Author Website – As you probably know already, creating an effective website is one of the easiest ways to: establish your credibility, impress literary agents and publishers, get more exposure, promote your book, make more money, and make a greater difference in the world.
So, there are a lot of reasons to develop an author website. But how do you do it? What should it look like? How many pages should it have? What should you include? What should you leave out? Should you talk about your book? If so, how should you talk about your book?
This 3-part article (for aspiring and established authors) reveals the 7 critical ingredients of a successful website. It also introduces several case studies and examples of author websites that you might want to model.
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Author Website
One of the Best Author Platform Strategies
Although there are more than 100 ways that you could improve your Author Platform (a.k.a. promotional platform), you only need to focus on a few (that are right for YOU). That’s because every author has slightly different needs and desires. That said, an author website should be near the top of everyone’s list. Why? An author website will give you one of the greatest returns on your investment of time (and money, if you hire someone to help you), when it comes to building your author platform.
Another reason an author website is such a good investment is that it keeps working for you… long after you’ve created it. Did you know that most of the author coaching clients who find me do so through one of our websites? Authors simply Google something related to literary agents and find one of my websites for authors online. Then they discover that my website is devoted to giving them what they want, and they sign up to become a part of my community.
You can do the same thing.
So, let’s get into the seven parts
of a successful author website…
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Author Website Ingredient #1
An Inviting Welcome Message
A lot of authors overlook this simple step.
Author websites are just another form of communication (like that book you’re writing). And the purpose of the communication on your author website should be to develop a relationship between you and the visitor. By the way, I don’t just mean any type of relationship (think long-term instead of one night stand).
Your author website shouldn’t be designed for you to simply get what you want from people (take, take, take). It should be win-win. Give-get. give. In other words, your author website shouldn’t be a one-sided or one-way conversation (a monologue). It should feel like a dialogue. If all you do is talk about yourself and try to sell your book (without connecting with your audience and talking about them, no one is going to care).
Get inside the head of your readers (target market) and get to know them. Then you’ll be able to talk about their issues. Let them know you’re aware of their problems as well, and let them know you’re here to serve them and solve those problems. At least one or two of them.
I know, right now you might be wondering what type of problem a novelist solves. Well, how about boredom? Or loneliness? Or the agony of reading books that aren’t as well written as yours? Every product or service solves a problem. The more clear you get about the problems your product and/or service solve, the more effectively you’ll be able to motivate your target market and get them to take action (buy your stuff and enjoy the many benefits of doing so).
When you write your welcome message on your author website, make sure you also let your prospect know that you care about them. Share your passion for your topic, too, and your motivation for doing what you do. Reveal why you’re a credible expert, if that’s relevant. And, address any potential resistance that you feel might be an issue for your target market. In other words, a common belief they have that might cause them to be leery about trusting you, your product and/or service, and/or the fact that you reader will be able to get the results they want.
Lastly, tell your visitors exactly what they should do next when they’re done reading your welcome message so they don’t immediately leave your author website!
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Author Website Ingredient #2
Irresistible FREE Offer and Opt-In
This one kills me, because many writers that have author websites don’t have an irresistible FREE offer and opt-in opportunity! But, with modern technology, it’s so easy to add a sign-up form to an author website… allowing people to give you their name and email address.
Having an email list is one of the simplest ways to increase your audience. It also lets you stay in touch with them. You can send people important news and updates as well as special offers and invitations. Posting messages on social media is great, but nothing compares to you sending an email straight into someone’s email box. It’s impossible for them to miss it. But it’s all too easy for your thoughtful messages to get lost on social media… with the never-ending wall of narcissistic junk and diarrhea-like rants that people post there.
Now, what is an “Irresistible FREE Offer”?
Simple.
If you want people to take 20 seconds of their incredibly busy lives to give you their name and personal email address, you better give them a great reason. Not a good reason, but a great reason. You have to offer them something that’s has a high perceived value. In other words, you have to make them believe your offer is going to solve an important problem for them (or at least entertain them). And, if you can show them that your offer is something that they can’t get anywhere else, even better.
What can you give away to get people to opt in?
Consider…
An eBook, short story, or sample chapter(s) from your book. Or a special article or report (or series of articles or reports). An audio recording or training. A video or series of videos. Or access to a special collection of images or photos. It depends on what you do, what you want to do, and what your book is about.
Just make sure the offer has a high perceived value
(and it’s of interest) to your audience.
