5 Things Your Author Website Needs When You Get Started

What is one thing every author needs to have to boost their online profile and look professional?

A website.

Whether you plan on writing one book or multiple series, you need to get a website up and running as soon as possible. Even before your book is published.

Why Do I Need An Author Website?

An author’s website is all about discovery. It is where readers (and potential readers) will find all of you’re your information in one nice, easy to use, location. And most importantly, it’s a location you have control over.

Why Not Social Media?

By now you must have realized this important fact: you don’t control the social media experience. The followers you have on different platforms? They can disappear in an instant and you can’t reach them unless they follow you somewhere else. Marketing coaches have been preaching that for ages and not everyone listened until Tik Tok shut down. Then suddenly it was a case of “how do I reach all my followers again?”

The answer is: You don’t count on Tik Tok or other social media platforms in the first place. You use those platforms to try and bring people to your website. Get them to sign up for your newsletter, email lists, etc. Things you have control over. Yes, it takes time and effort. But like all marketing, it’s worth it in the long run.

What Should My Website Have?

Especially when you’re starting out, you don’t need a complicated site. There are plenty of free platforms out there for hosting a site (I’m in no way qualified to give recommendations there, but my friend Judy Mohr offers this advice). You want to make sure your website is easy to read, easy to navigate, both on a computer screen and mobile devices. Keep things simple.

• Make sure you have an About or Bio page! Who are you? What do you write? If you plan on writing under a pen name, you can put everything here under that name. Add a photo for your profile here too. Have some fun with this space-it reflects your personality and some of what the personality of your books may have. You can talk about your pets, your hobbies, whatever you’re comfortable sharing. Keep it somewhat short. If a real photo of you isn’t what you’re comfortable with, try something that still has your personality. An animal maybe? If you're writing nonfiction or a brand book, here's the perfect place to point to awards you've won or other reasons why you're qualified to be writing this book and helping people out.

  
  

• Your books! After all, you're a writer- that’s what you want people to focus on. Are you writing your first book and it isn’t out yet? That’s ok! Give a teaser to hook people and have them ready and eager to buy it. Once you’re published, make sure your website lists places people can find them. Do you sell direct from your site? Have you signed books in bookstores you’d like to tell people about?

  
  

• Newsletter, blog, email list. You want them to stay connected to you- have them provide their email! Let them know how often they should expect to hear from you If possible. Remember that staying on people’s radars like this is great for when you start the promos for your book. Your built in audience of fans has already started here.

  
  

• Social media links. If you do use social media regularly, add those links here and make sure the links come back to your website so they can find your main source for all official info!

  
  

• Don’t forget to add a way for people to contact you with questions. You may want to set up a special email for this.

  
  
  
  

#1 Most Important Thing To Remember:

What’s the name of your website? Don’t name it after your book! Then you’d have to make a new website with each book you write in the future. And really, who has the energy to do that? Wouldn’t you rather just be writing your next book instead? The safest thing would be to use your name as the website address, or your name + ‘author’ or ‘official author’ or something like that. Then however many books you publish, they can all go on the same website.

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Are you looking for a writing, marketing coach or a developmental editor? Contact me and let’s talk about your project!