Writer – Editor – Blogger
Web Sites and Blogs
Web site how-to, blog how-to, links to examples
Need Free Photos?
Mar 16th
Have you noticed that many bloggers are now adding photos to their posts? Would you like to have some photos to jazz up your e-book? I want to keep up with the latest trends, so I’ve looked for free photos for my last few posts.
I googled for “free photos,” but I kept getting sites that offer a lot of royalty-free photos but very few absolutely-free, no-strings-attached photos. I put a query on my writers group asking people where they get their free photos. In the process, I’ve come up with some tips that might save you time when you need free graphics. More >
Measuring Success: Google Analytics
Mar 9th
How do you know whether anybody is reading your blog? Why spend all the time and energy it takes to produce content if there are no readers? This question came up in an online writers’ group recently. You may be wondering that too, so, in this post, I’ll share the method I’m using now.
When I was using the free WordPress blogs (www.wordpress.com), I had access to limited traffic statistics on the main dashboard. Now that I’m using self-hosted WordPress (www.wordpress.org), I decided to check out Google Analytics. You can use your existing Google login information if you are already a Google user.
I set up my account on February 5, 2010. I can now see traffic trends from that date to the current date, or I can check traffic for a specific month, week, or day. Right now, I don’t have many e-mail subscribers. If I only used that number to measure my following, I might get discouraged in a hurry. However, when I post new material, I announce it on Twitter and Facebook. A few days later, I go to Google Analytics and examine the traffic. Most of the time, I get a bump in visitors during the 24-hour period following the Twitter/Facebook post. More >
New Blog: Looking for a Name
Feb 10th
Welcome. This is the first post on my newly organized blog. I don’t have a proper name for it yet, but it’s coming soon.
What’s New
My new site and blog development has taken longer than I expected due to several things, including a computer crash. I’ve reconstructed my Web site using WordPress so that I can maintain one blog rather than several. This blog page will combine the subject matter of my two WordPress.com blogs, Wired to Write and Marketing for Christian Writers. All content from those blogs has been imported into this one. At the last minute, I decided also to bring the content of my book reviews on books about writing into this blog, too. To get future updates, you’ll need to subscribe here by entering your e-mail address in the box in the right sidebar. If you subscribed to Wired or Marketing blogs, there will be one more post on each blog to announce the move. After that, I won’t be posting on them anymore.
If I can figure out how to add another blog page to my site, I will bring my devotional journal blog over, too. I’ll continue to maintain my book review blog (personal reading) on Blogger because I have a unique following for that. Also, that’s where I post my reviews for the Thomas Nelson book review blogger program. See BookSneeze.com for details on that.
Article Roundup
Oct 29th
I’ve found so many good items of interest to Wired Writers that I’m sharing them with you rather than writing a new post myself.
Specifically for Writers
Web site for Newbie Writers (appears to be based in UK, but About link is not working for me today.
20 Hi-Tech Tools and Resources for Writers
Web Sites and Blogging
Author Tech Tips: The Top 5 Author Website Mistakes
New Rule for Book Review Bloggers
Online Security
5 Essential Tips to Keep Your PC Safe
Publishing Industry
Options in the Price War Over Books
If you have articles or Web site URLs to share, please post a comment. Next week, I hope to be done with my evaluation of the free brainstorming software, Personal Brain 5. If you have used this software, please contact me at akinemily(a)gmail.com.
Free Web Sites: One Last Word
Sep 30th
I had intended to move on to other topics for this post, but I put a request for information about WordPress on one of my online groups. I got a response that I want to share with you. Although the article was posted last year, the information is still good.
Ways to get a free website
Monday, 29 September 2008
Monday, 29 September 2008
© 2009 – Deleyna’s Dynamic Designs
DIY Web Sites: Should You or Shouldn’t You?
Sep 23rd
Get a Web site! That’s one piece of advice freelance writers and editors get from marketing classes and consultants at every turn. Since I started this blog a couple of years ago, I have included a number of posts about how to produce a Web site yourself using low-cost or free site builders. Whether you’re in business or just have a serious hobby, you need to keep your costs low, don’t you?
