DOES AN AUTHOR NEED A WEBSITE?
The answer to that question depends upon your goals as an author.
If your present goal is to simply publish your novel and let readers find it through traditional channels like a publisher or Amazon KDP, then the answer is, no, you don’t absolutely need a website.
You can create an author page on AuthorCentral at Amazon and list all of your books as you publish them. This page can be accessed from any of your book description pages at Amazon.
However, if you have no goals of building a readership or branding yourself in any way, then you can operate with this Amazon Author page and a Facebook or Instagram page.
WHEN DOES AN AUTHOR NEED A WEBSITE?
BUILD A BRAND OR WRITE A SERIES:
If, however, you are a serious author working towards a career or life-long profession, then you will want a website. You may not need one with the first book, but you will be anxious to build your brand right away.
Some of you will have day jobs with extra money to purchase a website. Others will be raising kids and maybe money is tight. There are options for both of you when it comes to creating an author website.
If you are writing in a series, you will want to brand yourself more than most. You can operate on a shoestring for the first two or three books, however, so it’s okay if you are operating on that shoestring. You can keep an online presence using your author page and one or two social page connections.
And if your goal is to work with a literary agent and write through a publisher, you can easily operate without a website.
WRITING BOOKS IN SERIES:
Although I have already said that you can write book series and operate with an Amazon author page, there will come a time when you want to brand yourself and your series. This will also help you build an online presence. It’s all about competition. The more ways you use to run into readers online, the better it us for you and your books.
A WEBSITE HELPS YOU CONNECT WITH READERS:
If you want to connect with readers, or start building a readership, you will then want and need a website. When I say connect with readers, there are a few ways to connect with readers.
- Build your brand with readers with series book covers.
- Allow readers and potential readers to sign up for your newsletter and be notified of any and all new releases.
- You can ask readers to fill out questionnaires about their experience reading your books. This feedback is invaluable.
- You can offer a free ARC (advance reader copies) books from a website even during your editorial phase. A form on your website can handle this.
- You can also offer free books and giveaways by using different signup forms all from your website.
- Even a one-page website with a sign-up form will work.
AFTER THE THIRD BOOK – IT’S TIME FOR A WEBSITE:
For whatever it may be worth to you, I would recommend that you consider a website by the time you have written a third book, whether it is in a series or not. Once a reader has read more than one book, they will get curious about you. They will want to see a picture of you and maybe learn a few personal things about your life. Having a website, you can share a little bit of personal information.
This is also a great way to allow readers to contact you. All websites have contact pages where a reader can email you safely and tell you about their experience reading your novel.
BUDGETING FOR A WEBSITE:
If you will be self-publishing and are on a shoe string budget, then you will need a website, but you may be able to operate without one for the first year or eighteen months.
When operating on a shoestring, budget, you need to decide where you will spend the little money you have to operate on. So a website would not be a first priority for you, not for the first year to eighteen months.
CONCLUSION:
- If you are just starting out, you don’t need an author website.
- If you only have one book, you can easily operate from your author page on Amazon and a Facebook page or Instagram page.
- If you are on a tight budget, a website is not a top priority, not in the beginning at least.
COMING SOON:
I intend to do a whole blog and video series on how to create or purchase a very affordable website. For example, you can purchase a URL address (for $15.00 or so) and build a free website on a free site. Then you can use the URL to redirect to this free website. This is an extremely budget-friendly way to have a website.
So be sure to stop by as I am planning to do more blog posts about this strategy as well as building a one to two page website for authors with only one or two books.
WHERE DO I START IN CREATING AN AUTHOR WEBSITE?
WHAT ARE THE FIRST FOUR STEPS?
What if I’m ready now? What are the first four steps?
Step One: Find an affordable hosting company. You only need a basic plan. I use bluehost.com, but be sure to watch my video that I’ll post here about how not to get into the trap of buying all kinds of services you don’t need.
Step Two: If you only have one or two books, you can get away with building a small HTML-based website. I will also have a blog post soon, which I’ll link here, as ot how to build that. It’s easy.
Step Three: Create an email that matches your website. If the name of your website is CowboySue.com, then make sure you have an email like Sue@CowboySue.com. This gives you a professional look right away.
Step Four: Link your website to your Author page at Amazon Central.
Those are the first four steps in planning a website.
