Tag Archive - website

Everything You Need to Know about Your Author Website

This post originally ran on my publishing site The Self Publisher. Check to see if your author website rocks!

You know you need one. Or maybe you already have one.

But is your author website everything it needs to be?

What is the point of having an author website, and what does it need to accomplish?

The answer seems obvious: your website is the place readers discover you and your books and, one hopes, compels readers to buy those books.

But it’s not as simple as posting great book descriptions and sharing a few photos of yourself, your cat, and your awesome book covers. So much more goes into creating an effective author website. It’s all part of your larger marketing strategy.

There is often a correlation between your website and book sales.

Numerous authors who previously sold barely a handful of books have gone on to make a fortune in sales after revamping ineffective websites, so it behooves any serious author to invest some time and money in crafting one. Continue Reading…

18 Worthy Websites for Writers

Today’s guest post is by Jeanna Bray.

Apart from your desire to be an author and determination on this thorny path, what makes a successful writer? According to veterans of the industry, it’s lots of reading, writing, and a supportive community. The sites from today’s selection can provide you with all the three. So, without further ado and in no particular order, let me introduce 18 worthy websites for writers:

Self-Publishing Advice

This site is a watchdog community organized by the Alliance of Independent Authors and aiming to protect self-publishing writers from untrustworthy publishers. The site has a collection of reviews on various publishers, with rating scores ranging from “excellent” to “watchdog advisory.” The authors themselves report dishonest publishers and regularly update their base. However, the site’s usefulness isn’t restricted to that. Continue Reading…

Do Publishers Care About an Author’s Online Presence?

Today’s guest post is by Debbie Emmitt.

When presented with a manuscript, publishers are usually thinking ahead to marketing and how likely a book is to sell copies.

As authors, we tend to think of the audience for our website and social media as being our readers (often including a healthy dose of other authors). We often put to the back of our minds other audiences, who may be fewer in number but are nonetheless important groups. These include the media, agents and, of course, publishers.

But just how important is an author’s online platform for the acquisition process, and what elements do publishers look for on an author site?

To find answers, I contacted a large number of publishers with my questions, and a small number of generous souls replied. Continue Reading…