Publicize Writing & Book Websites

What if you build it, and no one comes? No one you want, anyway. A previous post offered some good reasons for writers, especially authors, to have websites. You want to connect with fans and potential readers or employers; provide more information about your, your services, your book; and the site is a badge of professionalism and sincerity, dedication to a career in writing.

All those functions are fulfilled when you let people know about your website. They need to know the correct web address or URL, which is the domain name. That's why I put a lot of emphasis on choosing a short, memorable name. To get the people you want to visit your site, you have to give them that address, probably several times and in every way possible. Here are some methods to use:

• on book covers
• in signatures online
• after signatures to emails
• in every piece of publicity
• mentioned in every promotion
• on business cards, stationary
• in all advertising
• included on letters
• repeated during interviews
• revealed during signings
• announced to groups

Begin to think of your website address as a vital part of your professional identity. In your mind, associate it with your name (as a signature) and email address, so that you start including the web address, too, when filling out forms or providing your contact information. For example, if you do book signings and give away bookmarks, be sure the website address is on the marker -- and any other give-away items.

You can find many more articles on websites here on A Writer's Edge.