{"id":15787,"date":"2024-06-25T14:59:42","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T20:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/?p=15787"},"modified":"2024-06-26T06:03:33","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T12:03:33","slug":"how-to-build-a-author-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cravebooks.com\/blog\/how-to-build-a-author-website\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Your Author Website: A Step-by-Step Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

A mobile-friendly, professional-looking author website is singlehandedly the most important element of your book marketing strategy. One of the first things a new reader or potential reader does when discovering or finishing your book is to do an online search of your author name so they can learn more about you. Do you want the search results to show major corporate conglomerates that include your name as a page, profile, or product? Or do you want the results to go to a site that is all about you and only<\/em> you and your books, with your complete control over the content?<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike retailer sites and social media platforms, your author website doesn’t include distractions to other books and products or the meme or controversy of the day. As long as you do regular back-ups, nobody can permanently take it away from you. Your website is yours,\u00a0<\/em>allowing the reader to focus just on you and your books, and giving you a place to connect and communicate with the public regardless of other companies’ algorithms or their bots’ habits of randomly shutting down accounts. With an author website, you maintain control of your author business.<\/span><\/p>\n

Creating a website can sound daunting, and there are companies you can hire to build a website for you, but they can quickly turn into a large expense. If you have the money, you can go that route but it\u2019s not necessary. All that matters is you promote yourself with creative content and offer a channel for reader engagement. You may find building your own author website to be fun and rewarding. Plus, when you build your own, there\u2019s no relying on your publisher’s marketing team or hoping a hired developer understands your brand and markets it correctly. <\/span>You<\/span><\/i> decide what content is on your page and how it looks and functions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why You Need an Author Website<\/b><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s all about creating a brand\u2014<\/span><\/span><\/span>your author brand<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You want to showcase your work, accomplishments, credentials, etc. to give your audience an enticing picture of who you are and why they should read your books. Since the internet is now the go-to for just about everything, that\u2019s where you want to be.<\/span><\/p>\n

A web search is the first place people turn to when looking an author up and you want to make sure they can find you. It allows you to put your stake in the ground and build your online presence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t published your first book yet, you might be thinking you don\u2019t need a website because nobody knows who you are. <\/span>Not true<\/span><\/i>. The internet is the first place your prospective publisher will turn when they want to find out about you and your work. It\u2019s ideal to include a link to your website in your signature for query letters to agents and publishers, but that\u2019s not possible if you don\u2019t have one.<\/span><\/p>\n

An author\u2019s website also generates more potential customers and book sales. When someone goes to your site, they\u2019re already engaged with you and your work and are interested in learning more. Having a website signup form builds your email list and offers a direct line to these potential readers for any new books or material you have coming.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Build Your Author Website<\/b><\/h2>\n

Choose a Domain<\/b><\/h3>\n

The first step to building a website is to choose a domain\u2014<\/span><\/span>the name of your page that replaces an IP address (for example, IP: 207.97. 195.109 to www.write.com). Sometimes authors default to using a book title, series, or main character for their domain. Don\u2019t do this. You have a long career ahead of you, and chances are your writing is going to shift and change. Also, you most likely plan to write more than one book or series, so a published title as a website name will eventually become obsolete.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most authors use their own name for their website (i.e., <\/span>stephenking.com<\/span>) simply because it\u2019s not going to change and is more searchable. Instead of limiting your page to one book by using a title domain, using your own name allows readers to find you under any of your work. Additionally, your website will be more likely to show up in searches of your name when it’s in your domain name.<\/span><\/p>\n

Purchasing and registering a domain is a straightforward process. Using a registration site, you can type in the domain you plan to use, and the results will tell you if it\u2019s available. If your name is already taken, you can add words like \u2018author\u2019 at the beginning or end or use a dash in between your first and last name. For example, if <\/span>john<\/span>smith.com is already taken, you can try johnsmithauthor.com or john_smith.com. Registration sites will provide available variants of the domain you search as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sign Up for a Web Host<\/b><\/h3>\n

Your domain is essentially your address online, but it\u2019s not where your website lives. A web host provides space on the internet to store files that comprise your website and make them available for viewing online.<\/span><\/p>\n

The right hosting plan gives you access to the right resources that keep your website loading quickly and reliably for visitors. If someone lands on your website and it takes too long to load, potential customers will move on to another site.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you aren\u2019t tech-savvy, <\/span>BlueHost<\/span> is a reliable web host that gives you step-by-step instructions and tips to build your site and grow your audience. They collaborate with <\/span>WordPress<\/span>, a free, open-source content management system for non-developers to create beautiful author websites.<\/span><\/p>\n

Design Your Author Website<\/b><\/h3>\n

Creating and designing your website can be an exciting way to personalize your book marketing strategy and showcase your work. There are specific aspects you should include on your author website including:<\/span><\/p>\n