A recent post on Inspired 2 Design made a lot of sense to me, so I’m sharing it here. Basically, the unnamed blogger says that, by using free or low-cost DIY methods, you run the risk of appearing unprofessional, not really serious about your business or ministry. And, the time it takes to do your own site would be better spent going about your real business. Keep in mind that this post is put out by a Web design company, and it is a response to a post on Kudzu Business Center touting WordPress as a do-it-yourself (DIY) site builder. Read that post here.
I’ve used free sites for some things while paying for software and hosting for my own site, so I think Inspired 2 Design has a point. I find myself spending a lot of time on design and not enough time on content (which is my primary reason for having sites/blogs). The free site builders are better than they used to be, believe me. Still, you can’t do some of the fancy footwork that can be done with a professionally designed, full-featured site.
Whether you’re looking to set up a new site or revise an old one, it’s wise to check out all your options. Perhaps it’s time to get a unique design and professional help with your site. Ask your friends if they know of local people who do sites. Some of the free and low-cost Web site companies offer a design service. Maybe you can get a unique design while continuing to use your current site builder to do updates yourself. The possibilities are endless, really.
Previous posts about free Web sites on this blog:
Guest Post: Affordable, Professional Web Sites
Sep 7th
Welcome to guest blogger, Tracy Ruckman. She is a freelance writer, editor, and photographer. She owns Write Integrity Editorial Services and WIES Workshops (online writing courses.) She also hosts the popular Pix-N-Pens blog for writers, readers, editors, and photographers.
An essential tool for any business, especially writers and editors, is a Web site. Most of us are of the “starving artist” variety, so we can’t afford a huge budget for building and hosting our site – but we also can’t afford to look cheap, either. (One of my pet peeves is a cheap-looking Web site.)
Several years ago, I discovered HostGator and they provide the best of both worlds – professional and affordable.
HostGator provides many options for beginners and professionals, and can be considered a “one-stop shop” because you can purchase your domain name and monthly hosting of your Web site. They even provide free site builders (SiteStudio and SiteBuilder) so you can easily build the Web site yourself from thousands of templates. Building your own site saves money in the end, because you’ll be able to make updates yourself as needed and you maintain total control of its look and content.
HostGator’s web hosting packages are priced from $8.95/month for a very basic plan, to $9.95/month for their mid-range plan, and $14.95/month for the professional plan that includes your own toll-free number. The rates are a little lower if you pay by the year(s) rather than by the month ($4.95/mo, $7.95/mo, $12.95/mo for a 3-year payment.)
The company offers a “reseller” plan if you are interested in building web sites for others, or even if you just want to set yourself up as a hosting company. Reseller hosting plans start at just $24.95. (You’ll recoup this almost immediately as you build your client base.)
HostGator also sells domain names, and they start at $15, which is a little steep compared to some of the other companies, but they don’t jack up the price after the first year, so it averages out. (It also saves a few steps transferring the DNS.) But if you prefer to buy your domain name elsewhere and use HostGator for everything else, that’s acceptable and easily done.
Technical support at HostGator is exceptional. Agents are available 24/7 by phone, chat, and e-mail. They are thorough, efficient, and friendly – and there’s never much of a wait except during peak times (and even then, it’s not a long wait.)
Some of the Web sites I’ve designed using their templates include: www.tracyruckman.com, www.debraullrick.com, www.mildredcolvin.com, www.thechristianpen.com, and www.writeintegrity.com. All of these were built using the SiteStudio program with limited html knowledge, and limited experience – if I can do it, you probably can, too!
Creating a Free Site with WordPress
Aug 31st
I searched the Web for step-by-step instructions on how to set up a free site with WordPress.com, but I found nothing. I first became aware that this was possible when I ran across Brandy Brow’s site at www.brandybrow.com.
Notice the address bar when you arrive on her site (http://brandybrow.wordpress.com/).
She has purchased her own domain name and re-directed it to the free WordPress site, thereby saving hosting fees. Most people coming to her site using brandybrow.com would not even notice the different URL.
