Do I Need an Author Website?

Yes! This is especially important if you have written many books or intend to write more than one. However, even if you have just a single creative work, it is vital that you have a digital presence. Having a single hub of activity where you can send people interested in reading your book is integral to an author’s success.

Suppose you’re doing a book signing or have a table at a book festival and a potential reader stops by. They’re interested in your book but are supposed to meet a friend shortly, or they don’t carry cash on their person, or perhaps they’re too shy to interact further. If you give them some sort of takeaway (a business card, a postcard-sized promotional, a flyer, etc.) pointing them to your author website, they can make a purchase when it suits them.

Creating an author website doesn’t have to be an intimidating process! There are several reputable website hosting platforms that make building a website easy! Emerging Ink Solutions recommends the following:

Weebly
WordPress
SquareSpace
Site123
Wix
Hostinger Website Builder
 
Remember, when building a website, be creative and work hard to make it appear professional. Users/readers can immediately discern if a website was constructed by a novice. Use stock photography to spruce up landing pages. There are countless stock photography websites. Here are the ones we recommend:

Shutterstock
123rf
Pexels
Unsplash
Adobe

Ensure your website is concise, professional, and error-free. Read and reread posted content for mistakes. Make sure you direct readers to the digital platform where your book can be purchased. For instance, if your book is available through Amazon KDP, link it to your website. You can do this by simply going to Amazon.com and searching for your book. The URL on your product’s page is what you would link on your website.

Author websites are integral to the development of self-published authors. Of course, each of the above-mentioned website hosting platforms has a learning curve, but they are intended for users with little to no website design experience. You can do it!