As an author, you pour yourself into each and every word that you write, but your story doesn’t start or end with the words on the pages. Who you are, what you do, why you write, and, especially for non-fiction authors, why people should trust what you say are all major factors in creating a community of readers that you can’t necessarily fit in every book.
This is where a website comes in. As an author, your website is a place for you to dive deeper into your personal story and background form a connection with readers that goes beyond just reading a single piece of your work. Not only this, but your website stands as a resume and portfolio for future publishers so you can continue to secure the bylines you want.
So, if you are an author (and/or writer), let’s take a look at why you need a website, how to actually use it to your career advantage, and take a peek at some author website examples from our brand agency.
Why You Need a Website as an Author
Before we jump into what you should actually have on your website as an author, let’s chat about why you should have one in the first place. After all, you may be thinking “Why would people go to a website when they can just buy the book on Amazon or go to a bookstore and pick it up?”
Well, your website is a place for you to do so much more than just advertise your book. This is a space for you to really show off your expertise and allow potential readers the chance to get to know more about you and your story. Maybe even more importantly, this is a place where you can connect with others in the publishing world to get more of your work out there. Your fav editor sending your website along with a pitch or book synopsis heightens your credibility.
Plus, if people were to buy your book at, say, Barnes & Noble, they may pick it up because of the cover, read the back, decide it’s something they want to read, and purchase it. They know nothing about you or anything else you potentially do, or how to keep up with you just from the content of your book.
However, if you have a website that they can visit (that you can even mention at the end of the book or put on the back cover), they can stay connected with you, find other works of yours, or work with you through other services you offer. It’s a way to expand beyond the book and continue to monetize the writing you are so passionate about.
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What to Feature on Your Website
When it comes to what to feature on your website, there are going to be a few key things you will see on all author website examples you come across- and you’ll want to make sure your author website has these as well.
Highlight Your Book(s) (obvi) – But Here’s How
First and foremost, you want to have information about your books and easy access to actually purchase it. The last thing you want is for someone to be sold on buying your book but then not be able to actually find where they can do that.
Now, depending on how many books you have, the way you lay everything out may be a bit different. For example, if you only have one book, you may just have a single page going into detail about that book.
However, if you have 5 books, you could instead create a portfolio on your site to feature them. This could include a main portfolio page that lists out all of the books you have written and then individual pages diving into each and highlighting any awards, book recommendations etc. so people can learn more about each of the books separately.
Create An About Page That’s More Than Your Author Bio
You should also have an about page that is more than just a paragraph or two. I know that’s more than your author bio, but it’s essential not only for authority and credibility, but also for Google to find you.
For example, if you are writing a book about finances and how to get yours in check, why should people trust you?
What experience and expertise do you have in this field? How do they know that what you are saying is good advice? Your about page is where you can dive into your background, why you do what you do, and why people should trust what you say.
Now, while the about page is important for people in the education or non-fiction genres, it’s also important for authors who write fiction. While you want readers to connect with the characters you write, you also want them to connect with you and your work.
This, in turn, will help build a community of readers who are eager to buy all of your work, not just a single series.
Finally, if you do offer other services, you want to make sure that people know that and can easily find ways to work with you. For example, my client Susan Padron has two books that people can purchase, but you can also work with her 1-on-1 as a personal stylist.
We made sure on her site that her book was featured and you could learn more about it, but that you can also quickly see how you can work with her personally . This is about having services be easy-to-find . And it’s not as simple as a list, you want to lead people there and make it a friendly user experience.
Your services could be something like this, or even book talks, signings, or other presentations around the same topics. Whatever it is, you want to make sure that people can find that information and easily reach out to you when they are ready!
Build Out a Press and Media Page
This page can serve one of two functions. First, it is another way for you to show off your previous work. Most of the time, a full book is not going to be the first thing you have written or been featured in.
A press and media page allows you to link any articles, podcasts, programs, or publications you have done work for in the past to further display your expertise and why people should trust you.
Second, it also gives other publications a way to reach out to you. This page can list out your approved bio, headshots, topics you speak on, and how to get in touch if someone does want to work with you.
