Six Useful Websites for Independent Authors
If you are an independent author who uses the Internet, you will find this list of well-known and not-so-well-known websites useful. If you have any suggestions for additional sites, please share links to them in the comments.
One thing you can be sure of on the Internet is that, sometime, somehow, you will encounter a website that doesn’t seem to work the way it should.
Normally, you can contact tech support to get help – but it’s often difficult to know whether the problem lies with the website or with your computer setup.
If someone asks you if you have “cookies” turned on, or if you’re running the latest version of Chrome, you may not know the answer. The Support Details site gives you an immediate overview of important details about your computer system, and even allows you to easily email everything right from the web page.
Tweet This!5 Great Investments Every Author Needs to Make
By Robyn Williams
“Can I afford that?”
When it comes to promoting your book, the better question is, “Can I afford not to do this?”
In other words, ask yourself if you can afford not to take advantage of certain promotional opportunities.
There are various ways to promote your message as well as spend your time and money. Say no to the ones that don’t reach your target audience or that aren’t a good fit for you, but invest in the others.
The more your book stays in front of readers’ eyes the better chance you have to reach them with your message. Most authors convey that they didn’t write their books just to make money. They truly desire to share the message that’s on their heart.
Here are 5 great investments to consider:
1. Launch a Publicity Campaign
This is one of the most effective ways to reach large audiences. Consider holding a book signing or appearing on TV and radio interviews. Be sure to work with a publicist since media outlets expect to be contacted by a third party on your behalf.
2. Attend a Conference
Watch for opportunities to participate in conferences or trade shows. These provide much-needed opportunities to network and connect with publishers, book buyers as well as other authors.
3. Develop a Web site
Having a Web site is no longer the wave of the future; it’s the here and now. And, blogging offers a great way to share your message, feature related articles or interviews and keep your writing skills sharp.
4. Invest in Advertising
Watch for advertising opportunities and grab hold of them quickly since spaces are generally limited. One author recently commented that she couldn’t afford to miss the chance to advertise in a magazine with a readership of over 400,000 readers!
5. Order Marketing Materials
Ordering quality book marks, business cards and post cards with your cover image and contact information allows you to be prepared for those unexpected encounters. And, these smaller items can make a big impact.
Remember to be patient and encouraged. What’s important to keep in mind with all of these investments is the large amount of exposure you’re gaining. And, sometimes, you really can’t afford not to take advantage of them.
Related Articles:
- Marketing Materials: Postcards, Bookmarks, and Covers
- How to promote your book at conventions and trade shows
- How to work with your publicist
- Author website: necessity, not a luxury item
As a member of WinePress’ Publicity department, Robyn Williams’ goal is to help authors promote their message and make media contacts. She loves getting to know authors, learning why they wrote their books, and helping them share their stories.
A Blog, a Website, or Both?
By Kevin Cochran
Do you have a Website and a blog?
Great!
That’s a very good combination to reach a variety of people.
Do you have one or the other? Well, you should seriously consider having both.
Have neither? Then you should start with this article. A common mistake people make is that a Website and a blog are basically the same. A Website and a blog serve a unique purpose and should not be interchanged. Here’s why.
BLOG
A weblog (blog) is a good way to communicate with folks on a personal level. Think of it like having a conversation through your browser. For speakers, it’s like having an “always on” audience. For authors, it lets you provide current information or new happenings with your topic. For anyone else, it’s a way to keep in touch with many, many people.
Your articles just might become valuable resources to people. As a programmer, I find a lot of really good tips on blogs. They’re usually down to earth and straight-forward. The reader comments allow me to know just how useful the information is.
WEBSITE
A Website is your professional presence on the Internet. For people who don’t know you and want to know just how “real” you are, a Website will establish that credibility.
