Yes, You Need an Author Website

Even If You Are Prepublished

Recently I was asked whether a prepublished author needs a website. No matter whether you are just starting out or have a full draft or are ready to submit, if you think you’ll venture into the publishing/writing landscape as a professional, and want to be taken seriously, the answer is…yes.

For one thing, people want to connect with people. They want to feel that you could maybe be a friend. That you are trustworthy. That you aren’t an AI robot. That you know something about wordsmithing. And they get that feeling while they’re reading your website.

Readers who have not yet read your book will very often buy your book because they “know” you because they’ve found out something about you – and mainly from your website. Once they’re drawn into your universe of words, they’ll then buy your next book, and your next – because they trust you. They trust that you’ll deliver them the same experience they had reading your previous work. Which initially is your website.

Think about it this way. Why do celebrity books sell so well? We don’t actually know those people, right? But we have a feeling about them from the work we’ve seen them do – the movies they’ve made, the shows they’ve been on, their pictures in magazines. If we are drawn to them in their celebrity roles, we are drawn to buy their books. Prince Harry, Michelle Obama, Cher, Barbra Streisand – we buy their books because feel like we know them a little and we want to know them better.

You and I will never likely achieve this celebrity status. [Insert laughing emoji.] But the emotional attachments are universal. People want to know who is behind your work of fiction – and that’s especially true of the kids who will read your books.

What To Put on Your “Beginner” Website

To start out you only need a few fundamentals.

• A “home page” – a front page or landing page that welcomes the visitor to your site and gives them a sense of what they may find here. Often this is the only page they’ll look at, especially if what you write is not what they’re looking for. So make it welcoming and easy to navigate. And be sure it’s clear what you do - who you write for.

• An “about page” – this is about you. A nice photograph (or several, with at least one that’s professionally taken) of you. A short bio that doesn’t need to be deeply personal but that will tell anything about you that others find interesting. Games are fun, like this one I put on my site.

• A “publications page” – if you’ve published anything, this is where you put it, any reviews, any accolades, and a brief description, plus where to find it.

• An “upcoming page” – if you are prepublished, you can mention that you’re working on something about…cake baking/dinosaurs/fly fishing/etc. A few photographs and fun facts will add interest. No need for a lot of detail.

• A “find me here page” – a contact button (that can link to a third party rather than your personal email), and any social media links.

• A “blog page”, if you are into that. I’ve switched my blogging to this platform as it’s easier for you readers to find me here, but for years I posted things on a website page.

I suggest visiting the author pages of some of your favorite authors and check out what they have and how it makes you feel. You can borrow ideas for your own site – layout, design, “look”, content.

Mechanics of Creating a Website

You’ll need a secure domain name, and I suggest not playing cute but getting a name that’s your own, i.e., www.yourname.com so that when people search for you, they can find you. I bought my domain from GoDaddy, and made sure it was secure (https instead of http) and that it auto renews so it can’t be stolen.

Many authors (like me) use Wordpress because it has bells and whistles. Wix is also popular, as is Squarespace. Some new author-friendly options include Tertulia and Bookbub.

If you are a member, Authors Guild will help you make a website. If you don’t want to do it yourself, I happily suggest Websy Daisy, who built mine.

Bottom Line – It’s Your Home

Here’s my website. I love how it looks, and that’s the most important thing – that I love it, and that I can easily change it or mix it up. Start small, and build it to your liking.

Check out this excellent piece of related advice on Jane Friedman’s blog.

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