Should mere humans design their own websites?
(Following Patrick’s example in the comments to yesterday’s post, I will now redirect the topic to something else.)
A writer friend of mine asked me whether I thought she should put together her own website. I told her no–that websites were meant to be designed by creative and technical geniuses like BJ of Kickass Web Design. How else could I have Bear’s little puppy face peeking over this blog?
I’m all for do-it-yourself in some areas: manicures, bookkeeping, adapting my own novels into screenplays rather than farming that out. But I know when I’m in over my head. Some people may have incredible technical mastery over all things computer, but I prefer to pay someone in cold hard cash and chocolate to do a much better job than I ever could.
Plus, there’s the pleasure of working with another creative person who has his or her own ideas about what fun things you can do with your website to best represent your personality and work. I love that kind of collaboration.
I’m sure we all do our share of net surfing, and we see other people’s websites and blogs, and we have our opinions about which ones we envy and which ones make us think, “Doesn’t she have any friends who could have stopped her?” Your website might be the first and only thing people know about you. Why waste that chance to communicate how clever, classy, snarky or whatever you are by having a webpage that makes you look cheap and unimaginative and sloppy? Ya know?
While we’re on the subject of websites and blogs, check out Heather Harper’s take on the question of “why blog?” (and be sure to follow her link to the first post in the two-parter). Some good stuff there.
Okay, now hit me with it if you think I’m totally wrong here. If you’ve designed your own website and/or blog, and you can’t imagine why you’d ever pay anyone else to do it, then feel free to shout me down. But if you’re like me, speak up and tell me why I’m right.
Technorati Tags: Websites, Website Designer, Kickass Web Design, Blogs, Blogging, Website Design
September 27th, 2006 at 11:01 am
Well, blogging and blogging design are two different things. As far as design, there are basic templates that look professional but also easily recognized as basic templates. Having a cool ‘looking’ blog isn’t as much of a promotion as content.
So, a template blog with great content will beat a custom brilliant blog with - well - what ever it is that I am posting on my blog.
Nothing against BJ, but I’m not here for the brilliant design. I do like it though and there are some features that I want on my blog.
Designing is really a question of skill and motivation. I basically took a template and changed a few lines. I intend to change a few more at some point, using features from other blogs that I like such as the Slush God’s blurb-o-matic. Although, I would convert it for my Random Thought section.
Also, I like his “What I’m reading” although I don’t like amazon, so I wouldn’t use LibraryThing. I’m looking into coding that myself.
Now, color scheme, I would ask a friend to do, if I am not just modifying a free template.
That said, I’m not so sure I have anything vaguely resembling interesting content, so all my design thoughts are pretty silly.
September 27th, 2006 at 11:58 am
i believe that bj should design ALL websites in the whole-wide world.
an aside, a certain very bright red cover-jacketed book arrived in my mailbox yesterday–yes barry’s famous fan/goth thing. okay barry, marketing genius goin’ on there. my husband, who if still in high school, college, or graduate school would be THE definition of geek, immediately noticed it amongst the pile of stuff that comes in the mail that we ignore for a long, long while, until it grows to large to be contained on the special mail we ignore for a long, long while table–and said (i kid you not), “hey what’s this?” it was so primal, instinctual, an automatic relex, really. isn’t that cool? anyway he started reading it last night–i’ll report findings later.
September 27th, 2006 at 2:47 pm
Unless the author is experienced in website design, I think a published author should pay to have someone design their site.
September 27th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
So, Heather, I take it you’re making a distinction between published and unpublished author? This brings up another point–do you think it makes sense for an unpublished author to have a website? I think it makes great sense, but I’d be interested in what other people have to say.
September 27th, 2006 at 3:47 pm
unpublished writer’s websites: I think that is debatable and depends on the unpublished writer’s personality. I question the validity of my blog which someone, I don’t know who, encouraged me to do.
September 27th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
He really said, “Hey, what’s this?” Wow, that is EXACTLY the reaction I was hoping for!
September 27th, 2006 at 4:20 pm
yeah–freaky, huh?
September 28th, 2006 at 3:33 am
Barry - Did you do your book cover or have a lot of input? I know that’s not typical, but given your background…
September 28th, 2006 at 8:29 am
Patrick,
I did A cover, but not the one that was used. I worked with an artist friend and together we dummied up a cover for the book. Houghton liked it, but had some very valid concerns, so they brought in Jon Gray, who did seven different cover designs, each of which was better than the one before it.
As is NOT usual AT ALL in publishing, my opinion was solicited and actually listened to. The cover that ended up being used was actually my second choice, but it was everyone else’s FIRST choice, and in retrospect, they were right and I was VERY wrong.
September 28th, 2006 at 8:57 am
I’m unpubbed and I own my domain name, but I only have one page published online. It’s short and sweet. And only for purposes of linking to my blog through RWA sites. I think it is a waste of time for an aspiring author to worry about having a website. Blog instead. And write a book.
September 28th, 2006 at 11:09 am
Interesting. I believe in farming out all the projects you mention: “manicures, bookkeeping, adapting my own novels into screenplays” — and doing your website yourself.
Though I love the website I had designed for me, I’ve done my own website in my past and in the future I will probably do it myself again. I like having control of the content and not relying on anyone else for uploads, etc.
September 28th, 2006 at 11:30 am
Barry, I don’t know that the other covers were wrong, but that one is definitely RIGHT.
September 29th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Thank you, Robin. Sincerely.
And peek at one I did for my friends and I to play with. It’s amazing it got done, since it’s a cobbler’s kids have no shoes sorta thing . . .
Bitchslappin.Net
Diana, you can have someone else do the design and have control over the content. Ask Robin. And it doesn’t have to look like a blog. There are all sorts of web applications these days that allow the site owner to control their own content, whether it be a regular website, a blog, an ecommerce site, whatever.
September 29th, 2006 at 10:18 pm
bj,
that’s fab–whole lotta slappin’ goin’ on there. i think the banner could use a new, more kick a** model holding an automatic assault rifle though. i dunno, maybe someone with ct training?
September 30th, 2006 at 5:46 am
Cool site! and good info. Now I have to support Coldwater Creek because of
this!!!
Am I petite, misses or women’s?
annette, shouldn’t that model be holding two assault rifles?
September 30th, 2006 at 1:42 pm
good call patrick, and holding an unpinned grenade between her teeth. i’d put you down for a women’s 14.
September 30th, 2006 at 5:23 pm
Thanks, both of you re bitchslappin, though I question the intelligence of looking like I really know what to use to go gunning for politicians given the current political climate. Bad enough we can’t travel with our shampoo.
And it’s just like you, Annette, to turn bitchslappin into a fashion gabfest . . . well, you, Vicki and Patrick . . .