One of the most common mistakes that businesses make with their websites is to talk about themselves — not their customers (or, in the case of authors, readers). And if you’re a non-fiction author, this common pitfall may be costing you readers. Your website should clearly tell people what they would get out of your […]
Who Is Your Author Site About: You or Your Readers? Read More »
There was an interesting article in the NY Times recently about the increase in book sales in places other than bookstores (which is good … because bookstores are few and far between nowadays). And this gets me to thinking about authors who are promoting their books themselves … which is nearly everyone. Authors really need
Think Beyond Bookstores When Marketing Your Books Read More »
One of the best things an author can do through an online presence — be it a website or social networking — is build followers. This becomes your ready-made marketing list — people you can pitch your book to, inform of your next book, and share your success stories. How many followers you have can
4 Reasons a Reader Will Become a Follower Read More »
I came across an article in The Internet and Marketing Report this week that talks about the latest trend in log-ins/registrations: social sign-ins. But what are social sign-ins and how should authors use them? You know how you’ve spent the last fifteen years setting up usernames and passwords on every website you visit — from
Why Authors Should Offer Social Sign-In Options Read More »
One of the most important decisions that’s made in the process of designing an author website is how much the site should resemble the book cover. In an attempt to answer that question, here’s a list of dos and don’ts, based on my personal experience with authors: Do put yourself in the position of a
Authors: Does Your Website Look Too Much (or Too Little) Like Your Book Cover Read More »
When you build your author website or blog, you hope that someday it will be hopping with people and full of conversation and debate. But there’s a potential downside to your site becoming so popular: the isolation of new visitors. Some author websites feature blog entries or conversations that date back for months. When someone
Authors: Don’t Let Visitors Feel Left Out Read More »
Some authors erroneously think that developing a website is all they need to do to create an online presence for themselves. And some web designers and developers reinforce that idea by focusing all their efforts on the process of building the website (because that’s all they know how to do) and ignoring everything that needs
The 3 Keys to Long-Term Relationship Between an Author and His Website Read More »
I know I’ve written about this a lot, but every time I see another expert backing up what I’ve had to say, I feel the need to post again on the subject. Today’s post is in reference to an interview with Annik LaFarge on TheBookDoctors.com. Her bio there reads as follows: “Annik is the author
Does an Author Really Need a Website? Duh! Read More »
I have a love/hate relationship with audio and video on an author’s website. Multimedia can be a great asset on a website, but it can also be the thing that makes people leave the site the fastest. But more on that later. First, here are some valuable ways that an author can choose to use
The Role of Audio and Video on Author Websites Read More »
Recently a blogger for Publishers Weekly, Barbara Vey, wrote a piece about what she likes and doesn’t like on author websites. The full post is here, but I thought I’d include the highlights: DO have a website in the first place! Quote: “To me, being an author is a business and as a business you
Author Website Do’s and Don’ts Read More »
