Professional Writers have a Webpage- That's a Fact - Writers Forum

decochix · 03-09-2007, 04:15 PM

Hi! I’m newbie Lisa, a freelance writer from New Hampshire. I have recently co-founded a website- www.awriterslife4me.com. Is a place where writers of all genres can have their own webpage- on "online portfolio" if you will- to add professionalism to their work. Each writer gets his or her own web page, awriterslfe4me.com email address, tech support, access to the forum and much more that we're working on!

I know from personal experience that having one link for potential clients and employers to see and click on works much better than attaching a word document to an email, or merely copying and pasting your resume onto the body of an email.

So if you're in the market for your own affordable web page (with lots of little extras to boot), come on over to
www.awriterslife4me.com
It's nice to be here and have a great day!
Best,
Lisa

valeca · 03-09-2007, 05:37 PM

So, instead of having a 'yourname.com', your clients get a subdomain? I'm not seeing that as 'professional looking'.

I took a look at your pricing, and couldn't help but notice you charge for every little detail, including 5 cents/word for changing text. You do allow 4 updates per year (I think, there are issues with understanding that part), although you charge $2.00 for sending out the reminder, as well as $1.00 for text links--odd since the whole point, if I've understood correctly, was to provide a place for author's to showcase their publications.

Edited to add: I'd advise people to look at your 'Writer's Pads'. They're very telling.

Really, I don't see this service as helping the writer so much as it's helping you line your pockets with their money.

Superlagg · 03-10-2007, 04:35 AM

If someone can afford those rates, factored in with the added costs of the features, they can surely afford to buy a full domain where they can change things more than once every 3 months. Only able to change things 4 times a year, simply unacceptable in a webhost! For 20$ a year you can buy a domain with modest bandwidth (Hell, you can buy 4 of them!) with unlimited changes, no restrictions on what you can and cannot do, no having to pay to add links, essentially having an actual site.

I'm sorry, I just dont see any reason someone should choose this host over another, cheaper, more versatile host.

decochix · 03-10-2007, 10:30 AM

Ok---First of all, the $19.95 per year is for everything that we offer- not just the domain name or maintenance of the page. The $3 per "thing" is the "ala carte" for the month-to- month users who don't want to commit for an entire year--it states that on that page. Thirdly, if you don't want to join, don't. If you want to go out and get your own domain and web page, create the site, maintain it and pay your server the monthly fee, go ahead! This service is for writers who want to have a webpage and nothing more, including the hassles of dealing with a server. If you don't think that's worth the $20 a year, we don't really care.

I've made a very successful career as a freelance writer, with a large chunk of it due to my webpage to draw potential clients in. We are a start-up site with lots of great ideas and marketing concepts to offer ou members. If you aren't interested, really, we don't care.

sampson · 03-10-2007, 11:30 AM

i dont care that you dont care

...sorry couldnt resist

decochix · 03-10-2007, 11:49 AM

Now that's funny! I wouldn't have been able to resist, either!

missmoopants · 03-10-2007, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by decochix

Thirdly, if you don't want to join, don't. If you want to go out and get your own domain and web page, create the site, maintain it and pay your server the monthly fee, go ahead! ... If you don't think that's worth the $20 a year, we don't really care.

...
If you aren't interested, really, we don't care.

You probably should care, if you're addressing a writers' forum...

Rob · 03-10-2007, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by decochix

Professional Writers have a Webpage- That's a Fact

How many professional writers do you have on your books?

Cheers,
Omni

RainBeau · 03-10-2007, 12:50 PM

To be fair, the site seems to be a niche filler for those who would like the convenience of having a website without all the hassles of having a website. At $20/yr it looks like a good deal.

The limit on uploads will likely drive people away in droves. To make a weak analogy: If I rent a house which has been painted all white (walls and ceilings) and I decide to wall paper in some rooms and use different colors for other rooms, but I'm only allowed to paint on the fourth Monday of odd numbered months, it's going to give me pause as to whether I want to be bound by these restrictions.

I do hope, Lisa, that your site will takes off and you'll have fun while doing it. I probably won't be availing myself to it though.

Cheers

decochix · 03-10-2007, 02:03 PM

When I said that I don't care, its in response to people who felt the need to post in a negative manner--for the rest of the world, I do care.

I'm doing research on forums to see what writers are talking about and where they are finding eachother. I read them constantly in my line of work, I've just never posted.

This site is a start up (as it states on my first post). After researching the market, I found several sites which offer what we do, some for a smaller fee, but not to the extent that we are going to. We are working on a "Live Chat Design Session" to get each page as unique as its owner. Each of the sites that I found has a maximum of 4 changes per year- that's where that number came from. But thank you Rainbeau for seeing what I'm trying to do here-- a personal webpage pushed my career in the right direction, and I'm trying to offer that to other people, without the pain in the butt that a complete website can be- If someone wants to rip apart what I'm doing, that's what i don't care about- I can sleep at night knowing that I'm not a scam or trying to make a quick buck- all while keeping a sense of humor-

If anyone has any questions and doesnt feel the need to just rip me apart, i would be more than happy to answer them---

For example, I have 2 professional writers right now, 1 up-and-coming, 12 in the process of joining (haven't paid us yet- per order of me, as I want all bugs out of the site before any additional pages are added) and a few handfuls of folks emailing me daily from around the globe.

And anyone who wants to join the forum on my site is welcome to--its not just for members of the site---

The best of luck to all-
Lisa

decochix · 03-10-2007, 02:11 PM

And thank you all for your feedback...this is exactly what a start up website needs!

Willis · 03-10-2007, 02:37 PM

No names for these writers? I'm not buying into this "venture".

Mike C · 03-10-2007, 04:04 PM

Professional writers have websites. Not obscure pages in a directory. I know, I've built a few. And they get as many updates as they want - four a year is dumb. You'd be better off using a cms (as I do) so that members can update their own pages whenever they need to, not when you give permission. I see one of you claims to be a professional web developer - why then no doctype declaration? It's an unprofessional site. Navigation is poor and inconsistent also. If you're trying to look professional, and charging money, it's not good enough.

I'm not trashing your idea, but I do think you're barking up the wrong tree here. I've seen lots of similar sites, and I've yet to see one make much of a splash. And you're offering about 500% less than anyone can (and many writers do) get with the likes of myspace.

You start out by saying professional writers have a webpage - then pitch an amatuer service very much at amateurs - you're offering nothing a professional would want or need.

And your pricing, for what you're offering, which is actually very little, sucks, to the point that I'll make this offer - if anyone feels they need an online resume/web page that badly, I'll give them one for free.

strangedaze · 03-12-2007, 01:14 PM

mike tells it like it is. i dunno, im inclined to say that i dont even want a webpage until i have professional publication credits, and even then, i dunnoooo. and if i were a professional writer, i would proooobably want my own domain name.

mammamaia · 03-13-2007, 01:34 AM

sorry, but i have to ditto all the naysayers above... doesn't sound the least bit 'professional' to me, either...