OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
This is a guest post from Melissa Donovan, founder and editor of Writing Forward, a blog packed with creative writing tips and ideas.
As I wander around the web, I come across a lot of writers who spend their days in cubicles, and then fill up their evenings and weekends writing. Some of them are just starting to submit their work. Some of them are already published authors. In fact, more and more of them are self-published authors with decent repertoires. They dream of quitting their day jobs so they can write, full time, for a living.
To achieve their dreams, these writers have to successfully market their work and sell their books. The burden of marketing almost always lands squarely on an author's shoulders, whether the author has chosen traditional publishing or self-publishing.
The vast majority of these writers are making one big mistake in general: they are not treating their writing like a business. I know, all the artists roll their eyes and get angry when I say things like that, but there it is. If you don't treat your writing like a business, you will fail. That's all there is to it.
Luckily, the Internet makes running a business a whole lot easier than it used to be. It still requires a lot of time and energy, but it's not as costly and it's much easier to do yourself.
As a writer striving to make a career out of writing, your number one asset is your website. Through your website, you can connect with agents, editors, publishers, other writers, and most importantly, readers.
Below are the five most common mistakes that writers make on their websites. These are big mistakes that could result in missed opportunities and they are mistakes that are easily repaired.
1. No Bio
In business, an about page is one of the three standard pages every single website should have (the other two are home and contact). It's not unusual for this to be the second most visited page on any website (after the home page).
For an author, this page should be called a bio (short for biography), and every writer's website should include this page. Agents, editors, and readers are interested in knowing what you're all about, and this is where they'll go to find out.
What to include: Your full (pen) name, your purpose or mission (to publish a novel, for example), credentials, and achievements. Check the bios of successful authors for examples.
2. No Social Media Presence
A lot of writers and business owners initially rail against social media, but once they learn how to use these sites effectively, they're hooked. There are huge communities of readers that you can tap through sites like Twitter, Facebook, and GoodReads. In fact, many writers (including myself) will tell you that using social media marketing properly can lead to publishing opportunities and increased sales of your work.
Tips: Make sure you get a Facebook page (also called a fan page or like page) as opposed to a personal profile, and make sure links to your social media profiles are clearly visible on your website.
3. No Contact Information
This is probably the single biggest mistake that writers make on their websites. They hide their email addresses somewhere or forget to include them at all. If you're already a huge success, then maybe you don't need to make yourself accessible via email. But what if an agent is interested in representing you? What if an editor wants to publish your work or offer you a book deal?
It's not enough to leave your blog comments open and share links to your social media profiles. You should provide a clear and easy way for visitors to contact you privately.
What to include: Create a contact page and make sure it appears in your navigation menu. Use a form for privacy (a form hides your email address).
4. The Content is Not Polished
If you're a writer and you want to be considered professional, every single word you publish should be polished. Yes, the occasional typo will slip through. That happens to everybody. But when a reader or publishing professional comes to your site and every published page reads like a first draft, they're going to click away in search of writers who know how to proofread, edit, and use good grammar.
Tips: After you finish composing a page or a post, read through it a couple of times to clean it up. If possible, let it sit overnight and give it a final review before you publish it.
5. The Design is Abysmal
There are so many lovely free website and blog templates that there's no excuse for having a cluttered, ugly, difficult-to-navigate website. Nobody wants a cookie-cutter site that looks just like dozens of others but it's a heck of a lot better than having a site nobody wants to visit at all. We get it. You're a writer, not a designer. If you can't afford to hire a professional designer, get a decent freebie until you can.
Tips: Use a blog as your website platform. There are tons of free blog themes available. I recommend getting a self-hosted WordPress site.
This weekend, set aside a couple of hours to step back and look at your website. Are you making any of these mistakes? Look for other areas of your site that could be improved. Read through some of your content and check for typos and other mechanical errors. Take a little time to clean it up, and then get back to your writing. Good luck!
Do you have any questions about your writer's website or blog? Add them in the comments below.
About the Author: Melissa Donovan is a professional website designer and copywriter. She is also the founder and editor of Writing Forward, a blog packed with creative writing tips and ideas.
