The First and "Fourmost" Elements to Include on your Website
In this
day and age, web pages are old news - but does your author website live up to
expectations? Is it doing all it can to market your books? Check out these four
must-haves for any author's web page.
1) Book
details. Showing thumbnail images of your covers helps to establish visual
recognition if viewers see your book elsewhere. Short summaries of your books
will give your readers the gist of each of them and allow them to decide
whether they are interested or not. Lining them up side by side on the same
page can introduce readers to your other titles if they're not familiar with
all of them. Most importantly, make sure you provide links to where all of your
books can be purchased online!
2) Book
reviews and excerpts. There's no better place for tooting your own horn than your
website. Here you can unabashedly boast by posting the most favorable and
full-of-praise book reviews you've received in their entirety, or by highlighting
blurbs from other authors. For a potential reader teetering on the fence about
whether they will enjoy your book or not, these reviews can be very convincing.
Another way to hook a potential reader is by giving them an excerpt, whether it
be from the climax of your book, or the introduction
to a main character, or even the whole first chapter. Chances are, once they
start reading, they won't want to stop. For readers who visit your web page
because they are somewhat interested in your books, these items will help to
seal the deal.
3)
Special features. Give your readers access to additional content online, which will
make them feel privileged to be your fans. Think the B-side of a DVD. The
possibilities of what can be featured online are essentially limitless, but
here are a few suggestions of what to include: illustrations or pictures from
your book, character bios and back stories (especially if you write a series in
which they recur), or a downloadable audio recording of you reading a passage
from the book. You can link to message boards for your fans to discuss your
work and ask you questions - this is a simple way to find out what they liked
and didn't like, and to get suggestions for your current writing. If your genre
is more specialized, like nonfiction, you can post links to some of your
research, or if you've written a "how to" book, you can film yourself
demonstrating. Children's books authors can have related activities on their
website, such as printable coloring pages of book illustrations. And of course,
if you have a book video, it belongs front and center!
For more information about book videos and trailers, read the interview with
Sheila Clover English below.
4)
Author Info. That's you! If your readers visit your web page, they probably
want to find out more about you as a person! Give them more a more detailed bio
than they would find on the back cover of your book, and consider rotating
quirky questions (perhaps posed by fans on your message boards) like "What
was your first car?" or "Who's your favorite author?" under a
"Get to Know Me" section of your website. And if you blog, post the
link so that your interested readers can follow it!
Keep your readers up-to-date with the latest news about you and your books -
post any interviews or press releases, and tell them about any promotional
events you have coming up. A mailing list that your readers can sign up for
will also help to keep them informed about your events, which can help to
generate more support at them. Give your readers a place to contact you via
email, snail mail, or both. You'll be able to receive feedback, comments, and
questions from them - but of course be wary of the lack of privacy on the good
old World Wide Web; you may want to get an email address or P.O. Box to be used
just for your author correspondence.
