More Ta Da
May62009
We’ve been talking about the look and the feel of the new place, so I thought you might like to know how we got here.
We started in February using a project center that Joelle set up that was very efficient and really easy to use. She and Mollie and I talked about the general things we wanted changed–better organization, the ability to update the site on my own, integration between the blog and the website–and then she asked me what I wanted the place to look like.
So I started with this:
We can’t use cartoons because romance fiction went through a period of cartoon covers that was not good and now cartoons in association with romance are pretty much marketing death. I like collage images, mixed media, things that are a little bit off the wall, generally not hearts and roses or other traditionally romance-y things. I’m very happy to be a romance writer, but the books are not traditional romances so we don’t want to send the wrong message.
I have an antique postcard of a Christmas witch that I’m very fond of at the moment that I’m leaning toward using as part of the background image, but I’m open to other things, too. I’m attaching that and a photo of the courthouse in the town where I grew up, since I wanted to put that into the landscape below, to give you an idea of what I wanted. None of this has to go into the design, they’re just here to start the dialogue.
Joelle asked for examples of websites I liked, and I gave her some and then added this:
For the collage, not black and white. Probably sepia tones, antique greens, creams with pops of color like ochres and rusts and roses. I really love the look of Imogen Heap’s “Goodnight and Go” video (it’s on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9athUdhH40) especially the colors, and a lot of my books are tending in that direction now, darker and quirkier than before. I realize I’m creating a nightmare for you on the tabs and links and we can certainly talk about that.
When I think about the books I have upcoming, Always Kiss Me Goodnight and You Again are retro, old-fashioned forties ghost story and classic mystery. Slow Men is more film noir but cheerful. Nadine’s book is about magicians, so that whole spooky retro look is still good. Wild Ride which is coming out next is set in an old amusement park built in the 20s. Then there’s a fairy tale book I’m thinking about that would be an actual fairy tale, fantasy, so the whole Goodnight and Go look would work there. And another project I’m working on is about two writers in the present time researching writers in the thirties. So everything has a retro/fantasy/quirkiness to it. By the time I finish all of those, I’ll be too old to write, so I think we’re safe with that kind of feeling.
That wasn’t much to give her, but as I’ve said other places, Joelle is a genius, so when she sent the first mock-up, it was very close to this. We changed some fonts and moved some things around, got rid of some of the images and made the whole thing lighter, but if you put the first one beside the finished design, you wouldn’t see a lot of obvious differences. For example, Joelle had used antique playing cards, and we swapped those out for the tarot cards that Mab uses in Wild Ride. At first glance, you wouldn’t notice that at all. And so many of the images she found like the old typewriter and the stars were just perfect as they were.
Joelle just nailed the look-and-feel part in general: the site to me is quirky and fun without being zany or light or any of the things my books aren’t any more. One of the biggest problems with evolving as a writer is that it’s impossible to get a website that represents both the books you began with and the books you’re writing now, so the bright covers do look a little odd next to this background design. I can live with that.
So the site is still in progress with Joelle working like crazy to get everything in there and working, but in general, I love it. And Joelle is a genius. Did I mention that? Genius.
Loading ...
67 Comments to 'More Ta Da'
On May 6, 2009 at 11:07 am Joelle said...
Thank you, Jenny.
This project has been a pleasure!
On May 6, 2009 at 11:33 am Mary Stella said...
Ahh, I made my comment about the website home page having a retro elegance on the other post before I read this post. Now I feel smart — and I still like the Monkey here on the blog.
I’m afraid I missed something even with months of reading Argh. Is Nadine Goodnight from Faking It the lead character of Always Kiss me Goodnight or is hers a different book all together. I LOVE Nadine. Of course, it could be a different Nadine? Does this post mean you’ve 100% commited to writing Slow Men? Oh happyhappyjoyjoy!!!
On May 6, 2009 at 11:48 am ksquard said...
I love the look – noticed the tarot cards right off – and think you all did a marvelous job of capturing some of the essence that is Jenny, some of the themes of your upcoming books, and other stuff that is just Argh. Very, very excited for you! Looking forward to exploring it in-depth once I get more than a breath to give to it.
