I have spent most of this week tweaking my websites (I’m a compulsive fiddler). I had been given some good advice from Steve Barancik of  http://www.shared-self-publishing.com. You can read most of our email exchange if you follow this link http://www.shared-self-publishing.com/clives-website-blog.html. There is a lot of Self Publishing information on his website so it is well worth a visit.

He was quite cutting regarding the original domain name I had chosen for www.partnership-publishing.com. It had not really occurred to me how important the domain name was.

Part of his “off line” mail is reproduced below.  I had asked him if he objected to my new site because after reading his advice I ended up with a website which I thought had a similar theme to his. As he had helped me in the first place I did not want to cause any offence.

Part of Steve’s email
“First, my headline response. I have absolutely no objections to your new site. In fact it’s funny to me, because for some reason I found myself googling (US) Partnership Publishing, and your single page on my site came in #4. That indicated to me what it indicated to you: the subject is under-addressed. I also think your notion of using your book as an example is nothing short of brilliant.

That said, I think you’re making one “mortal” error with your site, and it would feel wrong not to tell you. It’s your domain name! It’s a mistake of HUGE proportions to want to be the go-to site for partnership publishing and not to include the phrase “partnership publishing” in your domain name. PLEASE do not sabotage your efforts by going with publishing-for-mortals–that is, unless you intend to cover a wider range of options than Partnership Publishing. Even though you already own the domain name, I recommend chalking the expense up to experience.”

It is gratifying to think that people you come across purely by accident on the net can be unexpectedly helpful.  Dave Cantu the artist who produced the figure on my cover is another case in point.

Long may such encounters continue!