If you’re still writing your book, maybe you haven’t even given it any thought. But you’re going to want to have a website to help you promote and sell that book! Don’t wait until the book is in the layout stage or is headed for the printer, get started now!
Getting Your Domains
Even if you do not plan to do the actual website design yourself, you will want to secure the domains as soon as possible. Do a domain search using your book title, on a site like GoDaddy.com, to see if that title is available as a domain name. Be sure to see if the various “dot” endings are available – .com, .net, .org, etc. Buy at least the .com and .net. If your book title is already taken, change the title, otherwise you are risking losing attention for your book.
In addition to the title, buy the name of your series if the book is the first in a series. Authors should also buy their name as domains. If you end up writing more than one title, you’ll want to have an author site that features all your work. You don’t have to design and launch them all at once, but you’ll want to buy the domains and have them secured now so that someone else can’t buy them later.
Whether you design the site or use a web designer recommended by your publishing support provider, remember that the site should match the look and feel of the book. Your web designer can work with your book designer to use the same colors, fonts, and images.
Pages/Elements Your Site Must Have:
- About the Book – synopsis, quote and passage
- About the Author
- Reviews/Praise
- Buy the Book – shopping cart or PayPal button, links to print book & eBook on retail sites
- Media/Press Page – a virtual Press Kit can include: press release, author bio and Q&A, downloadable headshot and book cover image
- Contact Page
Your Site Can Also Have:
- Events/Appearances Schedule
- Blog – once you start one, keep it up
- Social Media feeds – Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- Bonus content – extra chapter, alternate ending, discussion questions, meet the characters
- Video Book Trailer, Podcasts
Once the website is live, remember to keep updating it with fresh content—appearances, reviews, blog posts, etc. The more updates the better, but be sure to keep the site from looking cluttered—it should be clean and organized so users aren’t overwhelmed.