Congratulations!! Nothing but good times – right now!
On May 6, 2009 at 12:23 pm Louis said...
This is going to be a good site.
Make that IS a good site.
On May 6, 2009 at 12:45 pm RLJ said...
Great looking site and really easy to navigate. However, there are a few things that should be checked into – a) mailing list page doesn’t appear to exist, and b) online workshops and critique pages under “For writers” have filler text.
On May 6, 2009 at 1:07 pm Becky said...
I love tarot cards, and I was wondering what the middle card is. I recognize the 10 of cups, the ace of cups, the Queen of swords, and the Wheel. I just can’t see the other ace clearly enough to tell what it is. You mentioned Mab uses the cards. Were those particular cards put on the site because they are come up in Wild Ride, or did you pick them for their meaning to you?
Love the new design!
On May 6, 2009 at 1:48 pm Cathy said...
You’re back! Yay! The new look is great, even with the scary monkey. And I must have missed something too – Nadine’s getting a book? I love Nadine!
On May 6, 2009 at 4:19 pm naked under my clothes said...
Just a suggestion: can links in a blog entry open in a new window? I don’t like navigating away from the blog page because sometimes I’m distracted (oo, shiny!!) and I wouldn’t want to miss any fabulousness here.
Jenny, if you’re happy with it, that’s the main thing. You know most of your commenters are content for hours with a little bit of string and crumpled paper.
On May 6, 2009 at 4:57 pm Jennifer said...
Gorgeously done. Love the tarot cards. Also second “Nadine’s getting a book?!” If I can’t have Dillie yet, I want Nadine!
On May 6, 2009 at 5:07 pm Jenny said...
Nadine is not the lead character in AKMG. I just have an idea for Nadine and a magician, and I’m letting it steep for awhile. Faking it was published in 2002, so Nadine’s in her twenties now and Dillie would be in her teens. If I keep Nadine in the back of my mind while I collect info on magic, she’ll probably be a book in a year or two. Although I have another project in mind that I’m not talking about yet. So many books to write but I’m slooooooow.
And thank you again for the kind words. Joelle gets all the credit.
Slow Men: Kinda sorta maybe.
The pages under “For Writers” have placeholder text right now because I’m thinking about doing online classes and critiques, but I’m not sure yet. So the pages are there but the copy should be something about “coming soon” or “not yet.”
Post on the tarot cards coming in a couple of days. The other ace is the Ace of Pentacles. Cause I’m all about the money, honey. Or at least the career.
I think Joelle can program the links to open in a different window. Or you can set your browser to do that, I think. Actually, ignore me on all internet questions. I’m just stumbling around here.
On May 6, 2009 at 5:12 pm Joelle said...
Jenny, to open links in a new window, when you add a link in WordPress, it allows you to set the target. That is the best way to do it as you don’t want *all* links (like internal links) to open in a new tab or window.
As far as placeholder copy, I am fixing that as quickly as I can. Thank you!
On May 6, 2009 at 5:46 pm Joelle said...
The “preview” feature has been added. The previously used “Live Preview” plugin Mollie used no longer works with this version of WordPress, so I had to sort a new one out.
Also, the copy on the Critiques and Workshops pages has been updated to “Coming Soon”.
On May 6, 2009 at 6:34 pm Jenny said...
Thank you, Joelle.
Joelle’s working on the comments now for awhile so if it goes wonky, be patient grasshoppers.
On May 6, 2009 at 7:23 pm DownUnderGal said...
I’m late. I’m late.
But I’ve spent an hour just looking at all the lovely new stuff. I like it. It is very retro and hell if you’re happy then you know that’s all we need. We are but simple creatures with only one need – Jenny Crusie books. So if you like the monkey then I like it too. I want you happy and writing
One thing I did notice in your bio was that you still have Meg as your agent? Aren’t you with someone else now?
On May 6, 2009 at 7:24 pm Joelle said...
Comments are all fixed now. They’re good to go.
On May 6, 2009 at 8:13 pm CrankyOtter said...
Perk! Did you say Nadine !?!?! Can I preorder now?
Glad you’re happy with the site. I’ve just had 5 minutes with it so far, but am hoping it’s easier to find stuff than it was before. Pulling of Quirky without Zany is a good trick.
