You CAN Get a Web Site Without Breaking the Bank

I'm thrilled to welcome Tiffany Stockton of Eagle Designs to share with us a few ideas to help you market your Writing Business. If you're not ready to make a website now I hope you'll print this material out and save it for when you are.
~Your Coach for the Journey, Tiffany Colter

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Hi! Thanks for having me here, Tiff. To those reading, the two of us joke all the time about me having the "other half of her brain" since we share the same first name and have partnered together in this wacky world of web design. I'm here today to share with you some tips and suggestions to help guide you along that same path. Feel free to leave a comment with any questions you might have or even if you would like to share from your own experience.

And now, without further ado. Let's get started!

In this world of the Information Superhighway, Internet, World Wide Web, and interconnected technical communities, getting on board with the electronic train is the way to go. Before you even begin thinking about your site, though, you have to answer yourself one question:

Should I build my site myself or should I hire someone else to do it for me?

This isn’t an easy question to answer, but some things to consider are your time, your ability to learn HTML (HyperText Markup Language, the basic language of the Internet), who you hire, how much content you have to put on your site, how much money you have, etc.

If you decide to hire someone, you should always ask for referrals from that person, then interview those referrals to determine the credentials of the person you’re considering. Ask questions about timeliness, professionalism, approachability, cost and what’s included in that cost, satisfaction and if they’d hire that person again.

If you decide to go it on your own, look for WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) programs or pick up a book to help you learn basic HTML. I recommend "HTML for Dummies" or the "Idiot’s Guide to HTML." Ignore the somewhat deprecating titles and get them for their gold mines of knowledge and tips.

For a list of resources and guides and other tips to help you on your web design journey, consult the links page on our web site (http://www.eagle-designs.com/).

Websites are just one marketing tool and are not the end all and be all of your publicity. Most authors do not question if the cost of printing bookmarks or business cards is worthwhile, but most authors I know make or have bookmarks and business cards made.

I know some of you are no doubt reading this and thinking you will break the bank by investing in a web site. I'm here to tell you that's not true. In fact, the majority of my clients have gotten started for under $300, some of them for even less than that when they began on their own and expanded later. That is also a viable option at the onset.

Steps to Building a Web Site

1. Get a Domain or park your web site on a free server.

Domain names (URL – Universal Resource Locator) are easy to get, and many services provide them at low costs. There are well-known services out there, but you can save money by knowing the tricks of the trade.

• http://www.godaddy.com/ – registrations are just $9.99/yr.
• http://www.doteasy.com/ – registrations are just $25/yr. plus FREE hosting (frequent promotions that drop the price to under $10 for the first year)
• http://www.surpassdomains.com/ – registrations are $15.99/yr. with openings for subdomains at no additional cost.

FREE:
Yahoo/Geocities – http://geocities.yahoo.com/
Bravenet/Bravepages – http://www.bravepages.com/
DotEasy -- http://www.doteasy.com/ (using their web builder services after you've paid for domain registration)

2. Get a web host for your site.

This is separate from a domain. This is the space on the Internet that houses all of your files, images, pages and anything else associated with your website. You will benefit greatly from doing the research, asking others you know which hosts they’ve used, and comparing the features as well as talking to experienced people you know who can offer sound advice.

Here are some reliable web sites we’ve used for our clients:

• http://www.ezchristianhosting.com/ – $5.95/month
• http://www.alterhosting.com/ – $48/yr. or $3.99/month (special offers all year round
• http://www.surpasshosting.com/ – $48/yr. or $4.94/month for standard package
• * http://www.doteasy.com/ – free hosting with $25/yr. domain registration or $90/5 yrs. domain registration (TOP RECOMMENDATION)
• http://www.godaddy.com/ -- $48/yr. or $3.99/month

FREE:
Yahoo/Geocities – http://geocities.yahoo.com/
Bravenet/Bravepages – http://www.bravepages.com/

If you already have a web site, but perhaps are looking to cut the costs or even step up the content a little, the above sites will be a great place to start. And if you have taken the path to start on your own, but you're now looking for a more professional appearance, feel free to contact us through our web site and request a quote. You'll be surprised just how affordable it is to get a site you're proud to call your own. Feel free to view the list of clients and contact them as well to ask how they like our services.

