Your Website
A Must-Have for Authors
About This Article
As an author, having a website is a must. Your website is the digital headquarters for your entire literary career. It's the place where readers can get to know you and your work from anywhere in the world.
In this article, I’ll discuss the many ways a website can benefit authors. I’ll discuss the essential elements of creating a website, such as choosing a domain name, hosting your website, structuring your website and choosing a design. I’ll also show you some creative ways to use your website to market and monetize your work.
So if you’re serious about your career as an author, read on to learn the importance of having a website and how it’s a must-have for authors.
01 | How A Website Can Help Authors
Having your own website as an author has many long-term benefits. Having a website can improve your reputation as an author, help to build your credibility, and even increase your chances of getting published. Here’s how:
ONE - Establish Authority: When you have a website to call your own, you can easily show the world that you’re a serious author. You can use the website to showcase your work and share your accomplishments with potential readers, agents, and publishers.
TWO - Market Yourself: Having a website allows you to reach more people. You can use it to market yourself, your work, and your services. Social media is a great platform for connecting with readers, but having your own website is the only way to control the narrative about yourself.
THREE - Sell Your Work: If your goal is to self-publish, your website can be a great platform to do so. Through your website, you can sell digital and physical copies of your books. You can use it as a place to list your books, or link to external retailers where your followers can purchase them. I list my books on Amazon, Apple, and Barnes & Noble and link to their sites from mine.
FOUR - Make Connections: Your website can serve as a hub for readers and fellow authors who are interested in your work. You can use it to organize virtual events such as book signings, workshops, or Q&A’s. You can also use your website to create content such as blogs, newsletters, and podcasts.
Having your own website can improve your chances of getting published. It also serves as a great way to build your brand, establish your authority as an author, and market yourself and your work.
02 | A Platform For Showcasing Your Works
Having a website gives authors the ability to showcase their published works and upcoming projects. Not only can they post their own stories, essays and poems, but they can create playlists or libraries to display their works in an attractive format. This is an excellent way to grab the attention of potential readers and encourage them to read more. Having a website provides a platform for authors to interact with their readers directly in the comments section of their work. This gives the author a chance to hear feedback from their readers, as well as build a loyal fan base. Overall, having a website is a great way for authors to promote themselves and their works, and a must-have for anyone looking to get their writings noticed.
03 | A Way To Make Connections
Your website is an invaluable tool for authors who are looking to make connections to expand their reach and grow their audiences. A website will make it easier to connect with potential readers and to showcase your work. It’s also a great way to connect with other authors, industry professionals, and publishing houses. You can create an author’s page that allows readers and writers to find you, as well as post work samples, share blogging posts, and list upcoming events. With the help of digital marketing, you can easily promote your work and grow your audience. A website is the best way to create these connections and reach a wider audience.
04 | A Way To Make Money
Author websites are great for authors who want to expand their profit-making abilities beyond the normal publishing channels. By employing strategies like affiliate marketing, authors can monetize their website by offering products and services their visitors might find appealing. Authors can also offer digital products like ebooks, memberships, and subscription services that can generate a steady stream of revenue. Having a website will also help authors to get more readers by allowing them to build email lists they can use for promotional purposes.
05 | Marketing Your Works
A website can be especially beneficial in marketing your works. A website can help you promote and spread the word about your books and other writing projects. Your website can act as a central hub for readers to get information on your works, as well as serve as a platform to promote special offers, discounts, and giveaways. You can also include reviews of your work, links to other writing resources, blog posts, and even an online store where readers can easily purchase your books or related merchandise. With a website, you can also connect with readers and writers in your genre, collaborate with other authors, and get feedback on your work. Providing these marketing tools in one place makes a website essential for any author.
06 | Building Your Website
You know now that your website is an essential part of being an author, so it's important to understand how to create a successful site. Here are a few tips to ensure your website will be a success:
ONE - Choose Your Domain Name: Your domain name should be reflective of you and your writing. It should be easy to remember and clearly describe your site’s purpose. Keep it concise and memorable, so your readers will easily remember it. One strategy author’s use is to make their domain name the same as their pen name. For example, if your pen name is John Public, you could name your website johnpublic.com. When that’s not possible, choose a name that is close. I did not use my pen name for my website because I knew that eventually I would branch out and offer services other than promoting and selling my books.
TWO - Design a Professional Looking Site: The design of your site should be professional and easy to navigate. This will ensure readers can find the information they need and give you the opportunity to showcase the quality of your work. Ensure your content is up-to-date, however, as readers won’t return to visit a site with outdated information.
