Erika Dreifus

The Practicing Writer Web site is now approaching its sixth birthday. So much in my writing life has changed since it was launched in the summer of 2004. I’ve moved to a new city; shifted from freelancing and teaching to a full-time (albeit writing-and-editing-intensive) office job; added poetry-writing to my personal practice; established the Practicing Writing and My Machberet blogs; started a Twitter feed; expanded the subscriber list for The Practicing Writer newsletter from 400 to more than 3,200 readers; and, oh yes, finally found a home for my short story collection, Quiet Americans.

I don’t believe that the original site has kept up with the times. I’ve often thought that if I were re-starting my online presence, I’d do it through a blog-based platform (WordPress seems to be a common choice). And I’ve often wished for a single, easily-edited and super-flexible space in which I could base myself, my writing (of all kinds), and my services for writers. Consolidation seems most appealing!

I’ve also thought that it’s probably time for me to add some kind of direct merchandising/sales capacity to my site; those of you who haven’t been completely satisfied by Lulu‘s handling of the e-book sales will probably agree.

Now that Quiet Americans is on its way, it seems to be the perfect time to take a good, solid look at what my primary Web presence should be–and work to create it. So I’ve been reaching out to designers for ideas about their processes, products, and prices. I’m learning a lot, but I’d love to glean the benefits of YOUR experiences and insights.

Which author sites do you particularly admire? Why? Based on your own experiences as an author (or as a reader), what advice can you offer me as I pursue this? What do you wish someone had told you before you (or your designer) built (or rebuilt) YOUR main site? And are there any designers out there whom you’d recommend?

I am really looking forward to your comments. I say it often, but it can’t be overemphasized: I am tech-challenged! I will appreciate all the help that you can offer!

So, now that I’m in an official “pre-publication phase,” I thought I’d keep you all posted (and keep myself on track with everything on my to-do list) by providing a weekly post about Quiet Americans. Some weeks I’ll be seeking help, but I’ll try not to deluge you with infinite requests.

This week, I’ll start things off simply by saying a bit more about the book’s general theme. All of the stories in this collection are in some way influenced by the experiences of my paternal grandparents, German Jews who immigrated to the United States in the late 1930s, and/or by my own identity and preoccupations as a member of the “Third Generation.” (In fact, some years ago I presented a conference paper titled “Ever After? History, Healing, and ‘Holocaust Fiction’ in the Third Generation,” which is quite relevant in this context; the paper was subsequently published as part of the conference proceedings, and you can download it here.)

Given this background, I decided a long time ago that if this book ever saw publication, I would give over some of the profits to The Blue Card, an organization my family has supported for years. The Blue Card’s purpose is to assist survivors of Nazi persecution in the United States. Our family has been blessed in this country in so many ways, and one of the greatest blessings is that my grandparents were able to live their final years with comfort and dignity. Sadly, not everyone who survived Nazi persecution is so fortunate. That is why The Blue Card is so important.

On Monday afternoon, I met with The Blue Card’s executive director to discuss the book. He was extremely supportive and helpful, providing some excellent suggestions for me to pursue to help get the book to a wider audience. It was a wonderful beginning to this pre-publication period.