An author website is far more than just a digital business card—it’s an essential part of your brand and a dynamic tool that allows you to engage directly with your audience.
In today’s digital landscape, your website serves as the central hub where readers, potential collaborators, and industry professionals can learn about you and your work.
However, creating a website that truly stands out requires more than just basic information.
It requires a thoughtful approach that reflects your unique voice and professional goals.
To ensure your website not only attracts visitors but also effectively serves your needs as an author, it’s important to understand and apply some key principles.
This post will demystify these principles and guide you in creating an author website that is both functional and compelling.
Pages: The Building Blocks of Your Website
The core pages of your website are the foundation upon which everything else is built.
Your homepage is often the first impression visitors will have of you, so it needs to be both welcoming and informative.
This page should clearly communicate who you are and what you do, while also providing easy navigation to other sections of the site.
Book listings are another essential component, showcasing your work in a way that entices readers.
Each book should have its own page or section where visitors can find summaries, reviews, purchase links, and any additional media such as book trailers or sample chapters.
The “About” page is your opportunity to tell your story.
It should provide insight into who you are as an author, your background, and what motivates your writing.
This page helps to humanise you and build a connection with your readers.
Lastly, the contact page should make it easy for readers, media, and potential collaborators to reach out to you.
Include a simple contact form, along with links to your social media profiles.
However, while these pages are essential, they are just the starting point.
Think of them as the basic ingredients in a more complex recipe.
To make your website truly engaging, you’ll need to offer more than just the essentials.
You’ll want to create additional content and features that encourage visitors to explore further and keep coming back.
Blogging: A Strategic Tool, Especially for Non-Fiction Authors
Blogging is an incredibly powerful tool, particularly for non-fiction authors.
A blog allows you to delve deeper into topics related to your niche, showcasing your expertise and engaging with your audience on a regular basis.
For non-fiction authors, a blog can serve as a platform to discuss current trends, share insights, and provide valuable information that complements your books.
Content marketing is a key aspect of this strategy.
By regularly posting thoughtful, relevant content, you can attract readers who are interested in your genre or area of expertise.
Consider writing reviews of books similar to yours, which can help you connect with readers who enjoy the same types of content.
You can also explore topics related to your genre, providing in-depth analysis or commentary that positions you as a thought leader in your field.
Interviewing relevant experts or influencers in your niche is another effective strategy.
These interviews not only provide valuable content for your readers but also expand your network and can lead to collaborative opportunities.
Blogging in this way not only showcases your knowledge but also helps to build a dedicated following.
Readers who find value in your blog are more likely to purchase your books, subscribe to your newsletter, and share your content with others.
It’s a way to keep your audience engaged and invested in your work, even between book releases.
By integrating blogging into your website strategy, you transform your site from a static page into a vibrant community hub where readers can interact with you and your content on a deeper level.
The Fiction Writer’s Blogging Dilemma
Many fiction authors find themselves caught in a common trap when it comes to blogging.
They often end up writing about the writing process itself, crafting posts that are primarily aimed at other authors.
While this might seem like a logical topic to blog about, it’s important to consider who your primary audience really is.
In most cases, other authors are not the readers who will be buying your books.
These fellow writers are usually too occupied with their own projects to engage deeply with your blog.
This raises a crucial question: Is blogging really the best use of your time and creative energy?
For many fiction writers, the answer may be no.
Your creative output is finite, and each day presents only a limited number of words you can realistically produce.
Spending those precious words on a blog post, particularly one that discusses writing techniques like crafting dialogue or building character arcs, might not be the most effective way to further your career.
Instead, that creative energy might be better invested in your next novel, where it can contribute directly to your primary goal: telling compelling stories that captivate readers.
Blogging can quickly become a distraction rather than a valuable asset.
If your blog posts are not directly contributing to your fiction business—whether by building your brand, engaging your readers, or promoting your books—then it might be worth reconsidering how much time you devote to this activity.
In many cases, the hours spent drafting, editing, and promoting blog content could be more wisely invested in writing your next book.
The Middle Ground
While it’s true that blogging might not always be the most effective strategy for fiction authors, that doesn’t mean it has no place in your overall strategy.
A carefully curated blog can still add significant value to your author platform, but it requires a strategic approach.
Instead of writing about the technical aspects of writing, consider how you can use your blog to enhance your readers’ experience of your fictional world.
You might share character profiles, offering readers deeper insights into their favourite protagonists and antagonists.
Alternatively, you could explore the settings of your novels, providing background on the locations that play a pivotal role in your stories.
If your fiction involves historical elements, sharing the relevant historical context can intrigue your readers and give them a richer understanding of your work.
These types of posts not only keep your readers engaged but also create a stronger connection between them and your stories.
However, it’s essential to balance your blogging efforts with the time and energy you need to devote to your primary writing projects.
Your author website can be a powerful tool in your professional arsenal, but only if it’s used wisely.
Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, it’s crucial to align your website and any associated blogging efforts with your specific goals and audience needs.
Consider what adds real value to your readers and what might be taking away from your main objective—writing great fiction.
And remember, sometimes what you choose to omit from your blog can be just as important as what you include.
By focusing on content that directly supports your fiction writing, you ensure that your blog enhances rather than detracts from your overall author brand.
CherryEdits 