Writing Articles

How to Write a Website

5/13/2013

How do I write a website?

That’s a question that gets asked a lot when people first start out on writing a website. What's more, even people experienced at it might find themselves pondering from time to time how it's done.

How to write a website from top to bottom is exactly what I talk about in my latest book selling on Amazon and Smashwords, and it’s what I want to tell you.

Write to the Top: A How To For Website Content Writing and Increasing Website Traffic is the perfect book for people just starting out and those with a bit of content writing experience under their belts.

There are many different aspects about how to write a website, and we’ll run through a few key ideas that are found in the book right here and now.

How to Write an About Us Page

This is one of the first things I look at when I go to a website. It should tell you most of what you need to know about that website, including who started it, when, why, and perhaps even how.

Motivations on what keeps the website going and its reason for getting to its current incarnation should all be discussed. When it comes to how to write a website, this is one of the main areas you should know about.

How to Write a FAQ

This is the second thing that I go to when I visit a new website. Many websites out there don’t have this, and that’s perfectly fine. If you’re an e-commerce website, however, you should have a FAQ.

Savvy internet users will look at this to find the information they want that’s not readily apparent on your About Us page. This often includes how your most basic terms of use work, how you pay people and they you, the main services you offer, and of course the basic questions that you’ve been receiving forever in email.

A crafty and well-written FAQ is critical at saving you time and hassles with your website while increasing the user’s ultimate experience on your site. When it comes to how to write a website, Write to the Top has got you covered on this one.

How to Write a Footer

This is one that became quite popular on my site as I was writing Write to the Top. I’ve seen thousands of footers while conducting research on the internet for myself and others, and I’ve learned a few things. A greater number of sites are using footers to allow experienced and efficient users easier access through a site to quickly find what they want and need.

Footers are a great place to put links to all the important pages on your site. If you want to know what pages you should have when you’re trying to figure out how to write a website, just look.

If your existing site just not doing so well anymore, well, go out there and check out some major sites in your niche. All of them have links to the things I need to get in and out of a website in just minutes with paragraphs of data and everything I need to know to use and operate on that site.

When I see someone interested in how to write a website footer, I know that this is a great website in the making.

Write to the Top Table of Contents

Write to the Top: A How To For Website Content Writing and Increasing Website Traffic is an incredibly long title.

When it comes to a book on how to write a website, however, you need length. The chapter list is stunningly long too, as you can see:

Introduction: Panda’s, Penguins, and the Googlebot

Writing a Website
Writing an About Us Page
Writing an About Us Page: The 5 Ws
Writing an About Us Page: The Specifics
Writing Content Pages
Writing Content Pages: Formatting
Writing Content Pages: The Small Things
Writing Links
Writing Links: Starting a Link Building Campaign
Writing Links: Optimizing a Link Building Campaign
Writing a Blog
Writing a Blog: Posting Frequency
Writing a Blog: Increasing Traffic Quickly
Writing a Landing Page
Writing Product Descriptions
Writing Review Pages
Writing an In the News Page
Writing a Footer
Writing a Site Map
Writing a Terms of Use
Writing a Privacy Policy
Writing a Contact Page
Writing a FAQ
Writing SEO
Writing CRO
Writing a Home Page

About the Author

The book is a great buy, and priced much lower than many of the books in the market today that will sell you a lot less for more.

Don’t get conned into that nonsense on how to write a website. Buy a book that will actually give you the ideas and instruction on how to write a website that has the potential to get to the top of Google.

You won’t get there overnight, and you might not even get there next month, but if you keep trying and keep producing quality content that Google loves, you’ll get there.

Available Where all eBook are Sold

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Self Publishing on Amazon

5/7/2013

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I spent a good two hours last night reworking my ‘Blurbs’ document which I use when self publishing on Amazon. This document is large, about 19 pages. It’s so large in fact, that I put a table of contents at the top of it to make navigating through it easier. I can’t just zoom out; I need to see the links in the document.

It made me think of all the other problems I have due to the amount of books I have selling on Amazon and Smashwords. Self Publishing on Amazon can often be fraught with perils, just as self publishing on Smashwords can.

