About author websites and promotion

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
2,372
Reaction score
230
Location
Colorado
Website
indianroads.net
I’ve had a website for about 14 years. Initially, I used it as self-promotion regarding personal training and self-defense classes. Later, it became a catchall for stories and advice about riding motorcycles. Eventually, the stories grew in length and I began writing novels, so the site morphed into promotion and info about that.

A lot of the online advice about book promotion states that an author must have a website or blog, have an email distribution list, and aggressively hit social media. I have two problems with these suggestions: first, every single site I visit to get advice is trying to sell me something (services or software), and second, as an avid reader I’ve never visited an author’s website.

These days I buy most of my books on Amazon. My purchasing process is: I know the genre and look there, and if the cover looks intriguing, I’ll then read the product description, if that looks good, I’ll download the free sample, and finally, if the writing and story have grabbed me, I buy the book. Note that an author website or mailing list is not part of that process.

On Amazon, I can follow an author and receive a notification when they release a new book.

The point of this is that I’m thinking of closing down my website. In its place, I’ll up my advertising on Amazon and get involved with Bookbub, and use my Facebook author page to keep readers that want to follow me engaged.

Question 1) Am I not seeing some great benefit of having a website? Maybe my page sucks (it probably does), or maybe I’m not advertising the page presence properly. Thoughts?

Question 2) Amazon is the big dog in the pack, so advertising there is a no-brainer. Bookbub looks good, but I’ve not tried it yet. I’m on Goodreads, but don’t participate much. Any suggestions regarding on-line or retail sales platforms?

Question 3) Like many, I’d much rather spend my time writing than marketing. I’ve heard that getting several well-written books in active genres is really the way to increase exposure and sales. True or false?

Question 4) Engineers (as I was in a previous life) like to believe that a good product sells itself – but when we say that those in marketing snicker. I know (but hate it) that I have to work more on marketing, can anyone suggest classes or books that might help?

Thanks!
 

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman
Super Moderator
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
22,454
Reaction score
4,956
Location
In chaos
Question 1) Am I not seeing some great benefit of having a website? Maybe my page sucks (it probably does), or maybe I’m not advertising the page presence properly. Thoughts?

Keep your website. It might not seem like much use to you; but it's not terribly expensive to maintain a website, and it acts as a useful hub where readers can find things out about you and your books.

Also, you really don't want anyone else to set up a website in your name, as this can cause confusion and problems for you.

Question 2) Amazon is the big dog in the pack, so advertising there is a no-brainer. Bookbub looks good, but I’ve not tried it yet. I’m on Goodreads, but don’t participate much. Any suggestions regarding on-line or retail sales platforms?

I'm always sceptical when it comes to paid advertising. It's no longer my area of expertise; I would look at what other successful writers are doing, and see what you can learn from them.

Question 3) Like many, I’d much rather spend my time writing than marketing. I’ve heard that getting several well-written books in active genres is really the way to increase exposure and sales. True or false?

I think this is true. The more books you have out, the wider your reach is.

Instead of marketing, think about engaging with your readers. Find a social media platform you enjoy and spend a bit of time there. Promote other writers who work in your genre--review their books, retweet their special offers, etc--and you'll find that they start doing the same for you. Have a look at Liz Fenwick's twitter stream: she writes books about Cornwall, and spends a huge amount of time and effort promoting Cornwall and other writers who work in this area; it's been very successful for her. See how she works. She's good.

Question 4) Engineers (as I was in a previous life) like to believe that a good product sells itself – but when we say that those in marketing snicker. I know (but hate it) that I have to work more on marketing, can anyone suggest classes or books that might help?

As I said earlier, it's more about engaging with your potential readers. Making connections. Being friendly and keen and interesting. It's not a difficult thing. Just be nice, and don't make your online presence all about self promotion.
 

