hy have an authors website? Well having your own website is a double edged sword but I think the positives outweigh the negatives. If you’re new to writing or even an old hand at it, if you’re wondering can I get by without one, here are my findings.
Why have a website?
The Good Side To Having Your Own Writers Site
As a writer no doubt you want to engage your readers and to be found. Writers like to be read above all else. Also aside from your readers it can be a good source to get you contacted by others in the industry. Maybe a new publisher, readers group or just other authors in the same sector as you.
All sounds great and if you add in functionality like Twitter etc then it’s great. My recommendation is – WordPress.
Simply it is the easiest way to get up and going and it is very simple indeed. It saves you a lot of hassle, it’s easy to maintain it yourself and requires minimal experience to maintain.
You can easily integrate social media, Twitter, Facebook etc and away you go. A blog is a fantastic and critical way to boost traffic as well. Ultimately you want to turn passive visitors into fans, then for the fans to become repeat readers.
This is really a quick tour of it and if you have a look around my site you will see some things I have put in place to make the site simple, easy to use and in the main bug free. I’m working on the sketch drop down menu though so bear with me on this one.
The Bad Side To Your Own Authors Site
The downside when you’re writing a blog post is having to keep it up to date. One pain with this is when you’re writing new content you’re not actually working/writing your next book.
Once you get people in they then have the right to expect more from you. This sadly, keeps the onus on you to continually add good content. Good content is the key here.
SEO for Writers
SEO and other things technical can seem like another language but don’t panic. Most of it is simple though so don’t be put off by it. WordPress for example is full of ‘App’ type things called ‘Plugins’ which are generally free. They install themselves and do a lot of the work for you, if not all. Like with anything WordPress can be a bit ‘trial and error’ but in the main it is very simple to use and the best route I have found. For my business I have tried static sites, Joomla and others and WordPress out shines these routes by miles.
Writing SEO – there are certain things you HAVE to stick with but generally the SEO packs do really help you out. A bit of research also goes a long way but don’t let this be a reason for you not to tackle a site.
Content for Authors
Content is king. A page must have great content on it.
There are a lot of options for content, I have a separate page for each book I have out, the publishers details, a contact me page and some poetry and other things. All book pages have a ‘buying option’ as it would be silly not to.
I also have a free samples section. This said a lot of my traffic is coming through blog posts and good SEO. Twitter and Facebook help a lot as does YouTube so don’t dismiss them. I have a book trailer embedded in the site as well and this all helps to create a bit of a brand and a feel to my work.
If the content is good it’s smiles all round.
What Does An Authors Site Cost
The company that started off my site charged me very little, they even let you pay monthly for it, including the development costs. Hosting is dirt cheap these days and if you’re published you may get some of the costs paid by the publishers. If you don’t ask, you don’t get!
A site should be fun so don’t be afraid to be yourself on it. Moderate controversy if you believe in it can put some people off but it can also switch others on. With all things it is cheques and balances.
This said don’t be frightened to have a site, it’s another shop window for you and your work. It also could attract new readers, collaborations and many other things.
The best piece of advice is that if you’re going to do one, make sure it does you justice.
