Writers panel
Writers and Websites in 2017
The why, what, how and help! of having a great website
Monday, January 30, 2017
7:30 to 9:15 p.m. (networking follows the program)
Does your website attract new readers?
Keep your fans happy?
Sell your books?
(Do you even have a website?)
With all this social media, does a writer really need their own website? And if you have one, what should you be doing with it nearly 20 years into the new millennium? So much has changed so fast; what should you be doing today?
Do you have any of these questions:
- Do you really need a website? Why or why not? What alternatives are there to having your own website?
- Should you build it yourself or have someone else, like a publisher, create or manage it for you?
- Should your website be about you or about your book?
- What’s a Domain Name, what kind should you get and where should you get yours?
- How fast does your website need to be?
- Can you get a website for free, or do you need to pay for it?
- Do you have to use WordPress?
- To blog or not to blog
- What pages must your website have and what should you be doing on them?
- How do you get people to find out about and come to your website?
- What about search engines (Google, Duck Duck Go, Bing, etc.), Amazon, and book marketing services?
- How can a writer make money with their website, besides selling their own books?
- How does social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) fit in with your website?
- Where should you go when you need website help?
- What tools, websites, and Internet resources are writers using in 2017?
- What mistakes do writers make with their websites?
- How do you know when your website is “good enough?”
IWOSC has gathered an expert panel of successful writers who know what you need to be doing with your website and on the Internet this year.
Our web-savvy panelists include:
Jennifer Brody’s award-winning novel The 13th Continuum sold to Turner Publishing in a 3-book deal and is being packaged into a feature film. Return of the Continuums and The United Continuums (July 11, 2017) complete this epic trilogy.
She is a graduate of Harvard University, a volunteer mentor for the Young Storytellers Foundation, and a creative writing instructor at the Writing Pad. This year, she is teaching two online courses—Intro to Novel Writing and Intermediate Novel Writing.
Her marketing efforts for her books have involved many online campaigns, including FaceBook Launch Parties and BookBub promotions.
She also founded and runs BookPod, a social media group for authors with hundreds of members.
Jennifer’s website: JenniferBrody.com
Twitter: @jenniferbrody
Instagram: @jenniferbrodywriter
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenniferbrodywriter
Click to sign up for Jennifer’s Mailing List
Steven Sanchez is an international bestselling author, teacher, speaker and Internet developer who helps people develop individualized Platforms for their unique businesses.
For over 20 years he developed and managed integrated Web marketing solutions for industry-leading companies. He has built websites for everyone from solo-preneur start-ups to international companies with thousands of employees.
Steven has conducted numerous workshops on all aspects of internet marketing, from website development to social media management. He has also contributed to several best-selling books on business success, homepage usability, and Web design on a shoestring. Today, Steven primarily consults on companies’ Internet strategies.
He is currently working on several books specifically for writers and entrepreneurs, as well as developing websites designed to help writers on everything from how to use WordPress to run one’s website, to training on how smarter writers can develop their own platforms, connect with their audience, and sell more books.
Deborah Shadovitz has been teaching how to building websites, writing professionally about websites and how to build them, and teaching this to groups ever since the web became public.
Her books include Clarisworks Office for Dummies and the Macworld Office 98 Bible — both among the first to teach internet use. Her 2001 Adobe GoLive 5 Bible was 100% about building websites.
Her other internet writings include chapters in early Internet books, two GoLive columns for MacDesign magazine, articles about web design for other graphic magazines, and articles about website design and apps for MacAddict, O’Reilly, Macworld and PC World.
A professional techie, Deb was among the first to experiment with many a “social” website, some which have stuck. For example, Twitter.
She is IWOSC’s webmaster and designer/builder of the current website. Deborah has also written outside of the tech genre.
Deb’s main websites: Shadovitz.com and TalesOfTravelAndTech.com
Twitter: @DebShadovitz
Moderator: Greg Miller is the author of “How To Be A Writer Who Writes” and the new reference e-book, Miller’s Compendium of Timeless Tools for the Modern Writer.He has written for magazines, radio, tv and film.He has taught classes and workshops for writers and now consults and coaches writers for books and scripts.
Greg has produced several highly regarded panels for IWOSC, helping many a writer. In 2016 he joined the IWOSC Board of Directors and our newly formed Programming Committee. In 2016 he joined the IWOSC Board of Directors and our newly formed Programming Committee.
Scenes from the panel
STEVEN SANCHEZ is an Internet developer, consultant, speaker, international bestselling author and an IWOSC Board Member. For over 20 years he developed and managed integrated Web marketing solutions for industry-leading companies. Now he recommends WordPress as THE solution for nearly ALL websites.