Why is it so important to have an author website?
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With more and more people using the internet everyday, it is essential for authors to have their own websites. An author website can serve as a dynamic tool to promote yourself, your books, and anything else related to your personal brand. Websites can be used as a central hub for you to market your book as well as open a beneficial communication channel between you and your fans. Keeping this in mind, there are a few things that every author should have on their author website.
An About Page
An About page gives you a chance to tell your readers a bit about yourself and give them an idea of what you're all about. A short bio of description of yourself, along with pieces of information you think your fans will enjoy, such as: what inspires you to write, what types of books you read, and your favourite hobbies.
Books You've Written
You'll want to include a page dedicated to any and all books you've written. Be sure to feature a cover photo of each book, as well as a short summary or 'about the book' that will give your readers an idea of what to expect. Consider adding in quotes or excerpts from the book to peak the interest of your page visitors, as well as any book reviews you've received to help convince readers to make a purchase. Of course you will want to have a clear call to action for purchasing the book with links for direct purchase.
(a great example of this is FriesenPress author, Nedler Palaz's 'New Books' page: http://www.nedlerpalaz.com/new-books.html)
A Blog
An integrated blog is a fantastic way to add some more personality to your author website and keep it fresh. Keep your readers coming back for more by regularly updating your blog with interesting and engaging content, such as: author news and events – ex. book signings, readings, awards you've received, contests you've won, and just general information you think would appeal to your readers! It is also a great way to interact with your readers by responding to reader comments and questions.
(a great example of a blog is FreisenPress author, Francis Guenette's WordPress blog: http://disappearinginplainsight.com/)
Contact Information
You should have a clear contact page that lists your e-mail, as well as links to your various social media profiles. Another option is to include a contact form, which makes it easy for visitors to leave comments or ask questions, and these forms are also good ways to mitigate against spam.
As important as an author website service is, you want to make sure you are keeping your branding consistent throughout, or the site will appear sloppy and unorganized and may even hurt your sales. Make sure that page headings and contact information is prominent, and that the site is easy to navigate. If you have a unique website with consistent branding and easy navigation, you're well on your way to a very strong digital presence!
FriesenPress offers an Author Website service where we build you a dynamic Author Website and then coach you on how to use it.
For more information, please visit this link: http://friesenpress.com/author-website/
by Braden Hogan
