But... I don't want to write today!

There is a funny sensation that hits me when I'm writing a novel. Suddenly everything else in the house becomes more interesting. The dishes in the sink are suddenly a matter of personal security if I don't wash them. The load of laundry will mildew three seconds after the cycle, and oh yes, there is always one more thing I need to look up on the internet or a vital program on TV.

I know what it is.... of course. I'm avoiding writing. I love writing normally until you suddenly put a deadline in front of me. Then, for some reason my head hates to do it. It reminds me of my youth and piano practice. I have to say, when I was younger and signed up for piano, I did my chores with more regularity, had all my homework completed, and my bedroom was always the cleanest room in the house.

How does one combat the avoidance? The answer is simple. You have to sit down and write. Though it's not as easy as all that. My computer is connected to the internet, thus I have a sit down gateway for avoidance. There have been times when I have simply switched off my computer and continued a chapter with pen and pencil.

Needless to say, almost every successful author I've read about or talked to gives themselves some sort of goal line per day. Whether it is 5000 words per week, 5 pages per day, 100 words per day, or what ever angle you want to play having that goal and forcing yourself to stick by it really helps. My personal goal marker is 5000 words per week or a chapter per day depending on the book. Right now, however, I am outlining, thus it is sheer tenacity that propels me out of this region of head banging. I should finish up today, but you guessed it I'm avoiding with this blog.

There are times when I can crank out three chapters in a day. Of course, that means that I have successfully tuned out everyone and everything in my life for two, four, six, eight, or even twelve hours; however, on momentous occasions like these, I am rewarded by having a few days off. Of course as Murphy's law provides- I will want to write that week. I wish I could say that I have successfully found a way to have this feeling all the time, but I don't. Writing is a job, thus sometimes you don't like it very much. The good news is that most of the time, you find it quite enjoyable.

Having said this, I suppose that I should get back on the piano bench and play. (Sigh) I have a feeling I will have to turn off the internet today...

Katie

Pancakes & Pinesol: Real Review: Gideon Biddle: Shadowwalk

Pancakes & Pinesol: Real Review: Gideon Biddle: Shadowwalk

Book signings and the after effects of such:

The very thought sends chills up your spine makes you cringe... The dread book signing. Like everything else in my life the book signing sort of happened. When I went into Little Professor in early May I hadn't planned to set up a signing. In fact I was terrified that they wouldn't stock my work because I am under the dreaded title of "self published author." (Actually I understand that more now that I have done a signing, but I'll talk about that later.)

I had generally put off doing anything with my book until school got out. However, I had a weekend where I had nothing to do, and I had already mentioned to my ward that I had written a book. There were many people who do not like to buy on line who were wanting to buy my book from an actual store. Needless to say I had more push than I needed to get over to the local bookseller and try to get my work on their shelf.

I chose Little Professor because I knew they had a wall of local talent. It was a good sign that I had a chance. I really wasn't even prepared to go in. I had a copy of my book intended for the Library of Congress sitting on the seat next to me. Good thing too, because the owner asked for a copy of the book. Without blinking I passed the hardcover over and told him that I would contact him in a week.

A week later I talked to him. His wife had read the book and really liked it. His daughter hadn't started it and he claimed he had read it at the time. I later found out that he read it after this point, but I won't quibble. His next question caught me off guard and it was a learning lesson that you only get through experience. He asked me when he could have some books. To my credit I had thought this was going to happen, so I had purchased some books from Createspace; however they weren't due to arrive for another week or so. When I told him this he wasn't visibly upset. He simply shrugged. I told him I would bring them in shortly after. Again there was no visible response from the man.

Now here is where I go (of course not.) You are aware of this even as the person is talking to you, but it never does seem fit to register. Of course he is not going to be upset. You are local talent, his store will probably sell a few books and you will fade. In this respect no store owner is going to be upset with you about late books. I suppose we are all too ingrained by school, but not having books when asks feels very much the same as not turning in an assignment on time.

