Website Rehab by Sarah E. Burr

It’s incredible how many subject matter experts (SMEs) are required to publish and promote a book. The scary part is they’re all usually the same person. Especially if you’re like me, a hybrid author living most of her life in the indie space. Since I began writing in 2017, I’ve had to become an SME in editing, proofreading, book formatting, copywriting, tech systems, cover design, social media, website design, marketing…the list goes on. As authors, we’re responsible for so much beyond just writing an engaging story with relatable characters and a twisted mystery. For me, all these things I’ve had to learn over the years, I’ve figured out by doing and googling the heck out of how-to videos. In this profession, you learn something new every day, or you’re forever playing catch up.

So, when I learn something, I try to share it with others. I do this mostly through the tutorial videos on my YouTube channel, which highlight how to use programs like Canva to make eye-catching book promotional materials. But today, I want to share some tips and suggestions when it comes to managing your author website.

I will be very honest; managing my website is one of my least favorite things. I try to remind myself that a website is often the first impression someone gets when looking an author up online. As the host of A Bookish Moment and The Bookish Hour, I use author websites all the time to get information about my guests. It’s the first window we get into who an author is and what they’re all about.

The checklist below is a compilation of things I am looking for when I’m visiting an author’s website or working on my own:

 

·         An up-to-date “About” section

o   This is meant to introduce yourself to your readers and charm them. Share a bit of your journey through this section, but keep it professional enough that interviewers and bloggers can use this information to write an introduction or biography for your feature.

o   First person versus third person: Writing an “About” in the first person often feels like you’re communicating directly with the reader, which is lovely. However, if you don’t provide a media kit on your website (see bonus point), a first-person write-up can be a royal pain for interviewers and bloggers. I often use the “About” section to craft a bio for my podcast or blog guests; third-person write-ups make this much more manageable.

·         A high-quality, professional-looking headshot

o   What do you want your first impression with a reader, interviewer, or conference host to be? When I come across a blurry or unfocused photo on a website, I am forced to question the competence of the individual. These are our jobs, our careers. We should be professionally presenting ourselves. This doesn’t mean your photo can’t be fun. Showcase your personality; just make sure you're wearing business casual clothing and have a high-resolution image (1080x1080 pixels or more).

·         An up-to-date “Book(s)” section

o   Make sure your books are displayed somewhere on your website. This might seem like a given, but I’m amazed at how often I have to scour a website to see the books an individual has written. And when I find their book listing, they only have their first or latest book posted. ALL your books should be somewhere on your website. If you’ve written a lot, it’s a pain, I know, but it’s a necessity. You want readers to be able to see and access everything you’ve done because who knows which book will resonate with them. You don’t have to have long-winded descriptions of each. For my fourteen-book Court of Mystery series, I highlight the latest release and then have thumbnails of all the other books in the series.

o   Make sure the book covers are formatted so interviewers can download the images for any promotional materials they need.

·         A form or pop-up for newsletter sign-ups

o   We all have heard about the importance of a newsletter in marketing. It is the one contact list we own as authors. If social media ever vanishes, we could still communicate with readers through our newsletters. So, it’s vital that signing up for such a list be made accessible. Most platforms allow integration between your newsletter and website (some companies even offer both services). Make sure your newsletter sign-up is prominently displayed or called out on your website. This way, you can direct readers to your webpage instead of a newsletter sign-up URL.

·         Bonus: An online media kit

o   As an interviewer, when I come across an author webpage with an online media kit, I’ve hit the jackpot. It’s a one-stop shop for everything I need when crafting a feature about the author. A media kit includes:

§  A third-person biography

·         I like to provide bios with different word counts to make sure I cover any situation (fifty words or less, a hundred or less, and two paragraphs are my recommendation)

§  A professional-looking, high-resolution headshot

·         With the quality of cell phone cameras these days, you don’t need to break the bank by hiring a photographer. The photos in my media kit were taken by my husband and a small $10 tripod I bought on Amazon.

§  High-resolution images of your latest book covers

§  Shareable links

·         These include (but are not limited to) your website, newsletter sign-up, book product pages, book listings on preferred retailers, and writing extracurriculars (such as a blog or podcast).

 

If I find all this information on an author’s website, I’m happy. This means that, as an interviewer or blogger, I can get everything I need in one place if/when my guest doesn’t send the materials to me.

You don’t need tabs and tabs of information on a website, either. I’m guilty of having too many tabs because I have too much going on in my author and author-adjacent worlds. A simple one or two-page website can get the job done, and it becomes much more manageable in the long run.

I also recommend dedicating time every month to sit down and visit each page of your website to ensure that they are functioning as expected. You’d be amazed how often a broken URL can occur, and by scheduling time to check out your website, you can keep the content up to date. I used to do this only when I had a new release rolling out, and the number of items I had to address beyond incorporating my latest book was overwhelming. Websites, unfortunately, aren’t a “set-it-and-forget-it” type marketing tool. They need to be maintained to be valuable.

What do you like to see when visiting an author's website?