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Author Website Ingredient #3
Two Types of Content
A lot of authors struggle with this one because they don’t know what kind of MAIN content (not to be confused with the irresistible free offer above) to put on their author website. Articles? Audio? Video? Images? Also, should you just include your own content? Or, should you also include content that other people have created (giving you a wider range of content AND taking some of the pressure off you to produce)?
Here’s the good news.
It doesn’t matter.
Simply choose something that’s fun and easy for you to create. That way you’ll be more likely to create it. You also don’t need a lot of content on your author website. If you decide that you do want (or need) a lot of content for your audience, don’t get stressed about it. You can simply create it a little bit at a time.
For example…
My author website about literary agents has approximately 100 blog posts, but I didn’t write them overnight. I wrote one a week over the course of two years while I was doing other things. You probably don’t need that much content (100+ pages) for your author website, but you do need something. So, let’s talk now about the two different types of content you can post on your author website: website pages and blog posts.
Important: The best author websites have both web pages and blog posts.
Web pages provide your most important content: welcome message, information about you and your work, information about your area of expertise, educational or entertainment material, etc. Everything that everyone needs to know in order to make a decision to follow you and/or work with you should be here. These pages should be extremely well-written, well-organized, and easy to navigate.
Blog posts are where you continue providing fresh content on your site. By the way, most people usually have a lot more blog posts than web pages, and they’re organized into logical categories. That makes it easier for readers to find what they’re looking for. By the way, blog posts usually have fewer words than webpages, and they’re often not as well-written.
Why?
Well, if your #1 goal is to attract more traffic to your author website by blogging, quantity can be more important than “perfect” writing. Think of it this way. Posting messages on social media like Twitter (140 characters) is quick and casual (as it should be). A blog post (normally 400-800 words) is one level above that (still relaxed, but not as much). And a web page (roughly 800-1,500 words) is one level about that (even more thoughtful and thorough). If you were publishing an article in a national magazine, you’d probably put even more thought and effort into your writing.
Blog posts are also generally more “short-term,” often capitalizing on hot topics and trends in an industry. For example (since I talk a lot about publishing), I might create a web page about the 10 greatest books every published. But I might also create a blog post that talks about one book on the bestseller list this week… or a recent change in the publishing industry. These two things might be old news in three months, but if they’re “trending” right now (people are talking about them and searching for them online), I’d be wise to blog about them.
Now, why do you have to create both web pages and blog posts on your author website? You don’t. But you should consider it. That’s because it’s better for search engine optimization. In other words, search engines like Google will give your site more priority if you have both web pages and blog posts. You’ll be seen as an “expert” in your niche with the web pages, and the blog posts will make you “current” and constantly relevant. The blog posts also keep your audience and email list subscribers paying attention.
So, make sure your author website
has web pages and a blog.
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Are you finding this author website
article series valuable?
If so, Like It, +1 it, Tweet it.
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IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION
about creating or improving your
author website, post it below!
Then click here to read part two
of this author website article series
about the best author websites.
Mark
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MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company 
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company 
By God, Mark! You’ve made my day! The word ‘Website’ used to scare me to death, but the way you’ve put it, I think I’ll be able to make it when my time comes. You make it sound so simple and logical! Great!
But I have one question. Do the topics on the website and the blog have to be always related to each other? Is it not possible to discuss something totally different on your blog from what you’re saying on your website (that is, within your website)?
Because I would like to do.
Hi again Aarti, love that this article series was helpful for you and simplified the process a bit. Regarding your question, it’s always better if the website and blog themes/topics are somewhat related. Sometimes it just takes a bit of creative thinking and brainstorming to see how to do it. 😉 Mark
Hi Mark,
A valuable article. Good tips that’ll help me with my website in future if I get published. Thanks.
Thank you Saw-Lian. This was originally going to be just one article. Then, when I started writing it, I realized there was WAY too much information I had to share… wasn’t going to fit into one piece. Kind of like your book. 😉 Mark
Great info, Mark! Thank you for reminding me that I really need to put some time into my site.
Thank you Jalynn, it’s the most important marketing tool there is for an author (at least in my mind). Have a great day and thanks for posting! Mark
Hi Mark! A great website series! I’d be interested to learn whether it’s taboo to use manuscript excerpts on a blog or site, or whether it doesn’t matter. (Are agents against representing anything that was partially or fully used in a column or some of one’s other stuff)? Meanwhile, I had a wonderful “animal” discussion on Ingrid’s blog – her former pets have been my dinner – so it’s wild! And I love that all people enjoy whatever it is they wish!(My folks just went “vegan”)! Cheer to you both!
