I’m updating and upgrading the Candy’s Monsters blog this summer. This will be a MONSTROUS adventure, a transformation from my current vanilla with monster chips blog to a bigger, better and more monstrous site. It will have more pages, more pictures, more excerpts and more links.
I have a ton of ideas. My designer has even more. But that doesn’t mean I’m not open to suggestions.
Any thoughts on what I should add to my Candy’s Monsters blog?
What pitfalls should I avoid?
Is there a must-have feature?
What design cliché should I be careful to avoid?
I plan to use my monstrous metamorphosis as a test case for some of my ideas. I also plan to make some notes along the way and track of how things progress. Maybe I’ll share some of that story here?
So, any thoughts from the blog-a-sphere?
I am a huge fan of simple and organized. I think I might need to add even more organization to my worlds soon.
For me personally I like the idea of a central hub where I could find a path to your other writings (I have yet to remember to get your other blog bookmarked).
Showcasing snippets of writing is also a fun way to share with others. Even if you only show something for a limited time.
I think we’re on the same page. I’m definitely planning lots of excerpts from my books. As to the link to my other blog, I’m actually thinking of simply posting the short stories from that blog (the freelance writing blog) on Candy’s Monsters. It’ll make my short fiction more accessible. The idea of snippets available for limited time frames is excellent!
You already know my thoughts on colour and graphics, but I totally agree with Jon about accessibility, especially to your short stories. I’m dying to see what you and your designer come up with. 😀
He offered me two design concepts and I decided to run with the less obvious (and more dynamic/colorful) one.
This is like redoing your kitchen — ultimately a great idea, but one hell of a process what it’s happening!
Don’t forget the social media share buttons, so we can share your monster-y goodness more easily!
YES!
Thanks…
It’s always good to have follow buttons, book links, and featured posts in your sidebar. Your theme will probably need a sidebar extension so it will be visible on individual posts as well as the main page. I also really like the top and bottom notification bars I have on my blog. It’s a great way to keep subscription and services offered continually in front of readers eyes. Images are always a plus, as well 🙂 I would also suggest adding your post categories to your top menu. A good number to aim for is five or fewer categories. I want to change my theme someday to one that will feature past posts more prominently. Good luck with your blog makeover!
Also, it would be good to add in a way to follow comments to posts via email. If you’re really up for a change, MailChimp is a great way to keep tabs on who’s reading your posts. WordPress doesn’t offer many insights in that regard.
Definitely taking this to the designer. I want to make it easy to navigate!