So... where did the book signing come from? Well, I went home and ordered more books. It was a good thing too I ended up selling them all. To continue, I went home feeling pretty good, but I was worried about not having enough books. So, I called back and extended the date I was going to bring them in. That's when that little voice in the back of your head chimes... and I could do a book signing that day if you like. The store owner said sure, and I added another dent in my wall.

There are two emotions connected to doing a book signing. The first is pride. There is a part of you that now feels like a true author because you are doing a book signing. It is almost like saying see I am a real author because I am in a brick and mortar store and I've got a pen. The second emotion is fear. There is no confusing that one. Fear of what do you do at a book signing other than sign books? What if I only sell three books? What do I put on the table? Do you actually hand a book to a complete stranger and say, "Please buy my book?" (The answer to that one is yes, and it surprisingly works.) So when I was finished denting my wall, I got to work...

I realized that I needed to do marketing now. I had already created a poster shown above as a poster for the bookstore. It worked well but I made it too big. (Chuckle) I got to work making bookmarks, fliers, press releases, and I spent some money on magnets with the poster on the front. I contacted the radio programs and had them do PSA's and put me on the community calendar. I contacted the newspapers, and I did get on their online calendar, though I'm not sure how many people actually look at that. I made sure to give the bookstore a slew of bookmarks to put near the register that had information pertaining to the book signing. I did everything I could think to do to pull people into my signing.

I also did research. I prowled the internet looking for any advice on signings. I planned my table, I bought candy, and I practiced selling my book. I must have looked like a mad woman as I drove down the street. I perfected answers to such questions as: "What is your book about?" and "How did you get it published?" (One of my rules was never to admit that I was a self published author.) While there are a great many really respected authors who started in self publishing no one thinks of them that way. In general self-published authors are regarded as bad authors, so I determined to keep the focus on the book and not the publishing. It did help that I bought the published by me function because I could use the Rosewood Press label as my publisher and not lulu.

When the day of my book signing approached I got more and more nervous. It didn't really help that Graduation was the day before. There was a lot of stress in my life last week. Anyway, I got up Friday morning ready to sign. I gave myself a facial, put on fake nails, and tried on every piece of clothing in my closet until I found an outfit that conveyed the right message. (I'm a serious author, yet I'm fun.) It was also an outfit that I hoped didn't make me look like a store employee.

I showed up to the signing a half hour early. Now to their credit, Little Professor had already set up the table and decorated it in their style. I quickly and quietly rearranged the table and put out my own decorations. I actually had someone come in before I finished. They were a couple of ladies that I worked with at SkyWest Airlines. I had run into the first while going into a store and put a bookmark in her hand. She had come along with my other friend and were the first to buy my book. It continued that way for about two hours. Off and on people I knew would enter the store and buy my book. I still haven't heard feedback-- I'm a little nervous about that right now. :)

When friends weren't arriving, I talked regular patrons into my book. Some bought my book outright others had to be convinced. Needless to say I couldn't be a wall flower when it came to my story. My mother was impressed with my selling power. It wasn't until she commented on it that I realized how forward I was being. In the end it worked. I sold out my complete box of soft cover books and a good portion of my hardcovers. In the end I sold thirty books. That is an extremely good selling for a book signing I am told.

Here's the thing.... I am now dealing with the after effects of the signing. :) This is the point where you wait for feedback. Given that I had seven or so friends come to the signing I'm sure I will receive some feedback from this event. Again the fear emerges... but it's odd. Somewhere beneath all of your fears you begin to think, I want to do another one of these. They are addictive...

In summary:

• Don't be afraid of a book signing they won't kill you.
• Be upfront and forward with your marketing strategy. Try to get the word out in every available place.
• Use promotions wisely. If you make bookmarks, hand them out to everyone you come in contact with. You never know how many will come to your signing or buy your book.
• Negotiate hard cover and soft cover sales separately. You will most likely sell fewer hard cover books thus bring the percentage given to the store down.
  