While you’re encouraged to keep fresh content on your home page, visitors will know that the information is somewhat established. It’s easy to navigate to various pages instead of having to sift through blog posts. If you’re trying to impress someone (like buyers, media, publishers, etc.), a Website is a must-have. Unless your job is strictly blogging, you’ll need a Website to catch the full range of readers.
At WinePress we understand the importance for every author to have an Internet presence. That’s why we offer blog consultation and a variety of Web design options. Every WinePress and Blue Ribbon Pleasant Word author receives a free blog to kickoff promoting his or her book.
Kevin Cochran is the IT Manager at WinePress Group, and spends much of his time developing applications for the Co-Captain publishing software. In addition, he oversees the network, servers and computer systems at WinePress to ensure availability and productivity for both employees and authors.
Tips for Finding Keywords to Use on Your Web site
Because so many people use the Internet to search for answers to their questions, you have a wonderful opportunity for exposure if you use keywords effectively on your Web site and blog.
If your book is on parenting, for example, you’ll want to incorporate the following keywords into your written content:
- Parenting
- Child raising
- Child rearing
- Christian parenting
- Raising godly children
- Christian parenting tips
- Christian childrearing
So, how do you know what keywords people Google most often? One of my favorite tools for generating keywords people search for is Google’s Keyword Tool. It’s free and you don’t have to register for anything to use it. Just type a keyword in the box and click “Get keyword ideas,” and Google will generate an extensive list of keywords related to your topic.
Try it and see if you come up with some new ideas.
At WinePress, we have Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experts on staff who can help you create a professional Web site that’s geared to your book’s audience.
Tweet This!One Link Could Save You Thousands of Dollars
By Malcolm Fraser
Do you want to get your Web site listed on the first page of Google’s search results?
Well, you’re not alone. And there are numerous Search Engine Optimization (SEO) companies who will charge you a hefty fee to help you do it. The problem is that many of them are, to put it politely, not worth the money.
So how do you find a good SEO service, save some money, and fine-tune your Web site to get real results?
1. Do some research.
Over the past few years, “SEO” has become a new buzzword for anyone trying to market themselves or their products on the Internet. Pages of blog articles and millions of ads have been published on the subject. The problem is separating the facts from the advertising hype.
Most of the basic SEO techniques can be found free-of-charge on the Internet, and applied at a relatively low cost. For example, simply reading this page – Google Webmaster Central - could save you a lot of money.
2. Start at the beginning.
The best time to optimize your Web site for search engines is when it is first being created. If you are designing your own Web site, be sure to follow the guidelines published by Google in the link above. If you’re hiring a professional web designer, make sure that they follow the basic optimization techniques right from the start.
3. A keyword is worth a thousand pictures.
Photographs and images make your Web site look nice, but search engines completely ignore them. When people search for something online, they’ll be typing in keywords —so it’s important that those keywords are somewhere on your site. Don’t make the mistake of overloading your content with keywords, though, or your visitors may be put off by the obvious marketing gimmicks.
4. Get other Web sites to link to your Web site.
This is one of the most important factors that search engines look for. If a trustworthy, high quality Web site thinks your content is relevant enough to link to your site, then Google will too. Watch out for “quick and dirty” link exchange schemes with big promises and no results. Instead, work on making solid connections and let your content speak for itself.
5. Get a referral from a person or company you already trust.
Professional SEO services do provide more detailed guidelines, and they usually know some extra tricks to really streamline the search indexing of your site. They can also save you a great deal of time by doing the tedious work for you. The best way to find a good SEO expert is to obtain a referral from someone who has already worked with them.
Of course, WinePress Group offers Web site design, hosting, and SEO services through our Notation Printing and Marketing division. Hundreds of authors trust us with their books, and so now they can trust us with their Web sites, too.
Malcolm Fraser is the Executive Officer at WinePress Group, and serves as the assistant to the Executive Publisher. He helps to oversee and coordinate all of WinePress’ different departments, handles customer service issues, contract development, and also contributes to programming and designing our Web sites and author blogs.
