Author websites can be about more than just your book, or yourself. Because many authors are creative in other ways, and often thought leaders and entrepreneurs, they can truly contain everything but the kitchen sink. But there are three things that are essential basics for every author website. Sometimes, authors choose to do a one page site and this is all they have. Read what they are and why you need them below.
Your Author Website Needs a Book Page
This one may seem obvious, right? If you’re an author and you want to build a fantastic author website, you need a GOOD book page. Below are some tips on making it stand out.
- A clear, compelling image of your book. Here at MCM we love having a 3D image of author’s books because it makes them really come to life. We design book covers, and part of our package is making sure the client has these images available for all their marketing needs.
- Stand out book description. In the business we call it marketing copy. And there’s a reason for that. Marketing copy isn’t a summary of your book. It’s a carefully curated description that hooks the reader and makes them want to read your book! Our copywriter here at MCM does a lot of these for our clients. You can also add your blurbs, review snippets and book endorsements here.
- Buy Now Buttons. These are links that direct website visitors to buy your book with just a click. We like to recommend having links for the big players like Amazon or Barnes & Noble but we also love including a link to your favorite local bookstore. A catchy nudge or a clever invitation to do so doesn’t hurt either.
An About Me Page is Essential
Your Bio page or About Me page is almost as important as your book page! Why? Well, your the author, of course. But letting visitors to your author website know who you are and what you’re all about makes your book that much more compelling. And you may gain some fans!
Your About Me page can be short and succinct but we like to jazz it up a bit with some fun details.
If you have a long, interesting or multi-faceted life story you can add a Read More button where visitors can learn all about you. But you’ll want to put the important things first. Those first paragraphs of your bio on your author website will grab the readers attention.
Besides just telling your story, having an About Me page can:
- Prove your authority on the subject
- Give relevant and relatable information concerning your book
- It adds a personal touch, and can make fans out of your readers
Lastly, You Need a Contact Page for Your Author Website
A contact page for your author website makes you accessible to visitors. This is important! Your audience can reach out to you and follow you on social platforms, which can help in building your brand and your fan base. These are the little things that do a lot when it comes to marketing your book.
You can also have a Contact page so that press and media can reach you. We like to recommend having a one sheet, so if someone finds your author website and decides they’d love to interview you, review your book, or write a feature on what you and what you’re doing, everything they need is right there.
At the very least, your Contact page needs:
- A contact form so you can be reached by email
- Your social media buttons so visitors can follow you
There are many more things you could add to your author website, depending how big you want to go. Maybe you’re a musician and you’d like to share your other gifts with the world? Or you run a foundation, and you want to feature the important work you do?
Often, author websites will have a blog page and a simple sign up to subscribe to that blog. But you don’t have to have ALL those things. Just the three essentials to start can be enough, and you definitely don’t want to leave those out!
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