Top image: Flickr CC Mouin M
Thanks Joanna and Melissa. I was lacking on point #3, but thanks to you, I just fixed it on my own blog.
Hi Joseph! I just found your contact information on your blog in two clicks and about as many seconds 🙂 Awesome!
I indeed agree that writing is a business. I like your post on these five mistakes. I even learned something that I must improve on. Many writer especially new are not aware of these “non-writing” necessities and fail to maximize their efficiency in promoting their books and themselves. Great thanks to these.
Hi Judith. I believe that these days, a good website is a writer’s most valuable asset. I’m heartened to see so many writers who are willing to learn what goes into a great site. Thanks so much 🙂
Thanks, this was so timely. When I published my first book I set up an author’s website, and a separate blog. The website was all about the one book I had, the blog turned out to be all about my journey as an indie author. They both worked well for me, but my second book is about to come out, and I am planning on blogging a lot more about the subject of my writing (historical fiction) and this has motivated a change.
I was feeling increasingly divided by maintaining the two sites, and I knew I was going to have to completely revamp the website once I had 2 books to promote, so I spent the weekend turning my wordpress blog into a fully functioning website for book promotion as well as blogging.
I would love if people took a look at it (it is still under construction) and let me know if they think it will work. I would also love to hear about how many of you all maintain more than one website, or a website and a blog, and how that has worked for you.
The newly constructed site is http://mlouisalocke.wordpress.com/
Thanks,
M. Louisa Locke,
author of Maids of Misfortune: A Victorian San Francisco Mystery
Hi Louisa, I LOVE the pic of you and your dog – it gives a great personal feel already – although perhaps it should be above the fold on the header? I also think your blog needs some colour – it is just plain text – do you have some images or sub-headings to break up the text to make it more attractive to read? Just some ideas anyway – all the best, Joanna
Hi Louisa, I definitely think you are on the right track in going with a single blog/website combo. If you start thinking about authors who have written dozens of novels, you can imagine how impossible it would be to manage a website for each one!
I live in the SF vicinity and I love your header image. Vintage SF photos feel like home to me 🙂
The only suggestion I have for you would be to place links to your social media higher in your sidebar (something I myself need to do, actually). I would take “pages” out of the sidebar (since those links are already in your main navigation menu) and replace it with your Twitter link (and get a Facebook page too). Good luck and nice job!
I think you could use my site as an example. It’s not a site with goals of publishing one day, its just an entertaining way to present my writing. http://www.horrorsofmymind.com
Hi Melissa,
Thanks! I can’t believe I did not have contact info on my site, it just slipped my mind.
You’re welcome Belinda. I’m glad this post helped you improve your site 🙂
Thank you so much for this superb post. I have just added my bio to my blog and am working on a contact form too.
Really helpful advice, thank you.
This is why I love being a writer and part of the writing community. Writers are so responsive to ideas and suggestions, and you definitely embody that spirit, Rebecca. You did a great job putting your bio and contact in the navigation menu — perfect!
Excellent advice – I would second the point about design, which should never be underestimated – I’ve been delighted with the designer for my book, she can offer help to self published (or traditionally published) authors for the book itself (real or electronic) and the website. You can find her on http://www.quartodesign.com if you are interested.
Thanks for the post,
Sarah (author of Keeping Your Spirits Up)
I agree, Sarah. Design should never be underestimated. It is, after all, the first impression that readers get when they visit a writer’s website. I think the importance of design is even more significant for book covers. Thanks for sharing the link to your cover designer.
This is a wonderful post. I am currently working on getting a new website set up for myself and I will definitely be keeping all of this in mind.
Again, wonderful post,
Ashley
Ah, getting a new site is always exciting. Good luck, Ashley 🙂
Excellent post. These are wonderful tips. I’m getting ready for a more stream-lined, customized design and found this reminder about the important things so helpful. Thanks!
My pleasure, Serenity. I think streamlined designs are ideal for writers, especially writers who don’t write their own code. Simple designs also emphasize the writing, and that’s a good thing 🙂
I have recently recreated my website because I did not like the Flash website I started out with. I have covered all five points you make but I still wonder about how it is being accepted. Any feed back you or anyone might have would be greatly appreciated!
http://www.authorjapaul.com/
Thanks for the post.