Whether you're just getting started and thinking about a site, or whether you have one and it needs to be updated, don't delay. Every day that you don't have a viable web presence is one more day lost in the span of your career. And let's face it. We can't afford to lose possible clients or interest in this competitive world. We're only successful if people know we exist. And they won't know if we don't advertise.

Tomorrow, I'll be covering content and the quality of your web site, sharing important tips to help you shape your site for optimum navigation and attraction to the average web browser. I hope you'll come back to learn more.

Thanks for coming today.

Tiffany
Eagle Designs
http://www.eagle-designs.com/

The One Month of Purpose Award

Tuesday is consistently the day of highest traffic here at Writing Career Coach. That is why I chose this day to announce a new award.

The One Month of Purpose Award

This is an award that will be given by WritingCareerCoach.com and is designed to help writer's focus on their writing. Many of you who write novels are familiar with NaNoWriMo [or Nano as I like to call it]. That is the contest where writers are challenged to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. The winner gets a certificate and bragging rights for a year.

Thousands participate in this challenge every year. It is an AWESOME event.

The One Month of Purpose Award is to help writers at ALL levels focus on their writing HOLISTICALLY for one month. There are two categories with two different awards.

The first division is the Building to their Dream award. A score sheet is given to each participant which includes tasks that will help with craft, marketing, business development, and research. There is a point value given to each task, each week. At the end of the month, the participant with the highest point total win.
What does the winner of the Building to their Dream win? Free Writing Career Coach Course [in the form of a rebate], and a Feature written by me and posted to the WritingCareerCoach.com Blog.

The Second Division is the Writer on the Move Award. This also has a scoresheet. Again this scoresheet focuses on craft, marketing, business development, and research. Again, the winner with the highest point total will win. The Writing on the Move Award winner will be featured on the WritingCareerCoach.com Blog and will also receive their choice of 2 hours of Free phone coaching with me OR the Entire Writing Career Coach Library [From Intro to Part 5 (parts 2-5 as they are released later this year)]

Of course, the greatest reward will be the growth of your writing business.

The April One Month of Focus award is open now.

Eligibility: To be eligible for Writer on the Move Division of the One Month of Purpose Award, you must sign up for the Writing Career Coach Success Program (which means there are a maximum of five entries per month). When you register and pay you'll be asked if you'd like to participate and will be sent a score sheet and complete rules.

To be eligible for the Building to their Dream Division of the One Month of Purpose Award, you must sign up for one of the Writing Career Coach Courses. Simply email me through my website with the confirmation information from the download or CD purchase. [If you already own a course contact me through my website to tell me when and where it was purchased and that you'd like the score sheet and rules.]

That is it!!

And while you're at the website, look around and see what a great job Tiffany Stockton did. She will be on our blog starting tomorrow to share with you how YOU can use a website, and the internet, to build your writing business.

I'm excited to see your entries for the One Month of Focus Award!!

I've got to run, I'm scoring myself too!!

Your Coach for the Journey, Tiffany Colter

Your image to the world

Hello.

Wow, is it Monday already. I've been working on a couple of big projects for the last week and the days have all begun to blur together.

I LOVE the writer's life!!!

I'm very excited to announce my new website to you. www.WritingCareerCoach.com I had Tiffany Stockton from Eagle-Designs do it for me and she did an EXCELLENT job.

You'll see on the resource page that I have answered the clamor [laugh] for digital downloads of my products. You'll also see that in the next few months I will be releasing 4 new products to help you develop your writing business.

So today I want you to consider the face that you're putting out to your audience.
Is it fresh?
Is it informative or relevant to your readers?

