Promotion: The Value Of Author Websites

No other marketing tool can approach the power of a well-designed website. I have been to numerous writers’ conferences, talked to many writers and read several books about how to promote a writer’s work. There was universal agreement from all three sources about having a web site. It is a must if you are serious about your work. If you work with an agent they require you have a web site and there are several small presses that now include author websites as part of their submission requirements.

Sadly, some authors fail to set up a web site because they fear it is difficult to design, will take too much time to maintain or design, or in some way will lose their self-respect as an author by making their work available to the vast world of the online universe. Don’t short change yourself by not having a web site. Get yourself out there. I now have two websites: wordrealm.net (the oldest site) and patchofdirt.net, each of which I designed. I take pride in how they each look. I want people to see my work, how it presented, and hopefully learn something from the information on the sites.

There are four basic goals for an effective website. It is how you address these goals that will make for a memorable web site you feel good about: 1. Establish your expertise. 2. Offer valuable information for free 3. Create a fan base 4. Include contact information