• At the book signing, stand and talk to customers. Put a book in their hand if you can and smile.
• Don't be afraid to tell people that your book is great and wonderful. It feels like you are bragging, but in the publishing world it's just marketing. If you want to sell you need to do this.
• Have fun. Book signings are a blast and can be a great deal of fun. Don't get caught behind your table unless you are signing a book. Enjoy it because the two to three hours are over quickly.
  

Is there a critic in the house?

Criticism, is one of the most unusual side-effects of becoming a writer. I don't mean Criticism from editors, publishers, and the book critics. -- Hardly. I have found since I have begun writing books that it has a Jeckle and Hyde effect with normal, everyday people. A person who has no interest in writing, editing, or even reading a book, will suddenly turn into an expert on the most unusual things when they find out you have written a book.

I have been toying with the writing profession since High School. This is where I first noticed the reaction of others to a writer. Since then I have begun cataloging them. To date there are four distinct groups. a) the plot twisters, b) the mock editors, c) the doubters, and d) the truly knowledgeable. It is the last that provide the criticisms you need to pull your novel to the next level; however it is hard to tell the difference between the truly knowledgeable and the rest of the critics that litter your path.

Group 1: the Plot Twisters: I like to think of Plot Twisters as the wishers of the critic group. They are the dear, sweet souls who most likely have a book of their own tucked away in a dresser drawer. While I think of them as delightful when I write this blog, they sometimes can be a bit like an unwanted fly when offering their criticism. They are the critics who want to switch the plot's path to what they would do if they were writing your book.

How can you tell when you're dealing with a Plot Twister and not a knowledgeable? The answer is simple: Do they have a valid reason for their change to occur? When you weigh their reasoning, would it make the story stronger? Does the change add to the plot? If the answer to these questions are all three yes, you are dealing with a Knowledgeable. If not, well, you've run into a Plot Twister.

For the most part I have found that Plot Twisters are the least malicious of the four critic groups. They usually phrase their questions in a "what if" form. They are usually eager and very excited at the prospect of you writing a book and will become a fan of everything you're writing. As a word of warning, I have also found that they will come to think of themselves as a co-author to your story if you are not wary of their attention.

The easiest way to deal with a Plot Twister is to encourage them to write their own book. Create a mini-writers group- The positive of the Plot Twister, their unbridled enthusiasm will still be there, yet the Plot Twister will focus more on their own project than yours giving you some freedom to work on your book.

Group 2: The Mock Editors: I feel like when I talk about the Mock Editor that a "Severe Tire Damage" sign needs to be put up. The Mock Editor can do more harm than good and they are the hardest to tell from the Truly Knowledgeable- especially if you have trouble with editing in general.

A Mock Editor will give an air of confidence when editing your writing. They will circle, add commas, remove commas, provide different vocabulary, rewrite sentences, and bloody your page just like an actual editor; however, if you are dealing with a Mock Editor, the information they provide may or may not be valid.

Like the Plot Twister they are usually very excited that you are writing a book and are eager to help. Usually the Mock Editor will be someone who was "good at English" in High School or College. They have never really written anything (except, maybe, a book that they have failed to publish) since then, but they got all A's at the time. The difference between a Mock Editor and a Truly Knowledgeable is really up to who taught them how to edit a paper, and do they really remember all the rules involved?

Unfortunately there is really only one way to tell a Mock Editor from a Truly Knowledgeable. Once they have bloodied your work you must go through the entire edit and validate what they have edited: Make sure that every comma is really a comma and not a comma splice. Look up definitions of words and validate that they are better than the word you have chosen. Check sentence edits to make sure that they are not really causing more problems.

There is an advantage to a Mock Editor. In general they do pick up most typos, and they do pick up on sentence problems. I use mock editors as a red flag not a solution to the problem. Considering that a Mock Editor is a normal everyday reader in real life, they do know when a sentence reads wrong. Their attempt to fix it may have flaws, but there was a reason they stopped reading and tried to fix your sentence.

