I’ve just recently decided to revamp my website. Since I’m moving my writing to a different level, I felt that I needed a more professional website, one that reflected an author who was writing different types of books. I know what I want and what I don’t want. I don’t want a theme. Such an image will pigeonhole me as a certain type of writer. Although, I heartily agree with a marketing strategy and themes on websites lets fans know exactly what it is you write, I still don’t want to be known for just my sexy novels at Blaze. I’m working on both a contemporary series and a dark fantasy. I know I want a simple design, one that is eye-catching, but not romancey. I don’t mean romancey in a bad way as I love romance, but I don’t want it to be too cutesy. I also want to be able to maintain my pages. I find that I would love to be able to add my own news, update a picture, or upload a new book myself. Webmistresses are busy people and waiting to get the work done takes up precious time. That’s what has led me to Content Management System or CMS for short.
CMS is simply software for website management. I could have a designer set up my website in Wordpress for example. That’s what I’m using right now to blog with you all. I could choose a ready-made template or have one custom made for me. This of course is exactly what I’m looking for. But switching to this type of website brings up other issues. I’ve found two designers. One I like the designs and the other I love the designs. On the like one, they will let me host elsewhere. On the love one, they won’t. That means leaving Access Romance. So, do I see what the like one can do for me and hope that I love the result? I joined Access Romance because of more than the chance to belong to a community. I joined because they did a slew of management-type activities for me. They do promotion, they send out a newsletter, and they do contests–all to generate interest in me. The love designers don’t offer that. So, it does make my choice just that much easier to make. Leaving Access Romance just isn’t an option.
Therefore, I’ve got to go with the like designer and see what can happen. My question to you all is: Do you notice the difference between an html website and one that is a CMS. Do you care? Here are a couple of examples for you to ponder: www.karenanders.com my current website that is done in html code and www.jillshalvis.com which is done by Swank. Please all the feedback you could give me would help immensely.
Also, as an aside, I’ve set up my own personal blog. If you have the time, could you also go there and tell me what you think? It’s at www.romancecupcake.blogspot.com
Of course, the biggest reason to stay with Access Romance is all of you. Thanks for coming back day after day and seeing what we have to say. It’s just a great pleasure!
For your comments, you will be amply rewarded. I will give away a $50 Target giftcard and my two most recent books–my anthology story “Deliver Me,” in Red Letter Nights and Give Me Fever.
Best,
Karen
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I like your current website as well as Jill’s. Go with the one that doenst restrict you! Why limit yourself and would hate to see you leave Access. Would miss you.
by Pat L
on April 2nd, 2007 at 6:48 am
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Your website looks great and you have a wonderful blog! I’m going to bookmark your blog so I can remember to check there. 
by Amy S.
on April 2nd, 2007 at 6:52 am
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Hi Karen,
First a plug for Swank - they are fabulous! They designed the Passionate Ink site, and do code-type maintenance occasionally as well.
I’m a big fan of CMS sites. They are so much easier to update, maintain, and keep timely. When you’ve got a book coming out, the last thing you want to do is track someone down (or take half a day) to do all the updates on a News page, a Bookshelf page, a Links page, etc. With most Wordpress sites (the CMS I’m most familiar with) it is a simple matter of adding a few lines here and there, and PRESTO! it’s done. You can create a new page of content that completely matches the current site theme with a simple press of a button.
I’m also pretty anti-Blogspot these days (which kills me, since I’m a total Google-fan!). When they go down, it seems half my favorite blogs go down 
by Ember
on April 2nd, 2007 at 7:47 am
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I really like Jill’s new website! I think it really stands out and catches your eye. You should decide to do what is best for your interests. Would really hate to see you leave Access Romance. Good luck to whatever you decide!
by Teresa W.
on April 2nd, 2007 at 7:49 am
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Your website is important since so many view it everyday. I think it is important to update this area due to that fact but Access is another great place where I lvoe to spend time and I would miss you as well. But your website has to reflect you and your own personality and interests. Best of luck and I will visit regularly.
by alissa
on April 2nd, 2007 at 9:13 am
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Your website looks good pretty easy to navigate. I like that. I hate websites that are cluster with some many news and stuff. Yours is very organized, just sexy, simple and easy. I wouldn’t change that much.
