Monday, September 12, 2005
Author Web Sites -- what do you like/dislike??JERR just reviewed my web site
The outcome was a happy one, luckily. :)
It got me to thinking, (astounding in and of itself on a Monday morning, let me tell you). I maintain my own web site. I'm no expert at web design, therefore I muck around in the dark a lot.
What do you like to see in an author's web site? What do you hate to see? I'm just curious.
Below are some snippets of the review my web site received. I think the reviewer gave it a fair assessment. There are some things I'm doing right and other things I should change.
Website: Anya Bast
Website Designer: BleuAime Design formerly Edgemere Design (Dawn Seewer)
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Reviewer: Julie Esparza
"Anya Bast, versatile author of the Seasons of Pleasure and the Embraced series has a very classy website. The tan text on black background provides a distinctive feel and visually appealing read.... I did not like the automatic music load that occurs when the homepage opens and every time you go back to it. However, the availability of a mute button solved the problem."
"[The page] "Writings" has a nice breakdown of Ms. Bast's publications organized clearly by series which is very nice. Also she has links to her books that have been released in print as well as electronic. Each book selection has a synopsis/excerpt, reviews, readers comments, where it can be bought electronically and if it is available in print. This page is so well organized I felt having all of her books listed on the main homepage was a bit redundant."
"The "Fun Room" link really makes Ms. Bast's website. First you are presented with the option to subscribe to one or both of her Yahoo groups The Sultry Pen and the SilverPurr. From that page you can link to "Contests" featuring Wiggle as Master of Ceremonies, the "Character Interviews" which were really great, the "Cover Art Puzzles" (I want to see more of those!), "Author Interviews" with other authors (not with herself as I was hoping), then finally a "History of Aran" which is the setting for the Seasons of Pleasure series. Last links off the home page are "Links" which is jam packed with author's website links, links to groups, and it is a blast to explore. Links to "Ms. Bast's Blog" and the "Maverick Authors Blog" round out the home page. These links lead to entire websites that you can spend hours exploring.
Overall Ms. Bast's website is an entertaining visit. The time you can spend browsing the website is worth it. I had a great deal of fun and I suggest you stop in and check out Ms. Bast's world."
Julie Esparza
Just Erotic Romance Reviews
