We’re continuing our website critique series today with Trisha’s blog, WORD+STUFF. Hi, Trisha!

Content & Navigation
One of your strong points is your topic and content. I like that you have your blog as a place to talk about writing, but you’re free to do more than that. You’re more than just a writer, and your various topics show that.

I like how you have social media links in sidebar. You could highlight them just a touch more with a header for that section that’s a call to action—Connect with me or something similar.

However, those shouldn’t be the only way a visitor can contact you. I always advise a contact form on your website!

On your Projects page, I like the way you let us know the story behind the projects, but a little more info about the projects themselves might help to hook us better. (This may not be a big issue if you’re not pursuing publication on some of your older works.) Also, the link to the excerpts doesn’t work (you need to capitalize Excerpts in the link). If any of the excerpts correlate with the projects you list here, consider linking directly to those excerpts in the description of your book.

Design
The eclectic design seems to reflect your tastes, but you might consider something that relates a little more directly to your blog’s topic and theme—and that of your writing, if you have a genre or subject area that interests you most. I’m not clear whether the art in the background is yours. Maybe you could explain this on your about page, and talk a little about your art. Your Art page could explore this further, talking about your training, media, inspirations, etc.

Search Engine Presence
As far as your search engine presence goes . . . well, it’s really hard to say, since you don’t use your last name on your site. I understand concern for your privacy, but if you’re selling your brand (and you are your brand), it helps to actually have that on your site. You’re not Google-able without it. (I did try searching for Trisha, just in case you’re actually a super-famous one-named artist in Australia, but no luck yet.) If you’re going to use a pen name, you might think about branding that now, too.

Good luck!

What do you think? Is your blog topic broad enough?

I’ve just decided to participate in the A to Z April Blogging Challenge. Which is brilliant since I’ve been completely slammed by reading, revisions and real life these last two weeks. And I’m trying to launch a third blog.

I’m insane, I know.

But I definitely need to start with acknowledging the awesome Sierra Gardner. She’s part of my Crusader Group, and she’s gone to the effort to feature each of the members of our group on her blog this week. Her profile on me, which ran yesterday, makes me sound amazing! Thanks, Sierra.

I really enjoy reading Sierra’s blog. As a science grad student, she posts lots of interesting discussions on science in fiction—even if you’re not writing futuristic or science fiction. Seriously, check her out!

In other news, I got some awesome news which wasn’t an April Fools’ joke today. As soon as I can, I’ll share it with you!

Are you participating in the challenge? You ready?

Photo by Christine & David Schmitt

Okay, so I’m sure I’m probably preaching to the choir here, but hey—it’s Christmas! What better time for preaching and choirs?

Back when I put a blog as the #7 thing an aspiring author’s website should have, several people questioned that in the comments (even though in the article I said there really just needed to be a place for news and updates).

Last week, the Romance Writers of America’s Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter took the title question to task with guest blogger Taylor Lindstrom. She acknowledges that blogging can be a major draw on a writers’ creativity and often very limited time—but it can still be beneficial for any fiction writer.

She gives four good reasons that every fiction writer should have a blog.

One of the most important reasons she lists is that it gives you an author platform. Even if you don’t have a website, even if you don’t really know what you’re doing, even if you don’t get the Internet, at least trying shows that you’re willing to get out there and work for your career.

Is that necessary before you get published? Agent Kristen Nelson recently addressed this question on her blog:

an author [being published] today is definitely expected to be internet savvy, have a website, and have a sense of social media outlets and how promo is done electronically.

Naturally, however, you can find at least a few agents who don’t care whether you have a website or might even be turned off. But it seems like more and more agents put this in the plus category (if they’re already liking your query, of course ).

What do you think? Should fiction writers blog? How much should learn about book promotion before you submit or sell (and would you like to learn more )? (But seriously, would you?)