Beginning the Website—Part 5 of 6, the Webpage
Posted By Charlotte Boyett-Compo on May 3, 2010
Charlotte Boyett-Compo, WindLegends (tm)
by Charlotte Boyett-Compo
1st Turning Point Staff Columnist
Copyright © 2010 Charlotte Boyett-Compo
NOTE: links to the first four installments in this series are at the end of the article.
When satisfied with the logo, go back into the host site and upload it to the public_html files. Then, open index.html again and copy the following coding directly below:
<BODY BACKGROUND=” ” TEXT=”# ” topmargin=”0″ bottommargin=”0″ marginheight=”0″>
<center><img src=”mylogo.jpg”></center>
<br><br>
If a menu has been made, omit the two <br> and place the coding taken from the Absolute Background Textures Archive, then add the two <br>. There will be no spaces between the logo and the menu, but there will be two lines between the menu and where the actual text of the page will begin. If more space is needed, add another <br>.
One of the advantages of having a lot of space with your host is that each book can have its own page. This looks better than having all the information crammed into one page that goes on forever. One of the major complaints I’ve heard about author websites is the reader has to scroll down, scroll down, scroll down to take in the webpage. By making webpages for each book and linking to that page off the main page, it makes the website look more professional. I have three pages that link off my book roster page: one for the synopsis and cover art, one for reviews, and one for an excerpt. The cover art reduced to 239 by 360 pixels can be used as a link to the synopsis page. Thumbprints of the cover art set at 50 X 82 pixels will suffice to link to the publisher’s buying page for that book from both the reviews and excerpt pages. To reduce or enlarge the cover art, go to Irfanview and download that free utility.
Each time I get new cover art from my publishers, I automatically take it into Irfanview and make six different sizes: webpage for the book, promo, MySpace, purchase link, main page intro for new books available, and postcard size (a promotional thing I do for each book). Doing it all at once saves time. Uploading the different versions of the cover art to the host as well as saving a copy on the hard drive will help should an interview/review site ask for a copy.
Step One: On adding the menu
With this template only a tabbed or horizontal bar format can be used. In order to do a vertical menu, more complicated coding is needed. Since we’re just keeping this simple, choose either tabbed or horizontal. There is a pretty good variety of choices to be made between those two formats. When the menu is made, upload the buttons that will come with it to the host site.
Step Two: Other pages from the main page
If there will be other pages, now is the time to set up for them. Name them for what they are in the menu and keep the name as simple as possible:
- http://myURL/mybookssynopsispage.htm
- http://myURL/mybooksreviews.htm
- http://myURL/mybooksexcerpt.htm.
Change mybooks to the title of the book in question.
Step Three: Adding the other pages to your webpage
Go back into the host site and create three new files named exactly as the ones above*. When content is to be added, the pages will be already at hand. Be sure to add a return to main page link at the bottom of each page. A small graphic looks nice rather that the word BACK. The content of the pages will be filled in later.
To return from mybookssynopsis page to main index page:
<a href=”index.htm”><img src=”homegraphic.jpg”></a>
Return to mybookssynopsis from both the excerpt and review pages:
<center>
<a href= “mybookssynopsispage.htm”> <img src=”homegraphic.jpg”></a>
</center>
(Note: you will want to point back to the synopsis page from the excerpt and review and not the main index page.)
Step Three: Adding a simple centered two-tier table to the website
(I am using three books for this example, covers side by side. If the author has one only, subtract the other two codings.)
<center>
<table>
<tr>
<td align=”justified”>YOUR INTRODUCTION; WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WRITE?
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><img src=”mybook.jpg” height= “109″ width= “87″ border= “0″> YOUR BOOK COVER</a>
</td>
<td><img src=”mybook.jpg” height= “109″ width= “87″ border= “0″> YOUR BOOK COVER</a>
</td>
<td><img src=”mybook.jpg” height= “109″ width= “87″ border= “0″> YOUR BOOK COVER</a>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
</font>
</body>
</html>
Next month, I’ll cover the following topic: Connecting the dots.
To view previous articles in this series, check out:
Part 1: Where in the World Is My Favorite Author
Part 2: Beginning the Website
Part 3: Beginning the Website
Part 4: The Webpage
Catch the Windby Charlotte Boyett-CompoISBN: 9781419921896 Riezell Guardian Major Dominia Alamaine has heard about the celebrated sexual prowess of Jaeger Rosakaris The an Tuirc prince’s manhood is legendary and she’s anxious not only to see for herself what all the fuss is about but to experience it firsthand. But the mating doesn’t quite go as she plans. Her love ‘em and leave ‘em attitude won’t work this time for Fate throws a monkey wrench in the gears by bonding the two as eternal mates. Jaeger isn’t that upset about the bonding. As a matter of fact, he’s rather pleased with the situation. Domi is a gorgeous woman with a laser-hot body, sultry lips, and a mind as sharp as an assassin’s dagger. With her at his side, he won’t mind taking over the rule of his home world even though his mother has very lethal plans of her own for the woman he wants to be his bride. Though love has hit Jaeger hard, it will be hatred that will ruin his young life and make it a living hell. |
 Catch the Wind by Charlotte Boyett-Compo |
Charlee,
I like the idea of a page for each book, separate synopsis, and reviews. Thanks for the suggestion.
Hi Charlee:
Thanks again for an informative article. You are inspiring people who are timid about creating and maintaining a web site to jump in and just do it.
This has been a great series for the beginning web master, although I must admit html code scares me silly. My eyes opened when you said to have a different page for each book, and then separate pages for the synopsis and reviews. Good advice.