Jill’s website is very nice decorate. I like the new designed but not the cluster in the bathroom of the page, just to be honest when I visit websites like that. I just don’t read much. There might be interesting stuff but that doesn’t catch my attention.
The opening of the website is very important it should catchy and clean.
I like the idea of having the blog separated from the website, it’s a lot easier for the visitors to click and be directed to another page while you can still read stuff about the author books at the same time.
That is my opinion. I hope it helps a little.
by Barbara
on April 2nd, 2007 at 9:16 am
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I agree, it’s neat and easy to navigate. I have to admit, I hear a lot more about Access authors than ones who don’t participate in group blogs. I just don’t have time to visit them all so I have to pick a few for regular visits.
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love your website karen. it is simple
by kim h
on April 2nd, 2007 at 11:13 am
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I like accessing a website that is easily loadable (doesn’t take forever to load on computer) and also is simply setup to find areas such as books, bio, upcoming release fast.
by Lisa W
on April 2nd, 2007 at 11:40 am
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I took a look at your current website and I find it great because it is straightforward and simple to find info I need without lots of searching.
by Shuck Ying
on April 2nd, 2007 at 11:42 am
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I would have to say is that you should use a method that that you can update regularly and easily by yourself but which is also setup for a reader to view and find details quickly.
by Deborah
on April 2nd, 2007 at 11:45 am
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I just finished up a conversation with a publicity type person who was asking about this for a client. A design that allows changable for the front page is critical in my opinion, and that usually ends up with a blog pretty close to that front page.
I’ve had discussions with my author wife on this, as she had that concept for a while on her site (the blog was the front page), and wanted to get away from it briefly, so now her splash page now only has the links. I add a little doodad of code of the page that tracks visitors just to see where people are looking, and sure enough, the bulk of the traffic goes to the blog. Sure, most are returning visitors, and folks who return often enough have seen every page of your site already.
Your job, as a content providing author is to make sure your newest visitors read as many pages on your site as you can get them to. Since most visitors will visit a blog first, all the author has to do is occasionally link to internal pages from her own blog posts. You’d be surprised how well that works.
by Walt
on April 2nd, 2007 at 11:46 am
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Your website looks great! And it’s easy to navigate.
by Minna
on April 2nd, 2007 at 12:02 pm
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I really like your website! It does not take long to load. Everything is in a simple format so you can find things easy. It is always fun to have a catchy new design, like Jill Shalvis new website.
Have a great week!
Michele
by Michele L.
on April 2nd, 2007 at 12:47 pm
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I’ve looked at both websites and like them both. I like a webiste that is easy to navigate and I can easily find what I’m looking for. Good luck with your new website. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.
by Maureen
on April 2nd, 2007 at 1:41 pm
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Well, as someone who does all her sites and pages and code herself with simply notepad, I just would say go for whatever is the easiest and best for you to do. LOL I mean, at the end of the day, you’re doing to want to actually do stuff with it and update it and all, and if it’s easy to change, then it won’t feel like a chore at times. Which is why I avoid the urge to give my site an overall for as long as possible. LOL 
Lois
by Lois
on April 2nd, 2007 at 1:57 pm
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Thanks for all your responses. I’m sure I don’t want to leave Access Romance and it’s good to know that you didn’t see much of a difference between the two websites. I appreciate your comments Walt. I actually thought that maybe websites would start gravitating to being more blog-like. You can get almost all the information you need into it. I wonder if that will be the wave of the future.
I have decided to go with Swank and I will probably blog through the process, so you can hear how it goes.