HI Leah, great question. Excerpts are a good idea (should have mentioned that in the article!) because it’s an easy way for authors to provide some content. As long as you don’t give away too much and/or the best parts. Agents and publishers don’t like that. But a little bit is good. Too much and readers wouldn’t have a reason to buy the book! Ingrid told me about your camel comment. Ha ha ha. 😉 Mark
Hi Mark,
Great article and as you know very timely for me. I look forward to the next installments. Hope you address the issue of choosing a domain name.
Great new look for the WEB page, I really like it.
Cheers
Erik
Hi Erik, glad to hear it and make sure you remind me next time we talk about your website. Good to know you like my new website as well. It’s been a long time coming. See you again soon. Mark
Gosh Mark, you’ve come a long way since I first got to know you through FB and emails and literary agent undercover. I think it’s a great thing you’ve done getting a website where there are many agents, tips and blogs for aspiring authors. I can tell you’ve done a lot of work and it’s to help others become more successful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and getting others to share their knowledge. Remarkable job
Hi Celeste, great hearing from you and fun that you forced me to think back about how much things have changed here in the last 2 years… you’re right. Thank you for sending the love and taking time to say hello. Here’s to success and happiness! 😉 Mark
Great advice Mark! The idea of a writers website increases clarity for the writer too…I am sure 🙂
Your the best!
Hi Mardell, great point… building a website is a lot like writing a book as far as I’m concerned. Oh, and look for an email from me soon. Later tonight or sometime tomorrow. Busy few days. Talk soon though. Mark
Your advice is pretty close to, but far more extensive than, what I was told by a website designer whom I’m considering hiring. A question: Can the blog posting be on subjects other than one’s book or issues related to writing? I want to talk about grammar, which is, of course, related to writing, but also alternative medicine and socio-political issues.
Hi Bob, good question. The blog posts can be related (or loosely related) but they don’t have to be. It’s better though, of course, if there’s a logical link between the blog and the book. But lots of authors write in more than one genre, so it’s also okay to mix it up the way you’re describing. Mark
Hi Mark – GREAT website that I like very much. You all did a great job and this venue has all your great talents listed. Congratulations!
Thank you Janet, the old one just didn’t have the level of sophistication that it needed… at least that’s how I felt. Hopefully the new site is still fun and approachable and attention-getting, but a little more refined. At least that was the goal. Always good hearing from you. Mark
Mark, thanks for the great tips. I created a website years ago for my local publishing business and got too busy to maintain it (and nobody paid attention to it anyway).
Now you’ve given me the incentive to convert that site into an author website and actually put it to use. Thanks!
HI David, it’s comments like this that make it all worthwhile. Good to hear it, and thanks for letting me know. Have a good night. Mark
Is your service free>
If not what is the amount to be paid?
I cannot follow by phone or video. Can you send the information in writing?
Regards
Hi, not sure what service you’re referring to. I have a lot of fr*ee content on my website. Go here to look around: https://literary-agents.com. Then go here to see the three different ways you can get 1-on-1 support from me if you’re interested in that: https://literary-agents.com/book-marketing/. All my best. Mark
Hi Again… Sue Coletta pointed out a typo in Ingredient #3. There is another mistake in Ingredient #1, third paragraph. “Let them know you’re aware of they’RE (instead of THEIR) problems as well.” I’m a perfectionist too.
Hi Linda, thank you for that… fixed it a little while ago after seeing your comment come in. 😉 And I DO appreciate it. Too busy this morning to proof my post one last time! Have a good night. Mark
This was very helpful. I created my own webpages, including blog, but since I am an unpublished author, I don’t know how to begin blogging. How do I attract agents/publishers to my website?? Can you take a look?
HI Linda, good to know you’re on top of it. To answer your question, the only way I know to get literary agents to your website is to send out queries. Did you have something else in mind? When it comes to figuring out what you should blog about, you’d have to schedule a call with me for me to be able to figure that out. I’d have to ask you a lot of questions first. Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for taking your valuable time to help me. I DID have a one-hour phone conversation with you several months ago. You helped a lot with my query letter,etc. You’re the greatest! If I could afford you, I would hire you full time. My nonfiction book describes how the gov’t and attorneys took all my savings and retirement funds. One last question…Did you mean that I should post my query letter on my website in order to attract agents/publishers? Thanks again for all you do.
