Authorpreneur Magazine - Issue 2
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Author Websites<br />
by Jeannie Barker<br />
Every author should have their<br />
own website - even if they haven’t<br />
published their first book yet!<br />
Your author website is your online business card,<br />
your book shop, your blog, your connection with<br />
readers, your showcase for publishers, your most<br />
important marketing tool and the ‘hub’ of your author<br />
platform. And you don’t have to wait until you have<br />
published your first book to create your website -<br />
start building your author platform now, no matter<br />
where you are at on your publishing journey.<br />
What are the main components of an author<br />
website?<br />
Essentials<br />
3 Bio - Your ‘about you’ page is essential. Your<br />
readers want to connect with you, identify<br />
with you, feel like they know you... so share<br />
some information about yourself on a bio or<br />
profile page. Make sure you include at least<br />
one image of you - people want to see what<br />
you look like. If you have an ‘author portrait’<br />
that you use on your books, make sure this<br />
photo is displayed on your bio page.<br />
If you use a profile photo consistently across<br />
your social media sites make sure this<br />
appears on your website too.<br />
3 Book/s - This can be a page for your book, a<br />
page for all of your books, a separate page<br />
for each one of your books or page for each<br />
of your book series. You need to include an<br />
image of your book cover/s, the blurb for<br />
the book/s and information about where to<br />
buy the book - either a link to your online<br />
bookshop or your sales processing page on<br />
your own site, or the book sales site/s where<br />
your book is available for purchase. A couple<br />
of brief testimonials can also be included on<br />
your book/s page/s, or on a separate page.<br />
3 Contact - If you wish to make yourself<br />
available for direct contact from your website,<br />
include a contact form. Instead of direct<br />
www.authorpreneurmagazine.com<br />
Optional<br />
March 2013<br />
contact you may prefer to include your<br />
agent’s contact information, or your speaking<br />
agency contact, or even just your PA/VA<br />
contact details. Note: To avoid spam use a<br />
‘contact form’ - do not display your email<br />
address on your website.<br />
3 News / Events - Publish a calendar or listing<br />
of your past and upcoming book signings,<br />
speaking engagements, interviews, etc.<br />
This can be a page, a calendar or listings<br />
presented as blog posts (an easy way to add<br />
events).<br />
3 Reviews / Testimonials - Publish<br />
testimonials and reviews of your books,<br />
both professional and from your readers.<br />
A good way to get reviews is to offer a free<br />
review copy of your book. If the reviewer<br />
has a website, include a link to their website<br />
beneath the review.<br />
3 Excerpts - Include an excerpt from your book,<br />
either published on the site directly or as a<br />
downloadable PDF, or provide both options.<br />
3 Speaking - If you are available for speaking<br />
engagements have a separate page for this.<br />
Give examples of past speaking engagements<br />
and the topics you talk on. Include a link to<br />
your contact page for booking enquiries or<br />
info for contacting your speaking agency.<br />
<strong>Authorpreneur</strong><strong>Magazine</strong><br />
17
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