I’m going to wait a little bit longer to choose the winner. But, I will be back to post later on. Thanks again for taking the time to visit all those websites and for the feedback.
Best, Karen
by Karen
on April 2nd, 2007 at 4:30 pm
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Both sites are great but yours is less cluttered so I would probably spend more time there. As to blogs - I like the ones (AccessRomance) where a lot of authors blog and keep it fun and interesting. There are very few “author” blogs I visit - I would be on the computer 24/7 if I did - more than once a month. My Space - forget it! 
by Karen B
on April 2nd, 2007 at 4:36 pm
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Karen,
I checked out both websites and both are very nice. Designs are nice but not very important to me. I am more interested in how quickly the pages load and how easy it is to navigate. In that respect, I did not notice a difference between the two. You should do whatever is easiest for you. For selfish reasons, I would prefer thst you remain with Access Romance. Good luck with wahtever you choose to do.
by Linda F
on April 2nd, 2007 at 4:39 pm
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Both web sites are nice but if Swank makes you happy then it’s good that you are changing. We will miss you here! Easy loading is also very important me because I’m on dialup and your site came up fast which is nice. I’ve already put it on my favorites list!
by Carol
on April 2nd, 2007 at 6:07 pm
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Karen I think your decision to go with Swank is the right one for you. I got the impression that you were already leaning that way and just needed to give yourself permission to go that way. Good luck with the choice, I’m crossing my fingers that everything goes smoothly for you.
by Sue A.
on April 2nd, 2007 at 6:58 pm
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I think you should go with whatever is easiest for you. I like both websites. You are the one who will be using it.
by Joyce
on April 2nd, 2007 at 7:05 pm
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I’ve visited your website before and was always impressed with the look. Very easy to navigate and quick-loading. That being said, I also like Jill’s website and to my untrained eye, I don’t see much difference in the two types. And we definitely want you to stay with Access Romance. You’re one of the reasons we all show up here.
by Cheryl S.
on April 2nd, 2007 at 7:20 pm
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I can’t say I’d ever notice the difference between an html website and one that is a CMS. I think your site and Jill’s site are both really nice. I like the cute graphics on your site. What is most important to me is that I can get around easily and find the latest news about your books and, of course, you. If you can update the site with CMS, then I vote for that. Like in the Field of Dreams “if you build it, they will come”. I don’t think you have any thing to worry about. Your present and future fans will be happy with whatever you decide.
by Kim
on April 2nd, 2007 at 7:26 pm
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I agree with how quickly the web page loads..LOL…the faster the better I usually visit sites that are quick to load and especially web blogs that have mulitple authors! Lots of fun!
Thanks for asking your readers for our opinions
by Kathleen
on April 2nd, 2007 at 7:50 pm
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Hi Karen: I check out Jill’s site everyday, of course to read her blog, and I think her website is wonderful. I also checked out your website, and I thought it was also great. I like that I can surf your website with relative ease. Good luck with your decision and I am sure that your website will be wonderful know matter what you decide.
by Patty L.
on April 2nd, 2007 at 8:20 pm
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Karen, I really love the fresh, clean look of Jills new site. But it is more about the content than the “pictures” and I love a blog!
by Angie T
on April 2nd, 2007 at 8:26 pm
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Personally, I did not know there was the 2 different sites. I would not have known the difference.
I will go wherever you are, lol, so it doesn’t really matter.
by RobynL
on April 2nd, 2007 at 11:09 pm
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Hello Karen,
Sorry I am here late been busy. Honestly I am not sure about CMS but I do know HTML. To me it doesn’t matter if the author changes it. I will still visit there site. Change is always good well sometimes anyways I will check out the sites you have posted Ooo YaY! you have a blog going over there now and add you to my fav’s list
Happy Easter To You All!
