welcome…

…to all my secrets on life as a published author

(I’m 7 traditionally published books in and I’ve learnt some stuff 😉)

 
 

I blog weekly about author websites, newsletters and life as a writer…

New posts published every Monday 😊

Want to learn more about me and my own publishing journey first?

(includes info on how I landed one of those mythical six-figure book deals!)

Read all about my own journey to publication →

Or scroll down to read all my other posts!

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What's the best Squarespace template for authors?
Websites Charlotte Duckworth Websites Charlotte Duckworth

What's the best Squarespace template for authors?

As you’ve might have seen on the Squarespace website, they offer lots of different pre-built templates, all with their own specific look and feel. There are so many that sometimes it can get a bit overwhelming – when I ask my web design clients to take a look through the templates and let me know which they like best, a lot of the time they say they feel bamboozled and come back to me with the same question: ‘but which Squarespace template is best for authors?’

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3 brilliant Squarespace features you may not know about
Websites Charlotte Duckworth Websites Charlotte Duckworth

3 brilliant Squarespace features you may not know about

Squarespace, let me count the ways I love thee! There are many. I’ve become a proper Squarespace nerd ever since I trained as a Squarespace designer, and what I love the most is that Squarespace are constantly evolving the platform and adding new and exciting functionality.

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 ✨ 30 things I’ve learnt from 5 years being published ✨

September 6 2023 marked 5 years since my first book was released 😲

To celebrate, I shared a new post about what I’ve learnt from being published EVERY DAY throughout the month.

Enjoy!

 
Featured
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 30 – what you do does actually matter
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 30 – what you do does actually matter
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 29 – publishing runs on hype
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 29 – publishing runs on hype
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 28 – your characters are unlikeable
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 28 – your characters are unlikeable
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 27 – no-one knows anything
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 27 – no-one knows anything
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 26 – you should write the book that's in your heart
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 26 – you should write the book that's in your heart
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 25 – goodreads and netgalley are the devil's work
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 25 – goodreads and netgalley are the devil's work
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 24 – you know your book better than anyone else
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 24 – you know your book better than anyone else
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 23 – I still google 'how to write a novel' every time I start
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 23 – I still google 'how to write a novel' every time I start
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 22 – genre snobbery is real - and annoying
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 22 – genre snobbery is real - and annoying
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 21 – there will be times when it all feels hopeless
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 21 – there will be times when it all feels hopeless
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 20 – (your) social media doesn't sell books
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 20 – (your) social media doesn't sell books
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 19 – there is hope after bad track
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 19 – there is hope after bad track
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 18 – you can write in another genre
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 18 – you can write in another genre
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 17 – it's important to take stock from time to time
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 17 – it's important to take stock from time to time
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 16 – you will need to do some exercise
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 16 – you will need to do some exercise
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 15 – getting ARC copies is amazing - and stressful
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 15 – getting ARC copies is amazing - and stressful
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 14 – lots of authors hate their covers
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 14 – lots of authors hate their covers
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 13 – Harrogate Festival is amazing
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 13 – Harrogate Festival is amazing
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 12 – it's OK to take a break
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 12 – it's OK to take a break
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 11 – your author website matters (ha!)
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 11 – your author website matters (ha!)
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 10 – the best marketing you can do for your book is write a new one
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 10 – the best marketing you can do for your book is write a new one
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 9 – publication day is nuts
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 9 – publication day is nuts
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 8 – First drafts get harder - but editing gets easier
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 8 – First drafts get harder - but editing gets easier
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 7 – being on submission never gets any easier
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 7 – being on submission never gets any easier
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 6 – the writing is the best bit
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 6 – the writing is the best bit
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 5 – writing ruins reading
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 5 – writing ruins reading
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 4 – editors are overworked
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 4 – editors are overworked
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 3 – A loyal agent is better than a hotshot agent
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 3 – A loyal agent is better than a hotshot agent
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 2 – The size of your advance matters
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 2 – The size of your advance matters
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 1 – the author community is incredible
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 1 – the author community is incredible

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Essential Guide to SEO for Authors
17 page guide

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The Debut Author’s Survival Guide
30 page ebook

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Author Website Content Guide
14 page guide

 
 
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Author Newsletters
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30 minute video

 
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Blogging for Authors
- a Beginner’s Guide
18 minute video