Hi J.A., The first impression of your site is warm and inviting, quite lovely and comfortable. Since you have an author site, I would recommend changing “About me” to simply “Bio.” It’s not a deal-breaker but it’s industry standard.
Your intro paragraph on the home page (“Have a look around…”) isn’t necessary because it just points visitors to the navigation, which is directly above. Since you have a couple of great reviews, why not emphasize those instead?
These are sort of minor nitpicks; overall, your site looks great and I think it’s effective at marketing your work, especially “The Book” page.
Thanks Melissa! I incorporated those minor changes. Thanks for the feedback.
just thought i’d drop in for a second to disagree with point #4. i find it’s much, much more important for the authors voice on their own blog to be authentic rather than polished. maybe we’re just talking semantics here, but connecting with your audience is more about a personal connection with honest passion and feeling than proving you can write superfluous prose.
you’re an author. it’s kind of assumed you can write. what you need to do on your authoring platform is make me like you. make me root for you. make me evangelize your work.
that’s the big win that #4 should be.
m3mnoch.
Hi m3mnoch,
I agree that voice and personal connections are critical for authors, in their verse and prose and on their websites.
The mistakes I called out in this post are more about design and technical aspects of a website. When I mentioned polished writing, I did not mean to suggest writers use a tone that is cold or corporate. I simply wanted to point out that the writing on a writer’s website should be free of grammar mistakes and misspellings. Typos slip through sometimes, but it only benefits writers to keep these to a minimum as much as possible.
While voice is the heart and soul of a writer’s work, grammar, spelling, and punctuation are a testament to a writer’s professionalism, commitment to craft, and respect for readers.
Anyway, having said all that, I definitely think personality and voice warrant a mention, so thanks for bringing them up 🙂
Some writers even have no info about their books or links to where you buy them. I spent ages making my site look good and now it’s something I can be proud of. I think I have everything there. I’d be interested to know what you think of it.
I used wordpress to host it. After looking at options, it was the cheapest way, and you can do heaps just with the templates they have.
Hi Tahlia,
Your site looks great! I especially like your background with the trees. The only suggestion I have is to add a Contact page/link to your main navigation menu. You might also condense your menu a little. You could move Chapter One under Lethal Inheritance (that will make room for a Contact link). Good luck with your novel, your website, and all of your endeavors 🙂
Thanks for checking it out. I did have it like that once before, then changed it, but if you think it’s better the other way, I’ll put it back. It’s easy to do. I know as a reader that it annoys me if I can’t find a way to contact an author, so I guess up front is good.
One item I’ve heard a few people mention writers miss is kind of a biggie– no photo of their book cover, or name of their book(s) listed. Basically the key thing the author would be wanting to promote accidentally gets left standing at the side of the Information Highway. 🙂
Hi Jenn, I haven’t seen that yet, but I have found authors who don’t have a website at all (or if they do, I couldn’t find it). I was just listening to an interview with an author last night and when I went to learn more about her and visit her site, I could not find it. I guess it slips people’s minds, especially when they have busy lives (this author had three jobs, including novelist). Yes, let’s all remember to post our book covers on our site! And to get websites 😉
Thanks for the tips. I didn’t have contact info on my site and as it seems only now to have taken off, I took your advice. MUCH APPRECIATED x
Since creating my website I have received assignments and an LA based representative for my screenplay, because of the site.
It is a great marketing tool if used the right way: to sell yourself.
Ron Aberdeen
Great advice! Even though I am not an author (and am still a student… just trying to start writing and have an informal site) these are good tips for anyone, especially anyone trying to make a presence or establish a business, so I’ll keep them in mind for future sites!
One question – I keep trying to go to http://www.writingforward.com but get sent to a random twitter profile page – is it the address or is it just me? =/
Hello, Joanna,
I like your no nonsense advise. Yet I want to ask you where on my website should I place my bio?
Thank you in advance.
Asya Pekurovskaya
Hi Asya, just have your bio on an About Me page at the top of your blog. You can see my About tab above on the menu bar. Thanks, Joanna