A special thank you to designer Sara Presenti at Your Inspiration Web for her thorough blog post about what NOT to do with a website. There may be a few things in here that I disagree with (and just a few), but most of what she says is spot-on. I can’t tell you how many […]
Tell-Tale Signs of an Amateur Author Website Read More »
For several years now, Amazon has had a feature called “Author Central Profile.” You may or may not have heard of it. That doesn’t say much about it, does it? But there are two big reasons why you should build a profile: First, it’s free (can’t beat that). Second, Amazon will create a profile for
Building an Amazon Author Central Profile Read More »
Many authors who are publishing their first book are still unsure as to whether their website should focus on them or on their book. Should it be JaneDoe.com or MyBookTitle.com? Should it look like the book cover or look like the author’s style? In 90% of the cases I come across, I recommend that we
Author Websites vs. Book Websites Read More »
I get asked this question a lot … Many authors aren’t sure whether to get their photo professionally taken, whether the photo should be a close-up or not, what the background should be, etc… Hopefully I can answer some of those questions here. First, I want to clarify that what we’re talking about here is
What Kind of Photo Should You Use on Your Author Web Site? Read More »
Thanks to a study conducted by Codex Group (which describes itself as as a “pollster for publishers”), we have some really interesting numbers about author web sites, how readers use them, and how books are purchased. The gist of the article is this: You need a website to promote yourself and sell books. Their numbers
Some Interesting Stats on Author Web Sites Read More »
I get asked this question a lot, so it only makes sense to use this blog post to answer it … even for those people that haven’t asked! Basically, there’s no bad time to launch an author website. The goal of the website will be different depending on what the status of the book is,
When Should You Launch Your Author Website? Read More »
I’ve posted many times before about why an author needs a blog and how it can really help in terms of site traffic, book sales, etc… But many authors aren’t sure what to do with a blog. “What should the theme of my blog be?” … “How do I get people to comment?” … “How
5 Ways to Use Your Author Blog Read More »
Michael Thomas Barry, author of Final Resting Places: Orange County’s Dead and Famous — and SmartAuthorSites.com client — has been ranking well this week (even broke the top 10!) in Amazon ratings for new releases on the west coast! Follow the action on his Facebook page. And, of course, don’t forget to check out his
Congratulations to Michael Barry! Read More »
Just a quick tip today for authors who still haven’t built their websites yet … It may be tempting to have your author web site be flashy and dramatic with music and moving words and such. But avoid the temptation! The problems with sites like that are many. Here are just a few of the
Stay Away from the Bells and Whistles! Read More »
Thanks to Bookseller Jolie at DearAuthor.com, we now have the Top 10 Peeves from Booksellers and Readers About Author Websites. Here’s what they are and, of course, my two cents on each of them. #1 – Series links are not easily identifiable. This should be its own special link on the home page! When readers
Top 10 Peeves from Booksellers and Readers About Author Websites Read More »
