Nowadays, you will find many author websites online; if you’re a writer, you must have one. Why? You will learn the answers in this article, so read until the end.
The main reason an author must have a website is that it is as important as the book to be published. The Web space is a powerful marketing tool that allows an author to promote future works and services, such as book signings and workshops.
It also serves as a venue for website readers to interact with the author. For example, an author can get feedback and suggestions on his next book and events directly from his fans, making him produce better work.
If you are an author or an aspiring one, now is the best time to plan and create your author website.
Author Website: What is it?
An author website is an online presence that serves as a platform for your books, blog, and other projects. It’s also a place where readers can connect with you.
A well-designed, professional-looking site is also a great way to showcase yourself as an author and build your reputation in the publishing industry.
It’s a great way to exhibit your writing credentials, share your latest work and connect with readers.
It is also acceptable to build your brand as an independent writer. It’s a place to display your bio and contact information for readers who want more information about how they can buy your books or get involved with your work.
It can also be used as a marketing tool to drive traffic to other platforms, such as social media or email lists.
What to Include When Creating an Author Website?
Here are some things you must have when building your author’s website:
A professional design.
Authors who want to stand out from the crowd need a website that looks good and doesn’t feel like you threw it together at the last minute.
Thus, professional design is essential if you want people to take you earnestly as an author.
A blog or newsletter subscription form
This must be on every page of your site. This will encourage visitors to subscribe to your blog or newsletter to keep up with everything related to you and your work.
Suppose someone wants more information about your book or wants to connect with you. You should include your contact information from all your social media accounts and your phone number or email address.
In this case, they can use these forms of communication to reach you instead of having them go through an intermediary who might need more time to provide quick answers, like an editor or publisher.
A Portion to Showcase Your Work
Ensure visitors can see examples of your writing, whether excerpted from published books or articles from magazines or newspapers.
If people want to purchase copies of your work, make sure they can find them easily by linking directly to retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Connect with Other Authors
Connecting with other authors and industry professionals through social media channels like Facebook and Twitter will help get the word out about your work.
In addition, it will also help increase visibility in search engines like Google, so when people look for a book like yours, they may find yours instead of someone else’s.
How to Make One?
Creating an author website is easier than it may seem. Here are some simple steps to jumpstart yours:
Register Your Domain Name
This is the address that people type into their browsers. You’ll need this for every step below, so choose the name wisely and get one.
Choose a Hosting Company
You can find a free web hosting service or purchase your domain name and hosting from a company like GoDaddy or HostGator.
Many authors choose to host their sites themselves because they have more control over their look, feel, and functionality and don’t have to share space with anyone else.
In addition, if your site becomes popular enough that it starts getting traffic spikes often with author websites, it’s nice knowing that your site won’t crash when thousands of people try accessing it at once.
Create the Design and Layout of Your Site
Create a design that fits your brand. You probably have an idea of what kind of website you want to create, but now is the time to start putting together ideas.
Think about what message you want readers to take away from their experience with your site and how best to convey it visually.
If you need support figuring out where to start, consider hiring a professional web designer or developer; they’ll be able to guide you through the process of creating a practical design.
Add Content to Your Site
Provide information about yourself, your books, your blog posts, and other topics that interest people who read what you write.
Please include links to those items on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter so people can read them easily from your site.
Add photos and videos of yourself and your family members so people get a sense of who you are and why they should buy your books or just come back for more.
Share news about yourself or topics related to your writing, such as upcoming book signings or appearances.
People want to know what’s going on with their favorite authors, so sharing information like this will make them want to hang out on your site more often because it’s constantly changing with new content and information about what’s happening in your life as an author.
Final Thoughts
These days, author websites are becoming increasingly important.
Whether your passion is writing on a specific topic or you’re a journalist or freelance writer looking to promote your work to the masses, it’s more crucial than ever to have an online presence.
You should set yourself apart from the crowd of other, less professional writers and makes yourself all the more visible to those who can help spread your message and eventually bring your hard work to new readers.
In doing so, you may feel overwhelmed and unsure where to begin when creating a website for your writing. The good news is it’s easier than you may think.
Once you can bring yourself to focus and commit to building your author website, you’ll be able to reap the benefits immediately.
So use this article as a guide and start creating your author website.
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