Through self publishing on Amazon I’ve been able to get 11 books out there, and that means I’ve got to have 2 to 3 descriptions, or blurbs, for each. Links have to be assigned properly, and all need covers. Each book has different formatting needs as well as certain marketing aspects. Pricing is a factor, even for the same book in different retailers. And let’s not forget about all the time spent not writing when I’m working on publishing. There’s a lot that goes into self publishing on Amazon, so let’s take a look at each point in turn.

Blurbs

If you’re self publishing on Amazon and Smashwords, you’ll need at least 2 different blurbs, and perhaps 3. Amazon is pretty simple: you can write whatever you want, and however much you want. There are also some neat formatting tricks you can use to make your text stand out with bold fonts and colors.

Smashwords, on the other hand, acts like the meat grinder they’re so fond of comparing themselves to. You have to have one short blurb that comes in at about 400 to 500 characters. The other is a longer blurb that can be an exact copy of the blurb you used for self publishing on Amazon, its length being up to you.

Links

I’ve got lots of links that I need to update each time I put out a new ebook. First, there’s the new link, or two in my case since I’m using both Amazon and Smashwords. When my new book goes live, I’ll get the link. I make the link as small as I can, meaning I only have the site name and the book code, whether it’s an ASIN or ISBN.

Now I’ve got to put those into my blurbs document. I have two sections in the document, one for my “About the Author” page for self publishing on Amazon, the other for Smashwords. The reason I have two is because I put these links on there, and both retailers get angry if they see those links. This can cause your book to be delayed in the publishing process, and you might have to republish it.

I have very short blurbs on my About the Author page for each of my 11 books. A new blurb, of about 50 words, has to be added for the new book. I always include the title in there, and that’s where the link is anchored. Now I’ve got to go and paste that new About the Author page into each of my books, which is really 22 different books since I need 2 files for each, one for self publishing on Amazon and one for Smashwords. And then I’ve got to publish them all again.

Is this worth it? I think so. Who knows which buyers will scroll all the way down to that page and check out your other books? That one extra blurb could be a new reader, and perhaps not just for that book, but for your others as well.

Covers

Every time you’re self publishing on Amazon your book will need a cover. That means I’ve got to find and pay someone to make it for me. I nearly always do this on Freelancer.com, often with varying results.

When I finish a new book, I make up a ‘mock’ cover myself of the direction I’d like to go in. These always look bad. You can tell with a quick glance that they’re not really professional, and I still have 3 of these DIY covers out there.

An important consideration that I’ve only begun to look seriously at lately is the thumbnail size of your cover. If people can’t see what your title is or make out your picture at 250x250 or less, then you’re probably going to have some problems. This is always an ongoing struggle when it comes to self publishing on Amazon, and sometimes you might have to sacrifice aesthetic elements for the sake of sales.

Formatting

Formatting is a pain, especially if you’re using html, which I’m just starting in on. I often feel like pulling my hair out when I’m going through each line of my books one-by-one, but perhaps it needs to be done. You can do a lot more with html than you can without, like make the first letter of a new chapter stand out and give the chapter titles some color.

I can usually get away these days with formatting my book easily enough for both Amazon and Smashwords, at least the non-fiction books. I always write those in such a way that I’m formatting as I go, which makes the end formatting so much easier. One of the main problems is with fiction, however. I’m always having problems with tabs, line spacing, and other mundane issues that compromise my perfectionist tendencies. These things are often easy enough to resolve, and when you are self publishing on Amazon often enough you get better at it.

Pricing

How do you price a new book? When do you make that decision? Usually when I’m writing I’ll get a good idea of the value I think the book imparts, as well as what I can ask for it. I’ve got books on Amazon and Smashwords right now ranging in price from $0.99 to $9.99 and I’ve even had some of them listed as free form time-to-time.

One of my latest books, the Tarot book, is listed for $0.99 on Amazon, but $2.99 on Smashwords. I’ve gotten sales on Smashwords before when the same title isn’t selling well on Amazon. I’m trying this tactic out, and I’m curious as to how it will go.

Marketing

I hate marketing my books; I’d much rather be writing another. But marketing is often a necessary good, or evil, when you’re self publishing on Amazon. There are many ways you can market your books, and chances are you already have the tools at your fingertips.

