Do it yourself# by registering a domain name and building your own site. This option requires you to learn a few software tools, but provides more flexibility and control. #GoDaddy.com# offers fast, reliable service, and a wide variety of Web domain registration and hosting plans at competitive prices. There's no setup fee and no annual commitment is required. GoDaddy's economy plan includes 5 gigabytes of disk space, 500 e-mail accounts, forums, blogging, and photo galleries for $3.99 a month. This hosting company and most competitors such as # www.Register.com# offer simple tools and templates for building your own site.
Using a free account# at a network such as MySpace.com, Google Pages, Blogger.com, or LiveJournal.com. A packaged solution like this is easy to learn, but provides less flexibility. Some sites feature advertising you can't control, which can distract visitors from your message.
Consult a Web designer# through your local Yellow Pages, or an online firm that specializes in designing author sites. For example, #www.AuthorsOnTheWeb.com# offers professional designs starting at $2,500. For additional fees the company will set up and maintain extras like audio, video, or a blog. A cheaper option is #www.AmericanAuthor.com#, which charges a $299 setup fee and $29 monthly for a base plan. Another choice is # www.Authors-Online.com#.
One way to get started quickly while preserving your future options is to pay GoDaddy or another registrar $9 to register your own domain, such as #www.YourBookTitle.com# or #www.YourName.com#, then forward the traffic to your account at MySpace, Blogger, or others. Later, if you choose to build a dedicated site, you can forward the traffic there. This strategy allows you to start building your online audience without the risk of losing readers if you switch your focus to another site.
In any case, it's prudent to make backup copies of all content you post to a free account on sites like Blogger or MySpace, since these free accounts are sometimes deleted accidentally.
Google Pages is an easy, free tool you can use to create Web pages quickly without having to learn HTML code. Google will host up to 100 megabytes of Web pages at no charge. To open a free account, see #www.Pages.Google.com#.