Websites Designed for Authors

There’s debate about what kind of website an author should create.

• A website for the author in which all their works are listed. The web address would be AuthorAuthor.com.
• A website for each of the author’s publications: NovelOne.com; NovelTwo.com, etc., perhaps with an additional AuthorAuthor.com site as an umbrella.

Websites are most useful as marketing and social media tools when they are active, when pages change, and when information is enhanced. Therefore, for each website you choose to create, you’re multiplying the effort to keep them breathing. This may involve your personal effort if you have the skills, or hiring a website groundskeeper.

Consider how many novels you have in mind to publish now. If you’ll be happy just getting through your current manuscript, polishing and publishing it, then perhaps the NovelOne.com website is best at the outset. You can always put up an Author website when your writings expand.

If you’ve already produced a string of novels, the Author website might be the best direction in which to head.

Website Options

#1: A Four-Page website

• Home/Landing Page with a graphic of the book cover, the elevator pitch, and some backstory of the characters or action.
• About the Author: your photo and an elaborated version of your bio.
• About the book: the cover blurb
• Contact page: allowing readers to reach out to you via email. This is a no-maintanance option in which readers ask questions and make comments as a one-on-one communication between you and individual readers.

A link to Amazon and other outlets offering your book is available on every page.

#2: Add a Comment section

• A Comment section allows readers to make comments and pose questions that are open to review by other readers.
• It is low maintenace, but does require you to go online to the administrative area of the site and moderate the discussion. You must approve comments before they can be seen by visitors to your site.
• You have the option to discard crank comments, spam, an inappropriate remarks.

#3: Add a Blog

 A blog is a moderate- to high-maintenance obligation.

• To engage readers, you must post articles to the blog regularly. One per week is a minimum.
• This must be personal, as you and your book are the commodites to which readers are attracted. They do not want read information scraped from other sources.
• Blogs have comments sections and discussions which must be moderated are part of the blog.

Sample Websites