To web or not to web

PortableHal said:

I was at a writer's website today when I realized that many if not most of the writers at AW seem to have their own web address -- or blog address, or both.

So, dear Webheads, I ask you: Is it worth it?

After the initial burst of inspiration/perspiration, have you continued to update and do you enjoy your website?

Do you get many visitors to your site? Does this equation (visitors = book sales) really pay off?

How many hours a week do you find yourself devoting to your web address...and does this mean that you've got less time to devote to your latest manuscript?

Bottom line, has having a website helped your career?

Click to expand...

Heck, yes!!! It's worth the time and effort. I get something like two-hundred hits a day. If anyone looks me up, they can see snippets of all my reviews and read blurbs about the books. There are also buy links.

I had my site professionally designed, then the designer taught me how to update. The initial upkeep was a little time consuming (maybe four hours or so a week), but well worth it. Now, I just update with new reviews or contest finals. I might give it an hour or so a week to check things like links and to add to my blog.

Hey, Portable H!

Is it worth it? Yes!

We are a "Webhead" generation, and I know if I trip across a name, Google it and don't find some web presence, it gives me pause. Just a simple 'who you are, what you've done and what's in the works' can make people come back for more.

I have an easy-update site (has to be for me. I'm not terribly web-savvy) Updates for new reviews, releases etc take an hour or two a month. The blog is a little more labor intensive (a few hours a week because in addition to posting a blog, I respond to every comment) but ultimately, I think it has paid off. For every person who comments regularly on the site, I have another few people who never 'live comment' but who email me through my contact page and often say wonderful things about my post or one of my books.

I wish I could quantify the hits to buyer ratio but I can't. According to royalty statements, I have a TON more website visitors than I have buyers But I do feel that by having the site I am building a rapport with people who may be future readers.

Bottom line? I'm not sure I would have had ANY sort of a career without the site.

Yes, a website is a must. If someone is curious about you, they will Google you. You need a web presence or they may give up and forget all about you (such are the times we live in)

A blog is a more personal expression I think, especially single author blogs with a more relaxed posting schedule.

I blog, but my blog is more of a reference for me. It has links to my favorite sites and resources, and I post submission calls, etc. It's easier for me to find that information on my own blog than sifting through forums to find it a second time

The website is the easiest way to find all an author's books, especially when an author might be published by several different publishers. I check out author sites all the time.

I don't need a complex site at this time, but mine, a free site but with my own .com address, offers the basics, and I can track my hits. I can up date as needed.

I always look for a website when I'm looking for an author or his/her books. Unfortunately, many of them have names that are hard to remember or spell, or they don't have the domain name with the dot com for their name - I rarely look under the dot net or other extensions. Sometimes I do a google search for them, if I can figure out how to spell their name.

I read the bios and blogs and I try to buy books by people I've met in person or online in this forum. I even went to a booksigning by one author I met on here when her book came out!

I had a website for my pen name when my first book came out. I didn't keep it, though. But I have the domain name registered for my real name and for a couple of possible pen names, just in case I do get another publishing contract. I'm still a few months away from finishing a project to submit, so I'm not in a rush to get my website up. But I have a wonderful website for the writing retreat I put on, which was made by the very nice www.conniemacdesign.com

This is why it's worth it.

PortableHal said:

Sandy, you get two hundred + hits a day? I think that's great. But do the hits translate into book buys or is there a way to track that?

Click to expand...

I'm not sure anyone can ever know for sure how closely websites and actual sales are connected. If anyone else knows of a way, I'd love to hear it.

Yes, it is worth it. It also doesn't need to be labor intensive.

The basic reasons to have a rudimentary website is that people using search engines will find out about your book, people searching for information about one of your books will discover your backlist. And that is before you really do anything other than put up one page with your books listed and a few good keywords.

I think having a website is important because how else are people going to find you? Reading one of your books doesn't tell you that much about you or your other work. Hopefully it has a web address in it where we can find out more.

Let's say I buy your book and I liked it so much I want to buy another or find out when your next one comes out. Most of the time when I look for more of something, I want it to be instant (I grew up on microwave food). Sure a publisher's site might have it, might come up if I google it. Usually I try authorname.com first and if the book is that good (and it doesn't work), then I try to find it through google.com.

If you don't have a website, I MIGHT check Amazon.com or something, maybe, if I've got spare time to go looking. Maybe. That still only gives me a list of some more books and nothing more.

If you don't have a web site, how are we going to get to know you? How are we going to follow your work? How are we going to know where / when you have book signings? How will we know anything other than what Amazon.com tells us... which is book title, description, review and price.

What does having a web site hurt?

There are cheap alternatives to paid designers. Do it yourself templates (please do use a template if you're not a professional), free blog space with a forwarding dot com. Even a facebook, twitter or myspace account could be used with a forwarding domain. Domains are around $10 a year.

My advice is start with a blog and get a feel for the content you want to putout for once it's out there... well you know the rest. Develop your voice find a layout you are comfortable with, just take your time. Once you have then you can spend the money and time on the website. I hope that helps.
Cass

PortableHal said:

... But do the hits translate into book buys or is there a way to track that?

