A Word About Websites

We expect business owners to have a website. As a writer, this is no different for you.

Here are a couple of thoughts for you to consider.

1.) Register your YourName.com. Fiction readers find an author they love and stick to them. Don't depend solely on your agent or publisher to host you on their site—though it's nice that they feature you. You need a site where all your books, with all your publishers, are listed.

2.) It's a wise idea to purchase your YourName.com when you first start to cause some ripples. There are those who register names and then squat on them. I know someone who paid $150 to get their name back from an otherwise empty website.

3.) If you're best-selling, I suggest registering YourName.org and YourName.net too. This will prevent people from using your popularity. You can always have those sites directed to your dot-com.

4.) Keep it simple. Make it easy for media to find: bio, photo, reviews, interviews, etc. Below are some good examples.


http://www.tashaalexander.com/
http://www.karenkingsbury.com/
http://www.lizcurtishiggs.com/


5.) Brand yourself. Your website should match your genre. Click on the sites below and you'll under pretty quickly what these authors write.

a. http://www.austinboyd.com/
b. http://www.stephenking.com/
c. http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/koontz/index.html
d. http://www.robertliparulo.com/
e. http://www.interpretationofmurder.com/
f. http://www.lemonysnicket.com/
g. http://www.gregorymaguire.com/
h. http://www.jonathanstrange.com/

6.) As much as possible, keep it simple. You're trying to balance die-hard fans, people who have never read you, and media interested in featuring you. I think the best website I've seen balancing all of these is Tracey Chevalier's. Her opening page doesn't necessary brand her, but follow the links to each one of her books and you'll see how no matter who you are, you'll find what you want.

http://www.tchevalier.com/

While we're on the topic, anyone have more suggestions, or know a good designer?