5 Reasons Why You Should Have an Author Website

As an author you probably don’t want to think about creating an author website, you just want to focus on writing and getting your next amazing book finished. But once you’ve done that it would be great if you had a brilliant website to help you get that book out there and reach more readers.

Whether you’re going down the traditional publishing route or the self-publishing route there are a few reasons why having an author website would be beneficial.

Having an Author Website Will Make Getting an Agent and Publisher Easier

Now, disclaimer, you can’t write any old rubbish and expect your website to magically get you that publishing deal but if your book is really worth reading (which I’m sure it is!) then a great website will help you stand out. Firstly, you will look more favourable to an agent and it’s not just me saying that, a literary agent said this to one of our clients recently,

“Your website makes it really easy for me to pitch you to publishers. Everything is there.”

Also, publishers will look favourably on authors who have an online presence because this will help with marketing and obviously the more of your books that get sold the happier your publisher will be. We have worked closely with the publishers, Hay House to create our author website template. We know that they recommend authors should get a website and if they’re doing it we are sure many other publishers are too.

A Website Makes Building an Email List Easy

Sticking with the marketing theme, having an email list is a fantastic marketing method. You could offer a sneak peek of the first chapter or two of your book in return for email addresses or if you have written a book on wellness you could offer a free meditation for everyone who has purchased your book to sign up for. With our book, The Website Handbook our readers can sign up for larger version of the worksheets included in the book. There are lots of ways to build your list.

Then when your next book comes out you have a whole list of interested people and fans there waiting to buy it. And we know that getting lots of sales in the first couple of days is key to getting to the top of the new releases lists.

Your Website Will Make It Easier to Get Featured in the Press

Getting you and your books in the press is important to expand your following and the press will love you if you make it easy for them to feature you. Having a press section on your website with your bio, photos of you, images of your book and a synopsis of your book will be really helpful for them. They’ll really like you for it and then when your next book release comes round hopefully they’ll remember you for being so easy to feature and jump at the chance again.

Use Your Website for Events and Speaking Gigs Too

As an author it’s more than likely that you are going to book readings, book signings, speaking at relevant events or that you want to be doing these things.

You can use your website to express your interest in doing these events, outline your areas of expertise that you speak about and include a showreel of the work you have done in this area so far.

You can also promote events that you will be attending and speaking or reading at. Getting your loyal followers and fans to these events through your website is a great way to drum up excitement at the event. If they’re excited to see you in a bookshop others will become intrigued and might just be tempted to buy a copy of your book and get it sighed too to see what all the fuss is about.

Showcase Your Reviews on Your Author Website

Throughout your website it’s a really good idea to showcase your reviews, both ones that people have written and are more formal but also, if someone says something to you at an event about your work or your latest book or just your insight in general on a topic or genre, thank them for it, tell them how much that means to you and ask them if you could quote them and write it down before you forget it (use your notes app in your phone). I have found that quite often the best recommendations and reviews come from natural communication, even through email or messenger chats rather than overly thought out formal testimonials.

Don’t be Put Off Getting a Website

I have seen in a few places online that one of the things that puts authors off from getting a website is the thought that it’s going to be expensive, starting in the thousands with extra costs picked up along the way. That just isn’t the case. Our websites start from £39 per month for a year and even our most popular plan with more hands on input starts from only £69 per month for a year so please don’t let the “websites are expensive” rumour put you off.

So, Is It Time to Start Creating Your Author Website?

If you are now thinking it’s time to get a website or even get a new one that reflects you better and ticks all the boxes, do go and take a look at our websites for authors page where you can find out more about our author website template. As I said, it has been created with input from Hay House and two of our amazing clients and authors, Sophie Bashford and Dr David Hamilton so we know it’s got everything you need in it to create the perfect author website for you.

If you have any questions please get in touch or if you would like to book a demo call to see how our templates work then you can do that here.