On May 6, 2009 at 8:45 pm Chelle said...
Oh good, I was hoping you’d talk about how you got from there to here. Yay!
And thank you Joelle for the gravatar link. If I did it right, you should see me, ummmmm, on the right! Man, I love techonology!
On May 6, 2009 at 8:57 pm JulieB said...
Thank you Joelle!
On May 6, 2009 at 8:58 pm JulieB said...
@ Chelle : Nice pic!
On May 6, 2009 at 9:13 pm Aileen said...
I love the look of the new site! It was killing me that it was down immediately after I received the summer schedule for the Thurber House. I was hoping AKMG was coming out this year after seeing that you’ll be reading from it. I can’t wait for the event.
On May 6, 2009 at 9:18 pm Liz said...
I love the retro feel, and Joelle has done one helluva job. But I gotta admit, the monkey creeps me out. What is it with monkeys lately, anyway? Was there a monkey memo I missed? First Evanovich throws one into her book for no apparent reason, then a monkey gets loose in Clearwater, FL, evading authorities and throwing poo at people, and then the whole chimp-going-mad thing happened… It’s all too Planet of the Apes for me. Creeps me out, man. Creeps me OUT.
On May 7, 2009 at 12:02 am orangehands said...
What a list of books we have to look forward to.
Well, I already professed my love for the site, now I’m focusing in.
Preview thing is neat.
On May 7, 2009 at 12:28 am Jenny said...
I’m with Writer’s House now, DUG, and have been for about a year.
It’s definitely time to update the content on the website. Although I thought I had done that. The good news is that thanks to Joelle’s brilliance, I’ll be able to do it all by myself shortly.
Nadine will be years in the making. Think demons and then ghosts. Magicians later.
On May 7, 2009 at 12:54 am Deanna Nelle said...
I don’t know if anyone else cares enough to address this, but I think if you flip the stem of the cherry around so it faces inward it will make it look like a cherry again. I think the only reason it doesn’t to some people is that the stem tends to blend in a little bit more on the blog page than it does on the home page.
)
By the way, I keep coming back to look at it- it’s so pretty and cool! ( the site, I mean. Not the cherry.
On May 7, 2009 at 1:55 am Annie said...
Wow, I have the blog page bookmarked, not the home page. I just saw it. It’s all very cool. Great job to both of you.
On May 7, 2009 at 4:10 am Strop said...
I like the tarot cards. I didn’t notice the monkey, had to go back and look for it, but I do love love love The Monkees and especially Mike Nesmith.
A Nadine and a magician story is a very cool idea. Even if it takes as long as You Again ( I will never give up on You Again).
I had another thought, but now it’s gone, gone, gone. Senior moments all over the place around here.
On May 7, 2009 at 5:05 am Chelle said...
@Julie B, thanks sweetie!! It’s my Derby hat.;-) Big hugs!
On May 7, 2009 at 8:15 am JulieB said...
@ Chelle: Ah, Mint julips for all.
Hugs to you too.
@ Strop: I wasn’t bashing Mike Nesmith per se. I was just, um, like 4 when I ad the crush. He was replaced by Bob McGrath on Sesame Street.
@ Jenny: I really like how the old covers pop out against the colors of this site (which I love — did I say that already?) It’s fun.
On May 7, 2009 at 9:14 am Kelly said...
So, I’m in the minority here, but I really don’t care for the new site. I dislike the tarot cards and the monkey and that it is so dark and takes a fair bit of time to load, but that could be my connection. Of course, it could be in part because I’m also quite bummed that dark (or dimly lit) and paranormal are the way your heading instead of remaining light, fun, laughing out loud and forget your troubles as you read a wonderful story with a HEA. This site may well represent where you’re going, but I’m sad that this is where you’re headed. I miss the cherries and brightness. It will also make me aware of when I recommend your books to people (and I do all the time) to warn them the difference between your early works and your collaborative works and now your post-collaborative work. And since I’m being critical, sorry, I also wish you’d use Agnes as your twitter icon instead of the witch. Regardless, good luck with it!
On May 7, 2009 at 10:03 am Jenny said...
