The Must-Have Website

When I first started down the road towards publication myself, I did an extensive amount of research trying to understand exactly what I needed to do to make it happen. There was this one thing that kept cropping up, time and time again. Platform. Website. Website. Platform. 

When I saw this constant theme of website for writers, I wanted to run screaming. There was no way I wanted to stress myself with having to do all the coding associated with having a website. And the cost... I could barely afford my internet bill. But if I wanted to make a name for myself as a writer, I was going to have to suck it up and just do it.

I was pleasantly surprised at how simple — and cheap — it all was.

I created the first iteration of my author website, with all the bells and whistles, within 30 minutes. I kid you not. And all it cost me was time. That website was FREE.

My personal website is now on its tenth iteration, I think, constantly being updated and tweaked. This site... Am I up to its sixth iteration or twentieth? I've sort-of lost track.

What I'm trying to say is that building a website with today's technology is actually quite simple, and it doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. Building a new page, or blog post, takes only the time needed to write and edit the content. You can even post from your phone. Everything is based on templates now. A few clicks of the mouse and, whiz-bang, the entire look and feel of your site is changed within seconds.

Writers don't need to stress themselves with HTML or CSS coding (not that many writers even know what these are). We can focus on the page content and get it out there. However, this new, easy-to-use playground has meant that there is a new expectation of writers that no generation has ever had to contend with before. As writers who wish to be published, traditionally or self-published, we have to have a website of our own.

The Importance of a Website

Reality check: ALL writers seeking publication, traditionally or self-published, NEED a website.

A website will be the first port of call for any potential reader. Prospective readers will go to your website to get the latest information about your various projects, both old and new. You will likely have a list of all your published books, links to where they can be purchased, and links to interviews and other goodies. Yes, your social media will likely have information about the latest happenings; however, any older material is quickly buried.

EVERYTHING else that you do online should point back to your website and the one, central hub where readers can get the most up-to-date information about your work.

Let me say that again:

Your website will have the most up-to-date information about your work.

This means that you NEED to keep it up to date!

I can't stress this point enough. If you're a writer seeking to be published and actually sell your books, you NEED a website.

There will be some out there who say that they don't worry about things such as websites, because they let their agent or publisher do it for them. Umm... these people are already published with an established readership. If you're just starting out, you need to do it yourself. You won't have an agent, publisher, or a publicist to help you.

You're it, baby!

You might be one of the lucky ones who gets some help and advice after they score a publication contract, but there's no guarantee. In some cases, publishers want to see that you are already active in this area, planning to tap into whatever following you have already amassed on your own to sell your books. It does seem rather cruel of the industry to just leave new writers to flounder around on their own, but that's the way the current internet world works.

But all hope is not lost. A writer's platform is ever-changing. This includes your website.

Website designs does not need to be perfect from the word go. It will evolve as you evolve. You'll expand your ideas and your website will need to expand as a consequence. Elements might remain constant, such as the domain name, but there will be times when you feel that you need to totally reinvent yourself. Nothing is cast in stone.

A Website is NOT a Blog

There will be some writers reading this post starting to panic. They will be hearing the message about needing a website, and freaking out about blogging. Let me settle those fears now.

A website is NOT a blog.

People might believe that the two terms are interchangeable, but they aren't.

As mentioned above, a website is your internet home, containing information about yourself and your various projects. The pages are static, occasionally updated to reflect changes. It will contain the most up-to-date information about your work, assuming that you actually keep it up to date.

A blog, on the other hand, is like a diary, constantly changing with whatever content or other information you choose to share with the world. In some respects, a blog will contain even more up-to-date information about your work. However, the information on a blog quickly gets buried, depending on the frequency at which you post. This means that you can’t rely on your blog as a marketing tool for older works.

If a reader visits your website, they want to be able to find your books, products, or whatever quickly — and with little effort. This is the key point that distinguishes a website from a blog.

A large number of bloggers will host their blogs on their websites, either as the home page or as a separate menu item (as is the case on this website). However, some elect to have a different site constructed to host their blogs separate from their primary site. All are acceptable options, but serve different purposes.

However, if you really don't want to have a blog, you DON'T need one. You need a website, yes, but a blog... It's a personal preference. Don't EVER let anyone bully you into doing something that you don't want to do. Simple as that!

The Bare Minimum Website

For the moment, let's forget the blog idea. Let's assume that we're dealing with a basic website. What information is needed?

Well, any website needs to be built with a purpose in mind. This will dictate exactly what information is required on the static pages and how the pages should be structured.

A website for a writer will have the following information at a bare minimum:

• information about the writer (an About page);
• a list of published works (if there are any), along with links to where the works can be purchase or found; and
• a way in which the writer can be contacted (a Contact page or other link).

Other information that should be found on a writer's website includes:

• links to social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.);
• affiliation links (information about professional bodies that you might belong to, or your agent's contact details, if you have one); and
• basic information about on-going projects.

If you have a mailing list (and here's hoping that you do), include an easy-to-find subscription tool too.

Just keep in mind the added requirements under the GDPR, which includes the need for a privacy policy. Even if you are not in the EU, if there is any chance that your readers are EU citizens, then you are subject to the GDPR. You can find out more information about the GDPR and the impacts on your website in the post Privacy is World-Wide: The Impact of GDPR.