A PLACE TO SHARE AND/OR PROMOTE BOOKS - SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE
What Constitutes a successful AUTHOR'S WEBSITE
You can join all kinds of different writing and author groups, and visit many author's websites, anything from a quick publisher website for their author, to the fanciest of individual websites, and behind all the glitz and glamor, how successful are these sights?
I'll voice my opinion here, but I'd like to see a few answers from you authors who have websites.
1) The first most obvious answer would be a website that sells our books.
Okay, so with that objective in mind, what or how should a website look to be successful? Here are my thoughts.
1) The homepage should catch a prospective reader's eye immediately. That does not mean it has to be fancy, just enough to catch their eye to make them look further.
2) On the homepage should be The author's picture, his/her bio (not too long), the book cover that your website is trying to promote the most (for those authors who have more than one book published), and a synopsis of that book. For those of us who've won awards for our writing (I am not one) this is an ideal place to place them or it. Finally, and one of the most important, the price and a link to where your visitor can buy your book.
3) On page two, if you have a sequel coming out, or are working on, here is a good place to advertise it. Readers would like to know that if they like your book, that they have one in the works that should be published behind it. That should contain a brief synopsis to fill the visitor in.
4) A links page. Now a links page serves two purposes. For writing related links, like a link to this site (BOOK PLACE) for example, shows a visitor that you take your writing seriously. Author (friends') websites gives the reader a choice to look further, in the event your book didn't entice him/her to purchase, rather than to leave your website and let them go to someone else who's not a friend, and they buy their book instead. Links to these friend's websites can be elaborate, or a simple link with the author's name and the book they'd like to sell. I've seen many, and some simply have the author's name, some with the author's name and the book title, some with the name and book's cover, Mine goes it a step further, but that's me. I also add the author's picture.
5) A guestbook is not necessary, but it's nice to know who visited your website, specially if it's someone you don't know. Even when you have a guestbook, not everyone signs it, so if you have one, ok and if you don't ok.
These are just my thoughts on the subject of author's websites. What's your opinion?
I'll voice my opinion here, but I'd like to see a few answers from you authors who have websites.
1) The first most obvious answer would be a website that sells our books.
Okay, so with that objective in mind, what or how should a website look to be successful? Here are my thoughts.
1) The homepage should catch a prospective reader's eye immediately. That does not mean it has to be fancy, just enough to catch their eye to make them look further.
2) On the homepage should be The author's picture, his/her bio (not too long), the book cover that your website is trying to promote the most (for those authors who have more than one book published), and a synopsis of that book. For those of us who've won awards for our writing (I am not one) this is an ideal place to place them or it. Finally, and one of the most important, the price and a link to where your visitor can buy your book.
3) On page two, if you have a sequel coming out, or are working on, here is a good place to advertise it. Readers would like to know that if they like your book, that they have one in the works that should be published behind it. That should contain a brief synopsis to fill the visitor in.
4) A links page. Now a links page serves two purposes. For writing related links, like a link to this site (BOOK PLACE) for example, shows a visitor that you take your writing seriously. Author (friends') websites gives the reader a choice to look further, in the event your book didn't entice him/her to purchase, rather than to leave your website and let them go to someone else who's not a friend, and they buy their book instead. Links to these friend's websites can be elaborate, or a simple link with the author's name and the book they'd like to sell. I've seen many, and some simply have the author's name, some with the author's name and the book title, some with the name and book's cover, Mine goes it a step further, but that's me. I also add the author's picture.
5) A guestbook is not necessary, but it's nice to know who visited your website, specially if it's someone you don't know. Even when you have a guestbook, not everyone signs it, so if you have one, ok and if you don't ok.
These are just my thoughts on the subject of author's websites. What's your opinion?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Robin Layne on -
I wish that others had commented on this thread. I haven't published a book yet, but I used to have a website featuring samples of my writing, biographical info, list of publications, and a teaser and quotes from my novel-in-progress. The only info I've seen about writer's websites is for those who have already published a book, and yet I also read that if we are already known and have a fan base we're more likely to get published. Do you think that someone who hasn't published their book should publicize it on a website, or should the book be kept hushed up and only shown to agents, editors, and critiquers?
Also, I'm starting an editing business and want to have a website eventually for that. I wonder whether it could be combined with the writing stuff. Opinions, please?
