So, here we are, the new year. And what have I done so far this year? A great deal of behind the scenes work. Just like being a writer today means you spend half the time being a businessman, running a website means a great deal of behind the scenes work. It’s a life of constant tweaking.
Here’s a list of changes and some helpful hints.
I updated my Portfolio, moving my writing content onto the portfolio’s primary page, deleting the writing only page, and moving my design portfolio to the bottom. Why? Well, my focus isn’t on designing websites, that’s basically a hobby I get paid for. Rather, I’m shifting the focus to my writing.
My Links and Reads Page has undergone a much needed infusion of links to things that I actually read. I read a lot of writing industry-related websites – agents, publishers, other writers – so that I can keep on top of everything that’s going on. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and it’s not even all that I read, but it’s a start in the right direction.
Server Cleanup. As my website has progressed, a lot of information has ended up being left in scraps on my server. I went through and cleaned up all of those scraps. I also added redirects to all of the pages that Google’s Webmaster Tools tell me are currently dead links. I’ve found that this is slightly more helpful than being greeted by a simple 404 error page.
SEO functions. I cruised the net for a few hours today and located about 75 directories which accepted free submissions. One can never have too many inbound links.
Bradley Robb likes TV and books, and has an intense dislike for cinnamon. Once, Bradley stopped a Soviet T-60 with his middle finger. Bradley writes speculative fiction and edits Fiction Matters, and never really got the hang of talking about himself in the third person.