Click to expand...

I can't say that hits translate into book buys, however, I can say that I can tell when a book is doing well because of the number of people coming to me from my publisher's site. Should you decide to go forward (heck, do something simple (and free!) like Blogger or Wordpress; my vote on this is YES, ABSOLUTELY GET A SITE), take the time to add reliable stat counting code (I use statcounter.com--it's free!).

I've also had several fans get in touch with me through my website -- both through my blog and my website email.

Recommended method for great service on one's website: boffing.
I sleep with my webmaster. A lot.
(But I do wish his job title had a non-BDSM-ish name.)

An unpublished writer ought to park her domain name yesterday.
Creepy people will buy writers dot com name and then sell try to sell them their domain name for mega dollars. Dana Stabenow's site just uses her last name, as someone else locked up danastabenow.com and Tony Hillerman had to use tonyhillermanbooks.com

I think it's important and agree with securing your web domain as soon as you know you need one, or sooner.
Of course, if you write under the name Annie Jones.... no, I've never been able to get it .com, I've been on the notification list but never been able to get it, in more than a decade - and no, the domain name is usually not active. Tried other things, anniejonesbooks.com, anniejones.somethingelse and getting traffic became a second job so between books I let it drop off and now it's not even up anymore. My sales have risen, btw

That's not scientific. If I had another big project (probably under a pen name) I'd have a website for it and a blog. Just to be out there. Not sure it matters, really, but why not do whatever you can to give your career a push?

annie - doesn't have a website - jones

What everyone said:
You need a website (fairly expensive)
or a blog (free).


Readers will come to the site if they have seen your name or your book title and they are curious.

Help these good people out, for Pete's sake.
When they arrive at your site let them find your book covers sitting there right on the front page.
Link to sellers. Link to a summary of the book and to an excerpt.

You also need a link to your e-mail,
(your separate author e-mail account,)
because reviewers and book groups and indie bookstore owners and so on want to talk to you.

You should get a cheap stat counter to track where your hits are coming from.
You should reserve your domain name.

Now.
There are two general ways to lure folks to your site.

I. Get reviewed.

If you ask what publishers do to promote books, the bare minimum is, 'they send out ARCs.' This is the biggest return on investment. It works.

Find out where your publisher is sending your ARCs for review.

(1) Check each of these sites to make sure they are still in business. Clear out the deadwood. If you've got half a dozen books under your belt and your ARCs have been going out to minor sites who never review them, weed those sites out as well.

(2) If someone has reviewed you intelligently, get their snail mail address and put them on the ARC list.

(3) Make sure the most widely read and respected review sites are on the list. Find less-well-known folks who review exactly what you write -- Google books like your own and see who reviews them -- and get those added.

If your publisher is not sending out ARCs, you should be doing this.

II. Provide content

If you write about fairies with cross-bows, you have done a lot of research on crossbows. Put the research on your blog. Folks interested in crossbows may buy your book, of course. Just as important, they will link to your site on their blogs. This linkage bumps your site upward in web searches.

And talk about books you love. Books that are similar to your own. You don't have to do 'reviews', but if you discuss the field in which you write, you can mention the best books and link to those authors' websites.

People who are interested in vampire fairies or fairies who knit or fairies in the context of law will be drawn to the site by the keywords of your text and by the names of other authors.

If you become a reliable source of history or legend or technological detail or just a comic pick-me-up, you will add value to the world. At worst, you have acted generously. At best, readers are going to come for the discussion, notice you're a writer, and buy the book.

PortableHal said:

Oops, rereading my post, I realize I'm sounding grumpy. If I sound argumentative, sorry, I don't mean to be. I get that people love having a website, I understand that some visitors are knocking on most of the e-doors, and I know that life is much more than commerce. That's all good.

I'm just wondering if there's a direct correlation (website = royalties) for the little guy.

Click to expand...

I don't think you sound grumpy, PH, just like a wise author wondering where best to invest time/resources.

website=royalties for the little guy? I don't know that anyone could answer that with a degree of accuracy.

What a website does offer little guys is a rapport of sorts with readers--the opportunity to have visibility even though the books might not be visible on a shelf.

I can tell you that since my first short story released (March 07) each subsequent release has increased sales--for new stories and old-- and also increased web hit count. If I didn't have my little 'home on the web' where I could post reviews and upcoming releases, I'd be totally dependent on my publishers' following to gain new readers and hold on to old ones. I like to think I have some measure of control, regardless how tiny.

But as others have pointed out, a web presence doesn't have to be a huge investment of time or funds. A simple blog with updated news does the trick.

Sorry PortableHal--I didn't read very thoroughly and missed your question.

There si a forum, I had one for awhile but was planning to set one up on a contact me page and haven't done it yet. I'll look around for it.

Also, you can buy a domain name at GoDaddy and set weebly to your own domain name--for the price of a $10 name! That's how I have melisseaires.com on a free site.

PortableHal said:

Hailey, your blogsite rocks. But I can't get your web link to work. Has it gone away? Is it broken? Or is it me?

Click to expand...

I'll check the link I left, I might have a typo. It should be http://www.cairinehouse.com

And thanks