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Permalink Reply by Karina Kantas on -
I have two websites. One for reviews, excerpt and links to all my published work and then another that's dedicated to the genre I write in. So it's not just a website about me and my books. It contains links and descriptions of other authors books who write in the same genre. My reviews of movies, music ect of this exciting genre.
Take a look
http://www.urban-novels.com
I was advised by an editor to buy this web name And to add as much variety on the website as I could, as it would increase my chances of coming up on search engines.
The website has been a great success!
My other website has links to all my published work, non fiction as well as fiction. Links to interviews and pod cast. Separate pages for all my books, with readers reviews and links.
I think it's important for an author to stand out and state what makes them so different to all the other writers out there, and so that's what I've done.
Feedback is greatly excepted.
http://www.freewebs.com/froget
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MORGAN'S OWN BLOGSPOT
Are you ready?
Anyway, I hope to get the house into decent shape before Christmas, when I do my annual meal for the family. There's also that Christmas list to get together. Time is ticking away.
What about you? Are you ready for Christmas? Or do you celebrate another Holiday? If so, are you ready?
Please Welcome Mary Cunningham, Cynthia's Attic Author
One of the main reasons for writing "Cynthia's Attic" came from my failure - failure to appreciate my ancestors. Our family stories are probably no more or less interesting than most, and I went out of my way to avoid remembering most of them or asking questions about my grandparents lives.
Or did I try to find out just which relative "supposedly" sold a city block on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles for $20,000? Guaranteed, I would not be sitting here writing a blog had that particular relative held on to the property.
Then there's the story, "Cynthia's Attic: Curse of the Bayou," of my great-great grandfather, Augustus Boilliat who disappeared in 1860 while taking a load of produce down the Mississippi River to New Orleans? Oh, sure I've read different accounts about what happened to him, but lost forever are the stories his grandson (my grandfather) could've told me about facts he'd heard from my great-great grandmother, Marie Julia, about her husband's disappearance.
I remember a few accounts told by my dad about his adventures as a teenage cave guide at one of the largest caves in the Southern Indiana area, Wyandotte, but I only have to guess at some of the adventures he must've had.
The idea for Cynthia's Attic: The Magician's Castle came from detailed genealogy research done by my cousin, Betty. Long before the Internet, she traveled to Switzerland to search for documents that would tie our great-grandmother, Harriet Kistler, to Peter Kistler the First, President of the Republic of Bern, 1470-1480. I've tried to honor the Kistler family in the fourth adventure in Cynthia's Attic.
Thanks, Morgan, for having me as a guest!
Mary Cunningham
She is also co-writer of the humor-filled, women's lifestyle book, "Women Only Over Fifty (WOOF)," along with published stories, "Ghost Light" and "Christmas Daisy," A Cynthia's Attic short story.
To celebrate the release of "The Magician's Castle," (Quake/Echelon Press, DEC 1, 2009), a winner will be chosen on each blog stop to receive a copy of the "Cynthia's Attic" short story, "Christmas With Daisy!" So, be sure to make a comment!
Mary Cunningham Books
http://www.marycunninghambooks.com/
Cynthia's Attic Blog
http://www.cynthiasattic.blogspot.com/
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Cunningham/e/B002BLNEK4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?_encoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=digital-text&field-author=Mary%20Cunningham
Fictionwise
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/a20811/Mary-Cunningham/?
Quake/Echelon Press
http://www.echelonpress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=23&zenid=4ac57b7ae19fa071cab3b4295df7baf3
Please leave a comment to welcome Mary.
Check out the Mystery of the Missing Checks
Monday, I'm over at my group blog, http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/, where I'm blogging about the mystery of the missing checks. Come on over and find out what it's all about.Thanks,
Morgan Mandel
Can We Talk?
I'm firming up some dates for speaking engagements in 2010. One's tentatively set for March 28, at 1:30 at the Niles Public Library, another probably in mid May at the Schaumburg Township District Library.Also, coming up is a radio interview at WJJQ again on May 7, at 9:35 a.m. before my booksigning May 8 at Cover to Cover Books in Tomahawk, WI.
I've heard that some people are more afraid of public speaking than of dying. Surprisingly, I find it easier each time I do it. As long as I have my cheat sheet with me to glance down at once in a while for security and I like what I'm talking about, I'm okay.
What about you? Do you like to talk or would you rather not?
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