Author Websites

All right. I know Free Your Artist at my website is having problems. I have a webmistress, and when I do work, I forward to her, and she puts it up. Heaven knows what I might have had in my post that might look like html and freak the thing out....anyway selling my first book caught me a little off guard. I didn't have the Robin Owens.com locked up and though I offered for it from the person who had it, he didn't get back to me in what I considered a timely fashion (a couple of months). I do have it now, but since the website wasn't available I asked my editor to put Robin D. Owens on the books, since robindowens.com was available.

If you're a prospective author or author, do you need a website? YES!!!

I consider my website one of my best investments (and I invest in it every month with my imagination, money and time -- and the last is important to me). It lets readers see what's coming up, and, I hope, it gives extra value in the Free Your Artist Page, fun links, and the Worlds page where I put up additional imformation regarding my books. For new readers or people I meet that I actually hand cards (wallet calendars) to, it's easy for me to say -- "There are excerpts of my work on my website. Try before you buy!" That way I don't always have to be at the top of my form and pitch my books or series when I'm walking dead in the elevator at the day job.

I literally was in the process of uploading a three page site that I'd made myself when I sold. True story. But I knew that though I could learn html etc. I would rather spend my time writing and wanted a really professional looking site. I think I looked at every author's website on writerspace and sff.net and I'd admired the late, great Moira's web jewels for a long time. I LOVED dark pages. But I didn't care for dark pages and light writing -- as you can tell by my website and this blog, the "parchment" type deal was a way to get around this. I bought the graphics for my website, so you won't find any other page on the web that looks like it.

I've had other people ask to use the set up of "Free Your Artist," and said that's fine if you gave me credit for the format and link. With the Artist's Archives I now have about 100 pages on my site. Like this blog, I think offering a variety of information is Good Value to readers (and here, writers).

I also think that since I write futuristic/fantasy, many of my readers are technologically advanced and internet friendly, so it's a place for them to go.

All right, the brain is truly mush this morning, so I'll spare you and me any more of my ramblings -- and yes, I usually DO revise the blog a few times before I post. Not today, my eyes feel like they've been rolled in sand and some heavy duty thinking, writing, plotting calls.

Love to all,
Robin