Dear authors ...
So, when I discover an interesting-sounding new author via an interview or web ad or comment thread or whatnot, and click on their website, the #1 thing I want (the only thing I want, really) is an easy-to-find, nicely organized list of their books and/or stories, preferably with a little about each one and information on availability. The key words here are "easy to find" and "nicely organized".
I don't click on an author's website because I want to see pictures of their cat or read about some contest they're running or click around for ten minutes through eyebleed-inducing graphics that look like they were made in MS Paint trying to figure out if this person has ever published anything other than an out-of-print anthology from 1985 that they're apparently quite proud of.
I know that a lot of authors, especially older authors, don't have much website design savvy, which is understandable but for pete's sake, I just want the basic facts, ma'am - I don't want to go on a treasure hunt! If I have to go look you up on Wikipedia or Amazon to get basic publication info, I'll probably already have lost interest by that point.
(This entry is also posted at http://layla.dreamwidth.org/173578.html.)
I don't click on an author's website because I want to see pictures of their cat or read about some contest they're running or click around for ten minutes through eyebleed-inducing graphics that look like they were made in MS Paint trying to figure out if this person has ever published anything other than an out-of-print anthology from 1985 that they're apparently quite proud of.
I know that a lot of authors, especially older authors, don't have much website design savvy, which is understandable but for pete's sake, I just want the basic facts, ma'am - I don't want to go on a treasure hunt! If I have to go look you up on Wikipedia or Amazon to get basic publication info, I'll probably already have lost interest by that point.
(This entry is also posted at http://layla.dreamwidth.org/173578.html.)