The best way to handle a Mock Editor is to simply thank them. Mock Editors are well meaning people who want to help you succeed. Because they have taken the time to edit your work and cared enough to help you, a hearty thank-you is warranted.

Group Three: The Doubters: Ah, the wet blankets of the writing universe. Doubters are actually fewer in number than one would think. They are the group who come off supportive, but in the end make you question what you are doing and why you are doing it. Because of this, I label them the most dangerous of the Critics.

Doubters confused me for a time before I created a group for them. They are the ones who seem really excited that you are writing a book, but routinely remind you of all the reasons that you are going to fail. They are the ones who say cutting comments like "It's too bad you couldn't find a real editor to look at your book." or "It's so hard to get into the publishing industry, do you really think you're good enough?" or (My favorite) "Why don't you send your book to a real writer, so they can tell you how to fix your book.

To be fair there are two kinds of doubters. The first kind is very much like the Plot Twister. They are well meaning in their words, but are oblivious to the fact that they are tearing you down rather than helping. The second kind I can only call destructive. They are the polar opposite- meaning, they are not trying to help. These are the critics who envy what you are doing and (whether they are doing consciously or not) will tear into you to aid their own self-esteem. How can you tell the difference? Really, you can't. Both types of doubters will hurt your self-esteem unless you grow a thick skin.

The best way to handle a doubter may surprise you. Thank them kindly and walk away. Because you can't tell the well meaning kind from the destructive kind- there is no other solution. It is not in your best interests as a writer to alienate anyone, so the answer is simple- don't. Don't argue with them but... don't take what they say too much to heart.

Group 4: The Truly Knowledgeable: I saved this group for last because the Truly Knowledgeable can seem like any one of the above three. Trick is... they know what they are doing. A Knowledgeable can be your best friend in the world of writing, but they are tricky to find. I remember as a child I used to play with the Seek and Find books. Finding a knowledgeable is much like trying to find the feather in the picture.

The first reason for this is: Most Knowledgeables shy away from helping. Young or newbie authors in general take editing much like its dental work. They are sometimes almost vicious in protecting their art, thus most Knowledgables who would like to help have been burned by a particularly bad author reaction. The difference between a Knowledgeable and a Mock Editor is- the Knowledgeable will step aside if confronted and tell the author to keep the sentence the way it is- knowing it is incorrect. Most Mock Editors will fight for a sentence to be altered.

The second reason is: Not many people are really Knowledgeables. It is amazing the mis-information taught by English Teachers and Professors. (Keep in mind, I'm a teacher when I say this.) Most of the time it is miscommunication that causes the problem. My favorite: "Commas go where you naturally take a breath." Actually this rule was originally created for teaching reading: "When you come to a comma take a short breath, when you come to a period hold." Somewhere in the teaching industry a group of teachers used the reading rule to explain commas- thus we have thousands of comma splices in the world today based on the idea of natural breathing. (Sigh)

How can you tell when you are dealing with a Truly Knowledgeable? Answer there is only two sure ways to tell. A) they are an Editor, Agent, or Publisher. Hands down this is a sure sign that you should listen to what they are saying and take the criticism as a building opportunity. B) Everything they do validates when you go over what they have done. There is a bit of me that looks at that statement in horror. The amount of work it takes in validating every change before you do it, seems insurmountable; however, this should be weighed against the fact that it is your book. If you truly care about your work and are not just looking for an easy fix just to say "It's edited," you must, must, must, must must, validate the edits. A) This will make your book stronger and B) as you do this you will become a Truly Knowledgeable yourself.

There is only one way to handle a Truly Knowledgable: Thank them profusely. Listen to what they say and then thank them again.

Is the editing done yet?