When you go to my site you'll see that I have made it very easy to navigate around my site. How easy is it for your readers to move from one page to another? Are the pages clean or cluttered? Is the tone right? [If you write murder mysteries don't have an English Garden on your home page...unless they take place in an English garden.

Think about what the theme of your writing [or editing, or other ] business is and make sure your website reflects that. I decided I didn't want my picture at the top, but maybe I'll add it back [my family picture is on my blog, and thus, accessible on my home page]. Update your site when it begins to get stale to you.

I'm also excited to have Tiffany Stockton as my guest later this week. She is going to share some teachings with us to help use our website to market our business. I hope you'll not only subscribe to the blog, but tell others to come learn.

And tomorrow I have an exciting announcement about two new awards for writers. You won't want to miss it.

I'll see you tomorrow, I have some marketing to do.

Your Coach for the Journey, Tiffany Colter

You're on a collision course!

I've heard it so many times it is almost cliche

Luck=preparation + opportunity

Basically, it means that we create our own luck.

I was thinking of that today as I was working on a few projects I have in the works. I remembered back when I was in network marketing. My direct upline was the #5 income earner in the company at that time, earning $500,000+/year.

At the same time my husband was earning about $30,000/yr as a paramedic. One week she received her regular check and bonus check. Both were over $20,000 EACH. She earned in a week what Chris earned in a year.

I wanted to be successful like that. I wanted to build a strong business that would allow me the freedom to bless people, as well as help others be successful in their own ventures. Everyone told me never to hope for it, she was lucky. She was in the right place at the right time.

However, I knew her fairly well. I knew that luck was only a small portion of her success. She had spent years reading books on business, trying-and failing-in various ventures. She had earned her stripes.

When she saw an opportunity that she believed in, she jumped in with both feet. She worked hard for two years and built a solid business. Then she was able to go with that momentum and earn $500k working part time.

But she never stopped building.

That was the key to her success. She told me that every month she read at least one book to build her business. She also showed me that the success of her business came in working her strengths and meeting the needs of others. She was AMAZING at booking shows. So she booked a calendar full of shows and "dovetailed" [that means gave away] all the shows she didn't want to do. She would find people who were working hard at their business in her downline and give them 2 or three shows from her calendar. Sometimes, she'd invite consultants to watch her do a show, have them help her books shows, and then give them all the bookings from that show. She was mentoring those people. Her success was tied to her ability to help others see the potential in themselves.

She worked in her strengths and built her business consistently.

So in your writing business, consider your strengths. How can you use those things to build? Are you exceptional at creating believable characters? Use that to improve your writing and then teach another writer how to do it.

Are you like me? Do you have a passion to help other writers build their business? Teach them. I realize that I am "Training my competition" but I do it because I love helping people and because "Iron sharpens iron". I never want to get complacent in my writing, because I'll get sloppy. I teach you what I know works, then I continue to educate myself.

In physics I learned that velocity can be combined if things are going the same direction, but slowed if moving in different directions. Imagine a ball is rolling across a smooth floor. If you hit it from behind you'll send it faster across that floor. If you hit it from the opposite direction you can stop it or send it backwards. If it is sitting still on the floor you may cause it to move, but not with the same force as you would if it were already moving.

There is an opportunity on a collision course with us. The amount of forward progress each of us makes depends solely on how fast we are already moving when the opportunity catches us.

I need to go now. I have preparation to do.

Your Coach for the Journey, Tiffany Colter.

ps. I heard from the majority of you who voted, both of you-laugh, and will be uploading links to the digital download formats of all of my products in the next few days.

Something you all need to read

Hello and happy Thursday,

I hope you've had a productive week of writing and marketing. I had a really great day. I spent 9 hours today at the library working so hard I actually was fully incapable of forming a sentence when my mom called tonight at 8pm [about 3 minutes after walking in the door.]

I read a blog that I want all of you to read and I really hope you'll come back over here to the comment section and tell me what surprised you about it.

www.Chipmacgregor.com

I was truly surprised by the sales numbers of the top books. Okay, I realize some sell big, but to realize how few sell millions, or even thousands for that matter, was really shocking.

