Does a New Author Need a Professional Site?
Build a professional site for an online presence, a website made to promote your writing, connect with readers, and elevate your author brand.
“Your website is the window of your business. Keep it fresh, keep it exciting.” – Jay Conrad Levinson, Guerrilla Marketing
As an aspiring author or new writer, you might be wondering, “Do I really need a website?” The answer is a resounding yes! In the digital age, having an author website is essential for you to connect with readers. It’s an online presence to promote your work and establish your personal author brand.
In this article, we’ll dive into the importance of having an author website, provide examples of successful author websites, and bust a myth. Discover why a new author website is essential for success.
Ready? Let’s dive in!
Why a Professional Site Is Crucial for a New Author
For aspiring and yet-published authors, having a website can be the key to unlocking opportunities and building a readership. Here are some reasons why a website is vital for your writing career:
Professionalism and credibility: A well-designed website shows you take your craft seriously and you’re committed to building a professional presence. Your website can serve as an online portfolio, showcasing your writing and demonstrating your expertise.
Visibility & discoverability: A website makes it easier for readers, agents, and publishers to find you and your work. By optimizing your website for search engines (SEO), you can increase your chances of appearing on search results, leading to more visitors and potential fans.
Control over your online presence: A website gives you the opportunity to present your work and yourself in the way you want. You have control over the design, content, and messaging, allowing you to create a cohesive and consistent brand. (For more on building your author brand, see our blog, “Build Your Author Brand: 5 Essential Steps to Maximize Impact”).
Sales & marketing platform: A website allows you to sell your books directly to your audience, bypassing traditional publishing channels and other platforms. You can also use your website to collect email addresses for a newsletter, promote events, and engage with your readers through a blog. (For more on marketing, see our blog, Increase eBook Sales, a 5 Part Series).
Successful Professional Site Examples
These examples highlight the importance of having a well-designed, user-friendly, and engaging professional author website. By examining successful websites, you can gather ideas and inspiration for creating your own unique online presence as an aspiring author or new writer. Here are a few examples of successful authors’ websites that you can draw inspiration from:
Neil Gaiman’s website showcases the author’s extensive body of work, including books, graphic novels, and screenplays. The website design is visually engaging and user-friendly, with clear navigation to various sections like news, works, appearances, and a blog.
J.K. Rowling’s website has a clean and modern website that features her latest news, book releases, and a comprehensive biography. The site also has a dedicated section for answering frequently asked questions about Harry Potter and other topics and connecting with fans through social media.
Elizabeth Gilbert’s website is visually appealing and organized. It includes information about her events, blog, podcast, and books (“Eat, Pray, Love” and other bestsellers). The website also offers a newsletter sign-up for readers to stay updated.
Stephen King’s website is a great example of how an author can create an immersive experience for their readers. The master of horror’s site features a dark and eerie design, with easy navigation to his books, news, and events.
Brene Brown’s website offers a wealth of resources for her readers. As a renowned researcher, speaker, and author site, Brene Brown’s is clean and easy to navigate, with sections dedicated to her books, podcast, blog, and speaking engagements.
Joanna Penn, of The Creative Penn, provides a helpful example in “The Essentials of Your Author Website.”
Myth: Wait Until You’re a Published Author
You might encounter this common myth or concern along the journey of building your writing business. The example websites are not intended to perpetuate the myth. Sorry if the examples did. You do not need to wait until you’re a published author. It’s never too early to start building your online presence. Even if you’re an unpublished author, having a website allows you to showcase your writing samples, share updates on your progress, and start cultivating a following. As your writing career advances, your website will evolve along with you, becoming an invaluable tool for promoting your work and connecting with readers.
Another concern might be what happened to me. The day I launched my author website, I was so excited that I accidentally posted my entire manuscript online! Thankfully, my web developer pointed it out to me. My face flushed red as I scrambled to remove the full text from my “Books” page. Looking back, I can laugh at my rookie mistake, but it taught me a valuable lesson about double-checking everything before hitting “publish.”
Now, whenever I update my website, I take a few deep breaths and double-check every detail. Who knew being an aspiring author could be so thrilling and nerve-wracking at the same time?
The Power of a Professional Site
Having a website is essential for new authors and aspiring writers. It establishes your professionalism and credibility, increases your visibility and discoverability, and serves as a powerful sales and marketing platform.
So, do new authors need a website? Absolutely! Don’t wait any longer – start building your online presence today and take control of your writing journey. Use your website as a tool to promote your writing business and connect with your audience. Readers out there are waiting to discover you and your work, so make sure you’re ready to connect with them through a well-designed author website. Boost your writing career now!
Don’t wait. Start today!
How can we help? To let us know, please fill out our contact form. Happy writing!
TIP: See part 2, “Build Your Own Author Website: A Step-by-Step Guide,” and learn how to choose a memorable website name and use platforms like WordPress to create a professional author website.
