Monday, September 10, 2007

Website questions--opinions please!

Okay, I need some opinions, please! :) I'm hiring a fab Website designer at the end of this year to re-do my Website for my series release. Now, I'm going to be providing her with information (colors, theme, sites I like, etc) and while I know color-wise what I want, I'm going back and forth on the theme. Some Websites, such as Diana Peterfreund's are more book specific. Her site matches Secret Society Girl in the Flash into. Others, like Simone Elkeles are not specific to one book.

I'm trying to decide if for my first 4 books, I should make the site as an upper-classy looking equestrian boarding school feel or if I should make it non-specific to my High Jumps books since I *hopefully* will see more books in the future.

What do you think?

7 comments:

Kelly (Lynn) Parra said...

I think it may depend on how close your books are coming out. If they are coming out once a year, you may want to add the book theme to the site because that will be about 4 years. But if the theme elements are not too intricate to the design they can be removed for your future books.

Just some thoughts!

Jessica Burkhart said...

That's a good thing to consider, Kelly. My books (if they remain on schedule) will come out each season so within a year those books will be complete. Hmmm... but I also wonder how often you're "expected" to overhaul your Website. I wonder if a year of an equestrian theme is fine and then a year later switch to something less book driven. I like that your Website fits your book's feel, but it doesn't ONLY work for GG.

Emily Marshall said...

That's a tough one. Normally I would advice people to keep author sites general, so you could advertise all your books. BUT you have FOUR books in one series coming out. That's alot in one series.

Do you think it's likely you'll have other books come out when those are released?

If not, you might want to get the site designed more for those books and then AFTER they are all out, redesign the site to include all of them. I think author sites need to be evolving anyway.

Jessica Burkhart said...

Emily, I would say that I wouldn't have other books coming out while the series is published, but you never know.

I do see the merit of updating the site frequently. Maybe yearly, but I'm not sure.

Kerryn Angell said...

Hmm. I like the idea of an equestrian theme. Is there a way you can keep the website theme basic and build on the equestrian theme with content or graphics that you could swap out?

Unknown said...

Hi Jessica! I'm actually a website designer, and I think that you should probably stick to a certain theme especially if your first few books are apart of a series. If after the series is done; then I would lean possibly towards revamping the website. I think if you stick to a boarding school theme (maybe even have it as a makeshift school website such as doing the about section to explain the premise the of books and whatnot, an 'admission' section where it could lead folks to buy the books, ect). You could get really creative if you stuck the the theme of the books themselves. Good luck! e

Jessica Burkhart said...

Writing Angel, that's a good idea, too. :)

Hey Justine! Yay--an expert! :) I do love the idea of an equestrian theme and your idea of really playing up the elite boarding school idea is fantastic!

You guys have helped so much!

Counting down to Saddlehill Academy!

  Hii, friends! I'm so very thrilled to remind everyone that NEXT MONTH (!!!) is the release of my first novel in eight years! Ahhhhh!!...

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