I presented this at the Surrey International Writers Conference on Thursday October 24, 2013. Your Creative Platform: Build Your Own Website with Wordpress Masterclass Thursday 5:30pm Presenter(s): Sean Cranbury The most powerful way to market and promote your own writing is with a personal website where you control the content. Whether you're an established writer working with traditional publishers or you're engaged with the new possibilities of self-publishing having a website is essential. And it's easier than you think. In this hands-on class, learn how to create your own site, develop a simple social media strategy using channels like Twitter and Facebook to own and share your writing while building your fan base. Agents and publicists love writers with a developed digital presence. Now's the time to learn for yourself. Bring your laptop if you have one or something to write on if you don't!

1. Your Creative Platform
WordPress Masterclass
Sean Cranbury | Books on the Radio
c: 778-987-8774 | t: @seancranbury | e: seancranbury@gmail.com
Surrey International Writers Conference 2013

2. ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION, SOCIAL
MEDIA, AND WEBSITES IN GENERAL
• The creative work always comes first. You’re a writer, so
write. Let that be the priority.
• Building a platform can be a very creative act or it can be
a strictly utilitarian one. You decide. You can always
change your mind later.
• The web is a digital palimpsest.
• This presentation is both a launching point for discussion
and a point of reference that you can come back to in the
future. It lives on the web.
• Nothing replaces being present in the same room as the
people who care about you and your work.

3. YOUR CAREER AS A
WRITER IS THE STORY
OF THE LONG GAME
A simple digital presence and a willingness to learn over time will
help you to connect with your audience and improve your chances
of discovery

4. CONTEXT
IS EVERYTHING
Clarity. Discoverability. Relationships.

5. THE INTERNET
Is a distribution system for your work, reputation, and ideas.
Locally, across the country, around the world.

6. Books and the internet will merge.
Your creative work needs a home where readers, agents,
publishers, and fans can find and share it.

7. Help your agent, publisher,
bookseller, and fans…
To find and share examples of your work. Provide them the
means to share their enthusiasm for what you do.

8. Provide yourself the opportunity
To share new work, to speak directly to your fans, and provide
them the where/what/when for current works.

9. BUILD
THE RELATIONSHIPS
That will help your work succeed

11. GO TO
WORDPRESS.COM
Let’s start to build your new website

12. Find this screen
Hit ‘Get Started’

13. Fill in these boxes
All details can be changed later.

14. Follow the instructions

15. Hit the Activate button!

16. Create some hooks!
This is how your audience will initially relate to and remember
your site. Keep it simple.

17. Choose a theme or template
Keep it simple. Themes are easy to change later on once
you’ve learned more about WordPress.

18. I chose the Twenty Ten theme
It is an easy and highly visual theme that is fun to customize.

19. Share!
Don’t worry if you don’t have a Twitter or Facebook account
yet. We will revisit this later.

20. What do you want to say?
There’s lots of different ways to create and share content on
your new website. Relax and experiment.

21. Create a Post
Add a title, throw in some text, an image, and some tags (for
discoverability), preview, and post.

22. Yay! We’re on the internet!
People can now discover, explore and share your work on the
world wide web. The INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY!

23. This is the Dashboard.
This is where you control the look and feel of your website. Note all of
the support links and videos designed to help you.

24. CREATING A SIMPLE
PRESENCE
FRAMEWORK
Your website
+ personal/professional social media channels
+ an evolving content/communications strategy

25. THE HOMEBASE
You control this space. This is where you direct all internet traffic
because this is where you can best sell your work and ideas.

26. EMBASSIES

27. INTERNET LISTENING POSTS
Get updates and information about you, your work, your
community, your competition, delivered right to you.

28. INTERMISSION!

30. AND WE’RE BACK!
Legs are stretched and lungs full of fresh revitalizing air, fingers
crackling with creative energy, mind racing with ideas!

31. LET’S TALK & EXPLORE
• Premium WordPress templates that better reflect your
style and display your work.
• Plugins that help you better connect and measure your
presence.
• Existing online communities that will help you build your
audience, connect with others, and promote your work.
• Simple strategies for creating content over time.
• Options for self-publishing using WordPress.
• Books and websites that will help you connect.

32. WEBSITE LOOK AND FEEL

33. TEMPLATES FOR WRITERS

34. RESPONSIVE DESIGN

35. PLUGINS AND WIDGETS

36. CONTENT SHARING
COMMUNITIES
SOUNDCLOUD.COM
VIMEO.COM

37. ONLINE COMMUNITIES DEDICATED
TO WRITERS & BOOKS

38. DIY PUBLISHING

39. CONTENT STRATEGY
ITERATE
SHARE
[MEASURE]
LEARN
CONNECT
[REPEAT]

40. MY PROJECTS
(that use WordPress)

41. WEB REFERENCES

42. PAPER REFERENCES

43. THANK
YOU!
My name is Sean Cranbury
I live in Vancouver, BC.
You can find me here:
e: seancranbury@gmail.com
t: @seancranbury
fb: /seancranbury
w: booksontheradio.org
p: 778-987-8774

44. ONLY CONNECT
THAT WAS THE WHOLE OF THE SERMON. ONLY CONNECT
THE PROSE AND THE PASSION AND BOTH WILL BE
EXHALTED, AND HUMAN LOVE WILL BE SEEN AT ITS HEIGHT.
LIVE IN FRAGMENTS NO LONGER.
EM FORSTER, HOWARD’S END