Hello hello ,

I've been thinking about some of the best advice I got back around 2008 when I was in grad school taking creative writing classes.

One of my classmates, a novice poet like myself, said,
"You should make a website. I made one on Weebly and it was pretty easy."

At the time creating an online presence wasn't at all on my radar.

What would I even put on my website?

I was a grad student with zero publications.

Plus what did I know about building a website?

I knew nothing about coding, nor about the easy drag and drop platforms that were relatively new at the time. Platforms like Weebly (2006), Squarespace (2003), and Wix (2006).

Still, I took my friend's advice, and started throwing something together.

What I didn't expect was how much I would enjoy building my site. I hadn't anticipated how fun it would be expressing my creativity on this online medium that I had so much control over.

I also had no idea how much my website would come in handy over the years:

• I've been invited to read and submit work through my website contact form, 
• my website is where I go whenever I need to update my CV for opportunities (everything lives there and I keep it up to date), 
• and it's the easiest place to direct anyone who ever asks where they can read my work: liyunalvarado.com/publications

Look, I know it can feel like you have no business having a website before your book deal, but I'm here to call BS.

The minute you get a book deal you're going to have a lot of other stuff to think about. You don't want to start from scratch on a website at that point. Instead, you want to be in a position to either (1) update your existing site or (2) pay someone to update or revamp your site. 

Here's what I believe: If you're a writer who wants others to read (or watch you perform) your work, then you need a website, and you need that first version now.

FYI These 5 reasons come right out of the course Writer, You Need a Website: 5 Days to Your Author Website (enrollment opens soon, click here to be added to the waitlist).

My website today looks NOTHING like it did when I first built it. It has evolved, changed, and grown year after year.

In fact, one of the major facelifts was in 2016 when my chapbook Words or Water was picked up for publication.

I didn't wait for my book deal to build my FIRST author website.

I built my first author website because I KNEW a book deal was coming -- I didn't plan to stop writing, submitting, and publishing individual poems until I made that dream of a book into a reality.

One of the biggest mistakes I see writers make is waiting to build their first author websites.

Waiting until they have a book deal.

Waiting until they have more publications.

Waiting until a fellowship they're applying for asks for a website (and they realize they don't have one yet).

Here's a not-so-secret secret: your FIRST author website is not your LAST author website.

And doesn't that just take all the pressure off?

Your website changes and evolves alongside you, so there is no reason to wait.

In fact the longer you wait, the more complicated it is to create that FIRST site (as opposed to building a simple site now and developing it little by little over time).

Here's what I say: don't wait until you think you need a website to start figuring out how to create one.

As soon as you're submitting and/or performing? You're a writer who is ready to share their work, and you need a website.

Now if the thought of building your first site feels overwhelming because you don't know how to start, click here to get on the waitlist for my course: Writer, You Need a Website: 5 Days to Your First Author Website.

In the course you'll learn the First Author Website Framework and the what, why, and most importantly the how of building your FIRST author website in five days (or faster) at an affordable price. 

Summer enrollment opens soon. When you click to get on the waitlist link above, you'll also get a flowchart that can help you decide whether now's the right time for that first site.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about author websites, feel free to hit reply and I'll be happy to share any insights or resources (or share those insights here in a future newsletter).

TL:DR Don't let imposter syndrome stop you from securing your own little corner of the internet. If you're a writer who wants others to read (or watch you perform) your work, then you need a website, and you need that first version now. If you don't know where to start, click here to get on the waitlist for my course: Writer, You Need a Website: 5 Days to Your First Author Website. In the course you'll learn the First Author Website Framework, and the what, why, and most importantly the how of building your FIRST author website in five days (or faster) at an affordable price. Summer enrollment opens soon.

P.S. If you know any writers who could use the 5 Reasons to Create Your Author Website above, please hit forward and send this email their way. Thank you!

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