Web Page Update

I am in the home stretch, no really!!

I have completed twenty-six pages with graphics and twenty-two text only pages.

The only pages left to go are for my artwork. I know! I know! you are not supposed to put personal things on your writing web page. However, my artwork is my income and it's gotta stay on. I cannot afford a second page just for art.

The text only pages are so easy to do because I just copy the text off the graphic pages onto a template page. It worked better to finish the graphic pages and then go back and do the text only pages.

Also, learn CSS. I will be working on that before I do a total new site again. I do have it built into this site for constant updates. There are lots of things I have planned to keep the web page active and alive. And, I am forcing myself to do so by having a "last date updated" on each page.

So, keeping in mind that all the ART pages are not done, take a look and let me know what you think. I have to go to the library and run through a check, checking all the links but I think I have found the new major one that was wrong.

My site can be seen at:
S. A. VanVleck - author of the Moon Tree series - Home Page

I already had a domain of "VanVleckStudio.com" and my web server recommended keeping that domain for my art customers who might need something new. I also purchased SAVanVleck.com for my writing. I did not go with my proposed title of "Moon Tree Brothers" because it is a working title and a kind agent or editor might find a better one

My to-do list.

Sorry, if you are on RSS feed. (What does that stand for, anyway?). I had allowed a comment on the site and then realized I was giving out someone's email for the world to have. Not that they cannot get it anyway, but I did not want to be responsible for someone being spammed to death. I could not find a way to erase their email, in their comment, or to alter their comment, once allowed, so I just deleted the whole post and reposted it.

No, you have not landed in "Ground Hog's Day" or in a time warp, it is a repeated of the post of the fourth, and no, it did not fool anyone into thinking it as something new and stimulating.

That said, what is the new news?

• I have eighteen graphics ready to put on the website. That means they are cleaned up, altered to suit and the backgrounds are clear. Two of these are background images.
• I have nine, out of fifteen, text only pages done. From these I will complete the pages that the graphics go to.
• I have completed twenty chapters, and have the wrap up chapter to go. I havecut back to 69,118 words.
• I have also discovered that, before I send the book out, I need to have a Marketing Points, My Bio and a list of reasons why someone would buy my book. That is what I spent yesterday on, and today and tomorrow, and probably all week.

All of this stuff is sooooo important to the process.

WebPage Design for the Writer - lesson 2 - Access

When J.K. Rowling’s new site was created, it was created byAward winning website design and build, Flash design, e-commerce design and build, digital strategy, analytics consulting, se... , to be accessible to those who are disabled, blind, partially sighted, mobility impaired, deaf and cognitively-disabled.

Now, while I have not contacted Lightmaker about my site, I am pretty sure they are beyond my budget. Heck, the guy down the street is beyond my budget. But there are some things we can do to make our sites more user friendly to all. And, did you know that there is actually are guidelines ADA Home Page - ada.gov - Information and Technical Assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The website Internet Navigation by NetNav has tips of the day and examples. Now, on dial-up, that pdf may be too much for me to wait to upload, what with my slow dial-up, so Cynthia Waddell, JD has a very straight forward section on Web Accessibility: Websites Must Be User Friendly, Handicap Accessible and Meet the American's with Disabilities Act

But, what can you do, if like me, resources are limited and you are designing the website yourself.

1. Make sure you have Alt Text for your pages. Tell your reader what they would be looking at, if they could see better, AND what you would expect them to do. This might be “Welcome to my garden. Please explore the flowers and objects you find in it.”

2. Then, every time their cursor lands on something you add, “You have entered the Marigold section. This is a link to “a game for finding gold.” Or “Collect pill bugs to get into the secret garden.”

3. Sounds can be confusing for some disabilities and for screen readers, so be sure your site allows muting the sound. Make captions for the audio too for those who are hearing impaired. This is especially important if the sound is saying something important to your site. I personally turn off sounds on my computer, normally, so I would miss these clues also. Any time I need high speed, I work at the library and it’s either turn it off or wear headphones.

4. Another thing is to make a “text only” alternate to your site. The link for this should be on your opening screen. It will not take that long to just copy the words, without the coding, that you want your viewer to read. White page, black letters make it all the easier to see and there is a site, I will give you the link next post, that can convert your site for you.

I have barely touched the surface. My site will be the best I can do, with the help of my CoffeeCup HTMLHTML Editor, Flash & Web Design Software CoffeeCup Software software and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). More on this next post

Next, CSS and me.