3 quick ways to transform your author website today.
In this how-to author website guide I explain:
Why your author about page is your opportunity to lead readers into your world and process + thought starters to help you write a more dynamic bio.
Why your email list is your #1 marketing tool: how to build one and what to send to your list first.
The best ways to help readers connect and buy on your website + a bonus section on which social media channels to use
TRANSFORMATION 1
Refresh your bio on your author website
Your about page is an often overlooked opportunity for unique storytelling about you, your process and the behind-the-scenes of your books. Take a look at your current bio—is it boring, outdated, or just the blurb from your book jacket? Consider these ways to make it more engaging to current and future readers—after all, they are on your website to learn more about you!
Make sure your author bio is up to date. Do you have new books, published works or awards that haven’t been added? Have you relocated? Make sure your bio feels current and reflects the kind of writer you are now.
Go beyond the book flap and share more detail about your personal history, your writing process and hobbies. The more your readers feel connected to you, the more likely they are to read your emails, follow you on social media and buy your next book.
Get inspired by the bios of your favorite writers—what do you like about how they share information?
Remember your audience. Write your bio for your specific target audience. What would the reader of your book and genre want to know about you?
Some quick thought starters to help you write a more dynamic bio:
Where did you grow up, where do you live now or where have you traveled? How does location influence your writing?
What is your writing process like? Where and when do you work best? How do you research a story?
What is your family like—either in childhood or currently—and how does it impact your writing?
Do you have some fun photos you can share from childhood, from travel or of your workspace?
What inspires you?
What are some of your own favorite authors, books or quotes?
Do you have any interviews or podcasts where you talk in more detail about your work? This is a great place to share them.
TRANSFORMATION 2
Build an email list
(Then actually send emails!)
Email marketing is the number one way to build a connection with your audience and sell books. Building an email list of readers is the one of the most important purposes of your website.
While social media posts are at the mercy of algorithms and easily get lost in the sheer number of posts and ads bombarding people daily, your email list allows you to build a direct relationship with your readers and speak to them in your own voice. Think of writing emails like writing a letter to a friend—it is the chance to share your thoughts and have a real conversation.
Email lets you reach people who want to hear about your book and events and have chosen to receive communications from you—they actually want your emails to arrive in their inbox!
The key is not to be salesy in your emails and only push book sales. You want to build a relationship with your readers over time and this means sharing regular updates and relatable behind-the-scenes content.
Email List FAQs
Where should I put my sign-up box?
At a minimum, add a sign-up box to your homepage and contact page. Even better—include it in a sidebar or footer on every page of your site.
How do I entice people to sign up?
Make the sign up language fun and give people a taste of what they can expect to receive in your emails. You can let them know that they will get some secret behind-the-scenes info about the book or a sneak peek of an upcoming work.
What should my first email tosubscribers say?
You should set up a welcome email that is sent automatically to someone when they sign up for your email list. This email should convey your personality and should include welcome language, any special content you promised and a thank you for becoming a part of your community. The readers that sign up for your list are excited to receive emails from you so don’t hesitate to send book news and events on the regular!
How do I send my emails?
There are a lot of great email marketing platforms out there that let you manage subscriber lists, track open and click rates and come with some beautiful email templates. If your site is already on Squarespace, I would recommend using their built-in email marketing. Or try Mailchimp and use their free plan to get started!
TRANSFORMATION 3
Make it easy for readers to connect
Show off your social media
Are your social media links buried on your about page or in the footer? Bring them up to the top of your website and make sure they appear on every page to make it easy for readers to follow and engage. I often recommend that authors add a live feed from their Facebook or Instagram account to their homepage—whichever platform they are most active on—to keep the content feeling fresh and current.
Help the reader actually buy your book
Make sure that there are large, correctly linked buy buttons to all the top booksellers on your homepage and book pages. My recommended list of booksellers to include are:
Your local independent bookstore and/or Bookshop.org (It’s important to support the small book stores in our communities!)
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
IndieBound
Books-A-Million
If you are self-published author, be sure to include an easy way for the reader to buy your book on your publishing platform or directly on your website.
A quick aside on social media
Here’s the truth about social media—you should only do the ones you really enjoy. You don’t have to appear on every platform and if there is a particular place you love sharing things, you are more likely to do it.
For instance, if you are a visual person and like to share images and videosabout your books and events, then go for Instagram or TikTok.
LinkedIn is a great way for non-fiction or business writers to connect with their audience.
If you like starting a conversation, then maybe X or Threads is your jam.
But I’m here to tell you—you don’t have to do them all. Don’t waste your precious writing time trying to keep up on all the latest social platforms. The only one you must be on is Facebook because over 3 billion people are on there and a good segment of your audience is there too. But don’t feel pressure to post all the time, you really just need a nicely set-up author page with some basic content about your books so your audience can find you. Facebook lets you promote events and can actually help you sell more books—other social media platforms have a less direct impact on your sales.
And when selecting your social media channels of choice, be sure to consider your audience—where are your readers most likely to be?
To build a following of loyal readers and sell more books, you need more than just a website. You need a strong author platform. This means your author website, social media and email newsletter are all working together to engage with your readers and show your value to publishers.
Ready to transform your author website and marketing?