Lawless

Registered
Joined
May 1, 2018
Messages
29
Reaction score
4
I’m thinking of closing down my website. In its place, I’ll up my advertising on Amazon and [---] Am I not seeing some great benefit of having a website?

There isn't necessarily a great benefit, but once it's there, why take it down? I see no reason why it couldn't exist parallelly with everything else you're doing to promote yourself.

Even if you stop working on your website, it should remain online as it is, unless you have a specific reason to be unhappy with it. After all, by popping up in search results, it can help people find you. Just put a notice on a visible place saying something like thank you for visiting my website, this is no longer updated, but you can get to know everything about my newer projects by visiting so-and-so.
 

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
Messages
14,532
Reaction score
24,099
Location
Massachusetts
Website
elizabethbonesteel.com
A web site - and to a lesser extent, the big social media platforms - are like having your name listed in the phone book: people who've heard of your name will expect to be able to find you there.

Your web site should contain, at the very least, your name, information on your published work/forthcoming releases, and links to buy your books. Ditto your Facebook page and your Twitter feed. (I know next to nothing about Instagram, although I know some people use it, but I know they use it because I see them link to posts via Twitter.) Facebook and Twitter should include, at a minimum, any news you have about your work, and links to your web page in your profile.

You can engage more than that on social media if you enjoy that sort of thing, but it's unlikely to get you a critical mass of new readers. What it will do is give people who hear your name something to look at.

Getting your name heard by potential readers? That's a much harder proposition, and a whole different situation depending on how you're publishing. Trade publishers do most of their marketing pre-release, which helps get your name into the minds of people who read your genre, but once you're out there what your publisher does is going to depend on a lot of factors, many/most of which will be out of your control.

So what can you do to publicize your own work effectively? The problem is, of course, that's an impossible question to answer in any kind of general terms. Some folks have great success with Facebook ads (I tried a few times; they didn't help me at all). Some folks go viral on Twitter for serendipitous reasons, which gives their sales a kick. A lot of what can work is genre-dependent, which is another reason to hang around on social media: you'll see what other authors do, and you'll recognize what you do and don't respond to as a reader of your genre.

I've found at least one reader by being on AW. One long-time reader found me because I was (at the time) repped by the same agent who repped another writer she liked. My former agent worked with an industry writer/editor who, long after that agent and I had parted ways, approached me to commission a short story. Chance, really, all of them.

You don't know what's going to sell your books to people, or what's going to help your longer-term career, so IME the best thing to do is engage where you can comfortably engage, be professional and open to possibility, and keep writing.
 

AW Admin

Administrator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
18,772
Reaction score
6,285
The value of owning your own Website is:

  • Google and other search engines juice. If Amazon and Kobo are taken out by a meteor or change their names, your Website will still be there.
  • Your Web site is a hub; you link to it everywhere. It's the durable navigation beacon.
  • You control the content of your Website; not some corporate entity.

Did you read this stickie ?
 
Last edited:

Splendor

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
111
Reaction score
13
I notice quite a few authors are on goodreads and Amazon solely and no other platforms. I semi blog on my website which is the reason I have it but I ask myself this question often. What's the purpose? I RARELY visit author websites.
 

Fuchsia Groan

Becoming a laptop-human hybrid
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 27, 2008
Messages
2,870
Reaction score
1,399
Location
The windswept northern wastes
The purpose is to make you findable independent of any particular corporate entity, as others have said. Amazon could change its policies any time—for instance, I see they just decided not to list events on author pages anymore. If you listed a ton of upcoming events there, they’re now gone. But if you put them on your site, you can link to it and refer readers there from Amazon, I’m guessing.

Nobody discovers authors via author websites. But once they have discovered you, that’s how they can reliably find you. Kids who read my book in their school libraries then google me and contact me via the form on my site. It’s a crappy free site and I haven’t updated it in forever, but I wouldn’t want to be without it.

I keep hearing that newsletters matter for the same reason—a way to find your fans independent of any particular social media corporation. I don’t have one of those yet, though.
 

