Geraldine McCaughrean’s website blends marketing gloss with a few touches of magic
At the top of Geraldine McCaughrean’s homepage is the tag-line “The Award Winning Author - Writing for Children for over 25 years.” It’s a curious touch, and while it succinctly tells you why you should be interested, it makes me feel like Geraldine is a car company that a marketing executive is trying to convince me to trust in.
Dave Gorman’s website shows how you can be both business-like and humorous at once
Dave Gorman is an incredibly busy man. He writes, he performs, he comes up with mad ideas that make great TV/books/blog entries, and his website presents it all in bite-size digital format. Dave’s mellow humour pops up on every page, including the intriguingly labelled Webcam. Take a look for yourself to see what I mean.
Comedic writer Emma Kennedy shares the art of baring all on her website while maintaining dignity
Emma Kennedy’s homepage includes a slightly pensive looking shot of Emma, but the rest of the site is anything but pensive. Easy to read with plenty to read is a winning combination, and with Emma Kennedy’s down-to-earth and unerringly amusing outlook sported on every part of the website, it’s a joy to visit.
Kate Pullinger’s website offers an insight into the mind of a truly experimental writer
At first glance Kate Pullinger’s website seems completely at odds with her fiction writing. While sumptuous descriptions kept me reading The Mistress of Nothing, her homepage is unexpectedly stark. However, through the blog she shares insights into the world of writing, providing a wealth of experiences for us to soak up.
Sci-fi writer Ian Watson’s website reminds us that it’s content, not webdesign, that stands the test of time
Ian Watson writes sci-fi, fantasy and horror novels. There’s something very old school about his website, but while it seems ironic that a sci-fi writer apparently has little grasp or interest in the potential of webdesign, the content is fascinatingly comprehensive, and looks set to stand the test of time.
Joe Dunthorne reveals how to use your website to create an image of yourself as a writer of a particular ilk
Joe Dunthorne’s website builds up an image of Joe as a prolifically creative individual with an off-beat sense of humour. The overall impression is fun, weird and perfectly suited to the author of Submarine – in fact, it all makes me buy further into the cult of Joe Dunthorne, which surely is the goal of any author’s website.
Poet Angela Cleland shows us how a website can amplify rather than detract from your words
Angela Cleland is one of the best poets to emerge in the UK in the past few years, with her first collection published by Templar Poetry in 2007. Her website is easy to navigate and fully comprehensive, but without any bells and whistles, suggesting that Angela is happy to let her poetry speak for itself, as any poet should.
Anthony Horowitz demonstrates how to use a website to promote your writing as a global brand
Anthony Horowitz is a prolific author and scriptwriter whose work ranges from the Alex Rider and The Power of Five books to TV series such as Foyle’s War, Midsomer Murders and Poirot. His lively website is a great package that draws readers in while endorsing Anthony’s status as one of the most exceptional writers working today.