I needed to do a free site for my music club, so I created this one using Brandy’s approach: www.philharmonicmusicguild.info. Check the URL in the address bar when you arrive there: http://pmgmartin.wordpress.com/. Note that you can’t always get the URL you want when you’re dealing with free services.
I’ve created a new page for the directions on how to do this. Go to Free Site with WordPress following this link. Good luck!
Get a Simple Web Site
Jul 28th
Every writer needs to have an online presence as part of their marketing effort. Whether you write books or articles for magazines, you need to have, at the very least, a brochure-style Web site and/or a blog. If you want to go into business as a writing coach or a freelance editor, you must have a professional-looking site, preferably with a blog.
On my Wired to Write blog, I’ve checked out several free Web site options, and I’ll refer you to that post rather than repeating the information here. Go to Wired to Write before going further.
As an update to the post you just read, I want to point out some changes with Viviti. You get a two-week free trial with no ads. After that, you must choose to pay about $5.00 a month or put up with an ad across the top of the page. It’s pretty much the same with Freewebs (now called Webs). The only free site builder with no ads is Blinkweb, and it might work for you, but it does not have as many design options, and you might not be able to customize it to suit your needs.
Note the ad on my free Viviti site at http://emilyakin.viviti.com/ and on my Freewebs site. In case you missed my free Blinkweb site on my other blog, here it is again, http://emilyakin.blinkweb.com/. Some would say that the ads detract from your image as a professional.
There’s one more way to have a free site without ads, and that’s with WordPress, the blogging tool. I just completed a site for my music club on WordPress. Take a look. It is in blog format, but you can make it operate like a Web site and still use the blog feature. See my how-to post on this option also on Wired to Write here.
If you are a writer and don’t have a Web site, don’t delay. Choose one of these free options and try it out. Check out these sites built by writers with free site builders. If you decide that you can’t do it yourself, perhaps you can get someone to help you set it up and work with you until you can edit it yourself as needed. And, if the free options don’t really suit you, the paid versions are not really that expensive.
Warning: if you do choose a paid version of any of the free sitebuilders, do not buy a domain name through them. Should you decide you need your own domain name, you want to own it. In some cases, when you get a free domain with paid hosting, the company owns your domain name, not you.
WordPress Web Presence: It’s Free
Jun 2nd
Most blogging tools are free, but WordPress gives you more than just a blogging tool. If you haven’t experimented with WordPress, I suggest that you give it a try.
I was slow to hop on the blogging train, but now that I have, I am enjoying it immensely. Last year, in Blogger vs. WordPress post, I shared my research about the pros and cons of the two blogging tools. If you’re new to this blog, review that post before continuing.
I decided then to go with Blogger, mainly because I found it easier to use, especially for beginners. Later, I decided to work with WordPress more and to see what the differences were. I now use WordPress for most of my blogs. On the Blogger version of Wired to Write, I explained why I decided to change here.
Paste from Word: Now that I’m using WordPress regularly, I am discovering some really great features. For example, you can compose your posts in Word and paste into WordPress using the “Paste from Word” tool. All the formatting comes with it, including hyperlinks and text formatting like boldface and italic. This is a big time-saver, because, f you compose your posts online, it takes longer to do all that formatting. If you just copy and paste from Word without using the tool, you lose the formatting entirely.
Static Pages: One of the primary reasons I changed back to WordPress is that you can have a static page on WordPress, and you can’t have that on Blogger. See my book review blog as an example. Notice the menu bar across the top. There’s an About-Guidelines page and a Reading and Resources List for Writers page. Those pages are always there no matter how many blog posts I enter.
Use as Web Site: Some writers use WordPress as their primary Web site rather than having a main site and a separate blog. See Brandy Brow’s site here as an example. Using one of the standard WordPress designs, she has the welcome message on the home/blog page. Her other pages are static pages ( not available on Blogger). This makes a great free Web site, and Brandy can use it as a blog later if she chooses. I’ve tried some of the free Web site offerings out there, and I think WordPress is much easier to use than most of the ones I’ve tried.
Generally, WordPress offers a lot for the low price of FREE. If you get into it and find you need more sophisticated features, you can always upgrade to the paid version which is described at WordPress.org.