It's disorienting when you are editing a book for any great length of time. After the third or fourth round of deep dig in editing, you imagine that you have found every type-o and grammar problem that could possibly exist... but no upon opening the book again you find yet another hundred or so waiting to be fixed. (Sigh)

I heard once that Charlotte's Web was revised over twenty times. According to my Children's Lit professor it was one of the reasons that it is hailed as such a wonderful book. I am currently revising for the fifteenth time. What I thought was a clean copy turned out to have over a hundred errors.

It is this fact that makes me shake my head when I hear that a would be author has edited once and has proclaimed it done. Such a situation boggles my mind. Since I have an English degree, I feel more secure than most in my abilities to pick up errors, yet from the point when I decided to put my novel into print and publish, I have found not hundreds but thousands of errors that needed to be fixed.

Perhaps this is why the publishing industry as a whole has such a foul opinion of PODs. There are thousands upon thousands of books on Lulu.com. If the editing process of the average writer consists of only one revision, then it is a pretty sad state of affairs. If I had stopped with my first revision thousands of spelling errors, type-o's, severe grammar errors would have gone unchecked.

My English teacher colleague and I have debated often if there can be an end to editing. I have decided that it can end at a point. There is a moment where everything becomes a matter of opinion. Whether a comma really is needed in a particular place despite the fact that the rules are in favor or against it. Whether the repetition of a word on a page is style or annoying. There does come a time when everything that is found in a novel can be debated. This is the point where I feel I can stop my struggle with the errors. Trouble is, at revision fifteen, I have not found that point.

I suppose since this is supposed to be a blog on writing, that I should actually give some hints.

#1. My editing process begins with a thorough read through aloud if possible. As I read through the manuscript I circle sentences and sections that are troublesome to read. (Anything that does not roll off the tongue easily) Spelling errors are marked with a quick "sp" and I fix commas and periods as I go. In general the first revision I look for timing and pace. Once I have finished reading I return to the circled parts, spelling errors, etc and fix them or change them.


#2. The second time through the novel, I read it aloud again. Checking on the changed areas to make sure that I haven't inadvertently created a bigger problem by the change. I focus this time through again on content and pace.

#3. Now I use spell-check on my writing software. Up until this point I have been focusing on flow. I try very hard to ignore the green lines on the screen until I want to turn over the editing to the left side of my brain. Of course, misspellings I try to pick up during the actual writing process; however, I leave the grammar and punctuation alone until I'm sure the flow is there.

#4. The fourth time through the novel, my focus turns to the grammar, punctuation, and use of words. In order to avoid getting to engrossed in the story or allowing my memory to fill in the errors without my noticing, I revise the book starting at the end of each chapter and taking one sentence at a time. This starting from the last sentence and going to the first sentence is a great way to pick up run-on sentences and sentence fragments.

#5. Again I read the story aloud to check for flow. This time I underline any sentences where I stumble or hesitate when I read it. For me, this is usually a sign that I have a problem that needs attention. Once through the entire novel, I take a close look at those sentences and try to decipher the problem. If I can't figure it out, i revise the sentence completely- better safe than sorry.

#6. Passing it off to a knowledgeable friend or better yet an editor. A good friend of my mother picked up this task for me. She is a professional editor and agreed to help me. This is where you have to get thick skin.... When my manuscript came back after five edits, I thought it would be an error here or there that she found. Oh no- It made the St. Valentines Day Massacre look like a Easter Egg hunt. My jaw literally dropped to the floor. After getting over my initial shock and mother hen instinct (you know the one that reacts when it feels like someone is trying to change your story?) I changed the errors and felt pretty comfortable.

At this point I thought I would publish, send it in to contests... When I did, I found out that it wasn't ready yet... I still had a long ways to go.

#7-10. This was a four part effort. I read the story as well as three people in my family. Everyone had a pencil and was instructed to circle problems or fix errors. It was surprising that when all three copies came back the majority of each book had unique errors. The number of type-os that were missed by my editor and myself were surprising. Still I pressed on.

#11. By this time I was worried about flow again. So I did another aloud reading, to my dog. Again I found errors and problems. There were typo-s again hiding in the book. I was astounded.

