Many novelists don’t know what to put on their author websites. What are readers actually looking for? In this episode, we tell you what will thrill them and make them want to come back.
The only reason anyone would visit an author website is that it’s the most interesting website in the entire world, for that person at that time.
So why would someone visit your fiction website?
Here are eleven answers that will not only draw readers to your author website, but will get them to bring their friends as well.
The DVD Approach for Novel Websites
Thomas: In this episode we’re talking about how to make a website that’s actually interesting for your readers to visit. A lot of authors struggle with this, because they’re novelists, not bloggers. What do you talk about on your website besides your book covers?
We’ll tell you exactly how to do that, but first, let’s talk about the philosophy behind it. The best way to think of your website is like the special features on a DVD, a companion to the story that helps accentuate it.
Jim, what kind of special features do you like on a DVD?
Jim: I immediately go to the bloopers. They’re fun, they make me laugh, and you get a behind-the-scenes look at who the actors are. I also love the continuity notes, “why did this break here, and why didn’t it break there,” and hearing how the story came together.
Maybe it started as a screenplay or a novel, and then a group of people turned it into a movie. I like the story behind the story.
#1 Deleted Scenes & Alternate Endings
Thomas: This leads to our first tip, deleted scenes and alternate endings. This is one of my favorite things to see on a DVD, the other ways a story could have gone, or scenes that could have been there. If you really fall in love with a story, you want more of it when you’re done.
I remember being so sad when The Lord of the Rings ended. I wanted to read more, but there was no more, and Tolkien was dead. That’s what started me reading other writers’ fantasy books, since I wasn’t going to find more from Tolkien.
You can put deleted scenes and alternate endings from your book on your website. It makes people curious, especially if you mention it, such as “Deleted scenes available on booktitle.com.” Now I want to visit your website and find out more about you.
Jim: I love that idea. With The Five Times I Met Myself, readers have written to me saying, “I was just hoping it could have ended this way.” I’ve written back, “It did actually end that way originally, then we changed it.” You’ve inspired me to put that on my website for people who want to see how the story originally ended.
#2 Integrated Blog
Thomas: The second thing people look for is a blog integrated into your website. Authors have gotten much better about this. It used to be that your blog lived on a separate site, like a Blogspot page apart from yourname.com. You want it all together.
Your readers don’t want to leave to go read your blog, and your blog is a great place to share the things we’re talking about in this episode. You could post your deleted scenes there. We covered this in more depth in episode 31, What Should Novelists Blog About?
#3 Fan Art
Jim: The third thing is fan art. Readers who are really into your books will sometimes send you original art you can put on your website, and they’ll love seeing it there. One reader sent me a sketch, from one of my books, of a hand reaching out of the book and grabbing the reader by the throat. She was saying, “Jim, your novels grab the reader by the throat and don’t let go.”
Not many readers will do this, but every now and then one will. If none have yet, ask on your blog. Say you’d love to see anything a novel inspired them to create. You’d be surprised at the response.
Thomas: Once you post one, you’ll get others. Some readers doodle the books they’re reading naturally, and seeing someone else’s doodle on an author’s website nudges them to send in their own. It’s easier now, since people just photograph their drawing with a smartphone instead of scanning it.
I love seeing fan art of characters and stories on an author’s website, especially for a fantasy world. One bonus tip: if you’re writing fantasy, have a high-resolution map of your story world, especially if you have an audiobook. So many audiobooks make me wish I could see the map while listening, or zoom in on the world.
Even if the map isn’t in your book, consider putting it on your website.
#4 Short Stories
Thomas: The next tip is short stories. Readers love finding them, whether they’re set in your story world, feature characters from your books, or are about your own life. Write something compelling, with a beginning, middle, and end.
A classic example is a short story set between Book 1 and Book 2, available only on your website. You can even use one as an incentive to join your email list. Readers especially love this when it features characters they already know.
Jim: Think about your own favorite novels. What if there was a small side story about one of the characters? I did this with Soul’s Gate. There was a regular version and a Barnes & Noble special edition, available only there, after the buyer asked if I could write three additional chapters.
The challenge was that I was about to write the next book in the series, so the extra chapters couldn’t influence what was coming while still satisfying readers. It pushed me, but it wasn’t hard once I dove in. Create those small stories about your characters, especially when readers wonder what happened to one of them.
Thomas: If your editor says a chapter has to go because it doesn’t fit the story’s flow, you can retool it into a short story. Some of what ends up on the cutting room floor can be revived as a short story or deleted scene for your website.
#5 Answer Reader Questions on Your Blog
Thomas: Tip number five is to answer reader questions on your blog. If you’ve been writing novels for a while, you’re probably getting the same questions from readers over and over. For every reader who works up the courage to ask, there are probably 10 or 100 more who don’t.
Just answer readers. Jim gets a lot of questions about why his book ended a certain way. He could write the definitive blog post answering that, marked as a spoiler so only readers who’ve finished the book click through. That reader leaves satisfied, and happy they visited the website.
#6 Upcoming Book Status
Jim: Tip number six is your upcoming book status. What are you writing, when is it coming out, what’s the progress, how do you feel about it. Readers like feeling behind the scenes and knowing what’s going on.
Your super readers especially want to see, “This is what stage of development it’s in,” or “She’s struggling with this right now,” or “She’s researching this, and it’s going to come into the book.” None of it has to be a spoiler. Just sharing that background is a huge attraction for readers.