Nearly everyone has social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter, so send the word out. If you’ve got email you’ve probably got contacts. Send your closest the links to your book. If you don’t have a website, now would be a great time to start one. Blogs and forums are out there in plenty regardless of your niche, and establishing a presence that doesn’t badger or blather could help out your long-term sales.

Advertising is always an option, and there are many avenues to go down, including Bookbub advertisements, Facebook ads, and a whole lot more. Don’t neglect print advertising or newspapers if you think your book is something special. Press releases to the right people could pay off, even if it’s just 1 out of 100.

Consider giving several copies of your book away to people who will review it for free. Several months could roll by before you see anything, but it’s just another weapon in your marketing arsenal when you embark on the quest of self publishing on Amazon.

Writing

It seems with each book that I put out I’ve got less time to write a new one. Obviously that doesn’t last too long, or stop me, however. Still, I’ve just finished 2 more books and now have nothing substantial in the pipeline. A feeling of emptiness is welling up inside.

The best thing to do when that happens is to write something. I’ve got a few novel ideas, and there’s always another non-fiction idea out there that people could be better informed about. The key is finding a balance between your dual role as a publisher and as a writer when you embark on the often perilous and painstaking path of self publishing on Amazon.

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New Tarot eBook

5/4/2013

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Selling Now on Amazon

I’ve published my 10th ebook today. It’s called Tarot: The Mystery and the Mystique. You can buy it on Amazon beginning in a few hours, and I’ll get around to putting it up on Smashwords soon. Having a Tarot ebook is a great way to learn about the cards, especially if you’re a writer. You can do a reading, getting plot ideas as well as ideas of how you should proceed with the work. It’s easy, and everything you need to know is in my new Tarot ebook.

I didn’t think that this would be my 10th book published on Amazon. I began writing this for someone else, but halfway through they got cold feet. I hate to let things go to waste, so I kept working on it. I expanded it from about 45 pages in MS Word up to more than 70 pages. Like all my non-fiction books, the quality is great, it has pictures, and it’s informative.

Anyone looking for a good introduction on Tarot cards, what they are and what they can tell you would get a lot of great information from this Tarot ebook. The Tarot ebook explains how to conduct a great reading, what each of the Major Arcana cards mean, and what most of the Minor Arcana cards mean. It tells you how to handle, shuffle, and clean your cards, as well as what they hold for your future. Dreams are discussed, and how Tarot cards can help you interpret them. All of this for the low price of $0.99!

Amazon Tarot ebooks

I was surprised to see how many Tarot ebooks are selling on Amazon. They have a Tarot section in the Divination section, so there are 100 Tarot ebook bestsellers right there. I have no intention of getting to one of those top spots, but priced at just $0.99 this book could get a few sales, and hopefully a few reviews.

The main thing is that it could generate interest in some of my other titles. Well, that’s the idea anyway. It could end up ruining my credibility by jumping around to so many niches. Time will tell, or perhaps the cards.

Tarot Card Spreads

The Tarot ebook details the history of Tarot cards, and how they didn’t come into their current form until about 100 to 150 years ago. When Tarot cards first came out they were used as playing cards, just like we use common cards today. It wasn’t until the French occultists began using them for divination purposes that they really came into the area that they’re known for today.

I’ve got pictures of nearly all of the 78 cards in the Tarot ebook, and I detail what those cards mean quite well. Not only do I describe the symbolism involved with those cards, but also what they can tell you if you have a Tarot reading. And you'll also see what earlier Tarot card decks looked like, not just the common Rider-Waite-Smith deck that's commonly known today. There's also the Tarot de Marseille as well as the Visconti-Modrone Tarot deck. Both date back to the 15th and 16th centuries, and both give us a different perspective on Tarot.

Readings will be discussed, and the major focus will be on the Celtic Cross. This reading involves 10 cards drawn by the Querent. The Querent is the person who is having the reading done for them, and the more they handle and touch the cards, the better. Many people believe this imparts cosmic energy into the cards, and results in a more accurate reading. This is how the Celtic Cross spread would look when laid down:

I spend a lot of time in the Tarot ebook talking about the different suits in the Tarot deck. There are four main suits, which are referred to as the Minor Arcana. They include Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles or Coins. The Major Arcana is everything else, or what we’d generally think of as face cards. These are the most recognizable of the Tarot cards, with such images as The Fool, Death, The Lovers, and The Hanged Man. Each of them has a different meaning depending on how they are placed in the spread and what direction they’re facing.