Hi Linda, a big oops on my part. Sorry about that. I don’t always connect the dots, going too fast sometimes. Regarding your question, don’t post the whole query letter… but you can have a description of the book. Thanks for being so kind and keep us all posted on your progress. Mark
I knew my website needed revamping I just wasn’t sure what to do. Thanks for clearing that up. I have another question about book titles. I saw the movie SWEET HOME ALABAMA and realized there was a song by the same title. If we use the title of a song for a book title, can we be sued for plagiarism by the artist? What if the recording artist and/or writer is dead?
Hi Janet, glad to know this article series is helping a bit. More to come. When it comes to legal questions like the one you asked, it’s not my specialty so I shy away from those. And I’m not a lawyer, so I always suggest authors consult a lawyer… or, wait and and ask their agent and/or publisher. That might save you the trouble. All my best. Mark
I want to copy this good information so I can read it away from my computer and underline the important parts. But when I copy it, each page comes with a drop down bar that sits right in the middle of the text, and interrupts the message.
That bar makes the reading almost impossible. Also, the print is WAY TOO SMALL. Makes reading and absorbing really difficult. This needs fixing. Maralys Wills
HI Maralys, it was a pleasure speaking with you today… and I’m glad you pointed out the small text issue on my site. I was able to fix much of it. But other areas are still small, like these comments! Have to look into that. Anyway, hope to talk to you again soon. And have a good night. Mark
Mark,
I check the dog ears publishing and dorrance, what do think of this publishers. Dorrance no charge to submit but Dog Ears cost .
My question is should I let Dog Ears do the editing? And still have you as my agent.
After working hard to complete my 45K words manuscript that I think would be enough for a book. I know you want 60K but I can’t think anymore from my ordeal.
You have been a good help, and I am learning more from your input.
Sincerely,
Emy
Hi Emy, I’m no longer a literary agent… but an author coach and consultant. And it’s completely up to you who you decide to have publish your book. Of course it’s always best if someone else pays for the privilege, instead of you. That way you know they really believe in your book! Mark
I’ve got a baby website in the NICU because I’m struggling with what to put on it. This article series is so timely.
My hardest obstacle is finding “perceived value” of my target audience. But since I’m an aspiring children’s author maybe I’ll give away “12 Reluctant Reader Books (I Wish I Had Written)” and put one book for each reading level on the list. Hmmm…
Hi Jen, by the time this week is through you’ll probably know exactly what to put on your site. Stay tuned! Mark
Hi Mark,
I know what a perfectionist you are, so I know you’d want to know this…There’s a typo in Ingred. #3, the end of the first paragraph. “(giving youR, instead of YOU, a wide range of content AND…)”
I only have a blog. I thought that was enough… apparently not. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I’ll get on building a website immediately.
Sue
Hi Sue, thank you… got it. Sheesh. Was writing FAST when I did this one I guess. 😉 Glad you’re going to get moving on a site, it’s a good thing. Mark
I have my book and website. I have it on amazon ekindle and no sales at all and it is priced low.
I don’t want to pay any publisher any upfront money at all. so if you know one that waits like I have to wait for my money then Iam interested. If not I am not
Hi Marjorie, I’m not sure what you mean. This website is dedicated to helping authors find literary agents and publishers… but I don’t recommend specific publishers to anyone. Congratulations on getting your book out there though, and I’m glad you’re happy with your website. Good luck selling more books and have a great week! Mark
This is THE BEST BLOG POST EVER about an author website! Awesome and great information. Highly valuable and so important for any author to know about.
You teach and share what you build. That makes such a huge difference! I see people writing about author websites but they never really created one. Information is helpful but conversions are key!
Thank you so much for sharing this awesome blog post!
Hi Dagmar, you are too kind. And I love it. Glad you like the article. Wait until you see the next two parts. I’m going to share 8 of the websites we’ve created for clients in the third installment. Thank you for being such a great supporter and positive spirit. It means more than you know. And, as you know, the backend of a site matters most… or no one will ever FIND your site. I’ll get you to help me talk about that soon. 😉 Mark
Hi Mark,
can’t wait to see the next two parts and 8 websites you created for your clients!
Yes, getting found and ranked online is for sure a key ingredient when building a site. I am excited to help you talking about this critical topic soon 🙂
Great, about me “showing you off” a bit soon… you’ve helped me so much and anyone building a website needs to understand (at the very least) how search engine optimization works. Talk soon. 😉 Mark