Thomas: As a reader, this is true for me too. It’s one of the top things I look for on an author’s website, what’s the status of your upcoming book? It annoyed me enough that authors don’t share this that I paid my developers to build a free plugin, MyBookProgress, that adds a progress bar to any WordPress website.
If a progress bar doesn’t fit how you write, that’s fine. Every so often, write a blog post about where you’re at, the challenges you’re facing, and when you expect the book to be done. When you hit a milestone, like finishing the first draft, write about that too. It doesn’t have to be long, just enough to show you’re still making progress.
Sometimes authors give up on a book and never write the sequel. I’ve read book one of a series where books two and three were never written. If I don’t see updates from you, I may assume that’s what happened, stop checking your website, and never find out book two is out, even though I would have bought it.
#7 Email Newsletter Signup
Jim: Tip number seven is email newsletter signup. In radio, we had P1, P2, and P3 listeners. P1 listeners tuned in every day and couldn’t wait to hear our station. Your P1 readers want to know everything about you and every update.
Authors get intimidated, worrying that people will unsubscribe. That’s fine, those people weren’t going to buy your books anyway. But your core readers really do want that newsletter.
Put a signup on every page of your website. Your publisher can’t tell your fans when your next book is coming out as powerfully or intimately as you can. Even if you don’t want to send a lot of newsletters, send one when your new book comes out. Your P1 readers will want to know.
Thomas: For more on author newsletters, check out episode 57, What to Include in an Author Newsletter, and episode 65, 7 Tips for Effective Email Newsletters.
#8 Sell Autographed Copies
Thomas: Tip number eight is autographed copies of your book. All of these tips are optional, they’re just what people come looking for, not things you have to deliver. But autographs can be a way to make extra money, especially at a premium price.
I wouldn’t sell an autographed copy at the same price as a regular one. Price it at a real premium. That way, when you sign books at an event for free, it still feels special. Some readers will happily pay $40 or $50 extra for a signed copy, so offer that option on your website.
Jim: Some people probably would pay $40 or $50, though I haven’t set this up on my own website yet, so I’m thinking through what to charge as we talk.
I have readers who buy a copy of my book and pay postage both ways just to have me autograph it. There’s clearly demand for autographed copies. I’m just not sure yet what the right price is.
Thomas: Price it so it’s aspirational and rare. You don’t want to spend all your time signing copies. If it’s only $5 extra, you’ll end up autographing four or five books a week. It’s better to price it so you’re only doing it a couple of times a month, but making $40 extra per copy. That scarcity makes the autograph feel special, like you’re handing someone a $50 gift.
Jim: So people realize not many others have an actual signed copy.
#9 Author Commentary
Thomas: Tip number nine is author commentary. Going back to the DVD metaphor, director’s commentary is a popular special feature. My wife has movies she’s watched half a dozen times, one of those times with the director’s commentary, and she picks up trivia along the way.
When we watch together, she gives me live commentary, like how the oldest daughter in The Sound of Music had a crush on the father, which explains some awkward scenes. I had no idea. That’s the kind of behind-the-scenes commentary you can add to your website, or you can point readers to Easter eggs. Jim, you hide a lot of those in your books.
Jim: I probably have 20 or 30 Easter eggs in every book. I’ve put together trivia sheets for readers, but I’ve never gone as far as doing commentary pointing them out. I love that idea.
Like Margaret, if I have a favorite movie, I love listening to the director’s commentary, sometimes a lead actor’s too. “This is why we did this, we didn’t have the budget for that, we originally planned something else.” That’s a strong idea for a website.
#10 Social Icons
Thomas: Tip number 10 isn’t exciting, but it’s important. 10% to 20% of visitors to your website come for just one thing, to follow you on social media. They’re looking for the Facebook button, the Twitter button, Instagram, or whatever platforms you use.
Make those buttons easy to find. They don’t have to be at the top of the page, just somewhere obvious, so a visitor can find and follow you quickly. It helps grow your social networks.
#11 Inspiration
Jim: The eleventh and final tip is to show readers your inspiration. Whatever genre you write, historical, contemporary, fantasy, show the pictures that inspired the story.
Bring what you’re probably already doing on Pinterest over to your website. My first novel, Rooms, is set at Cannon Beach, where I vacationed with my family for eight years straight. I have photos I can point to and say, “This is where this scene actually happened.” Seeing the real inspiration behind a story makes the book more intriguing to readers.
Thomas: This is also a chance to make money from your website. It’s hard to make money off photos, but if songs inspired you, link to them on Amazon or Spotify with an affiliate link and earn a little when listeners buy. It works even better with movies and books.
Did three movies inspire your chapter two? Link to them on Amazon with affiliate links. Write a blog post about what inspired you and put those links in it. It’s a service to readers too, since they want something to read while waiting for your next book and want to know what you’d recommend.
Be transparent that these are affiliate links. People will still buy through them just to support you. When I’m about to make a big Amazon purchase, I’ll go to an author’s website I want to support and click their affiliate link first.
One More Thing
We now have a Novel Marketing newsletter. Come to our website and subscribe, we’re finally practicing what we preach about email newsletters. We’re making upgrades to the site, so check out novelmarketing.com and subscribe. We’ll have more on that soon.
