welcome…
…to all my secrets on life as a published author
(I’m 7 traditionally published books in and I’ve learnt some stuff 😉)
I blog weekly about author websites, newsletters and life as a writer…
New posts published every Monday 😊
Want to learn more about me and my own publishing journey first?
(includes info on how I landed one of those mythical six-figure book deals!)
Read all about my own journey to publication →
Or scroll down to read all my other posts!
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most recent posts
Phishing scam alert
I’m sorry to have to blog about this one but thought it was worth a post as I get quite a bit of traffic on here - and the more people who are aware the better! I’ve had several clients contact me recently to say they have received an ominous message through the contact form on their website.
What to put in your author website’s footer
The footer is an important bit of ‘real estate’ on any author website, but it often gets overlooked. Which is a wasted opportunity, as this is one of the sections of your website that appears on every single page (along with your header or main navigation)!
Project Spotlight: katie-marsh.com
I’m very excited to share with you one of my most recent projects - a one-page website for bestselling author Katie Marsh! I don’t often get to design one-page websites so I really enjoy it when I do - it gives me the chance to trim things right back and create something simple but striking. Less is more!
How to set up your Bookshop.org author page
I am really REALLY excited to be able to shout about this because it’s such an amazingly awesome initiative and I’m kind of stunned that it hasn’t already been done before. But it hasn’t! And it’s great! Hurrah for all new bookish things.
Project Spotlight: lesleykara.com
It was such a joy to work on Lesley Kara’s website - not least because I’m a big fan (loved her mega-seller The Rumour!), we write in the same genre AND she’s a Faber Academy graduate like me. We were also on a crime writers’ panel together last year and she was just so lovely to me, so I knew I was going to enjoy working on her website!
How to make money from your author website
Did you know it was possible to make money from your author website? Other than by selling books through it? If not, read on, and allow me to enlighten you on a very easy, simple thing you can implement to help your author website pay for itself!
Project Spotlight: kellyrimmer.com
It’s been a while since I shared a design project with you! And this is one I actually completed a little earlier in the year before the summer break. It’s a website for the prolific, bestselling Australian author Kelly Rimmer, and was honestly one of the most fun projects I’ve worked on to date.
SEO for authors part six: last tips and tricks
Phew! The road has been long and winding but we are finally at the end of my series of posts all about SEO for authors! I hope you have found these posts helpful. I’m going to wrap up this week with a few last tips and tricks for you.
SEO for authors part five: tech considerations
While content really is the most important aspect when it comes to your website's SEO, there are also a few technical issues that can have an impact on it too. Let’s talk through them now...
SEO for authors part four: the importance of links
Believe it or not, the links on your website play a really important role in improving its SEO. In this post I’m going to run through the different types of links, with some best practice tips to help you make the most of them on your website.
SEO for authors part three: optimise your images
Continuing with our series of posts on SEO for authors, this week, we’ll be talking about the images on your website and how these can impact your SEO. Believe it or not, Google can also 'read' images. So they are crucially important in telling it what your website is about.
SEO for authors part two: content is king
'Content is King' is a bit of a cheesy marketing catchphrase, but when it comes to all-things internet, it's absolutely true. The content on your website is BY FAR the most important thing about it (even more than the design!), and has the most influence on your SEO.
SEO for authors part one: what is SEO?
This is one of my most requested topics to cover on the blog! But let me start by saying, SEO is a HUGE topic. I think you could probably do a degree in it (or at least a Masters!). It's also constantly evolving, as with most things on the internet.
My favourite Squarespace blocks. No 3: the summary block
Last but not least in my top 3 most useful Squarespace blocks for author websites! And this week I’m going to be talking about the Summary block. This is a REALLY useful block to make the most of if you have a Blog or Events section on your author website.
My favourite Squarespace blocks. No 2: the quote block
Next up in my mini series all about my favourite Squarespace blocks I’m going to be talking about the quote block. It’s a little-known block that’s actually ideal for author websites – it’s almost as though Squarespace designed it just for us!
My favourite Squarespace blocks. No 1: the spacer
I thought it was time for some short but sweet technical posts, so over the coming weeks I’m going to highlighting some of my favourite Squarespace blocks. Starting this week with the spacer block.
Author website basics: all about hosting and domains
Apologies if this is the driest post you ever encounter, but I thought it might be helpful to clear up some of the mystique around websites and how they are set up. This is something I get asked a lot about when talking to clients!
Project Spotlight: harriettyceauthor.com
Time to share another of my recent projects with you! A new website for the hugely successful novelist Harriet Tyce, whose debut Blood Orange (which is absolutely brilliant) was a Richard & Judy pick and a Sunday Times bestseller. I especially love the design Harriet and I came up with as it’s quite moody and dramatic!
Project Spotlight: sandiejones.com
I’m so excited to be able to share my latest project with you - a website for New York Times bestselling author Sandie Jones! I’m so pleased with how this design turned out - not least because it required lots of nifty bits of custom CSS in order to achieve the look Sandie wanted, and I love it because it’s a bit ‘different’ from my other designs.
The A-Z of website jargon
It’s easy to forget when you work with tech every day, that not everyone knows what all the endless jargon you spout actually means! I do find when I chat to potential clients that I’m (ignorantly) assuming they know what SEO stands for, and more to a point – what it actually means – when why would you if you’ve never worked in digital marketing?
✨ 30 things I’ve learnt from 5 years being published ✨
September 6 2023 marked 5 years since my first book was released 😲
To celebrate, I shared a new post about what I’ve learnt from being published EVERY DAY throughout the month.
Enjoy!
curious about my books?
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Essential Guide to SEO for Authors
17 page guide
The Debut Author’s Survival Guide
30 page ebook
Author Website Content Guide
14 page guide
Author Newsletters
- a Beginner’s Guide
30 minute video
Blogging for Authors
- a Beginner’s Guide
18 minute video