I have been considering setting up an author website (separate from this blog). I am, however not sure as to what such a site would achieve other than replicating material already available here.
One advantage to a website is that it displays static pages while a blog has content in more or less constant flux. A blog post which attracts many likes and/or comments today will, in a week or so be buried by more recent posts. However my blog already has several static pages which visitors see when visiting the home page: About, Anthology To Raise Money For Guide Dogs, My Books, Reviews Of My Books and Contact Me. I could reproduce some or all of the content contained on these pages on a website. This would, however be pointless as visitors want to see something new, not recycled content when visiting sites.
This post is a “thinking aloud” piece and I would appreciate fellow authors (and readers) views. Do any of you have both a blog and a separate website? And, if so what distinguishes one from the other?
Kevin
K Morris - Poet 
I’ve got a free Wix website but it’s in sore need of updating. I’ve also taken down the signed books for sale sign until I can sort out a better delivery method for paper books. You can also blog from there and it’s nice to have a landing website because you can sell your paper books straight from there with the PayPal button. Nice for events and giveaways too – looks good. When it’s updated that is. 🙂 The only thing I don’t like about Wix is that once you’ve chosen your theme you can’t change it.
Thanks for the information Jo. I will check out Wicks. I had to smile as, in the UK a store of the same name sells paint and other similar products. I wonder if there is any connection between the companies. Kevin
Reblogged this on William Chasterson.
Hi Kevin! My website is actually my blog. I have the WordPress blog mapped back to the website. Hope that helps! True…you would just duplicate the same things!
Thanks Patrick. That is helpful. My actuall blog address is newauthoronline.wordpress.com and that of my domain (which takes people to my blog) is newauthoronline.com. Are you speaking of the same thing? Regards. Kevin
I’ve thought about the same thing. Before I started blogging, I was a reader/shopper who wanted to go to a website, browse, and buy. I wasn’t interested in the “blog” and probably would have been thrown off by a front page post about “writer’s block” or “how to market a book.” A free Wix site is actually not a bad idea at all. Hmmm….
Thanks for your comment. I agree with you regarding the free Wicks site and thanks again to Jo for drawing my attention to it. Its interesting how you refer to your previous experience as a reader – how you would have been put off by the blog format. Best. Kevin