So please go to Chip's blog and read the April 2 posting and then leave notes in my comment section for today's blog.

I gotta go, my brains are oozing out of my ears. WAAAYYY too much thinking today!

Your Coach for the Journey, Tiffany Colter

Pulling it all together

Wow, we've had quite a deep week since Friday!

First, we talked about using our personality to be more productive. Then I stripped away all the excuses we've used to NOT accomplish our dreams and goals. Next, we talked about getting past those really tough days.

Now we're going to pull this together a little and talk about marketing your writing.

Some of you may have noticed over these last few weeks that I've posted a few polls asking for input from my readers. Here is something I've noticed:

Most people don't care.

Over the course of the polling period on each of these polls hundreds of people came to the site, and I got a total of 3 responses from each poll.

I admit this is a sweeping generalization but it seems to me, most people don't have an opinion on HOW you market a product. They want to know WHAT is in the product and HOW they'll benefit from having used/read the product.

What does that mean to us as writers?

I believe it means that we should not try to write TO the market. What I mean is don't write a book about a Crime Scene Investigator simply because CSI is a popular show.

It IS wise to know what genres are doing well. If you write Historical Romance then KNOW what publishing houses are taking. You don't want to write a Civil War Historical Romance if the market is completely saturated with them [unless you are simply practicing your craft].

The best thing to do is write a COMPELLING story within YOUR chosen genre [despite their popularity I am wholly unable to write a genre Romance novel. I keep trying to kill people and up the danger. That is because I write SUSPENSE/Thrillers, not Romance.]

We are writers, not politicians. Don't use polling to determine what you write. Let story reign. But be aware of fluctuations in the market so you know which of the many projects perking in your brain are most marketable now.

I'll see you later, I have clients to coach.

Your Coach for the Journey, Tiffany Colter.

Keep pushing!!!

Oh the day I've had!!

Do you ever say that? I have about 20 times today.

My husband had the day off and I had a clear calendar to do nothing but finish a big editing project for a client. I overslept but did not allow it to deter me. I still had plenty of time to get lots of work done. I was leaving the house, hubby was doing school with the kids while I was gone and I was going to stay at the library until they closed at 9pm. Ten hours of straight work [see my post on Friday to see why I was going to do that.]

So, I left the house at 10:40 am. I needed to make 2 stops on the way. One to get photos printed to send with the final Post Placement Report for my daughter [adpoted], and then off to the post office to send the PPRs Express Mail.

Then it took 30 minutes to print the pictures and get out of Kroger. And 30 minutes to tape the 20 photos to paper, get to the machine, and mail the package. Okay, to it was a bit longer than that because at 12:31 I arrived at the library to work. It was 3 hours later than I'd wanted but I'd still have a solid day of work.

I nestled in to a ultra-quiet corner of the library that was so little visited that they were storing the old card catalog furniture back there. I fired up the laptop, set out my work.

Then the computer froze.

Long story short after many tears and an hour of alternating between pleading with God and wanting to throw a temper tantrum, I loaded up my stuff, and drove the 15 minutes to my house. I had accomplished nothing other than burning about 2 gallons of gas [which here meant $6.30]. My husband fixed the problem in 5 minutes but it took me another hour to settle down. I was SOOOO mad. [Yep, I'm human too.]

But, now it is 5:17 and I'm finishing my blog and plugging away at this project. So I got 5 pages done instead of the 50 I'd planned on being done with by this point in the day.

I know after I have finished this and returned it to my client, I'll look back on today as one of those funny stories I tell groups of writers at my talks. But today I'm just tired.

But my reason to succeed is clear. So I push through the frustration, forget what is behind me and push forward to the goal. I'm not where I wanted to be but I'm farther than where I was.

So, if you're having one of THOSE days join me dusting off, pasting on a smile, and saying "This little irritation isn't going to block my dream."

I'll see all of you tomorrow. I've got clients counting on me today!!

Your Coach for the Journey, Tiffany Colter