It’s one of the first questions I ask every author when we first get on the phone: “Do you plan to blog?” Obviously, every author answers differently. But the answer I get most often is something along the lines of, “Well, I’ve been advised to blog, but I have no idea what to blog about […]
Author Blogging … It Can Be Easier Than You Think Read More »
I came across this article on Publishers Weekly this morning. It talks about a firm’s new marketing strategy for authors, which allows them to promote books for a long period of time — not just the weeks leading up to and following a book’s release. Basically, the idea is this: the marketing firm builds a
7 Steps to a Group Author Website (With Lots of Traffic) Read More »
One of the things I frequently recommend for an author homepage is a “welcome” message, in which you give first-time visitors a good understanding of who you are, what you write about, and what people will get out of your book and your website. It’s Marketing 101: If a visitor can’t figure out the point
Authors: Where’s Your Message? If It’s Not on Your Homepage, You’re Missing Out Read More »
I came across this post on a message board, complaining that author websites are always boring. That got me thinking: How do you define ‘boring’? To whom are these sites boring? Are author websites supposed to be entertaining? What could authors do to make them more entertaining? Here’s the truth of the matter: author websites
Are Author Websites ‘Boring’? Read More »
I’ve said for a long time that every author website should include a photo of the book cover(s) and links to buy on every page. But what’s become even more of an issue of late is the various ways a book can be sold, and the various vendors that sell it. When I first started
Selling Books Online? Offer Options! Read More »
I came across this article today on MediaBistro. Just thought I’d share it with my author friends. Apparently, Penguin has created a new website called Book Country — a place where authors can connect with reviewers, publishing professionals, and readers. Here’s a direct quote from the article: “Authors can use the site to share their
A New Way for Authors to Get ‘Discovered’ Read More »
Remember the days when the only “reviews” of your book were the ones published in newspapers and magazines? Boy, how times have changed. We’re now in the era of American Idol and Facebook — one where “Joe the Plumber” has a voice just as influential as educated journalists. This new “voice of the people” has
What Authors Should Be Doing About Bad Online Reviews Read More »
An author needs a website. That’s a given. But who’s going to design it? And how should that process go? That’s a good question… Common mistake #1: An author designs his or her own website There are many technologies out there which make it easy for an author to sign up for a website hosting
The Musts (and Common Mistakes) of Author Website Development Read More »
We continue our Author Success Story series by featuring William Yenner, author of American Guru. His website, AmericanGuru.net, receives over 5,000 visitors per month. Here’s how he did it… Who built your website? How was the experience? Built by Smart Author Sites, I was happy with the result. Especially liked the way the overall design
Author Success Story: William Yenner Read More »
I came across this great conversation on Amazon about things that drive readers crazy on author websites. Authors beware: These small things can actually make the difference between someone buying your book and telling their friends about it and … well … not. Here’s a synopsis of the author website pet-peeves that readers made in
5 Ways That Author Websites Are Turning Off Readers Read More »
