Website-shwebsite. I know… the idea can be intimidating. Our team spends a lot of time helping authors set up their websites so that they can sell more books! So let me tell you, when I learned about Pub-Site, it’s a dream come true. As an author myself, (hey, it’s Alexa speaking here!) with very little time to work on my own website, I know exactly the thoughts that are running through your mind right now:
Do I really need a website?
Can’t I just send everyone to Amazon?
I’m building my community on social media!
I’m not techy – I don’t want to mess around with a website
Oy… I hardly have enough time to do the other 200,000 things I’m learning I need to do as an author – when will I keep up with a website?
It’s expensive, I need to save my money for other elements
Yeah, I get it.
So let’s focus on two things from this list:
1 – Why you really DO need a website.
2 – How it can be done simply and beautifully at a low cost and low time / energy investment.
You can’t be taken seriously as an author or a business person if you don’t have a modern, well-designed website. A website presents the perfect opportunity for you to connect with your readers. We talk a lot about building the author platform. Think of the author website as the home of that platform. It’s one nice, neat place where you can organize all the things – a place for people to find out more about you, your books, your other products or services, how to follow you on social, how to get a sample of your book or order your book, and read other content you’re producing.
If you’ve invested your time in social media, you might wonder if you can skip an author website. While you can still operate primarily on social media, you’ll still want to be using that social media to direct your followers to get on your email list. Your email list is, and will remain, at least for the near future, your most successful selling tool. So, at a bare minimum, you need a landing page that you can send readers to so that they can get on your email list.
Social media changes every day. You don’t own that platform, and your 15,000 followers could disappear overnight if someone reports you and your account is frozen, shut down, or even hacked. I’ve seen it happen too many times. But you own your email list. And generally you need at least a landing page to grow an email list.
Here are the three big reasons to make sure you have a website that works for you…
You need to grow your email list.
I cannot say this enough. I just finished 30 interviews for the Women in Publishing Summit, and almost every author I spoke with talked about the role their email list plays in their book sales. A website gives you the opportunity for people to learn a bit more about you, determine if they want to be on your email list, and of course, gives them the place to download whatever lead magnet (a free sample of your book or a short story or something else relevant) to get on the email list. If you’ve been writing good content, they may find you completely organically as they are searching whatever topic you’re writing on. Maybe you wrote a blog post about the evolution of vampires in books… or the different types of vampires, and you’ve got a fan looking for more because they love vampires. They see your post, hit your website, and because they love vampire books, they are THRILLED to enter their email address to download your free story or sample chapters. Your existing readers also enjoy learning more about you, and a website gives you more of an opportunity to share.
You own your author website.
Social media is a great way to reach your audience, but it’s ultimately controlled by someone else. These sites are controlled by other corporations who get to say what you can and can’t post, who can see your posts, and who control your data. Your website works for you and only you. You own your website. You want ownership of your book so why should your website be any different? Your business and artistic priorities are at the center of your website.
Your author website is “sticky”..
Your content is searchable forever. When people are searching for content, if you had a great post that got a lot of traction and is positioned well with SEO (search engine optimization – ie, when someone searches for your topic, your website returns in the searches) it can bring completely cold traffic to your doorstep. And that content stays out there. This is another good reason why you should start creating content early in the process… so you can start gaining traction on your website, but that’s a different blog post! Having a website that continues to bring traffic results in continued traffic to see your books. And ideally, results in more book sales.
I wrote a piece of cornerstone content on my blog 9 years ago. This piece continues to bring traffic and because my book, which is on the same topic of the article, is listed as suggested reading at the end of the blog post, continues to see sales just from this post. Because it was a great post on a topic people were looking for.
Building an author website doesn’t need to be scary.
I know there is a lot to consider when it comes to building a website, and it can be intimidating. You might be worried about how to find hosting, how to set it up, which tool to use, how to integrate all the things. But don’t get overwhelmed!
We have partnered with a company called Pub-Site that handles all of these things for you, at a super low cost! Fauzia Burke, 25+ year book marketing guru, has worked with some really really well-known authors. She recognized the value of a website for authors in their book marketing journey a long time ago, and also saw the frustration many authors faced in trying to learn how to create one. So she and her husband decided to do something about that. They built Pub-Site so that authors would have an option to easily build a very professional author website, with all the elements we need to sell books and grow our email list, at a super low monthly cost; without having to also purchase hosting (it’s included!) or figure out how to design and integrate all the things. Check out their incredibly special deal – a 2-week free trial and discounted hosting for a year!
