A professional look, without a lot of professional stuff
June 15, 2010 12:59 PM   Subscribe

Website filter: how to design one for a writer or other professional who doesn't have a lot to show off?

I've been working as a freelance writer for a few years, but want to take my career to the next level: a book deal, feature stories only. My clips, thus far, are nothing to brag about--I have a lot of book reviews, music articles, and shorter pieces. (I do have longer pieces I'm proud of, but they haven't been published.)

I've been studying a subject and working on a book proposal for a while, and potentially have a lot of related expertise to share. I'm considering using the website to seek examples, potential interviewees, and bolster my platform in this subject. So yes, I suppose I'll have to start a blog... but one that looks halfway professional, and overcomes my relative inexperience.

How can I show off my stuff? Any examples of non-cheesy website designs I could use? (Bonus points for being free or a Wordpress plug-in.)
posted by blazingunicorn to Technology (4 answers total) 17 users marked this as a favorite
 
I am in the process of using the Widescreen WordPress theme from Graph Paper Press for a similar project for a similar client. While it is designed for photographs (sort of) the layout lends itself to sparse content if you are artful in your choice of background images.
posted by DarlingBri at 1:17 PM on June 15, 2010 [3 favorites]


You might find my previous AskMe helpful: What are the most effective professional (personal) websites for writers you've seen?

The site I came up with is run with WordPress. I haven't released the theme publicly, but I could be persuaded to part with it, though I think it might have some stuff in it that is leahpeah - specific.
posted by artlung at 1:50 PM on June 15, 2010


A great way to look non-cheesy would be to focus the site mainly on your writing, so I'd recommend using a minimalist aesthetic.

Here is a nice list of free, minimalist Wordpress themes you could use.

I could totally see Manifest used for a writer's portfolio.
posted by phrygius at 2:11 PM on June 15, 2010


Response by poster: Thank you! I'm actually already using Barthelme, but wouldn't mind upgrading to something else. In my mind, that would be this, or this, or John Hodgman's website, or Rebecca Skloot's--except I have no book to sell.
Yet.

Is there any way I could achieve that on the cheap?
posted by blazingunicorn at 2:39 PM on June 15, 2010


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