As I gear up for the release of my first novel I wonder what will be the best way to establish my web presence, blog or static website with links to Amazon?
Both formats have merits and downsides.
Blog: Running a blog is like putting out your own magazine. Surely Benjamin Franklin would have opted for the blog. He would have fired up the old hemp pipe and dashed off a new issue of Poor Richard's from his favorite table in the ale house.
But blogs project a fundamental cheezyness don't they? Almost like "zines" homebuilt, cranky and unreliable. And they take work too: the hard, grindy, elbow grease type of work to keep up with voracious demand for content.
The website, while static, is also elegant- serene almost. It's your storefront. It invites people to come in and browse around, which may present a problem if you only stock one book because that's all you wrote so far.
We all want to be brand name authors and it seems the website/storefront naturally lends itself to branding and brand promotion. Then again, the blog, with its variability, gives readers something to look foward to and a chance to interact with their favorite writers.
It strikes me that the website is more take it or leave it, while the blog is a work in progress that might get better or worse.
Your thoughts?
Both formats have merits and downsides.
Blog: Running a blog is like putting out your own magazine. Surely Benjamin Franklin would have opted for the blog. He would have fired up the old hemp pipe and dashed off a new issue of Poor Richard's from his favorite table in the ale house.
But blogs project a fundamental cheezyness don't they? Almost like "zines" homebuilt, cranky and unreliable. And they take work too: the hard, grindy, elbow grease type of work to keep up with voracious demand for content.
The website, while static, is also elegant- serene almost. It's your storefront. It invites people to come in and browse around, which may present a problem if you only stock one book because that's all you wrote so far.
We all want to be brand name authors and it seems the website/storefront naturally lends itself to branding and brand promotion. Then again, the blog, with its variability, gives readers something to look foward to and a chance to interact with their favorite writers.
It strikes me that the website is more take it or leave it, while the blog is a work in progress that might get better or worse.
Your thoughts?