Definition: Hybrid Author -- one who publishes in more than
one way, using any combination of traditional, small press, epress, and/or
self-publishing.
 |
| Header for kayelleallen.com |
There are more reasons authors need a website, but these are
the most important, in my opinion. What do I know? As a hybrid author myself, I
have marketed my books for over twelve years, and have been a mentor to many. I'm the owner of The Author's Secret, and work with authors every
day. Plus, I'm the founder of Marketing for Romance Writers, which has nearly
3k members on Yahoo and over 6k members on Facebook.
- When
you are self-published, your books are found online, not while a reader is
casually walking past a shelf in a bookstore. A casual shopper might see
your book on Amazon, or Barnes and Noble, and other sites. But a website
gives readers a place to research your books and find out more about you. If
a reader likes your book, or wants to know more, where can he or she go to
learn about you?
- A
website with your name as the domain (authorname.com) provides a place
without ads that pop up like some of the "free" sites. Readers who
see popups and ads spend less time on the site. If they click one of the
ads, they are taken away from your site. With your own domain, you can
control whether clicking a link opens in a new window, which allows
readers to shop, and then come back.
- A
website is an investment in your business and your future. If writing is a
hobby for you, and you are only in it for the fun, save your money and do
a free site. If writing is what wakes you up in the morning and puts you
to bed (late) at night, then do yourself and your future readership a
favor and become serious about promoting yourself with a website.
- A
website gives you the opportunity to judge how well known you are. Google
Analytics is one of the free tools out there to let you interpret website
statistics. (it's not as scary as it sounds, trust me) For example, I know
that today, 38% of visitors to my website get there by directly typing my
name (and adding .com) into the address bar of their browser.
- With
your own domain, you can have several professional email accounts with
your author name. (yourname@yourdomain.com) It's okay to use another email
account such as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc. as well. You can have your
professional email accounts forward there. But you'll need a pro account
for contacting publishers, review sites, sending press releases, and for
business cards or your website. I use several different email addresses.
When I do a live event I can use a new one, and others for anything
promoted online or in print. When I get an email, I can tell immediately
where the person got the address. This helps me judge effectiveness of an
event's reach.
- Adding
a blog (such as Wordpress) to your own domain means people who read your
blog come directly to your site. No one will shut down your blog if it
belongs to you and is hosted on your own domain.
- A website gives you a place to sell books and to gather contacts for your newsletter. This is vital. A newsletter is a list of people who have expressed an interest in your books. Would you not want to know who they are? Of course you would!
Are there other reasons? Yes. I'd love to hear yours.
What if you can't afford a dedicated domain name?
- If you
have no money and you are just starting out, scrimp and save and buy that
domain. Go without two new books. It will cost you about the same.
- Ask on Marketing for Romance Writers for advice as well. You'll find lots of people ready to help.
- If you
don't know how to create a site, create one with wordpress. You can get
beautiful free themes and do customization on your own by following
directions online.
- Ask
around, and see who built their own sites. See if a friend will help.
There is power in networking.
Bottom line, a website is your best bet for creating a place
for readers to find out more about you and your books. Make the most of the
opportunity. A blog will bring people to your site, so if you've been thinking
about creating one, while you're creating your site is a good time to start.
Have something to add to this? Leave a comment below.
---
Kayelle
Allen is a best selling American author. Her unstoppable heroes and heroines include
contemporary every day folk, role-playing immortal gamers, futuristic covert agents,
and warriors who purr.
Homeworld and Blog https://kayelleallen.com
