"Before designing your website (or before you approach a web designer), identify your target market so you can create a website that will attract your intended audience."
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Blogging for Smarties:
Blogging for Authors and Speakers by Yvonne Wu The YP Publishing
book review by Patrick Hensley
Today, it takes a lot more than a way with words to be a successful author. The quality of an author's work is arguably just as important as how they market themselves. Yvonne Wu has provided a strong compendium for authors hoping to make their work stand out amid the information age's new multitudes of authors.
The publishing industry has changed dramatically. Without publishers willing to take a chance on emerging fiction, it behooves the self-published author to become his or her own marketing department. The easiest way for an author to do this, Wu explains, is to cultivate a strong web presence. Wu steers her readers toward WordPress, an accessible blogging/web hosting platform. Geared toward both the tech-savvy and inexperienced author, she explains, step by step, how to create a blog from the ground, up.
Taking things a step further, Wu provides instruction on how to make your blog pay, a place where other how-to guides fall short. Through the use of syndication techniques, such as RSS feeds and social networks, Wu instructs the reader on how to bring in the traffic that can translate to cash flow through speaking engagements and advertising.
In the new fiction and non-ficiton market, the harsh reality is that crafting strong prose is not enough to sell. The market is awash with talent—and your talent needs to stand out. Wu's guide to blog creation and strategies will help you ensure your work gets the attention it deserves.