Fauzia Burke is a book marketing expert and pioneer of online book publicity. In 2019, she co-founded Pub Site, a platform for building author websites and used by authors like Tom Clancy, Robin Cook, and hundreds more. Fauzia also does consulting and offers a “power hour” for authors needing marketing advice. Whether you’re a first-time author overwhelmed by the idea of building a brand or an experienced author wanting to take your marketing and publicity to the next level, Fauzia can help! She’s the author of Online Marketing for Busy Authors, and is based in San Diego, CA.
With the goal of creating a successful launch for her book, Fauzia Burke tapped into her savvy marketing experience to develop an impactful website that will engage readers, build momentum, and establish a lasting community around her work.
Always think of the website as a before, during, and after project, and make it work for you. – Fauzia Burke
This is Fauzia Burke’s story:
Through her experience, Fauzia Burke learned the importance of author websites pre and post-publication. She realized that a website should be viewed as a workhorse, constantly updated, and filled with unique content. Fauzia identified common pitfalls that many authors face in the digital age, such as waiting too long to create a website or relying solely on social media platforms. By sharing her knowledge and emphasizing the necessity of author websites to connect with readers, Fauzia has become a guiding force for countless authors, helping them grow their audience and achieve their goals.
In this episode, you will learn to:
Understand the significance of author websites throughout the entire publication journey.
Construct a captivating website with relevant book-related material to draw in potential readers.
Design distinct marketing strategies that stand out from the rest and cater to your specific objectives.
Cultivate authentic, joy-inspiring content that resonates with your audience and keeps them engaged.
Utilize Pubsite, a website builder that offers tailored solutions for aspiring and experienced authors alike.
To maximize the impact of a book launch, authors should update their website with relevant content when the book is about to be released. This includes adding information such as the table of contents, book excerpts, and sample chapters as teasers for readers. This strategic content rollout not only builds anticipation but also serves as a promotion platform for getting noticed by media outlets for interviews and podcast appearances. Fauzia recommends updating your website at least six months before the book’s release date, emphasizing the importance of keeping your website updated with all media appearances, events, and upcoming book releases. She suggests promoting a book for as long as it took to write it, stressing that authors should continue to utilize their website beyond the book release date to connect with their fans and build their mailing list. An updated and maintained website fosters a loyal reader base and ensures maximum visibility by establishing a lasting online presence that evolves with the author’s career.
Key Takeaways
Build a professional-looking author website before starting the publishing process to showcase your commitment to the journey.
Update your website with relevant information about your book, such as table of contents, excerpts, sample chapters, and research, at least six months before its release.
Start building your mailing list as soon as possible to connect with potential readers and fans, even before your book is published.
Use your website to share blog posts and engage with readers.
Make sure your website is indexed by Google to improve visibility and searchability for your name and book title.
Continually update your website with new content, media appearances, podcasts, and other relevant information to keep readers engaged and interested in your work.
Promote your book for at least as long as it took you to write it, using your website as the central hub for your marketing efforts.
Plan your podcast and media appearances well in advance to build momentum around your book’s publication and ensure you have a steady stream of publicity opportunities.
Memorable Moments:
00:05:33 – A Website Reflects Professionalism, A website reflects an author’s professionalism and commitment to their publishing journey. It helps publishers, agents, and book jacket designers understand an author’s aesthetic and brand. A website also provides a space for readers to connect with an author and learn more about their writing skills, humor, and upcoming projects. 00:09:30 – Updating the Website During and After Publishing, Fauzia recommends updating an author website six months before the book’s release and continuing to add more material to the website after publishing. This includes adding information about the book’s table of contents, characters, and excerpts, as well as media, podcasts, and events related to the book.
00:32:14 – The Benefits of PubSite, Fauzia discusses PubSite, the website-building platform she developed with her husband, John. She shares how their 20 years of experience building websites for authors and books helped them create a platform specifically designed for authors. PubSite is scalable, easy to use, and has ecommerce built-in, making it a perfect platform for authors to build their websites. 00:38:20 – PubSite’s Marketing Tools, Fauzia highlights the marketing tools available on PubSite, such as the calendar feature, which allows authors to display their upcoming events and engagements. She also mentions how PubSite is designed to cater to the specific needs of authors, providing follow buttons with links to Amazon and Goodreads.
In this 2-3 hour training session, the founders of Pub Site, John and Fauzia Burke, will teach you exactly how to start and set up your author website.
We’ll go through step-by-step. By the end of the training session, you’ll have a professional website, ready to go.
Register now. The week before the event, you’ll receive a checklist of things to do to be prepared for the training. They do have a 2-week free trial. Do not start this until the day or two before the event, so that you can maximize your two week free trial.