PostHuman

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 25, 2010
Messages
248
Reaction score
22
Location
Los Angeles
Question 1) Am I not seeing some great benefit of having a website? Maybe my page sucks (it probably does), or maybe I’m not advertising the page presence properly. Thoughts?
I'd say there is a more significant benefit if you are writing non-fiction books about certain subject, to help build your personal brand as an expert on something.

Question 3) Like many, I’d much rather spend my time writing than marketing. I’ve heard that getting several well-written books in active genres is really the way to increase exposure and sales. True or false?
Of course it starts with the product; however, if you are publishing your own books, all of the marketing and PR process falls entirely on you. If you are already working with a small publisher, there are likely some things you can do to help their efforts - ask them.


Question 4) Engineers (as I was in a previous life) like to believe that a good product sells itself – but when we say that those in marketing snicker. I know (but hate it) that I have to work more on marketing, can anyone suggest classes or books that might help?

If you are self-publishing non-fiction books about a certain subject, an entire industry has arisen to provide advice for how to build a business around this kind of thing. If you are self-publishing novels, I would research the most successful self-published fiction writers and I'm guessing at least some of them have also shared a lot of advice or written books about their process.
 

cool pop

It's Cool, Miss Pop if You're Nasty
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
660
Reaction score
131
Location
Texas
The least thing an author can have is a website. It's really no excuse not to have one since they are free and even if you don't want to get an original domain name just having a site is better than nothing. My website doesn't get many views a month either but that doesn't mean it's not beneficial. Some readers don't care about websites but some do and where do you think a reader goes if they want to know more about you or your books? Say someone reads your book and sees your link inside and goes, "Man I loved this book! I've found my new favorite author!" Then they go on your site and end up going to a retailer and buying a bunch of books at once AND signs up for your mailing list. That's a huge incentive. Many readers are not going to go hunting retailers for someone's books especially if you sell on all retailers like I do.

What about other things you can include on a site you can't elsewhere? Like books you got coming soon, information for industry people to network with you, sharing a little about yourself and why you write? Websites build relationships and can capture FANS not just readers. They can help build a loyal audience. An author's website is the only way some readers keep up with authors because contrary to popular belief many readers are not on social networks. So many authors think they can just send readers to Facebook and Twitter. No. You need a place of your own. A website is your own place to sell you and your books. And, even if you don't see a benefit from it if anything it makes an author seem more professional and serious. I know many authors without websites. They rely on FB and I shake my head. You should never rely on a site you can't control to build your brand. If FB went out of business tomorrow, many authors would be lost.

Another thing I notice is too many authors judge something by return of investment in SALES. Everything is not going to give you immediate sales or ROI you can "see" but it doesn't mean it's not working. Any exposure an author can get especially for free is a blessing.
 
Last edited:

cool pop

It's Cool, Miss Pop if You're Nasty
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
660
Reaction score
131
Location
Texas
On Amazon, I can follow an author and receive a notification when they release a new book.

No disrespect meant but that's YOU. Many readers couldn't care less about following an author on Amazon. This proves my point. Authors have a horrible habit of judging readers by their own preferences. I used to do that too and learned why that wasn't a good idea. I used to judge readers by things I did or didn't do concerning buying books and BOY was I wrong. I did surveys of my readers and realized I was way off thinking I knew what readers' behaviors were. Heck, I didn't even know my OWN readers behaviors. I assumed but it was eye-opening and beneficial to learn better. We cannot judge readers on what we do. Many readers do not even buy from Amazon. Did you know that? People want to keep saying Amazon is the big dog but do you realize how many readers (especially International) don't even buy from Amazon?

