The site I designed for Optivara just launched. This new company provides software and support for high tech companies, helping clients to gather, integrate, analyze, interpret, and display quantitative data and quantitative intelligence. The site was designed to support and illustrate all four product lines and draw new business.
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ASH + AMES Placeholder and Facebook Launch
ASH + AMES is a new social accessories company by long-time clients Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile. They are in pre-launch mode, but I just finished their splash page and Facebook fan page. More to come!
Why You Should Join Amazon Author Central
A lot of my author clients aren’t fans of Amazon. I get it—the advent of Amazon has threatened the existence of indie bookstores and irrevocably changed the way people buy and read books.
But when it comes to participating in Amazon’s AuthorCentral program, in my opinion, this is a case of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” You may never end up loving Amazon, or choose to be their customer. But when you create an author profile through AuthorCentral, you will be helping to promote yourself and your books in the world’s largest bookstore, and for free. One of the things I consistently drill into the heads of my clients is that they need to control their message online. Because if they don’t do this, someone else will do it for them. This is a great way to own your property on Amazon (which already exists if your book is published) and manage the content associated with your name. Plus, creating an AuthorCentral page is just another opportunity to juice up your SEO results. Continue reading Why You Should Join Amazon Author Central
Make it Easy to Get Your Books Reviewed
A few years ago, book reviews in print media like newspapers and magazines could make a best-seller. While a great (or awful) book review in a major publication can have tremendous impact on a book’s sales, influential book reviews also appear in blogs, in online bookstores, and social media. The easier you make it for reviewers to access information about your books and you as an author, the more likely it is that your book will be reviewed. Here are some tips to get your book into the hands of people who can help you promote it. Continue reading Make it Easy to Get Your Books Reviewed
Steps You Can Take to Protect Your WordPress Site
It’s safe to say that I am a huge WordPress fan—I’ve built more than 70 sites using this platform. And suffice to say that there are a variety of other platforms that I can name that I am emphatically not a fan of. (But that’s fodder for another column.)
My clients also tend to love WordPress as well. Usually within an hour or two, I can train them to update most of the elements on their site with minimal stress. Even some of my most tech-adverse clients have told me that they feel comfortable adding and editing content on their sites—something that gives them a great deal of power when it comes to owning their brand. And it seems that it isn’t just my clients who feel this way. WordPress accounts for nearly one in five sites currently online.
So, what’s the problem? WordPress is a Web-based platform (rather than an application which is downloaded and stored locally). This means that with the correct username and password, anyone with a Web connection can access your site. Also, plug-ins can go a long way towards extending the functionality of a site. But if not maintained and secured, they can provide backdoor ways for hackers to infiltrate your site.
You needn’t abandon WordPress, you just need to be smart about how you use it. Here are some tips for how to keep your site secure. Continue reading Steps You Can Take to Protect Your WordPress Site
An Interview with Timber Buckeye of Buddhist Boot Camp
Before Buddhist Boot Camp was a best-seller, it was a series of personal emails on life lessons from Timber Hawkeye to his friends. When they started sharing his emails with their friends, Timber posted them all on a blog. The author then self-published the content in paperback. That’s when it caught the eye of HarperCollins Publishers, who published what is now a best-selling, compact hardcover book on mindfulness and inspiration.
“The response has been unbelievable,” says Timber. “People were relating to what I had to say, and wanted to hear more. We instinctually have this reluctance to be honest. But when I shared my story about what I went through, people started to share their own stories.”
We Think Alone: A New Project from Miranda July
I first discovered Miranda July when she was promoting her book No One Belongs Here More Than You in 2007. The book’s site broke pretty much every rule about what I would tell you are the best practices for promoting a book online. (I mean, it’s usually ill advised to design an entire site around writing on the top of your refrigerator with dry erase markers, photographing each message as slide, and making the user click through nearly 30 pages to read the whole message.) Yet, this site remains one of the most memorable, creative and clever book sites I’ve ever seen.
Bel Air Bar + Grill
I recently migrated the site for Bel Air Bar + Grill from standard HTML to WordPress, and created a custom mobile style sheet for on the go customers. OH to dine there! Someday.
Russian Tea Time Site Launch
The site I designed for landmark Chicago restaurant Russian Tea Time launched yesterday. Celebrating with lunch with the owners tomorrow!
How Not to Be an E-Hole: An Online Etiquette Refresher (Plus: Free eBook Download!)
Written for BookPromotion.com, June 14, 2013
You know that saying that if you can’t find the asshole in the room, that it’s probably you? Well, the same logic applies to e-Holes. E-Holes are people who misuse, abuse, or annoy people through social media. And unfortunately, being an e-Hole is really easy to do. You may not even know if you’re being one.