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Your Website - Is It All It Can Be?
by Melissa Lopez
So you finally have the website you're happy with. You've chosen the style, theme, and/or color scheme you prefer. Your career has taken off. You know the most important factor in having return hits is keeping your homepage updated. You're ready for the next step, keeping your website active. Making it a place for readers, your fans, to revisit.
It's important to come up with ideas that will draw readers in, something that is yours. Something unique. Lynn Kurland has a geneology chart for the family members in her series. J.R. Ward has character interviews and deleted scenes to linger through.
I recommend using extras that are tie-ins to your books. For example, if you have a crossword puzzle, make readers find the answers in your stories. But, it's not necessary. The important thing is keeping the site active.
There are polls, art galleries, quizzes, scavenger hunts, and wallpaper downloads available on many author sites. Character profiles have grown in popularity. Authors are giving away free short stories on their sites. Articles are also a good way to peak interest.
Jenna Peterson's Passionate Pen was widely known before she got published. And I know her good information made me buy a book from her. Stephanie Bond is another writer whose articles are well known. Information keeps people coming back to their sites.
Excerpts from books are a must as are "buy it now" links so that fans can read samples from your works and go buy your books online without having to look anything else up. Give readers all the facts about up-coming releases including the ISBN. If you're a series author, give the readers the reading order of your stories. If you have an extensive backlist, offer the readers a printable version. Make it easy for your fans to hunt down your books. Also, let readers know what new projects you're working on without giving the entire premise away.
Quotes from reviews for latest releases are a good enticement. You can link to review sites and give those who are interested a chance to read the complete review while saving space on your website. Posting quotes over several months gives the book, along with your site, regular updates.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips also has an active website. She chats on it from time to time. Check out her bulletin board and her "Ask Susan" section. If you're thinking "well, she's a powerhouse, and I don't have that kind of traffic", remember Susan has built her career along with her website.
If you have a bulletin board or a blog, make sure you're an active part of it. Get to know your readers. Check out Beth Ciotta's blog as well as Cheyenne McCray's. Both of these ladies actively respond to comments.
Chats are wildly popular, and once you build a fan base, don't hesitate to do private chats. Readers love to get to know their authors.
Most authors have e-mail announcement list as an extension for a website and their home on the Internet. A chat group can improve fan base growth. But make sure you have the time or someone else you trust and can rely on to moderate it properly. You don't want to frustrate your fans. Angela Knight has a fantastic site as well as an e-mail group. It's important to be an active participant, even if it's a quick "thank you".
Although it's not necessary, some writers combine the two lists. Besides using the list(s) to promote, some authors use their groups to give special treats away such as a surprise contest, or an unedited excerpt. It's also important to have a link from your website to your author group(s).
Even if you're an author who only puts out one book a year, you can still update your fans on what's happening with you. Once readers get to know you, many will stay loyal. Be courteous to your returning visitors and always list new updates on your front page.
Writing stories is work, but staying active in your career is just as important. You don't want readers to forget about you. So once you have your website up and running, start planning on keeping it and your career active. Make sure your site is all it can be!
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