Giveaway! Does Your Author Blog Need a Favicon?

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Peevish Penman's favicon

Today I've decided to be the blog fairy, which is easy since I don't have to dress up in a tutu and wave a wand around while my blond curls bounce everywhere. I give gifts to all the writers blogging out there out there somewhere in the world working tirelessly to entertain us. I've noticed a lot of the writer blogs I follow look professional, but they sometimes lack that one detail that tells me an author is serious. It's the favicon.

It's the little image that displays next to a website or blog's URL, the tab in the web browser and even next to your RSS feed. Most of the time it's the site's logo, but it can also be a simpler image like the first letter of the name of the author or the site itself. The process of making a favicon is simple enough using free online generators.

Do you need it? I'll let you be the judge. But, do you really want all the visitors to your blog or website to be greeted with something like this:

What does it really saying about you to your reader? Yep, it says, "I use blogger." And that's a missed opportunity to communicate who you are from your site, your feed and your online presence.

Examples of the Blog Fairy in Action

Clark Brooks is a funny guy. He's got a dark purple color scheme and the blog fairy made him a dark purple "C" with rounded edges.



Clark Brooks's Blog

Clark's favicon

Aaron Pogue is an intriguing writer with a simple clean site design. The blog fairy isn't certain he'll want the favicon she's designed for his site yet, but it's a simple image with a transparent background, which might work.


Aaron Pogue's website

Aaron Pogue's favicon

How do you get a favicon for your author blog or website?

Method One

1. Do a search for "favicon generator free"
2. Upload an image you want to be your favicon
3. Adjust the image using the editor
4. Download the "ico" file
5. Upload it to your website

Don't have an image? Use a screen shot of a letter or image on your blog, crop the image and it's ready to upload. 

Method Two

Enter the Giveway!  

Professional favicon design can and do cost $20. It's not the difficulty involved, but the time it takes to make one look professional. Your personal fairy blogmother isn't having that.


1. Subscribe to Peevish Penman via RSS or YouTube or Facebook or Google Friend Connect.

(Step 1)

and

2. Share a post from Peevish Penman via Digg, Stumble Upon, Delicious, Reddit, Google or Facebook.

(Step 2)

then

3. Comment below and provide a link to the blog where you want the favicon made.

4. When I've finished, I'll reply to your comment and upload the "ico" file as a link.

5. Your job will be to upload the favicon to your blog or website. Here are some instructions to upload it.




Questions


Can I just buy one?

Yes, email me at bailey.carrie.e[at]gmail.com and I will design your custom favicon for $20, but I'd rather connect.

Will it work on WordPress? 

Yes, but you will have to add a specific bit of code, including the address where you upload it, to your template.

Can I get a custom design?

These designs are custom for your site, but because there are so few pixels involved, it's hard for me to know which letter combination, image or color combinations will look good, so if I design one and you'd like some minor adjustments try the favicon generator. If you're still struggling with it, send me an email.

How can possibly get this uploaded?

Your fair blogmother is here for you. Send me your technical question and I'll walk you through the process.

Yours Truly

Carrie Bailey - bailey.carrie.e[at]gmail.com