To Intro:

Laurie R King’s official website has recently (as of 1 February 2009) undergone a completely new web design focusing on the visual as opposed to the original text-based main page. This recent switch to visual and picture links adds to the ongoing ease of usability, holding even more fascinating tidbits of interactive information for the readers while waiting for her next book. Even through these changes towards a more visually centered audience, she holds her credibility by continuing to lend her voice (and that of her main character, Mary Russell) to various aspects of the site.

Old and New Pictures

The layout for Laurie R King’s official website has undergone a complete change due to her daughter’s web knowledge. Originally, the website was textually based, including various red hyperlinks and paragraphs of information. The reader’s eye had no real visual to focus on other than the large body of explanatory texts and textual hyperlinks within the main central column. If viewed in the wrong browser or in a small text size, the site could be daunting.

The site has now slimmed down to a sleek interface of picture headers, drawing the viewer’s attention first to the dark blue heading banner with its bright golden eye and Laurie R King’s name in a simple yet bold serif font. From there, the viewer’s sight is filled with four large and colorful book covers of Laurie’s newest writings with small one-sentence descriptions of each story; clicking on an individual book will take you to the book’s webpage. Giving these book covers the main space on the main webpage emphasizes the importance of King’s printed works; if it were not for the books, the site would not exist. Her picture in the right hand column links to her press and contact page while a montage of her book covers leads to a link showing where the viewer can buy her books.

Old and New Aesthetics

From the beginning of the website, the aesthetics of the website were second to information given. The background color was a yellowish tan which held red links and small black texts, organized in three columns with little pictures to relieve the space. The left hand column served as a menu with little links strewn about while the right column held more hyperlinks with some picture links as well. The center column held almost all text in paragraph form with some bulleted lists containing both text and hypertext.

Now, however, the website contains a beautiful clean gray scale background with off-white boxes surrounding important information. The font is now a simple sans serif black with a good amount of space between lines. Instead of a left hand column menu, there is a handy universal drop down menu provided underneath the heading banner and a search bar on the right. The right hand column now holds only a few pieces of information via pictures, such as the author and a link to sign up for the newsletter . The viewer does not even have to scroll down to see all the contents on the right column, keeping the layout simple and to the point.

Community

The Laurie R King website holds a considerable fan base ranging from young preteens to women of considerable respectable years. However, the website now holds appeal for both audiences with the introduction of a streamlined universal template and visual introductions to the site.

Twittering Community

For the younger generations, King has set up a number of different pages and designs. She has a facebook page for those on the facebook phenomenon; the reader can become a fan of her work there and follow the news on what’s what in the King and Russell worlds. She also has a very extensive myspace page for her character, Mary Russell. This myspace page also includes a myspace blog where King writes in Russell’s voice as if she were alive today. This insight into Russell’s mind in between books allows the audience a closer connection and loyalty to the character while immersing him- or herself into Russell’s world. In a similar stream, King has set up a little Twitter page along with the new website layout and structure. These little tidbits of Russellian insight now can find itself on a cell phone, reminding the audience of a fictional world they are very familiar with. And for the savvy reader, she has a goodreads page where those interested in all things books and reading share their interests and expertise.

Scholarly Community

For those less internet inclined, Laurie holds extensive archives and scholarly information in her website’s menu subtopics. For anyone interested in the history or setting behind her novels, King holds an extensive bibliography for all the geography (both philosophical and physical) her books have touched. Both of her book series have extensive webpages (viewable here and here ) which include information on the time periods, the history of the story’s landscape, and many other conventions of the times. Even each book page has a lovely little set of links at the bottom of the main column along with a few key pictures to help get the feel of the setting of the book. In this example , Laurie R King brings the reader a more in-depth understanding behind the settings of her books, giving the book itself a different meaning after reading its historical and geographical setting. There is even a link specifically for scholars , separated into four different groups: the educators who might use her books as a learning tool, the book groups who wish to discuss the book further, the librarians who keep her books in tidy form, and a book list for those who are looking for a good read in many different genres.

Discussion Forums

All of the ages have a tendency, however, to cross paths within the discussion boards, known at the King website as the Laurie R King Virtual Book Club (lovingly given the acronym VBC). People of all ages come and discuss the books through monthly discussion threads as well as general chit-chat on the books, other books, music, art, and anything else that might come to mind. The forum itself is well designed and organized if a little cramped, but holds a very handy list of most popular threads in the left column to help people begin their search through the extensive archives and thread posts. There is even a thread devoted to asking King questions and having King answer these posts. She also occasionally posts comments on the monthly book discussions.

Creating Street Cred

Laurie R King has striven to connect with her readers at all times, and the changes to the website have not lessened her credibility in the least. From answering questions from her readers at the discussion forum to keeping her readers up to date with even her character’s life through myspace and Twitter , she allows us into her world quite readily. She even has a personal blog on the website pages, entitled her Mutterings . Within this blog, she openly shares her struggles and triumphs as a writer, mother, and wife. She has even shared her suffering; her husband died the same day her new site layout came up on the web. She freely and openly told a short summarized version of the circumstances and her pain at the death. Such openness and frank sharing of her life with her audience brings a tight-knit community even tighter. People grow stronger together in adversity, and King admitting her faults and sharing such painful moments in her life brings her author-omniscience into a more flesh-and-blood friend figure who happens to be brilliant with words.

To Conclude:

King’s website has taken on a beautifully new tone with this introduction to visual media. The new simplicity of the layout gives the audience a better understanding of what the website focuses on, the printed books and the worlds they create. The website lovingly extends and enhances these worlds with deeper insight and the ability to discuss these ideas with others who know the worlds as well. With love and care for her audience, Laurie R King has created a website that truly immerses itself in itself and those who appreciate it. She has garnered the respect and appreciation of her fan base in a very personable way, through listening and responding to them on both a general and one-on-one basis as well as keeping them well-informed on their favorite character and author in various forms both on social networks, online, and in audio media as well. Her presence both as author as well as in Russell’s character binds the site and the community together into a streamlined whole. Kudos for a beautiful piece of life’s work!

Old and New Pictures (an oops factor)

The layout for Laurie R King’s official website has undergone a complete change due to her daughter’s web knowledge. Originally, the website was textually based, including various red hyperlinks and paragraphs of information. The reader’s eye had no real visual to focus on other than the large body of explanatory texts and textual hyperlinks within the main central column. If viewed in the wrong browser or in a small text size, the site could be daunting.

The site has now slimmed down to a sleek interface of picture headers, drawing the viewer’s attention first to the dark blue heading banner with its bright golden eye and Laurie R King’s name in a simple yet bold serif font. From there, the viewer’s sight is filled with four large and colorful book covers of Laurie’s newest writings with small one-sentence descriptions of each story; clicking on an individual book will take you to the book’s webpage. Giving these book covers the main space on the main webpage emphasizes the importance of King’s printed works; if it were not for the books, the site would not exist. Her picture in the right hand column links to her press and contact page while a montage of her book covers leads to a link showing where the viewer can buy her books.

Sorry; this one’s in the wrong order. A slip of the fingers!!!