Sunday, March 4, 2012

Blog Changes ...or...Making My Blog Work For Me

The Marketing Director of one of my amazing publishers recently posted on our internal blog the importance of making your blog work for you.  She mentioned she had seen some author blogs, and some were fantastic and some, well, not so much.  I wondered which category I fell into, so I moseyed on over to mine.

I was happy when I opened it and saw my colorful covers, a list of my followers and the coolest gadget ever, a tally of every visit to my blog since inception.  Over 6400!  I felt quite proud and sure I was not one of those bloggers mentioned that crashed and burned in the image department.

Until I read her whole post.

I found there were more than a few things my blog didn't do.  Or have.  They seem so elemental, I was aghast I didn't think of them sooner.  I'm listing them here.  Don't be offended if you have had them on your blog a million years.  I assure you, there are plenty of us who didn't.

  1. A Home page where the blog actually appears
  2. A Bookshelf where you have buy links for where people can purchase your work.  (Totally freaked me out I didn't have this!)  I included my publisher's site first, and then Amazon.  I may add Barnes & Nobles later, it's up to you who you include, but make sure they are LINKS where the reader can just click.  We readers are a lazy bunch, so don't make it hard for them to find you.
  3. Cover Art.  Duh!  Had that one!  (smiles smugly)
  4. Your Bio.  (didn't have that one.  Slinks away quietly)  I used the one I have on my Amazon Author Page because I quite like it (Also if you don't have an Author Page on Amazon and Goodreads, another forty lashes for you....MUST HAVES like a good leather purse and, this year anyway, a supercute shoe bootie)
  5. Reviews!  (this was such a foreign concept to me.  Oh, I'm supposed to TELL people that other people enjoyed my book?  Oh, I get it now!)
  6. A WIP page.  Apparently fans want to know what I am working on.  Really?  (Seriously, I had no idea)
So, I have worked on the blessed thing for the past couple of hours.  I still have to tweak it some more, but now I am elated at the way it looks!  I'd love you to check out the new tabs at the top of the blog and let me know if they are a hit or a miss.  Thanks!  And happy blogging!
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15 comments:

  1. ArianneMarch 4, 2012 at 2:57 PM

    I am horrible at reading essay formatted text. for your bio, maybe bullet format if possible would help it be more readable.
    as for the other tabs, the font sizes are so small. don't get me wrong, I love small fonts, but that one just doesn't make me want to read them.

    and captcha on comments?? totally over it...
    check out my post: http://ariannecruz07.blogspot.com/2012/02/captcha-nightmare-attention-all.html
    hope that helps

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    1. UnknownMarch 4, 2012 at 3:36 PM

      Thanks Arianne...I'll certainly check it out. Not being a professional, I'm incredibly stoked with the way this turned out. Tweaking, however, is allowed!

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    2. ArianneMarch 4, 2012 at 4:27 PM

      Also, maybe a custom Samantha Combs layout design would be cool :) if it's in your skills or budget that is :)

      my layout design is created by a fellow blogger for free and I just tweaked it more to fit my liking

      Delete
  2. Sharon LedwithMarch 4, 2012 at 3:03 PM

    Awesome post, Samantha - packed full of info. Where do you go in Blogger to set up your blog with your selected pages? (Home, Bio etc.) Your blog looks great! Cheers!

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    1. AnonymousMarch 4, 2012 at 3:15 PM

      Sharon you go under edit posts and there will be a tab that says edit pages :)

      Delete
  3. LindsayMarch 4, 2012 at 4:53 PM

    How do you 'mosey'? Sashay, yes. Strut, yeah. slide over, of course and always popular 'stomp over to'.
    I like the new blog. I already have some of the features you mention but I do like the WIP page and might put that in.
    I've also got a page with links to reviews of my books.

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    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 5, 2012 at 8:44 PM

      I've been to your blog, Linz, and I love it.

      Delete
  4. Amaleen IsonMarch 4, 2012 at 11:56 PM

    Lots of helpful information here, Samantha. I think I have some work to do on my blog. Yours looks smashing by the way.

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  5. DTMarch 5, 2012 at 12:37 AM

    Thanks for this (and to the MD!). Lots to think about and I need to spend time working on mine!

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  6. Cordelia DinsmoreMarch 5, 2012 at 4:59 AM

    Great looking blog, Samantha. I need to go do a major overhaul on mine, I think.

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    1. UnknownMarch 5, 2012 at 8:41 PM

      It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, just took a little time. Took advantage of little league practice when hubs and son were out of the house. Daughter and I worked side-by-side, her on a DS and me on my blog.

      Delete
  7. jeff7salterMarch 5, 2012 at 12:43 PM

    Nice clean look; logical layout; easy navigation.
    I expecially like having your review excerpts.

    Yours is just fine on typography, but I've seen some where the print is in such a color that it's quite difficult to read. You didn't list that category in your breakdown, but surely that should be a big no-no.

    Uh, I don't have any super cute shoe-booties ... and might not recognize one if I saw it. Ha.

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    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 5, 2012 at 8:43 PM

      I know what you mean, Jeff. I have a few blogs I visit where I really struggle with the dark backgrounds or neon bright ones. That was a really good point to add! Thank you!

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