I understand, Kelly. A lot of people have objected to the collaborations and probably agree with you on the site design. The good news is that the old books will be there if that’s the Crusie you need. And to be perfectly honest, if I could write Bet Me Goes To Disneyland, I probably would. I like success and money as much as the next person. But that’s not where the stories want to go, and I really love the new stuff I’ve done, so I think if I tried to go back, the writing would be really bad. Nobody needs bad Crusie.
But I think it’s a really good point that you don’t like the direction the books are going AND you don’t like the site. It means the site is working, that people who come here won’t be expecting chick lit. Truth in advertising. I’m for it.
On May 7, 2009 at 11:23 am Pamela Cayne said...
OMG this is stunningly gorgeous!!! It almost makes me willing to burn my recently discovered copy of Sizzle just to show my appreciation.
Almost…
On May 7, 2009 at 11:25 am Pamela Cayne said...
Ditto to the website–it fits you in such a way that is amazing.
On May 7, 2009 at 11:26 am Kyra Kramer said...
I really like the new look … both lovely and semi-dark. Dark in good way, very retro mystery. The cards are good picks too … happiness and success and earth sign feminine strength and and love and adventure. Can’t beat it with a stick :0) I’ve been reading cards for almost 20 years, so if you want a reading, Jenny, email me anytime. (I do not charge) I read for friends like this often. I also like the look of the deck you used … I am old skool Rider/Waite myself, but appreciate other decks. I can’t wait to see the card readings in Wild Ride! In sum, love your books, the new website and the cards therein.
On May 7, 2009 at 12:03 pm jennifer said...
It’s all very pretty, but I find trying to read the blog posts with the sepia-ish background gives me a massive headache. It’s easier to read with the lighter background you used in this post where you quoted your emails to Joelle — any chance you would consider putting all of the blog posts in a lighter box like that? (of course, a white background is easiest to read of all, but I’m assuming that’s too boring to be seriously considered.)
I should mention that I think the reason I find it hard to read is not necessarily because it’s too dark, but because the background is mottled — so if the body of a blog post was in a solid-colored box, even if it was the same darkness as the rest of the blog, it would still be easier to read.
On May 7, 2009 at 12:04 pm Moth said...
I wanted to ask if that plot with the mystery writer and the color-themed murder mysteries was ever going anywhere. (…was the heroine’s name Rosie?…) Is that in the queue for potential Crusies?
On May 7, 2009 at 2:16 pm MJ said...
Yup, love the elements, love the feel, but like Jennifer above, finding it hard to read over a mottled background – especially along the left. I did bump up text size (don’t have to do so anywhere else). Ah, the eternal battle between art and usability.
On May 7, 2009 at 2:35 pm Joelle said...
For those finding it difficult to read, some tips to help:
1) try adjusting font size on your personal browser – the font is actually quite large for internet reading – 14px. Any larger and it would look a bit odd.
2) adjust your monitor and make sure it’s calibrated to default settings for brightness and contrast
3) check your browser resolution – it should be quite visible to resolutions of 1024×768 and up, but if you have a very high monitor resolution (like 2200+) the font might appear a smaller than usual, but it’s actually one pixel larger than what was previously used on Argh Ink.
Thanks for the feedback!
On May 7, 2009 at 2:42 pm naked under my clothes said...
It’s fascinating to be part of this process–author websites change all the time but it’s always opaque to us on the reader side of things. Learning about your process and watching as you do the finishing tweaks is a real treat. Thanks, Jenny, and my my my you’re patient, Joelle!!
On May 7, 2009 at 3:06 pm Charlene Teglia said...
I love it! Especially the tarot cards and stars.
On May 7, 2009 at 5:20 pm Cary said...
Add me to the chorus of love, love, love the new website. And if you’re going to have twitter updates on stuff, I might actually have to sign myself up.
I do think the website is a good snapshot for your new direction. It says writer, quirky, slightly dark, somewhat nostalgic, and vaguely shivers-up-the-spine (the wind-up monkey).
But as someone who loves all your old books, and bought them every one new going all the way back to Manhunting, I have to say I get what Kelly said. I’ll miss the light-hearted romantic tales.
