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When making your author website…

When making your author website…

Woman at desk with laptop thinkingThere are plenty of things to think about when making your author website, particularly the design, the focus, and what you want to use it for.

What is the primary focus of your website?

Is your website all about you or all about your book? There are a plenty of author websites out there that focus on either. Let’s have a look at a few to give you some clear examples:

Fiona McIntosh’s website is very clearly an author-focused website. The background of the site is an image of her and the first pieces of text that we get celebrate her as an author. To be able to see any of her books, you have to go to the Books page.

See Fiona McIntosh’s website: https://www.fionamcintosh.com/

On the other hand, Garth Nix’s author website is a book-focused one. When we click on his site, the focus is straightaway on his newest book series, what it is about, and where to get it. Unlike an author-focused site, you have to go to his About page to even see his face.

See Garth Nix’s website: https://garthnix.com/

Kate Grenville’s author website is a great example of a mix of author and book. The website header is her name, and the largest picture on her site is her. Having said that, she’s made the most eye-catching part of the homepage her book: it’s clearly visible, it’s darker cover contrasting excellently with the bright background. There’s even an endorsement of the book and a link to read more.

See Kate Grenville’s website: https://kategrenville.com.au/

So, you see, there is no one way to make an author website. Think about what you want to promote: your author-self, your books, or both.

Is your book a standalone, or part of a series?

If you only have one book then it’s good to base your design choices off of it, meaning use the same colour scheme, fonts, etc.

If you have many books to promote on your website, then you have more to think about. How do you make sure each book gets a space to shine? Do you update your colour scheme and design to match your new book every time you publish, or do you use a more inclusive and minimal design to fit anything?

Leigh Bardugo’s website gives each of her books equal recognition by featuring a carousel of all of her series, both published and upcoming. Her books tend towards darker covers, so her website reflects that.

See Leigh Bardugo’s website: https://www.leighbardugo.com/

On the other hand, Ta-Nehisi Coates gives the prime focus to his latest book, with his other books appearing in the Books page only. Each of his books have very different designs, so his website is sleek and contemporary and built to be inclusive of anything he could publish.

See Ta-Nehisi Coate’s website: https://ta-nehisicoates.com/

Are you using the website to sell your books?

A lot of our authors use their author websites as a way sell their book. For self-published authors, it’s an excellent way to take control of your sales and make sure you’re getting the most from your sales.

When deciding what website provider you’ll use for your author website, make sure you look at eCommerce and shopping cart functions—some providers don’t give you this option, or you have to pay much more for it.

Do you have anything else to put on your site?

Maybe you have some videos, vlogs, blogs, images, testimonials/reviews, that you think you might like to include on your author site. If it’s related to your author brand or your current books/upcoming projects, then it’s a great addition to your website.

We’ve just scratched the surface of what to think about when considering an author website – there are plenty of ideas out there. Remember: there’s no one right way. Have a look at some other author websites and get inspired.

Interested in having an author website of your own? Well, we do them. Get in touch to give us your website project scope today.

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Interested in publishing your book but unsure where to start or what is even involved? Tell us about your project and we will post you a copy of our:

 

The Little Book of
Big Publishing Tips.

 

In just a quick 8,000 words, this little book will equip you with the knowledge you need to successfully publish your book.

The Little Book of Big Publishing tips goes into the essentials of self-publishing a book, outlining the business and financial side of publishing, legal issues, design, editing, sales and marketing. There's even a section on how to identify a vanity-publishing scam.

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Success in self-publishing – it’s more complex than you think

Success in self-publishing – it’s more complex than you think

Success in self-publishing – it’s more complex than you think. There are many reasons to write a book, and there are just as many ways to gauge how successful your book is.

Defining success by how many books are sold is a crude measure. ‘Success’ is really whatever the author wants to achieve, and many don’t care about publishing a bestseller or getting rich.

Some authors write and publish books and drive business to their professional practice, using the book as a business card of sorts. One of our authors sold just 392 copies of her book and made over $2,000 in profit directly from those sales. But from those sales she gained three new clients in just the first year of publishing her book. ­Those new clients together spent almost $90,000 annually on services provided by her company.

Even still, monetary success doesn’t have to be the only form – recognition from peers is just as valid a way to measure the success of your book. Another author we’ve worked with wrote a family history in the weeks following a near-death medical episode. ­The book was launched at a family reunion and received a standing ovation.

Want to read more? This excerpt is rewritten from our Big Book of Little Publishing Tips. Enquire with Green Hill Publishing today and get your copy.

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Is the medium always the message?

Is the medium always the message?

Pile of books with differing quality print

Photo by Mahendra Kumar on Unsplash

Is the medium always the message? Publishing a book is not just about graphic design. A book is so much more than the visuals – it is also about touch.

Print remains the most universal and popular format for publishing a book. Despite the rise of audiobooks and ebooks there are more books printed each year in the history of planet Earth. And that’s where paper comes in.

Paper is a major variable in determining the print price of any author’s book. Depending on the paper type, it can add as much as 100% to the print price (regardless of whether it’s full-colour printing or just black). As dealt with in a previous book publishing blog, choice of production quality (including the paper) can destroy the economic viability of any project.

If you are doing a business book or a work of fiction, we always recommend using a budget paper stock so there is enough profit margin, i.e. retail price minus cost of production.

If it is an art book or poetry, then you can consider high quality paper. As Marshal McLuhn famously said “the medium is the message? In book publishing this might mean that a book is considered in its totality – the words, illustrations, the binding, and the paper.

In my mind, the jury is still out on McLuhan. Is what he said true in every situation? My emerging view is for fiction and many non-fiction genres (where the content and written word has primacy) the medium is not the message. Print cheap and profit.

Featured Blog Posts

No Results Found

The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.

Interested in publishing your book but unsure where to start or what is even involved? Tell us about your project and we will post you a copy of our:

 

The Little Book of
Big Publishing Tips.

 

In just a quick 8,000 words, this little book will equip you with the knowledge you need to successfully publish your book.

The Little Book of Big Publishing tips goes into the essentials of self-publishing a book, outlining the business and financial side of publishing, legal issues, design, editing, sales and marketing. There's even a section on how to identify a vanity-publishing scam.

submit your project details