For authors, establishing and maintaining a dedicated website is crucial for effective long-term marketing and expanding your platform. However, the process can feel overwhelming, particularly for those who may not have much experience in web design or management. Where do you begin? This guide is designed to answer your most pressing questions and streamline the entire process.
Step 1: Select Your Website Development Tools
Before you jump in, it’s important to choose the right tools and services for creating your author website, whether you opt for free or paid options. Keep these three factors in mind as you make your decision:
- Budget: If you’re an emerging author with a tight budget, starting with free resources is a smart move.
- Ease of Use: If technology isn’t your forte, choose platforms that make the design and building process straightforward. Just remember that user-friendly options may come with certain limitations or hidden fees.
- Sustainability: Not every website platform is built to endure. Proprietary systems can rapidly become obsolete (consider platforms like Geocities or Apple iWeb).
- Open-source platforms tend to offer greater longevity, as they don’t lock you into a single service provider.
Top Recommendations
- WordPress.com: A trustworthy free option that has stood the test of time, powering about 20% of the internet. You can begin with a free plan and upgrade when necessary.
- SquareSpace: Ideal for those who prefer a more intuitive interface and are willing to invest. While user-friendly, migrating away from SquareSpace can be tricky due to its proprietary nature.
- Ghost: A newer open-source platform that is relatively easy to navigate, though it requires a monthly fee unless hosted on your own server.
- Weebly and Wix: I advise against these due to their proprietary systems, which ultimately necessitate payment for full functionality. If you must choose a proprietary platform, SquareSpace is the superior long-term option.
Having used WordPress since 2006, I find it to be a cost-effective solution that can significantly enhance your online presence, provided you’re open to learning.
Step 2: Secure Your Domain Name
Your domain name acts as the web address for your site and should ideally represent your author identity rather than the titles of your books. This domain will become a key element of your brand, ensuring consistency across all your literary endeavors. If your preferred domain, such as yourname.com, is already in use, think about alternatives like yournameauthor.com or yournamebooks.com. If those options are also unavailable, consider using different extensions such as .net or .me.
Step 3: Choose a Website Theme
The theme of your website plays a crucial role in shaping its visual appeal, structure, and overall user experience. A well-chosen theme should offer customization options and essential features, whereas simpler themes might lack some advanced functionalities.
Tips for Selecting a WordPress Theme:
- Check Reviews: Look at ratings and feedback to assess the theme’s reliability.
- Recent Updates: Option for themes that have been updated recently and boast a high number of downloads.
- Established Developers: Steer clear of newly released themes unless they originate from a reputable developer with a proven track record.
For users of WordPress.com, your selection of themes will be limited to well-known options. If you are using a self-hosted WordPress site, you will have greater freedom in choosing your theme, but it may feel overwhelming. Browse through existing author websites to find themes that resonate with you, and inspect their source code to identify which theme they are utilizing.
Step 4: Gather Key Content for Your Website
Gather the following components to enhance your author website:
- Author Bio: Write a concise biography (100-300 words) in the third person that’s suitable for introductions at events.
- Book Cover Art: Assemble high-quality images for each of your published works, using lower-resolution versions on the website to enhance loading speed.
- Book Summaries: Prepare both brief (25-100 words) and detailed (200-300 words) descriptions for each title.
- Purchase Links: Provide links to major retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound for all available formats (print, ebook, audiobook, etc.).
- Contact Details: Include information for your literary agent or publicist, if applicable.
- Social Media Links: Compile links to your active profiles on social media platforms.
- Testimonials and Reviews: Collect any significant praise or endorsements for your work.
Step 5: Create Important Pages for Your Author Website
In addition to your homepage, consider adding the following pages:
- About Page: Feature your biography along with a professional headshot.
- Book Pages: Dedicate a page to each book, featuring cover images, descriptions, and purchase links.
- Series Page: If applicable, create a page that organizes books in a series chronologically.
- Contact Page: Make it easy for visitors to reach you, ideally through a contact form.
Step 6: Design Your Homepage
Your homepage will depend on the theme you choose, but it should generally include:
- Header: Display your name, a tagline (e.g., “New York Times Bestselling Author”), and possibly a professional headshot. This header should be consistent across all pages, reinforcing your author brand.
- Featured Book: Highlight your latest or most significant book prominently on the homepage. Ensure visitors can see it immediately without having to scroll or search. Add a straightforward link for convenient purchasing.
- Social Media Links: Incorporate clear icons for your active social media platforms in the header, footer, or sidebar. This enables visitors to engage with you on the platforms they prefer.
- Email Newsletter Signup: Encourage visitors to subscribe with a compelling call to action. Avoid generic phrases like “Sign up for my newsletter.” Instead, personalize it and make it specific to your content, similar to how James Clear approaches it on his site.
- Social Proof: Showcase any notable achievements, such as features in major media outlets or awards received. This could be as simple as a quote from a positive review or a badge indicating bestseller status.
- Brief Author Description: Include a succinct overview of who you are, akin to the one on Scott Berkun’s site: “Scott Berkun is the bestselling author of seven books on culture, leadership, and how ideas work. You can book him for speaking engagements, reach out with your questions, or connect with him via email, Twitter, and Facebook.”
Step 7: Ensure Intuitive Navigation
Your website’s navigation should be straightforward, enabling visitors to easily find information about you, your books, and how to get in touch. Create clear menu options such as “About,” “Books,” and “Contact” to guide users seamlessly through your site.
Step 8: If You Plan to Blog
If blogging is part of your strategy as an author, think about how it will be presented on your homepage. It’s often more effective to display links to your most recent posts instead of showing the full text. This allows you to prioritize your books while keeping your blog accessible. If your blog takes up significant space, consider featuring a prominent image and a brief excerpt, encouraging visitors to click through for the complete content.
Step 9: Personalize Your Site
While achieving a polished look may take time, investing in a designer for a custom header image or overall site aesthetic can greatly enhance your website’s appeal. Tailor your site to reflect your personality and the themes of your work, making it distinctly yours.
Step 10: Commit to Continuous Improvement
Your website is a living platform that should grow and change as you do. Rather than aiming for flawless perfection right from the beginning, concentrate on implementing gradual enhancements over time. As you explore other authors’ websites, you may discover new ideas and features you wish to incorporate into your own.
For example, many authors include “social proof” elements, such as logos of media outlets that have featured their work.
For Unpublished Authors
The same guidelines are relevant, but your website can be more straightforward. Rather than having specific pages for published works, think about highlighting works in progress or shorter pieces that you’ve had published online or in print. Creating your site now enables you to claim your domain early, get comfortable with the tools available, and start building your online identity.
Conclusion
Creating an author website may seem like a daunting task, but by following these steps, you can establish a professional online presence that showcases your work and connects you with readers. Remember that your website is a continuous work in progress, adapting and evolving as you advance in your writing career.
Embrace this journey, and with the support of Cosmics Publishers, you can develop a professional author website that you will take pride in as you share your narratives with the world.
