Help for authors timid about technology
While surfing the web recently, I visited several author websites and noticed an alarming problem. Whenever these individuals offered a free resource to download from their website – the documents were devoid of any contact information! Don’t be guilty of the same blunder.
3 Reasons to Stop Hiding
Whenever you offer any kind of resource from your website or blog, ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR FULL CONTACT INFORMATION. And, if my shouting-all-cap font isn’t enough to convince you, here are three reasons why:
- Leaving off your contact information makes you look like a forgetful amateur. Professional authors know how to cover their marketing bases, which means they make sure anyone can always find them. You should, too.
- If someone downloads a resource from your website to read later, but you didn’t list your contact info – then they may forget where they got the information from – which means you just lost a potential sale.
- Most importantly: Many people may download resources from your website to give to a friend (this is called “word-of-mouth” – the holy grail of marketing). But, if you don’t include your contact information, then the new person can’t find you – which means you just lost another potential sale.
What to Include
Contact information…put it on everything. And, don’t be stingy…include your:
- Website address,
- Phone number (preferably a toll-free number),
- Email address,
- Mailing address (or P.O. Box).
Don’t play hide-and-seek with your customers…because people can’t buy your books if they can’t find you.
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I completely agree with your point, although I do not think it is a good idea to to put your actual mailing address down unless it is a PO box. Putting down your residential address makes a person a little TOO accessible. You don’t want people knocking at your front door. If you want to offer a snail mailing address, I would suggest putting your name in care of the publisher’s address.
I agree with Debra about not putting down your actual address. There are a lot of crazies out there, even if they do read your stuff!