But I’d miss Crusie more. Your voice is still the same, only the tone has changed. You’ll always write books about strong women, who don’t necessarily have it all together, but can still toss a a light shrug of the shoulders at the absurd in life. That’s what I always value most in your books – the sense that we can be strong, but still able to see the humor; strong, but not without those little “flaws” that give us character – Agnes and her anger, Min and her food obsession, Daisy and her “unreal but not untrue” view of life.
For me, a Crusie was never really about the men, or the romance – although I’d volunteer as Link’s Cinderella any day of the week and twice on Sundays – it was about the possibility of finding out that your flaws can be your strengths, that you could learn, and grow, and find a HEA that didn’t have to depend on the man in your life, though, wow, could he be handy to have around.
You, again, sign me up for a wild ride, and always kiss me goodnight.
On May 7, 2009 at 5:33 pm Kay T said...
Last post/comment: WE (PCs) don’t have a “command” button we have a “Ctrl” button. “Ctrl” + does increase the font size. “Command” (mutters), must be some apple thing.
I like the site. I was thinking that you might need to have a place where new people can see what the images mean or where they came from, e.g., the witch at the top of the website. (I too have Arghh bookmarked, so was pleasantly surprised with the website!).
Isn’t is funny that you (Jenny) used to be able to just write books without having all of us falling all over ourselves and picking at every hint. Very brave of you to let us in on all the ideas in your head. (Still patiently waiting for You Again – it is on my wishlist on Amazon. I think pre-Bet Me.)
Trying out the avatar, too!
On May 7, 2009 at 5:38 pm Kay T said...
Oh, and what about links to the sister sites? I used that way of navigating to the forums, Yahoo group, D&G site, etc. Help!
On May 7, 2009 at 6:25 pm Melissa Blue said...
Bad joke ahead…
Again, we lost the cheery.
On May 7, 2009 at 6:26 pm Melissa Blue said...
Dang. That’s why I shouldn’t have. Cheery, should be cherry, but then again we lost both of them.
Did I mention I like the new look?
On May 7, 2009 at 6:28 pm Jenny said...
Sister sites are down there at the bottom of the page, Kay. Very subtly in the dark green next to the bird. No, I don’t know what the bluebird of happiness is doing down there.
Melissa, we can always count on you.
On May 7, 2009 at 8:38 pm Lou (the CB) said...
One more request. On the entries that are done by people who have blog sites or websites, there is no change in color until a mouse is run over the name – except in your comments, Jenny. Do you think that this could be changed in case someone wants to go to that commentor’s website – or blog??
On May 8, 2009 at 1:19 pm Joelle said...
@Lou, thanks for pointing that out. I took care of it. If they have a viable link, the link color will be noticeably different. If there is no link, the color stays the same as the rest.
On May 8, 2009 at 6:24 am Renee Nickel said...
Love the new site. I’m fairly new to all of the “Cherry” sites and still learning to navigate through them. The new layout is visually pleasing, and I like that it doesn’t look like a “cookie cutter” website. Jenny isn’t a “cookie cutter” author. I agree with the others – looking forward to reading Nadine’s story (Dillie too). But the one character I think deserves a story is Jessie from Manhunting. Maybe even Will. Fascinating personality possibilities. HINT HINT. lol
On May 8, 2009 at 12:43 pm robena grant said...
I checked out the For Writers section last night. Would love it if you did an online workshop or two, or offered critiques. Those are two things I’d definitely pay for because I know I’d be getting more than my money’s worth.
Anyway, I started reading all of your old essays, some written before I even knew RWA existed, or discovered I wanted to learn to write romance. Last night I went to sleep thinking about something you said in one of the essays. I’d copied down your words and studied them at length and realized this was an area of weakness in my writing. I had the strangest dream, it definitely was a journey and could have filled an entire book, and it seems the dream highlighted my “relationship” issues (or at least those of my H/H ’cause I don’t have any). Ha ha. Maybe I’ll write this story instead of the gothic I’ve been thinking about.
On May 8, 2009 at 1:17 pm Kathleen said...
Beautiful work! My only complaint is that I can no longer really access the blog on my cell phone, but such is life. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
On May 8, 2009 at 2:10 pm Joelle said...
