THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION

After our initial call, you will be able to select a design date. Bear in mind, this date must be at least one month after our chat. Because before our adventure can begin, you first have some exploring to do.

“Exploring? You mean, homework?”

Yes, but the fun, creative kind. Seriously, if you like journaling and vision boards, this might end up being one of your favorite steps!

First up is a questionnaire all about…you! We’ll have discussed your career and goals in our call, but this is a chance to dive even deeper. What is it that drew you to writing in the first place? What sort of themes do you explore in your novels? What sort of connection do you want to curate with your readers?

Second up, is a Pinterest Inspiration Board. This is a fun way to get the creative juices flowing. It also gives me a feel for the type of aesthetic styles you’re drawn to. There are a thousand ways to design a beautiful website; this board will be our north star as we craft a site that is beautifully tailored to YOU.

Once your questionnaire and Pinterest board are full of juicy thoughts and inspiring visuals, there is just one more step before our journey begins. That’s right. It’s time for you, my lovely author, to write!

For while I shall design your website, its words belong to you.

As you craft your author bio or describe the amazing query courses you offer, remember to have fun. Be creative. And never forget you are telling a story.

This story will look different for everyone. Is yours a tale of heart-wrenching quests, moody thrills, or blue-skied escape? Even if you dance through a variety of genres, there is always an underlying flavor to an author’s career that we want to identify and enhance.

Don’t stress if you’re not yet sure what you want your website to say. Steps One and Two are designed to clarify both your literary goals and the specific story your website will tell. Plus, I will provide a template and clear structure to guide you on this process.

Ah, and let’s not forget - a website will look awful bare with no pictures! So if you want to get a new headshot, find those cute character sketches, or start digging through your computer for those candid-looking but actually carefully posed shots that show off your fun author personality, this is the time!

We’ve had our initial chat, clarified your goals, and you’ve crafted the words that will be placed on your site…now it’s time for our creative vision to take flight!

Come Monday, we will hop on a call to officially kick off our three weeks together. We’ll discuss your inspiration homework and content, ask and answer any questions that have arisen since we last spoke, and go over the design schedule.

After this meeting, you have one task and one alone - be responsive to emails!

This process truly is a collaboration, and the faster you can respond to my emails, the more we will be able to customize and refine this design to embody your dreams.

From the color palette to the final layout, I truly value your creative input. But getting that input becomes difficult if you’re on vacation in Tahiti with no internet service! So please make sure you choose a design slot when you will have stable internet and the time to answer emails.

After our Monday call, I will get straight to work crafting your branding package.

I’ll start with a mood board, to ensure the flavor of the brand is heading in the right direction. Then I’ll craft a color palette and choose typography based on where your career is and how you want it to grow.

A strong brand has built-in flexibility to support an author as their writing style evolves. I’ll build this into your brand, and provide a walkthrough of how to adjust as your career progresses.

We’ve come a long way, every step meant to clarify and lay a foundation not just for any website — but a personally branded site that will support your long-term literary goals. Now as we enter the final stretch, take a deep breath and get ready! For it is finally time for me to craft your site.

Once your design is complete, I will share view access. This is your chance to request revisions. Perhaps you want to swap out a photo or adjust the wording of your newsletter invite now that you’ve seen it on the page. You’ll send me your requests, and I’ll craft the adjustments.

There is no limit to the number of revisions you can request except for our three-week timeline, meaning the faster you respond to my emails, the more rounds of revision we can accommodate.

This is our chance to fine-tune and add the polishing touches to your site, ensuring its final version shines bright!

We’ve done it! Traversed the creative chasms and scaled the strategic slopes! Now all that’s left is to share the results of our adventure with the world.

On the final Friday of our three-week schedule, we will hop on our third and final call. We will toast and celebrate, handle any last admin details, and launch your brand-new author site!

But never fear that I’m throwing you into the world of being a website owner with no safety net.

At the end of our time together, you will receive a library of Squarespace training videos that explain how to update your site. These will empower you to make changes to your website as your career progresses.

And if, in the future, you ever need my support, I am always an email away.

Until then, share your website with your friends, your readers, and your literary team. Open a bottle of something bubbly — you deserve it! — and toast our adventure with fondness.