Hugssss
Linda.H.
by Linda
on April 3rd, 2007 at 1:17 am
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Hi Karen,
Going with Swank will be great. I really like Jill’s website, it definitely has the WOW factor and very professional looking. The only downside for me was it took longer to load, but I think visually its GREAT. I hope you stay with Access Romance. I’m with some of the other readers, in that I prefer group blogs. Its hard to keep up with so many authors, but groups make it a bit easier.
by Carol
on April 3rd, 2007 at 2:26 am
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Hi Karen, I like both yours and Jill’s site, and think both look great, regardless of who designed them. The best for readers is a site that’s not overly cluttered and easy to navigate, which yours is. Yet I love the look and the graphics you’ve used, and find it very appealing, as much as those designed by professionals, and even more than some others I’ve seen done by pros. In fact, some designed by pros are often hard to read with a too-dark text color against a dark background. Everything on your site shows up clearly on my screen. I think doing your own site is more a matter of understanding html code so it comes out looking great, and you apparently do. And, I’ve gone to some author sites that just use a simple, yet very nic or elegant template. I’m looking more for info and content, so a very simple but nice design vs. flash and glitz by a pro won’t influence me one way or another.
Good luck whatever you choose. Though I’m not sure if I think it’s fair for a paid web designer to restrict you from being a part of a group like this just for designing and hosting - I’d guees its for the fees to them to do more? LOL.
Blogs do seem to be popular, but I find it takes more time than I usually have to hop around to them all, and really don’t like to do all that scrolling. I’d rather find my main info at the author site, with tabs and buttons to navigate around quickly where I want.
by Pam P
on April 3rd, 2007 at 3:17 am
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I checked out both sites; like them both. Good luck with your decision. Both sites are easy to navigate; that is what is important. Both are very attractive also. Like a site like Access and it gives the opportunity to have lots of authors on one site. 
by Rosie G.
on April 3rd, 2007 at 5:51 am
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I too have dial-up so speed and ease of accessability are extremely important to me! I therefore prefer group blogs. The links allow me to go to your site in an instant. I have a select few individual author’s blogs that I visit everyday…but I’m slowly switching to the group blogs. I like Jill’s new site BUT I liked her old site too. It really won’t factor into my decision to go back.
It seems that you are leaning for a change… so try it!
I’ll miss you at Access but I will probably try to find you at your own seperate site “If ” I have time.
I also don’t go to MySpace. We got way too many ads when my sons used to go there.
by Laurie G
on April 3rd, 2007 at 5:53 am
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Love your website. It looks great. Jill’s looks great too. Love the graphics on both.
by Crystal B.
on April 3rd, 2007 at 7:37 am
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I checked out both yours and Jill’s web-sites and I like them both.
They are easy to navigate.
by Christy H.
on April 3rd, 2007 at 5:34 pm
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I too like both sites and will be checking your blog site. Like the name - cupcake - very cute.
Rainy, damp here - yuk.
by Helen L.
on April 4th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
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Both are of the websites are very nice and refreshing. I am on dial up. They both load easily. That is the most frustrating thing when it takes so long to load the pictures and I have to wait. I like the sites that I can just click on a menu to find things. Thanks for he chance to win.
by Karen G
on April 4th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
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Hi Karen,
I like the look of the site and it is easy to get around. Good luck with it.
Happy Easter to all!
by PCL
on April 5th, 2007 at 7:34 am
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Thank you all so much for all your comments and for taking the time to look at the websites and my blog. I sure appreciate it! I have a lead on another exciting designer that doesn’t do romance sites at all, but his designs are fab. So, I’m going to check him out as well. The winner of my contest is Robin Blayne. Congrats Robin. E-mail me with your snail mail. All the best for a blessed Easter. Jesus Rocks!
Karen
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So exciting, thanks! And Happy Easter everyone
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Congratulations, Robin! You are going to love Karen’s b0oks. 
Happy Easter to all.
by Susan
on April 8th, 2007 at 8:52 am