We’re working on some comment tweaks today, so if you see weirdness here, bear with us, please.
Kathleen, it views great in iPhone, but if you use another type of cellphone, have you tried reading via RSS? That might help. Thank you for your feedback!
On May 8, 2009 at 6:18 pm Joelle said...
I’m responding to my own comment to test something. Don’t mind me!
On May 8, 2009 at 6:19 pm Joelle said...
I’m responding to my own comment to test something. Don’t mind me!
On May 8, 2009 at 6:21 pm Joelle said...
I’m responding to my own comment to test something. Don’t mind me! la la
On May 8, 2009 at 3:15 pm Cherry Honey said...
Oh, Jenny (and Mollie and Joelle and Moxie). I’ve only briefly toured the new site, but already my brain is shorting out from sheer happiness. SQUEE!
I must find something less stimulating to do for a while to recoup. I’ll come back to play later.
On May 8, 2009 at 4:18 pm SMH said...
Hey Jenny,
I just got my mum to read Agnes and the Hitman and she loved it!I remembered seeing that there was an Agnes apron and mug for sale on your old site and I wanted to get her one of each for her birthday coming up this summer. I can’t find any of the stuff that you had for sale on your website now though so i guess my question is: are you still selling those items?
On May 8, 2009 at 8:16 pm Jenny said...
Good question, SMH. It’s on CafePress. I went and searched for “Agnes” and got a thousand things so too many to search for. Then I tried “Crusie” and got a lot of misspelled cruise stuff plus a Cherry thong that we did NOT put up there. I tried a couple of other key words and I still can’t find it, so I’ll put Mollie on it tomorrow. The store was not on Joelle’s site map, and I know we didn’t tell her to put a link (because we are clueless) so we’ll get back to you tomorrow. Or Monday if Mollie decides to ignore my e-mails over the weekend.
On May 8, 2009 at 8:57 pm jenifer said...
If you search Cafe Press for both Agnes and Crusie you get to the Cherry Shop:
http://www.cafepress.com/shopcherry/
On May 9, 2009 at 1:17 am Jenny said...
Thank you, Jenifer!
On May 8, 2009 at 4:27 pm robena grant said...
Thank you Joelle, I’m enjoying the new site, you did a great job. Thanks also for the tip on creating an avatar on the prior blog topic Ta Da. Never did know how to do that. I tried it out and noticed the photo popped up. I feel so smart. : ) so thanks again.
On May 8, 2009 at 6:56 pm Joelle said...
If you want to respond to someone’s specific comment, simply hit the red “Reply” link beneath their comment and it will post your contribution right along with the comment you’re responding to, like a thread. You’ll know it’s working if your comment has a light background.
If you’re not responding to a specific commenter, just comment like normal. Enjoy!
On May 8, 2009 at 6:57 pm Joelle said...
I should add, Jenny, that your comments, whether or not it’s a reply, will remain dark. Replies will be indented regardless of color.
On May 8, 2009 at 8:10 pm Jenny said...
I should add that I LOVE the “reply” feature. How cool is that? And all Joelle’s idea. So many of the bells and whistles here are Joelle’s idea. Did I mention she’s a genius?
On May 9, 2009 at 11:30 am Allie said...
I love the layout, the colors, the stars (I REALLY love the stars), and the logo. Oh, and the bird. I think I like the typewriter too. I like the reply-to and the fonts. I don’t like the header. It’s more clutter than collage to me. And that cherry sure looks like an apple. I sort of like the cards but among everything else, they seem less like they’re peeking up (which is what I think when I focus on them) and more like they’re…THERE. I hate to be another dissenter, and I’m not sure our opinions really count for anything other than being our vocalized opinions but…there it is.
On May 10, 2009 at 9:05 pm Joelle said...
“more clutter than collage”. OUCH!
Thanks for your feedback, though.
On May 10, 2009 at 10:26 pm Jenny said...
Honey, compared to my collages, this is sparse. Minimalist, even, in its unclutteredness, so I love it.
On May 10, 2009 at 12:00 am inkgrrl said...
OMG I love this site! It’s gorgeous, and has definitely been worth the wait. Moxie does it again!!