and a snapshot of the story. They have a story-behind-the-story segment, my favourite review, and a slideshow gallery of photos that show the story locations. Two also have video trailers.

My About pages contain personal as well as professional information and, again, slideshow galleries depicting my past and present; nonsensical stuff such holiday pics.

Then there’s a Photo albums page where all of the slideshows reside in thumbnail presentation with captions.

I’ve kept a blog and, in fact, expanded it to two. There’s My World of Books which will continue to focus on book reviews and author interviews, but with forays into the wider world of publishing from the readers’ viewpoint. My new blog, Travel Tales, combines my love of writing with my love of travelling and gives yet another insight into my private life.