Type & Purpose

As I query my novel, I have noticed that many literary agents will ask for a website link if the writer has one available so that they can get to know the person submitting to them. I have never had a website to submit before, but I think creating one would be beneficial to this process because the literary agent can see who I am and get to know my writing style and background from more than just the limited profile provided in the query letter. Therefore, the type of website I have chosen to design for my final project is a writer/author profile that will introduce who I am, discuss my publishing journey for my work, and my detail my involvement in creative writing events and communities. Once completed, I intend to submit this website along with my query materials to literary agents as I attempt to publish my creative work.

 Client

I am the client for the website, and I would like to present a creative but polished persona to audience. I want my website to show that I am relatable and accessible, responsible and dependable, knowledgeable about the genre, and involved with the community. I also want to provide some helpful insights into embarking on the journey to traditional publication for other aspiring authors.

Audiences

My primary audience for this website right now would be the literary agents that I will submit this website to as part of my query documents, but hopefully in the future when I have representation, my audience will expand to include editors, publishers, other writers, and readers.

Content Design

The pages I intend to create are as follows:

• Home

  • The “Home” page will be a landing page that provides a brief introduction to who I am and the content they can find on my website.

• About

  • The “About” page will provide my contact information along with a brief bio that explains where my love of writing and reading began and a little about my education and professional experiences. It will also link to a longer blog post that is a literacy narrative of sorts that provides a more creative take on explaining my background.

• Creative Writing

  • The “Creative Writing” page will provide brief descriptions of my current creative project and where I am in my publishing journey with them whether it’s drafting, revising, or querying.

• Recent Reads

  • The “Recent Reads” page will show what books and authors have been influential to me, what I have recently read, and what titles are on my TBR list. I also intent to link to my Goodreads account on this page so viewers can see my ratings and reviews for my recent reads.

• Publishing Adventures blog

  • The “Publishing Adventures” page will house two or three blog posts explaining my publishing journey and experiences in the “query trenches.” I hope for it will make me relatable, provide advice, and show a sample of my narrative/reflective writing.

• Events

  • The “Events” page will list upcoming events in the writing community that I will be attending in the next few months. The aim of this page is to show that I am involved in writing events and communities, and invite people to network with me.

Design Tools

I am using Wix to design my website. I chose a template that I thought was both professional and creative, and I have been customizing it using their available tools. I believe I will code a little to change some features that are currently not customizable.

Concerns

I think my only concern currently is that some of the template features are not customizable, and I won’t be able to change them to what I want them to be. I will have to do more research into their design features to see what I can change within their fixed templates.