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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30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 3 – A loyal agent is better than a hotshot agent
With each day that I blog, I’m getting increasingly nervous that I’m going to get cancelled but hey, these are my truths and my lived experiences and this is my blog and so I’m GOING TO BLOW THIS SHIT UP! Ahem, share.
How to overcome tech phobia and build your own author website
This post is one that’s very close to my heart. I speak to SO many authors who say ‘I hate technology’ or ‘I just find it all so confusing’ or ‘I have no idea who to build a website - I’m a writer!’ and I’d just like to begin this post by saying that I totally get it.
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 2 – The size of your advance matters
The one thing we all dream of as an aspiring author is the day our agent calls us to tell us that we’ve received an offer from a publisher.
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 1 – the author community is incredible
Welcome to my new blogging series! I’ve been thinking for a while about a way I could celebrate my FIVE YEAR anniversary of being a published author, and I figured what might be useful/interesting would be to share 30 things I’ve learnt throughout September - one per day.
How to manage images on your Squarespace author website
The images you use on your author website are probably more important than the words (sorry but it’s true!) which is why I’m very excited that earlier this year Squarespace finally introduced a better way of organising them!
3 things to do straight after getting a book deal
There are so many articles on the internet telling you how to get a book deal – some helpful, some bizarre, some basic. But what I found when I got my first book deal was that there wasn’t much information on what to do after you got your book deal…
How to add social media links to your Squarespace author website
A short but sweet post this week! But I’m often surprised by how many author websites don’t have obvious links to the author’s social media pages embedded somewhere on them.
5 tips for surviving your book’s publication week
Apologies for the slightly negative angle on the title for this post! But as a seasoned published author, I feel duty bound to explain to any debuts out there that they are not alone in finding publication week a little bit, well, tough.
Must-have pages for your Squarespace author website
So you’ve decided to get your author website sorted! Congratulations. I truly believe that having a strong, beautiful website to showcase your writing career is important not only for your readers, but also for your own mindset. It shows that you are taking your writing seriously.
How to add an Events calendar to your Squarespace author website
The Events functionality is one of Squarespace’s oldest features, and while it’s not hugely intuitive to use, it can be a really neat way to list all your upcoming events so that readers can easily and quickly find out where you will be appearing.
How not to be a dick when you get a book deal 😉
Apologies for the slightly tongue-in-cheek title for this post, but it was one of those ideas that just popped into my head randomly when I was walking home the other day and I thought – yes! I have a LOT to say on that subject!
Top tips for taking your own author headshot
I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a good author headshot! So many authors I work with absolutely hate having their photos taken but you will need a decent picture of yourself to use on your author website, social media platforms and probably on your book jacket too.
5 books that inspired me to become a writer
I was recently asked in an interview to talk about the top 5 books which most inspired me to become a writer and I found it such an interesting question! As authors, we are often asked if we have favourite books or favourite writers, but this was a different angle and it really got me thinking about my journey towards becoming a published author and the books that influenced my writing the most.
6 great Squarespace features for authors
There’s a reason I’m such a huge fan of using Squarespace to build author websites. I truly believe it’s the perfect solution for authors who are looking for an easy-to-manage, fully customisable and reliable platform on which to build their online presence.
My publication journey (so far!)
It occurred to me recently that I’d never really shared much about my own journey to publication on here. But I think one of the reasons my lovely clients choose to work with me on their websites is because I know EXACTLY what it’s like to be a published author.
3 things to do before you start building your author website
So many authors I speak to about their websites approach the whole thing with a sense of dread.
It’s another one of those tasks that comes along with life as an author, like tax returns and posting on social media, that feels compulsory but very much Not Fun.
2021: my work year in review
I’m not entirely sure how to start this post! Last year, I said I hoped 2021 would be better than 2020, and we all know how that went. So I’ll skip past all that chat and move on to what I achieved this year work-wise!
Project Spotlight: gabriellabraun.co.uk
What better way to finish the year than with a little write-up of my latest website project? I’m so happy to be able to share this with you - one of the few websites I’ve done for non-fiction authors - in this case Gabriella Braun. It was really fascinating getting to learn about Gabriella’s upcoming book and find out more about her interesting career, too.
Squarespace: how to use the accordion block on your author website
Hello! I was SO excited about this new feature that I just had to write a blog post on it - Squarespace has FINALLY introduced an accordion block, which will make having drop-down / Q&A sections on your website super slick and lovely and easy (previously this could only be done with code).
5 things every author website needs
So, you’ve decided to get your author website sorted! Well done! But now you’re wondering what exactly you need to include on it? Let me run you through the basics…
✨ 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!
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Essential Guide to SEO for Authors
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Author Website Content Guide
14 page guide
Author Newsletters
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30 minute video
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