A Fresh Coat of Paint

There is something both thrilling and mildly terrifying about deciding to refresh one’s website.

On the surface, it sounds simple. Update a few photos. Tweak a bio. Swap out a banner. Maybe shuffle a few tabs around and call it a day.

In reality? It feels more like renovating a house while still living in it.

My website isn’t just a digital business card. It’s my storefront, my media kit, my backlist catalog, my reader welcome mat. For me, www.saraheburr.com is the home base for the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, Trending Topic Mysteries, Book Blogger Mysteries, and the complete 14-book Court of Mystery series. It’s where Sleuthing Society members land. It’s where new readers discover Crucible, Copper Bay, Central Shores, and the Realm of Virtues for the very first time.

So, when it starts to feel even slightly outdated, the pressure to renovate is real.

The Identity Question

One of the biggest challenges for me in revamping a website isn’t the tech. It’s clarity.

Who exactly am I now?

That question hits differently after publishing more than twenty books, launching a podcast, starting a design service, building a bookish blog, and expanding into author coaching.

When I first built my site, I was focused primarily on my novels. Now? I’m co-hosting interviews, running BookstaBundles, growing multiple Substacks, and connecting with readers in new spaces. The site needs to reflect not just what I’ve written, but how I continually show up for the author community.

That means refining taglines. Reworking site navigation. Deciding what deserves front-and-center placement. Letting go of pages that no longer serve a purpose. It’s less “add more sparkle” and more “what actually matters?”

Then comes the practical side.

Broken links you didn’t know existed. Graphics that suddenly look pixelated. Mobile formatting that behaves like it has a personal vendetta against you. And let’s not even talk about image dimensions.

Refreshing a website requires patience. You adjust one thing, and three others shift out of alignment. You test buttons. You double-check newsletter forms. You make sure every series page loads properly. It’s meticulous work. Necessary work.

Still, there’s something deeply satisfying about watching it come together. Like stepping back from a freshly reorganized office and thinking, Yes. This feels right.

At the same time I’m refreshing my website, J.C. Kenney and I are also giving A Bookish Moment a bit of a glow-up.

What started as a cozy, conversational space to chat with authors has grown into something we truly love. Every interview feels like pulling back the curtain on the creative process. We talk craft, inspiration, publishing highs and lows. We laugh. We dig deep. We celebrate stories.

And now, we’re expanding.

We’re adding Facebook LIVE streams to make it easier for readers to watch and engage in real time. If you’re already scrolling, why not pop in and join the conversation? We want that accessibility. That immediacy.

But we’re also launching something brand new for us: our very own Twitch channel, itsbookishtime. For us, it opens up possibilities to grow our audience. J.C. and I would love to get to 1000 subscribers this year, and my hope is that this helps us meet our goal.

The Learning Curve Is Real

I won’t pretend this transition is effortless. New platforms mean new workflows. New graphics. New overlays. New testing sessions where you stare at the screen, wondering why the microphone has suddenly decided to stop cooperating.

There’s a humbling aspect to learning something new in public. But there’s also growth in it.

Streaming across multiple platforms requires strategic thinking. How do we best serve our audience? Where are readers most comfortable? How can we meet them where they are while still stretching ourselves creatively?

It’s exciting. It’s a little chaotic. It’s very 2026.

As authors and creatives, we’re always evolving. Our stories deepen. Our communities grow. Our ambitions stretch. Refreshing a website isn’t about vanity. It’s about clarity. Expanding a show isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about connection.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this season of revamping and reimagining, it’s this: growth often looks messy before it looks polished.

There are drafts before final versions. Test streams before flawless broadcasts. Layouts before the “yes, this is it” moment. But on the other side? A stronger foundation. A clearer brand. And, hopefully, an even more vibrant space for readers and writers to gather.

If you’ve been refreshing your own projects lately, consider this your gentle nudge: the growing pains are normal. The learning curves are worth it. And sometimes, a fresh coat of paint is exactly what your creative home needs.

Now, excuse me while I go test one more streaming setup. Just one more… probably.