Many readers on Amazon don't follow an author. I have NEVER followed an author on Amazon. I follow them on Bookbub. But Amazon? Nope. In fact I don't even buy books (or anything else from Amazon anymore.) Except for maybe one or two things I stopped shopping at Amazon two years ago. I buy books from Barnes and Noble.com because it's much, much cleaner over there and books are actually in the right categories, bestselling ranks aren't fraudulent and manipulated, and KU and Amazon Publishing books aren't shoved down my throat. I can breathe over there and actually find books I want to read without books I'm not interested in thrown at me every second because they're stuffed in the wrong categories. Amazon is a cesspool now. Nothing is in any order and it's like digging through a haystack with a needle to find what you want to read. The only time I go there is when I check on my books once in a while. I can't even stand to go on Amazon now it's so messy-looking.

My point, again though, everyone is different. Don't make the famous mistake of thinking readers share your habits or preferences because many don't.
 
Last edited:

lorna_w

Hybrid Grump
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
3,262
Reaction score
3,236
New website. Kenbarretbooks.com. Make it only about the books. Big linkable cover images that open a new tab in a browser. Set it up once, update it with new books when you release them, and it'll serve you well. Don't hand over all your control to Amazon. Many before you have lived to regret that.
 

cool pop

It's Cool, Miss Pop if You're Nasty
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
660
Reaction score
131
Location
Texas
I notice quite a few authors are on goodreads and Amazon solely and no other platforms. I semi blog on my website which is the reason I have it but I ask myself this question often. What's the purpose? I RARELY visit author websites.

This is my point when I posted about authors often judge (me included) readers by our preferences. Yeah, I don't visit websites often but I do visit them. I used to believe most readers don't visit them until I surveyed many of my readers and they said they do in fact visit author web sites and keep up with many of their favorite authors that way. Just goes back to us having to remember each reader is different. Of course it's up to an author if they want a site or not but I don't see why someone wouldn't have one since it's free and takes an hour or less to put together a simple site showcasing books.
 

cool pop

It's Cool, Miss Pop if You're Nasty
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
660
Reaction score
131
Location
Texas
New website. Kenbarretbooks.com. Make it only about the books. Big linkable cover images that open a new tab in a browser. Set it up once, update it with new books when you release them, and it'll serve you well. Don't hand over all your control to Amazon. Many before you have lived to regret that.

Agree! Authors need to stop being so dependent on sites like Amazon and FB and remember that they are the only ones who can build their brand. Diversification is the key. But, as I said, I can't understand how having a free, easy site you set up yourself is a big deal. I'm sorry but I take nothing for granted. I do anything and everything I can to promote my brand and my books especially if it's free.
 

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
2,372
Reaction score
230
Location
Colorado
Website
indianroads.net
New website. Kenbarretbooks.com. Make it only about the books. Big linkable cover images that open a new tab in a browser. Set it up once, update it with new books when you release them, and it'll serve you well. Don't hand over all your control to Amazon. Many before you have lived to regret that.

Thanks! And I'll do just that. Right now I'm in the crush of getting the 3rd novel in my Extinction series out (there will be 5 total), but will hit this hard after that happens in September.

Fantastic advice - and much thanks to all the posted.
 

Splendor

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
111
Reaction score
13
The purpose is to make you findable independent of any particular corporate entity, as others have said. Amazon could change its policies any time—for instance, I see they just decided not to list events on author pages anymore. If you listed a ton of upcoming events there, they’re now gone. But if you put them on your site, you can link to it and refer readers there from Amazon, I’m guessing.

Nobody discovers authors via author websites. But once they have discovered you, that’s how they can reliably find you. Kids who read my book in their school libraries then google me and contact me via the form on my site. It’s a crappy free site and I haven’t updated it in forever, but I wouldn’t want to be without it.

I keep hearing that newsletters matter for the same reason—a way to find your fans independent of any particular social media corporation. I don’t have one of those yet, though.

What website are you using?
 