#12. This was my mother's third time through the book. My father decided that he wanted to hear it aloud, so she read it to him as they traveled across country. Every night she would sit down and mark the errors she found. I in turn changed them, again marveling that there were so many. This was the twelfth time through the book after all. You'd think they would have started dwindling.

#13. This was again a reverse edit. I was starting to get impatient at this point. After all I was an English teacher and I have an English degree. In general I knew what I was doing. I must admit that I was getting a bit angry at myself. Revision 6 on Lulu was a hard one to do. At the end of the reverse edit I found yet another hundred errors that needed to be corrected.

#14. The Aunts picked up the mantle of editing this time. My mother's sisters decided to read my book. I'll admit more out of pity than a desire to read it. (They also have a poor view of self-published authors.) To my joy they truly enjoyed the book, one staying up all night to finish it. Unfortunately, they also found errors in my manuscript. Things that should have been picked up by, if not me, the army of people reading my book- Things like "Solid" being spelled "sold" or "Silver" being spelled "Sliver."

#15. Thinking I was almost to that point in the book, I felt a desire to have someone other than family read and edit my book. Perhaps it was the pity gesture of my aunts that sparked it, but I took a copy of my book to my English teacher co-worker and gave her explicit instructions to make the book bleed. I told her to be vicious and really make the book suffer. Between my Aunts' editing and my teaching friend there were at least another hundred errors to be fixed.

So here I am at revision fifteen. I am currently waiting for a copy of the book I ordered as a proof to arrive and I must admit, I'm a little nervous about opening the cover. Sixteen seems like such a long walk. I'm hoping I'm finally finished with this arduous task.

This is why I shake my head at my co-authors at Lulu who after one edit happily send it off to the world, thinking that it is a perfect book. I suppose that E. B. White, Author of Charlotte's Web might have felt the same when he faced revision after revision with errors still cluttering his book. It is this and only this thought that keeps me plodding through the wasteland. I keep waiting for that glorious moment when the sun brakes through the clouds and I can scream, I'm done.

Perhaps it's time to read the book aloud again...

Cheers,

Katie

Websites: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly...

I heard the phrase once that a website can be your best friend or your worst enemy. After being knee deep in the makings of both a flash website and a Dynamic HTML website, I have found that it is undoubtedly true.

My intention was never to make two websites. I only wanted to make one. The process of making my website started a year ago, when I decided to buy the program "Web Easy 6." It is easier than most programs, and fairly user freindly. Because I was a novice, it sounded like the program I could use to get my site up. It has several templates that are nice, but I wanted something that felt creative, enjoyable to use, and more importantly gave a home felt quality.

First Step: What do I want my page to look like? My first step was to search though a few writers websites, seeing what had been done in the past. While I hated the ones that were bland, drab columns of information or white screens with links to pages that only had text, I equally hated the websites that were nothing but pictures where you had to play hide and seek to find the links. I decided to go with a medium between the two. While I have the quirky, creative roll over images, I also added a menu on each page. That solved the navigation problem.

Next Step: What content should I have on my pages? It sounds odd that I did this second to deciding how I wanted my website to look; however, in the end it made my life easier. I was able to see what other authors put on their pages that I wanted to look at vs. the information I skipped over. Once I narrowed down my options I broke my site into four categories: Author information, A detailed section about my book "Gideon Biddle: Shadowwalk", A blog about my travels, and a links page that included upcoming books, and a little journal to keep in touch with my readers. The Book page was the page that caused me to stop for almost five months. I had a lot of information I wanted to put on this page, and I didn't want to make the site any bigger than it already was at this time.

Solution: I decided to create a second website. Using the power of the internet I stumbled upon a flash template that I thought would really make a great site for my book. Problem was, I didn't know the first thing about Flash Templates, Flash, Dreamweaver, or html programing. Still with the Self-Publishing wall to break down, I needed this page. So, I forked out the money and bought the program.

