Authors Websites Help Published Authors Sell More Books

Congratulations. You’ve worked doggedly until that manuscript’s finally done and dusted. Now, your book’s proudly sitting on the shelf (or the electronic equivalent, anyway).

Yes, you’re a published author. Mission accomplished, right?

Not quite yet.

Even if you’ve written the world’s most ground-breaking, page-turning masterpiece … it’ll count for absolutely nothing if nobody’s even heard of it.

That’s where your website comes in.

You do have one, right?

Nearly three decades into the internet age, a website’s no longer an optional extra – it’s essential. Done properly, it works like an online megaphone for your professional reputation.

So, let’s take a good look at how you’ll benefit from creating a vivid online presence.

A website helps you sculpt your image

Even your most obsessive readers may not have a clear picture of the person behind the book. With a website, you can reveal far more of yourself than you otherwise could.

That’s because a website gives you a unique chance to tell your own story. As your readers’ first port of call, it’s their main connection to you.

What you include, of course, is completely up to you. Whether you keep it strictly focused on the books or offer a tantalising snapshot of your wider interests, your website’s a key part of your identity.

A website helps you build credibility and expertise

There’s nothing like a substantial online presence to increase your perceived authority. By taking the time to establish yourself as an expert on a given topic, you’ll appeal to a far wider range of potential readers.

Building up your online reputation doesn’t have to be about shameless self-promotion, either. With testimonials, you can let others do that for you! Including a judicious selection of quotes from those who appreciate your work sends a clear message that you’re a known, respected, and authoritative author.

A website gives people a darn good reason to buy your book

Communicating with fans and building your authority as an expert in your niche is your mission, sure – but at the end of the day, you might also want to generate some sales.

Luckily, a beautifully crafted website can entice your audience onto your hook … and keep them there. You can reveal exactly what your book has to offer and how it will help them, without giving away any of your gold nuggets.

A great way of doing this is showcasing several juicy snippets on your website. This tantalise and inspires web visitors to find out more by purchasing your book.

We also recommend including an easy way of purchasing your book directly from your site, by ensuring it has built an ecommerce facility. As long as you make the sales experience quick and seamless, it’ll work wonders, as many of our authors have discovered.

A website’s your digital shopfront for your whole catalogue

And when you’re creating a buzz, why stop at one book? Even if you’ve only written one so far, you can use your website to gather critical data on what other things they’d be interested to learn more about, to help you shape the contents of your next book.  We’ll also automatically add them into a database so you can keep the conversation going by email, and let them know when your next book is ready for purchase.  How good would it be to have a list of people who are keen to buy your next book!

A website builds up your personal connection with readers

Today’s readers expect a far greater level of connection from their favourite writers than ever … and writing regular blogposts is a savvy way of grabbing that opportunity with both hands. By creating a series  of linked blogs, you can steadily build up your readers’ image of you in a detailed, convincing way. Pretty soon, they’ll feel as if they really know you …

A blogpost may also be people’s first point of contact with your work before they take the plunge and buy the book, making it the perfect opportunity for you to reach out to current and future readers.

In short, your website’s an indispensable tool to connect with your reading public. Get started – you’ll wish you’d done it years ago!