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Part 2: YOUR ONLINE HOME:
Why an Author Needs an Impressive Website

By Shaila Abdullah

This is the second half of the article on the elements of
a robust author site.

Engage and Interact

In today's world, where social media can make or break an
entire nation, an author needs website elements that offer
visitors a chance to interact and chat with them in real
time. Authors would benefit from having an additional six
items on their website:

• An active blog where you post once a week or at least twice
  a month
• An e-mail subscription form allowing visitors to get on the
  author's mailing list
• Recent comments from the author's Facebook page
• Recent feed from the author's Twitter account
• Link to Red Room, Goodreads and/or other book networking sites
• Social media bookmarking on each page enabling visitors to
  quickly reach, post or share their favorite pages
   

If I were forced to choose only one item from the list above,
I would go for the e-mail subscription form. Just from having
that one form on my site, my fan list experienced a 400%
increase over a two-year period. Having a freebie associated
with signup helps engage visitors quickly. Besides, e-mail
campaign managers like Vertical Response make it virtually
pain-free to generate a form and manage subscriptions. You
only pay when you send out a mailing, and the cost of the
service is minimal.

Search Engine Optimization

Hidden behind your website are codes that, when programmed
correctly by your website designer, contain keywords and
description of your site. These meta elements help search
engines categorize your website accurately. Don't forget to
submit your site to search engines after it has been launched.
A professional designer will take care of that without being
asked. Have Google Analytics installed on your site to help
you see how many visitors visit your site, where they come
from, how long they stay, and which search terms they used
in order to reach your site.

Media Kit

A media kit is essential to have on your website if you want
reporters to gather information on you quickly and effortlessly.
A good media kit contains an author's bio, a sell sheet for
each book, links to press releases and book reviews, a Q&A
or link to interviews, and high-resolution pictures of the
author and book covers.

Contact Information

The jury is out on this one. There are pluses and minuses to
having your complete contact info readily available on your
site.

The upside is that those looking to engage you for interviews,
events or speeches will be able to contact you easily. One
client of mine had a top-notch agent contact her unasked
thanks to her online contact information.

The downside is being inundated with fan (or even hate) mail,
especially, if you are a famous author or have recently caused
a stir. You might not wish to receive midnight phone calls
from an overzealous fan. Famous authors often opt to post the
contact information of publicists and agents. At the very least,
an e-mail address or a contact form should be available on the
websites of new or mid-range authors.

Remember, your website is your online home. Invest in it wisely
and demand a look that highlights your best. You are worth it.

BIO
Shaila Abdullah is an award-winning designer and author and
has created numerous websites, marketing materials, and email
marketing campaigns for authors. She can be reached at
shailaabdullah@gmail.com or www.shailaabdullah.com/houseofdesign.

A Carolina Slade Mystery
www.chopeclark.com

Personal one-to-one tuition in story writing success by a PhD in creative writing.

Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers - 2001-2011

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