Launch (or Improve) Your Author Website

Dan BlankJoin me for a four-week program where we will develop a clear plan to launch your new author website or improve your existing one.

Your website is the place where you craft your identity online, showcase your writing, and connect with readers in a strategic and human manner.

If you are like most writers, you have been putting this off, treading water with your website plans, or ignoring an existing website that you don’t like. Let’s move you forward and replace what isn’t working with a website that you love.

This program will arm you with total clarity about the purpose of your website, what it needs to have, and how to make it happen.

What you receive:

  • An Author Website Plan template customizable to you, with videos to guide you through it.
  • Direct feedback from me each week.
  • An overview of website platforms and key functionality.
  • Templates to show you exactly how it’s done.
  • Simple micro-actions to immediately get started.

You leave the program with a clear plan of action to create (or improve) your own website, or with clarity on what to provide to someone who will build it for you.

I’m Dan Blank. Over the past 20 years, I have worked on hundreds of websites. I was a part of the first dot com boom working for startups in the late 90s and early 2000s when the web felt like the wild west. From there, I worked closely on the web strategy for 50+ publications, including Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. I dug deep into web analytics, helped launch 300 blogs for these brands, plus set up newsletters, social media, and connected it all to each brands’ editorial mission and business strategy.

For the last nine years my full-time focus has been working directly with authors here at WeGrowMedia, where I have built, optimized and set strategy for hundreds of them, and helped train many other writers to develop aspects of their own websites.

This is a collaboration, not a course. You will get personalized feedback from me each week. I will walk you step by step through the process, and together, we take action to create your website plan.

You do not need to be a published author in order to participate in this program. In fact, I recommend that writers develop their websites long before they have a book.

The Program

Week #1: We Demystify the Technology.
We kick things off by reviewing the website platforms you need to know, and making a few simple choices to define the technology foundations of your website. We review WordPress and Squarespace, plug-ins, and Mailchimp.

Week #2: Claim Your Identity as a Writer. 
We get focused on the purpose of your website, and how to best communicate who you are and what you write. If you don’t yet have a published book, I will show you what to say to engage readers and establish your identity as a writer. We also flesh out the essential pages of your website: About, Writing/Books, and Contact pages.

Week #3: Invite Readers to Engage with You.
We determine if you will blog or create a newsletter, and review key decisions on how to integrate each into your website. This becomes the foundation for your author platform, and a must-have resource as you move towards the launch of your next book.

Week #4: Master the Basics of Author Branding.
To effectively communicate to your readers as an author, we make decisions on creating an amazing author photo, choosing images, colors, and a professional website theme.

How It Works

Video Lesson: You receive video lessons from me where I walk you through the concepts of getting clarity on what your website needs, how to develop content for each of the essential pages, and how to make decisions around technology.

You will submit your questions to me each week, and I will provide feedback on your work and answer your specific questions via a personalized 10-15 minute video just for you. This is where I share my advice on the actions I think you should take to reach your goals.

Author Website Plan: This is a detailed set of ‘how-to’ instructions—completely customized to you—that will guide you through the process of creating an effective author website. You will be given step-by-step templates to help you dig deep into the important questions that will develop your content. By the end of the program you will have clarity on what information your website needs to display, confidence in what technology will work best for you, and the content you need, all ready to go. You can move on to create your own website, or to hand off this information as a creative brief to a developer/designer.

Content templates: For each page of your website, you are provided clear content templates that you can personalize.

Micro-Action: You will be given a simple and clear task at each step of the program.

I recommend you plan to spend 2 hours a week on this program. We repeat that four times in a month, and by the end you will have taken four actions, and have an Author Website Plan to work from moving forward.

Registration

If the program feels right to you, then take action now.

This is a four week program. You and I will set weekly deadlines for your homework and the questions I will answer for you. There are no live calls, so you don’t need to be anywhere at any specific time. Instead, you are given access to the material and a process to collaborate with me during this time.

The total fee for the program (everything above!) is $450, I also offer an upgrade if you want me to do even more to assist you. A payment plan is available for both levels.

The Program

Get everything listed above, the entire Launch (or Improve) Your Author Website program, including the direct video feedback from Dan each week. He will answer all of your questions.

$450

Register Now

Upgrade:
Strategy Calls With Dan

Get everything listed above (the entire program and weekly video feedback from Dan) plus two one-on-one strategy phone calls with Dan.

The first half-hour call will be scheduled at the start of the program where Dan can assess your needs and help you set a clear path. The second half-hour call will be near the end of the program, and he will ensure you have a roadmap for success.

$750

Register Now

What People are Saying About the Program

“Dan started off with the basics, almost the philosophy of website design. New stuff to me! Then each week he went more in depth to some of the nitty-gritty design elements. Each week we had homework and responded to him via an online questionnaire. He answered with personalized videos. And he didn’t even laugh at my ignorance! Well, guess who’s now zipping into her website to add a widget, replace a photo, and tweak the design? Dan’s easy-to-apply homework will continue to help my website design evolve. Even if you plan to hire a professional web designer, this program will help you craft your identity to make it easier to communicate your vision.”
– Bibi Belford

“Dan is a compassionate and thoughtful teacher. I’ve taken two classes from him now, and both of them have me thinking in new ways about my online presence. Just learning what questions to ask and how to think through them has been enormously helpful.”
– Geeta Kothari

“For the first time in years I’ve thought seriously about my creative identity and how my website could both better serve current fans and position my for future aspirations.”
– Jim Shoenbill

“This is not a class, it’s an opportunity to work with Dan as he takes you where you need him to lead you. I appreciate the personalized experience that he gave me. Dan’s a quiet leader, he listens, he cares, and he has the knowledge to see into the future, even when you can’t, to know what’s best for you. And when Dan gives advice, I know he’s there to make sure I grow, as an author, and I make sure to listen.”
– Stephanie Ortiz

Frequently Asked Questions

What technology do I need in order to participate?

The entire program is run using basic tools: email, PDFs, links to videos, etc. As long as you have email, a web browser, and the ability to view regular documents (PDF, Word, Excel, etc.) then you are good!

Are there any days or times I have to show up live for anything?

No! I know your life is busy, which is why this program doesn’t have any live calls at any set days/times. Instead, you submit your work to me and I provide direct personalized feedback to you via video, which you can watch at your convenience.

In terms of scheduling, what will a typical week in the program look like?

The program will generally follow this schedule:

  • On Monday you will receive a new instructional video from me walking you through core concepts, with suggested actions for you to take.
  • By mid-week you will provide your feedback and questions you have for me as you customize your plan.
  • At the end of the week I will record a 10-15 minute for you, sharing my answers to your questions, and suggestions for exactly what I recommend you do.

How much time per week will this program require of me?

You should plan to spend a minimum of 2 hours per week on the work within this program. You can spend more time if you like, but I suggest at least:

  • 30 minutes early in the week to review the material I provide.
  • 30 minutes to take the micro-actions suggested in the material.
  • 30 minutes to consider what questions you have for me.
  • 30 minutes to watch my response and customize your plan.