THREE - Focus on SEO: Search Engine Optimization can help ensure the right readers find your website. This involves optimizing the content and design of your website, to place higher in rankings in search engine results. SEO is an expansive topic. If done right, your page will be optimized to take advantage of search engine ranking. Here’s an excellent video that explains the basics.
Video: SEO for Beginners - Rank #1 in Google in 2023
FOUR - Use Social Media: Social media can be a powerful tool for authors, as it allows you to engage with your readers and promote your work to a wider audience. Linking to your website from social media can help drive more traffic to your site, increasing your visibility and boosting your search engine ranking.
A side Note:
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m social media challenged. I held out creating accounts for as long as I could. But I could no longer ignore the fact that, at a minimum, I needed to create an author’s page on Facebook. So I did, and now as I figure out how to actually use it, I’m slowly building a following on the leading social media platform on the planet.
FIVE - Gather Reader Feedback: Gathering feedback from readers allows you to understand more about their likes and dislikes, which can help you create content that resonates with them. You can do this by creating polls or surveys, or by asking readers to fill out forms on your website. Pro Tip: Offering freebies in exchange for feedback is an effective way to entice readers to provide it.
By following these tips, you can create an effective website for your writing that is attractive, easy to navigate, and packed with relevant information and content. This will ensure readers have access to the information they need and make sure they come back for more.
07 | Hosting Your Website
So you’ve decided you want to build a website for your writing business. Now it’s time to find a web hosting service. Web hosting is the service that allows your website to be accessible online. You can choose a shared hosting plan with a company that provides the hosting and the software to build your website, or you can host your site on a server of your own. With either option, you'll need to be sure that your hosting provider offers the resources to ensure that people can find your website on the web.
When selecting a web hosting provider, pay attention to the security features they have in place. Your website will hold private data that needs to be kept safe. You should also make sure your hosting provider offers reliable support, so that you can resolve any issues or errors that may arise in a timely manner.
Here is a short list of some popular hosting platforms. There are many other options.
GoDaddy | Squarespace | Bluehost | Hostgator
Finally, look at the cost and scalability of the hosting plan. Many services offer options that allow you to upgrade or downgrade your plan as your needs change. Make sure you find a provider that offers a plan that fits within your budget while still providing the features and resources that you need. Some features to look for:
E-commerce: if you intend to sell directly from your site.
Blog: if you intend to start a blog such as this one.
Newsletter: if you intend to interact with your followers through newsletters.
Note that if you decide to publish a newsletter and build subscriber lists through email campaigns, there are some legal requirements you must follow. The CAN-SPAM Act is the governing body.
08 | Structuring Your Website
When building a website, it's important to structure it in a way that makes it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for.
Include the basics, such as contact information and a brief biography. You should also include information about your books, such as excerpts and reviews, as well as a blog or news section. Visitors should have easy access to a catalog of all of your books, most recent work, and upcoming projects. Consider adding a social media plug-in to connect your website to other platforms.
Your website should also include a section for you to maintain and develop a professional profile. You can include a link to a portfolio and a list of awards or honors you have received. A simple “About Me” page can be beneficial in establishing an authoritative image.
Finally, optimize your website for search engine optimization, as discussed above. This makes your website more visible in results from search engines such as Google.
09 | Choosing A Design
Website design is an important factor to consider. It’s important to make sure the website looks professional and visually appealing, as that will be the first impression readers and potential customers get from you. It's also important to create a website that is easy-to-navigate. Visitors will remain on your site longer, allowing them to explore all the great content you offer. See Section 07 above. There are many platforms to choose from, so do your research and find one that fits your style and needs. You can even use a template to create a great-looking website in a matter of hours.
10 | Creating Content
Creating content for your website is a key component to having an effective and successful site as an author. When creating content for your website, keep in mind what topics you want to focus on and what type of tone you want to convey. Some content ideas you could include on your website are book reviews, author or character interviews, and other pieces related to your book or writing career. You may also want to consider boosting engagement with your readers by including discussion forums, polls, or online classes related to your area of expertise. Having strong content that engages with your readers is a great way to grow your audience and to connect even more deeply with them.
Conclusion
Creating a website to showcase your writing is an essential part of being an author. The benefits of owning a website far outweigh the costs and are a great way to build an online presence and reach a larger audience. A website can help increase your online visibility and make it easier for readers to find your work and read about you. It also provides a platform for you to showcase your portfolio, promote your services, and interact with readers. Having a website can help you increase your revenues, as you can include marketing materials and engage in e-commerce activities. Finally, a website can serve as a virtual hub for your readers, allowing them to comment on your work and access your blog or newsletter. Ultimately, a website is an invaluable asset and is a must-have in order to be successful in your writing career.
