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!
most popular posts
most recent posts
Competition: The Oxford/42 New Writing Prize
A bit of a different post than usual from me today, but I know how important competitions like this can be for aspiring writers, and so I wanted to spread the word.
Some honest thoughts about writing fiction as a career
My dad wanted me to be a lawyer. Like many (most?) writers, I was academic. I did well at school, I was pretty quick at most subjects and I was very good at English and assimilating a lot of information and then, well… writing about it in an accurate and relatively concise way.
How to resize book covers for your author website
This is something I get asked for advice on A LOT, so I thought I’d do a quick video to show you how to resize the covers for your books, so that they’re not too big before you upload them to your author website.
Project Spotlight: melpennant.com
I’m really happy to be sharing some one of my latest website designs with you today. This was such a fun website to work on, and I am in love with the colours we used!
Making the most of Substack as a fiction author - interview with Eleanor Anstruther
I’m so excited to be sharing this interview with you! Eleanor Anstruther is an award-winning author and was one of my very first web design clients, five years ago.
How I deal with professional jealousy as a writer
I just want to put something out there, in the full knowledge that it might make me seem like a spoilt brat. But being a writer is hard. Really. It is.
How to find photos for your author website
I really don’t want to start this blog post by writing ‘an image speaks a thousand words’ but… it’s 8am and I haven’t had much caffeine yet so… let me just whisper it. It’s true, anyway. Especially online. Photographs and images are simply much easier and more efficient ways to consume content on websites – even though, as a writer, it pains me to say so.
Why every author should set up a mailing list
Regular readers of this blog will know that I feel very passionately that all authors should set up a mailing list as soon as (or even before) they get their book deals. All my author website packages include this functionality as standard – that’s how important I think it is!
What to do when you hate your book's cover
I can’t remember who told me that most authors hate their covers. Perhaps hate is too strong (I have a tendency towards hyperbole - hey I’m a storyteller! 😆).
22 author website examples to inspire you
As you’d expect, I have spent a LOT of time looking at author websites. And I genuinely love it. Seeing all the amazing creative ideas that different authors have for their websites lights me up.
Some honest thoughts on author blurbs
Another post that might get me into hot water but here we go anyway. The somewhat controversial topic of author blurbs. What do we think of them?
Why I use Squarespace (not Mailchimp!) for my author newsletter
Most of the authors I know use Mailchimp to send their newsletters. For a long time, it really was the only viable newsletter platform for complete beginners to email marketing. But in recent years, as people have come to see the incredible value in email marketing, more and more different platforms have emerged.
5 mistakes I made after getting a book deal
Like many authors, when I first got my book deal, I was completely overwhelmed. It’s such a huge goal - to get a book published - and for many writers, it takes so long to achieve that we often don’t look much past it.
How to add links to your Squarespace author website
I know this might seem like a bit of a basic post, but I’ve come to realise that I spend a lot of time talking about links with my author website clients! So I thought it was time to dedicate a blog post to them, because it’s not actually as simple as it might sound...
Some honest thoughts on book publication days
My seventh novel, After The Fire, was recently published in both the UK and the US, by a division of Bloomsbury (of Harry Potter fame). Even when I type that now, it amazes me that it’s true.
How to build an author website: a step-by-step guide for authors
Create a professional author website with my step-by-step guide. Learn essential tips to enhance your branding and connect with readers effectively.
The most nerve-wracking thing I've EVER done? 😱
I think writing this post might be even more nervewracking than launching a book. Maybe. Maybe not. Even so, I am super nervous to share something very exciting today, that I’ve secretly been working on for months!
My top tips for attending writing festivals
Gosh. Not really sure how to start this piece but maybe thank you is a good place! So thank you so much everyone who read or shared my previous piece about Harrogate - I had 8,000 hits on it in one day, which was sort of awe-inspiring and terrifying but also left me feeling very warm inside at the knowledge that our community is more aligned than we might think.
Project Spotlight: chrislloydauthor.com
As usual, it’s been too long since I shared a recent client project on my blog - and so I’m very happy to be sharing with you a recent website project of mine that was a real joy to work on from start to finish!
Some honest thoughts about the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival
I’m back from Harrogate - my fifth trip to the annual Crime Writing Festival (not ‘Crime Festival’ as I have a habit of calling it and thus confusing/alarming my non-writing friends).
✨ 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?
click the covers to find out more
pssst! before you go…
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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