While browsing the internet to see what kind of questions indie authors are asking, we noticed that some of you were wondering if you even needed a website and at what point. We wanted to make sure you knew that you can have an author website, even as an indie author, and that the best time for that is now!
Yes, You Can Have an Author Website, Even if You Only Have One Book
But, what if I only have one book out, you may ask? Well, that’s fine! Did you know that you should, and can, have an author website even if your book isn’t published yet?
Yes, just like those big-name authors with numerous books under their belts, you too can absolutely have a website.
What About a Following?
You may also be wondering if you can have an author website even if you don’t have a following. You can! As a matter of fact, your website can help you build your following. An author website is your most powerful marketing tool! You’re in control, not an algorithm. And you can promote your website on your social platforms to increase your visibility. You can also add your website link to your existing profiles and have it printed on your business cards. You can even add it to your email footer.
Does My Author Website Have to Be Fancy?
So, what do you do and is it worth it if you don’t have a fancy website featuring all of your accomplishments and a lot of books? You simply create a simple website! The good thing about building a website now is that it can grow with you. So, yes you can have an author website and it doesn’t have to be fancy now.
What do you need to have on your author website now, though?
The Basics to Have on Your Author Website
You can have an author website with just the basics, and those basics are covered below. We’d like to note that a simple website doesn’t mean you don’t need to plan for growth or not keep it on brand.
Yes, the whole branding part is important. You will need to figure out your brand and your message before you spend the time and money on building your indie author website. Don’t just go in there willy-nilly! Of course, it should be mentioned that you can always do a revamp later. It happens. But you’ll also want to get it as right as possible the first time around.
Another important aspect to consider is your domain name! You can read about domain names vs URLs here.
Here’s What to Include on Your Author Website
Your Bio and/or About Me Page
Can you have an author website without a bio or About Me page? Yes. Should you? No!
This is because your website is all about YOU! It’s the place where you have the most control over your brand and image and all the content you want your fans to find.
As an author, you and your story are as important as, well, your stories or books.
Your About page needs to be dynamic and informative. It needs to speak to your audience and show off your best attributes.
It’s about more than just taking up space. You can read more about About pages here. Need help with writing a bio? We have a copywriter that can help. Jeniffer, Co-founder of Monkey C Media even wrote a book about writing bios! You can find that here.
A Book Page
Wait, you say. You said I can have an author website even if I don’t have a book out yet. Not to worry! You can still have a Book page, even if your book isn’t available yet. You simply have that enticing Coming Soon tag in there along with an image of your forthcoming book and a stellar book description. Yes, the book description needs to be in there. You can also add blurbs and links to pre-order your book there.
When your book is available for sale you can add those Buy Now buttons.
A Blog and/or a Link to Your Newsletter
A blog? What if I don’t have anything to say? Well, the thing is, your blog and/or your newsletter are what you’ll be using to grow your online presence and gain a following. So having a direct line to your audience is kind of the whole point of this whole author marketing thing.
Luckily, you probably have more to say than you realize. After all, you wrote a book, didn’t you?
It’s important to create content and do it regularly. This not only helps with SEO by making your website more visible, but it’s also how you build that fan base and sell more books.
If you’re having trouble coming up with content ideas, we have got you covered. We wrote a blog on that too! You’ll also learn how to build your subscriber list in this blog.
If You Have an Author Website, it Will Grow with You
So, yes, even if you’re not already a big author, you too can have an author website! As a matter of fact, having an author website is how you become visible. It doesn’t work in the opposite. You don’t need to wait to have an author website until you’re already well-known. And the best time to build an author website is now.
Just make sure it looks polished and professional, functions well, and is on brand. You can find out more details on all of this via the links in this post, or by browsing our blog page. Our mission is to help indie authors by meeting their needs and answering their questions. We’re here for you!
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