Tarot ebook

I have to admit I didn’t know much about Tarot cards until I took on this Tarot ebook. Little more than what I’d seen in movies like Live and Let Die. But like all of my projects, I learned. I read a lot and wrote a lot and made what was out there better. The result is a rather short Tarot ebook, a fully illustrated 70 pages on Word, and one that’s a great introduction to Tarot.

So what are you waiting for? Light your incense and grab your cards. You’re about to learn firsthand about Tarot: The Mystery and the Mystique!

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A Busy April

5/1/2013

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April was certainly a busy and productive month. It was busy because I had a lot of projects to work on. Lots of website content writing for myself and others, as well as several short eBooks for clients. The month was productive because I got so much done. I wrote 131,503 words in the month of April, and probably a lot more if you factor all the blog and forum posts I made.

It was also productive in the books I was able to put up on Amazon. Many people can get 1 to 2 titles out a year, but I managed 3 in one month. That brings my total number of books on Amazon and Smashwords up to 9, and there’ll be another one here when I get word from Google on whether I can use their logo on my cover or not. Let’s break those main points down and take a look at each in turn.

Content Writing

I pretty much just chugged along on Australia this past month. We finished a huge article/blog post on Book Today, and it should be going up shortly. The poor guys I submitted it to have to go and round up hundreds of pictures on the places I talked about.

Besides that monster, which I’ll talk about in detail when it’s published, there were a few other content jobs. I had an interesting day early in the month writing 50 bicycle product descriptions, and I also did some herbal tea blog posts for someone one morning. Another job that I didn’t know much about until I started researching it was cloud content. I had a guy in Europe hire me to fix up his different content pages, which is still a work in progress.

Their Books

I had a few different eBooks this month to work on and play around with. The first was a diet plan book that was a pretty quick job. The guy had a lot of chapters written, and they just needed to be added to and reworked a bit. We got up to about 40 pages on that one with pictures.

Another project I worked on was an editing job for a fantasy eBook. It was Arthurian fantasy, and the book was pretty good. I’ll write a review for it when it’s put up on Amazon. The final project was a book on Tarot cards which I enjoyed working on. It was fun to learn about the different meanings of the cards, although issues with payment arose that are still being worked out.

My Books

And then of course there’s my books, the 3 I put out there this month. Tribes and Trappers was the first, and it’s had a few sales. I was really happy with how it turned out, and especially the cover. I wrote the whole thing in about a month and put up one chapter each day on the site.

I followed the same strategy with Write Now! and the two books were written at the same time. I think they’re both great, and I expect to see them do quite well in future sales. The last was English Rocks! which was a real labor. I loved writing it because I knew it would help teachers out. It was quite an undertaking though, coming in at about 170 pages, with more pictures than lessons. I was quite happy when I finished it, and when I got my first sales on Amazon and Smashwords.

I hope that May can be just as productive as April was, and I actually expect it to be more so. I’ve got a lot more time to write now that I’m ready to leave China. My job teaching will end soon and I’ll be floating by on a tourist visa. My wife and son will also head to Russia for a month, so I’ll have no job and the place to myself. There’s a strong possibility that I’ll get two of my own books out this month, especially since the Google book is now finished and just waiting to go. I could pump out a short novel if I really wanted to, and that’s the direction I’m heading in. Time to take a break from non-fiction for a bit.

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How to Write a Website

How to Write an About Us Page

How to Write a FAQ

How to Write a Footer

Write to the Top Table of Contents

Self Publishing on Amazon

New Tarot eBook

A Busy April

Writing Blog
by Greg Strandberg

Top Ten

Categories

My Books
(By Publication Date, New to Old)

Archives

How to Write a Website

How to Write an About Us Page

How to Write a FAQ

How to Write a Footer

Write to the Top Table of Contents

Self Publishing on Amazon

New Tarot eBook

A Busy April

Writing Blogby Greg Strandberg

Top Ten

Categories

My Books(By Publication Date, New to Old)

Archives

Writing Blog
by Greg Strandberg

My Books
(By Publication Date, New to Old)