I’ve got a new website in the works, and I’m so excited about it that I had a dream last night that it was already live. It was so vivid that I had to check first thing this morning to see if it had already gone up. Instead, I found an email from Tim Grahl with an update on the site design. I love what they are coming up with.
Tim approached me as a fan a while back and asked if there was anything his company Out:think Group could do to give me a boost. I explained my biggest challenges these days, and he laughed at how Cro-Magnon my workflow was. While discussing plans, he suggested some website tweaks. And then he and his design team came up with a way to further your ability to interact with the site.
It’s sad that I have to immediately address the cynics, but the last time we ran a fan art contest and gave away an iPad, someone on Twitter accused us of taking advantage or artists. As if the fan art was going to be used for cover art. It just goes to show how some will see the worst in all possible things. This isn’t about creating content for me; it’s about celebrating the talent of others. I enjoy promoting writers and artists and ask for nothing in return, just the knowledge that they are raising their profiles, seeing something published and enjoyed, or making a buck. Simple as that. And impossible for some to believe, it seems. *shrugs*
Here’s a video from Tim explaining the design:
I’m accepting submissions through May 3rd. After that we’ll go through them and pick a few of our favorites and put the vote to you. Ask any questions in the comments and either Tim or I will jump in and answer them. I’ll also do whatever I can to write up or promote the person whose design goes up. To get started:
First, click here to download the template.
Once you’re ready, click here to submit your design.
Looking forward to what you come up with!
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*An ironic title for this post, considering it’s Fall here in New Zealand
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