Feature Events & Workshops You Speak At
Finally, an events and workshops page can help keep your audience more engaged with you beyond just reading your books. This is a page where you can feature any upcoming events that you are speaking at.
These events can be anything from book signings or book readings to summits or conferences you are speaking at, to your own events you are putting on. Any event that the public can attend can be featured on this page to help grow your community and allow people to connect with you in person (or virtually)!
Author Website Examples
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Now that we know why you should have a website and a few key things you need on them, let’s take a look at a couple of author website examples from past clients.
The Well Paid Expert
The Well Paid Expert is a site that is centered around helping people be paid well as experts with valuable information that they already have just sitting around.
Her book, The Well Paid Expert, is another way for her to help people along this path and we wanted to make sure that it was highlighted from the start. Right when you land on the home page, you immediately see the book itself as well as a link to actually purchase it.
As this is Kathleen’s only book currently, we made sure to prominently feature it after it was published, while also backing it up with social proof and information on why you should trust her as an author and what she has to say.
This includes content such as reviews, publications she has been featured in and brands she has worked with, as well as a press page. The press page is not only a space where people can find information about reaching out to her for features, but also where some of her most recent features are shown.
Of course, we also created an about page that dives into who she is, her mission, and why she is so good at what she does!
Along with her book, she also has a Mastermind that we created detailing what it is, what it includes, how it works, and how to join. This allows people to continue to work with her beyond just reading her book!
Grab Your Slice
While Monica is so much more than just an author, when it came to creating the Grab Your Slice website, we wanted to make sure there was a big focus on her book Grab Your Slice of Financial Independence.
Right when you land on her site, you immediately see a button where you can purchase her book. There is also so much information about her, what is in the book, and reviews to add an extra layer of social proof.
While the home page is dedicated to the book itself, we also created an individual “books” page that not only highlights the Grab Your Slice of Financial Independence book, but also lays out her upcoming books so people can keep up with her work and new releases.
Finally, in addition to a “press & media” page featuring some of the publications and articles she has been featured in or written, we also created a services page detailing all of her coaching and consulting services for anyone looking for more help or a partner in their financial journey!
Susan Padron
For intuitive personal stylist and author, Susan Padron, her work goes beyond just working with clients 1-on-1 in their style journey. She literally wrote the book on intuitive personal styling, pulling in her own expertise and experience from her life and her business.
While the main focus of her site is on booking clients to her stylist services, we still built out sections and pages on her site specifically dedicated to her books. Her home page features a section calling out the book which is a great way to draw attention to the work right when someone lands on your site.
We then built out a full page laying out the book itself, We Don’t Do ‘Just Okay’ Anymore and the companion workbook that goes along with it, Beyond ‘Just Okay’. Not only does this page give more insight into these books, but it also gives people an alternative way of joining her community and benefiting from her knowledge without working directly with her.
For those who may want both, we also added an additional section to this page about Susan and what she does that guides people to her services page to keep them exploring her site!
Matt Schulz
For seasoned speaker and writer Matt Shulz, his book Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More is his newest venture into the world of finance. While the book is gearing up for its release in March of 2024 we wanted to make sure he had a site that highlighted the upcoming book, his expertise, and give him a place to continually market the book.
Just because the book has not been released yet, we still set up the site in a way that checked all the necessary boxes and not only gave information about the book, but also about Matt and who he is.
All across the site, we have highlighted his experience of over 15 years as well as the different publications and media outlets he has either been interviewed by or written for. This works to position him as an authority in this field and lend social proof as to why you should trust what he says in his book.
If you are gearing up for a book release, like Matt, there is still a need for a book page detailing everything about the upcoming release. For example, you can find all of the information about the book on his page, as well as reviews from authorities who have already read the book, and links to pre-order the book.
Final Thoughts on Author Website Examples
Whether you are a first time author gearing up for your new book release, or a seasoned writer with multiple books published, hopefully these author website examples help you as you work to curate the perfect online presence for you and your brand (and yes, it is key that you have a brand that you can use to create your website).
If you are ready to take the next steps and give your written work the digital space it deserves, let’s chat. You can click here to learn more about my brand and web design services or head over here to get in touch!
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