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
2,372
Reaction score
230
Location
Colorado
Website
indianroads.net
I kept my website - and just finished updating it (link is in my sig at the bottom). I simplified the site A LOT - going from five pages of motorcycle, martial arts, and novels to just one page with links and info for my books. The changes will make it a lot easier to manage. I'll still need to mess about with the SEO BS, but it's linked to my FB author page (~260 followers) and that will have to do for now.

As always, thanks for the information / opinions.
 

stephenf

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 29, 2008
Messages
1,199
Reaction score
335
I have made a couple of commercial web sites .If you enjoy learning new things , creating a web sit can be fun . If you do the research and all the work , web sites don't cost much to get going . However , I found, using WordPress, the look of my site never looked as good as I wanted.. In the end , a mixture of boredom and not seeing any benefit, I shut them down. I did feel a bit of sadness, but not quite as bad as loosing a pet . I have been tinkering with the idea of making another one , but I know promotion is time consuming and it's not cost free.
 
Last edited:

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
2,372
Reaction score
230
Location
Colorado
Website
indianroads.net
I have made a couple of commercial web sites .If you enjoy learning new things , creating a web sit can be fun . If you do the research and all the work , web sites don't cost much to get going . However , I found, using WordPress, the look of my site never looked as good as I wanted.. In the end , a mixture of boredom and not seeing any benefit, I shut them down. I did feel a bit of sadness, but not quite as bad as loosing a pet . I have been tinkering with the idea of making another one , but I know promotion is time consuming and it's not cost free.

I created my website by writing my own html, css, and javascript. I'm old enough that new-fangled technology seems more trouble than it's worth - and I could get exactly what I wanted by doing it myself. Even going through godaddy (probably the most expensive out there) my website only costs me a few dollars a year.
 

Ichabod

Registered
Joined
Apr 10, 2019
Messages
36
Reaction score
1
I’ve had a website for sometime now and all I really know is that A couple of beta readers were looking at my short stories and commented back, "I loved it do you have another." I sent them my web address and never heard from them again. It must have been my picture. If only I had a trendy look.
I have given up on Amazon, removing my reviews that were honestly gathered. I’m looking into asking a friend who has a large mailing list if he would advertise my book release. But in the back of my mind it seems wrong somehow, and then I think, but I would pay him. I don’t know I guess I’ll have to think about it for a while.
 

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
2,372
Reaction score
230
Location
Colorado
Website
indianroads.net
I’ve had a website for sometime now and all I really know is that A couple of beta readers were looking at my short stories and commented back, "I loved it do you have another." I sent them my web address and never heard from them again. It must have been my picture. If only I had a trendy look.
I have given up on Amazon, removing my reviews that were honestly gathered. I’m looking into asking a friend who has a large mailing list if he would advertise my book release. But in the back of my mind it seems wrong somehow, and then I think, but I would pay him. I don’t know I guess I’ll have to think about it for a while.

Good thing I look so much like Brad Pitt... :roll: I crack me up.

I have a ton of old short stories, and I'm thinking about putting up a story-of-the-month on my website - and advertise them on Facebook just to attract visitors.
 

Laer Carroll

Aerospace engineer turned writer
Super Member
Registered
Temp Ban
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
2,478
Reaction score
268
Location
Los Angeles
Website
LaerCarroll.com
The fact is that most promotion efforts are only a bit effective - if at all. The only thing that sells books are our books.

You have to expect your books won't make much of a splash at first and for a few years. (Yes, YEARS.) Over time you will likely (though there are no guarantees) gain readers. You will likely after publishing a new book sell a few of your older books. Then MAYBE one book will catch fire - perhaps for no reason that you can understand.

That latter is what happened to me. To my surprise after publishing my seventh book several thousand dollars showed up in my bank acct the month after - and the money kept coming, then slowly lessened to a few sales each day.

Luckily by then I had the sequel ready. Then many months later the second sequel which is performing even better (so far) than the previous two.

Will that pattern keep up with my next books? I don't know. I can only keep writing. Luckily I write because I cannot NOT write.