30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 11 – your author website matters (ha!)
September 6 2023 marks 5 years since my first novel was released 😲
I’ve now published 6, and have 2 more under contract.
To celebrate, I’m sharing a new post about what I’ve learnt from being published EVERY DAY throughout the month. This post is part of that series!
Click here for the rest →
Full disclaimer here: I am a website designer. You might already have realised that from the rest of the content on this website but if not, I am! And I love it. I build websites specifically for my fellow authors, and it’s the perfect complement to my writing career.
(side note - most writers have to do something else alongside writing to earn a decent living - even people with shiny six-figure deals, yes really!)
If you want to hear my story about how and why I became a web designer you can read the post here →
So yes, I have a vested interest, but I’ll try not to make this post too salesy.
There are lots of reasons why authors need websites but I always tell authors to think of their website as their online home.
It’s the only place you truly ‘own’ on the internet. It’s the best place to house everything related to your author career, and should include: obviously, all your books (plus links so people can easily buy them!); your professional bio; your agent’s / publisher’s / publicist’s details; a place to promote events and news; a way for readers (and press!) to get in touch; and last but definitely not least: a mailing list.
I also think if you want to make writing your career, you need to think of it like a business.
And it’s 2023 – would you trust a business that didn’t have a website? It’s a mark of professionalism. Not all readers use social media. Most readers will use the internet though…
If you want the sales pitch, you can read my post ‘Do authors really need websites?’ below…
But let me give you an anecdote, instead of a sales pitch.
A while ago I received an email through my website contact form. It was from a film producer who was interested in optioning the rights to one of my novels.
It came completely out of the blue - I had no idea who this person was, or how they had heard about my book, but I immediately forwarded it on to my film and TV agent, and the rest is… well, confidential actually. For now anyway. Sorry.
I did actually have my film agent’s details on my website (and so should you, if you have one - it’s really important to link to ALL your professional contacts on your Contact page) so she could have contacted them directly, but perhaps she preferred to speak to me first.
I don’t know, but I do wonder what would have happened if that film producer hadn’t been able to find my website.
OK, so she might have found me on social media, but what if she didn’t use Twitter or Instagram? Would she bother to set up an account just in order to contact me?
Maybe. I’ll never know. I guess it would all depend on how much she wanted to option the book.
But even so, having a simple contact form on my website made it so much easier for her to contact me. It removed any friction in the process, it made me look professional and competent, and like I was in this for the long-haul. That I was taking my writing career seriously.
I don’t think the impact of that can be underestimated.
Most writers find it frustrating when loved ones or other acquaintances treat our writing as a nice little hobby.
But if we don’t even have a website to represent our writing, aren’t we kind of reinforcing that message?
I’ll give you one more anecdote.
I often get messages from readers. On social media, yes, but the more thoughtful ones always come from the contact form on my website.
Women (invariably) telling me that they’ve read one of my books and that it touched them in some way. I remember the first time I got a message like that about my debut novel The Rival - it was quite long and considered, and so kind. I ended up crying afterwards. That email made me realise that my work actually did matter.
It’s very easy to forget that your work matters when you’re constantly being faced with other, more successful novels, or having your hard work annihilated by angry reviewers on Goodreads.
But when you get a message like that, everything starts to make sense. You remember your purpose - that if you can touch just one person with your writing, then it’s all been worth it.
I will never take my contact form off my website. I absolutely love hearing from readers, and I appreciate their time so much.
So yes, your author website matters. It doesn’t have to be all-singing and all-dancing, but it has to be THERE, so people who love your work can find you.
