Children’s book author websites need to be designed to appeal to the buyers–parents, librarians, teachers, etc.– while also being appropriate for, and engaging to, young readers.
We started thinking of the unique challenges of marketing books for early readers after reading a recent post by a children’s book author on Jane Friedman’s blog. In the post, Jane Willan discusses how she understood her ideal reader very well, but the challenges came when she had to market to the adults who would be purchasing the book.
Because your author website is your most powerful marketing tool, we wanted to focus on the unique elements that a children’s book website needs to make it stand out by appealing to adult buyers as well as the kids who will be reading the books.
Yes, It’s a Website for a Children’s Book, But You’ll Need to Speak to the Adults
A well-written book for young readers with valuable lessons and vibrant and captivating illustrations will always be appealing to both kids and the adults in their lives. But the things kids are looking for in their books are probably not the same thing the adults in their life want out of them. So, your marketing needs to be directed at the adults because they’re the ones buying books.
Speak Directly to Your Buyer
Kids don’t care about value propositions or even learning valuable lessons from the stories they read. But the adults in their life do! Your marketing copy needs to make it clear that your book is not only entertaining, but that it addresses issues their own children could be navigating. Or, perhaps parents are looking for something that shares similar core values. You can appeal to adults by sharing what inspired you, what the kids will learn, why it holds value for children and/or their parents.
A good place to do this, and prove your author authority, is in your bio or About Me section. Of course, you can speak to adults in your marketing copy too. It’s about getting specific by including a paragraph or two about what exactly the story offers to young readers on your website.
Add an Events Page or Include Resources on Your Children’s Book Author Website
It’s not just parents who are looking for books for their kids. Librarians and teachers are looking for quality books for young readers as well. So, children’s book author websites can include features that appeal to these adults too. You can add an Events section or page so that schools and public libraries can book you for reading, and other events. Many children’s book authors include resources, when applicable, for further reading for the parents and other adults too.
The Fun Stuff Will Appeal to the Kids and Foster a Connection
Kids can fall in love with characters from the books they read. Adding fun bonus materials will invite young readers into the world of the book. This works especially well if you’re a series author. Printable coloring pages, games, interactive elements, and character merchandise appeal to children and keep them engaged and connected. Kids that feel connected to the world in the books will keep reading until they’ve outgrown picture books.
Some Examples of Children’s Book Author Websites We’ve Designed and Love
We don’t primarily cater to children’s book authors but we do work with them enough that we’ve got some real experience (and dare we say expertise) with the matter. We’ve been lucky to work with some brilliant and talented authors who write books for young readers. Below, we’ve shared four children’s book author websites that are fantastic examples. They may even inspire you!
All of these authors included many (or all) of the elements that make a children’s book website stand out:
- Illustrations from their books as website graphics to capture the imagination
- A detailed and relevant About page to establish author authority and trust
- Bonus materials such as resources for parents and games for kids
- Motion graphics and/or videos that grab attention
- Marketing copy that speaks directly to the adults who make purchasing descisons
- An Events page and/or contact info so they can be reached to do readings, etc.
1. Ori Goltz is a children’s book author who shares important lessons through her stories. She speaks to the adult buyer directly by telling them exactly how this book will help their children understand pedestrian safety. She also has a resource page for the parents, and her colorful character descriptions and video showcasing Let it Roll grab young reader’s attention.
2. Lew Maurer is a multi-genre author but he’s written many children’s books as well. Lew chose to add Book pages to his original website (you can do this too!) to showcase each book in his series. He speaks to the adults by featuring postive reviews and including the value for young readers in his book descriptions. He also includes photos of young readers enjoying the book and illustrations from the books as graphics.
3. Laurie Trumble Davis is another series author whose stories teach important lessons. Her children’s book author website is bright, colorful and fun. But she also includes reviews as proof and a relevant and detailed bio that speaks to the adults. She shares bonus materials in her fun Kid’s Corner page and even adds photos with the real-life inspiration for her book to appeal to young readers.
4. Sarah Cotty and Rachel Ipsan are coauthors of The Triplets series. They also speak directly to adults by sharing the story behind their writing inspiration. They make their message clear, offer free stuff for the kids and include an easy way for visitors to contact them for readings and other events.
Here’s a video of Ori Goltz’s Let it Roll!, from her website.
And Laurie Trumble Davis’ cute book trailer, which she included on her website.
A Children’s Book Author Website is All About Balance
Children’s book author websites need to walk the line between fun, eye-catching, and engaging to keep the attention of young readers and value proposition focused marketing to appeal to the adults who make purchasing decisions. If you can do both, it’s a win. We hope our tips and these examples helped you get some great ideas for your website!
If you have questions about websites in general, or marketing your book, browse our blog to find answers. Want to see us write about a specific topic? Let us know in the comments!
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