Step Three: How exactly do I build these websites? In truth for anyone who does not have experience with Flash or Dreamweaver, I suggest that you go with Web Easy. It was easier and in general is easier to design your web page. I do suggest you build a practice website first. Play around with it, make a mess, then get to the real thing. The reason I say this is because you will end up starting over anyway- it's just the nature of the build. I started over twice.

Notes on Flash Templates:

Before you shell out the huge price for the Flash program itself, I suggest you try their 30 day free trial. You will need both Flash and Dreamweaver in the end if you purchase a Flash Template. You cannot put in Meta Tags via Flash easily. They are the little notes that search engines read to get to your site. Second: Make sure you do not delete anything when you are making changes. I had to start completely over on my site because I tried to "clean up" the Library. Don't. It will only cause you severe pain and misery because of it. In the end I chose to mask practically everything and put in my own information. That way, if I want to change the content, I can unmask and I have it already there. Third: Realize a Flash Site is only one giant movie that you have produced. At least that is the way I see it. Web Crawlers cannot read the text buried in your flash program, so if you want anyone to come to your site, you need to put content other than Flash.

I found the following sites extremely helpful in creating my Flash website:

Has a little of everything for everyone. Good step by step process:
http://info.template-help.com/

Lovely video walk-throughs that explain a lot:
http://www.flash-template-design.com/create_link.php

Template Monster: Also well done video walk-thoughs
http://www.templatemonster.com/help/10/73


Step Four: Publishing

Now I must admit I was stumped with this one. I ended up calling my younger brother who is a genius with computers and networking. I mean that in no small way. He is fairly intuitive when it comes to computers. It is very nice to have such a resource.

I knew I needed a domain and a Webhost but I didn't have the slightest idea about who or where I could go to get one. He suggested 1and1 webhosting, I have been very happy with that choice. It takes about 24 hours for you to get to a position to put anything on your new site. So patience is key. Secondly, be aware that it can take another 24 hours for you to actually see your content.
Patience, patience, patience.

Here is where Web Easy 6 was worth it's money for me. I was able to put my site on and get it running in a few hours. The block I had was that I needed to change my opening page to Index.html. Once that was accomplished, I didn't have any problem seeing or working through my site. I did have to go in and put in my keywords and description for my meta tags. It was in a difficult to find spot: easiest way: hit Ctrl-K it will put up a side bar. Under Page settings you will have access to update your meta tags.

The flash application had to be loaded to the site via Dreamweaver. In the end that was good because I had to use Dreamweaver to put in my meta tags as well. Meta tags are slightly easier yet can be more complex in Dreamweaver. I suggest going to:

http://www.dwfaq.com/Tutorials/Miscellaneous/intro_to_metas.asp

Once I read this great tutorial I didn't have any problem setting my meta tags for my flash site.

Step 5: Revising

Revise, revise, revise. Check for spelling errors and don't leave the site alone for too long. People want to come back and learn something new.

All in all was the Website plan worth it?
Answer: I don't know. It will take time for me to see if it does anything but sit there being visited by only me. It is a great asset though, and I think it will add to the sales of my books if I did everything correctly. Given that this is only the day after, so to speak, time will have to tell.

Katie

Key Points:

* Do not assume making a webpage is easy. Think before you jump into something you cannot do.
*Research, research, research. Make sure you know what you want before you blindly begin making a website. Have a plan, it will make things easier.
* Use the trial versions of website programs before you commit to something that is bigger than your knowledge base. Usually the 15 to 30 day trial will tell you if it is something you can use.
* Flash Templates are sensitive to deletions. Don't delete unless you know what you are doing.
* Flash Templates need Dreamweaver to change Meta files and for easy uploading.
* When in doubt call for help! Find the kid down the street if you have to, but don't put yourself or your site in a position where you flounder.
*Revise, Revise, Revise: Check for spelling errors, have your family check for spelling errors, have your friends check for spelling errors.