Back in the day, before the Internet, all a writer had to worry about was–brace yourself–WRITING. These days, it’s not that way. Writing should always be priority but, if you get a book deal, you will see that a big chunk of your time can (and probably should) be spent on marketing and–ugh–self-promotion. I don’t think writers are wired to be good at this. At all. We’re pretty reclusive people, as a group. We don’t like talking about our books in progress, let alone ourselves.
Somewhat begrudgingly, I created a website for myself (and my writing) well before I got a book deal. And, after I got my deal, my agent sent me a document all about promotion. [More on that in another, overwhelming, slightly-depressing post.] It was clear that my first order of business should be to update my website. I worked with an extremely talented designer and programmer to get that done. You can see the finished product at KimHooperWrites.com.
When I was updating my site, I became mildly obsessed with looking at other authors’ sites. Here are some favorites.
Nicole Krauss’s site:
Chuck Palahniuk’s site:
A few of my favorite authors don’t have personal websites (ie, Jeffrey Eugenides, Jhumpa Lahiri, Brady Udall). Publishers always have a page on their site for each author, but that usually includes a small thumbnail photo and a brief bio. A personal website is a better way for writers to really connect with their readers. Readers want that connection. I know I do. If I read a fascinating book, I almost always look up the author online. For example, when I finished Gone Girl, I Googled Gillian Flynn. Honestly, after reading such a twisted tale of betrayal, I was wondering about her husband’s safety and her general sanity. Ha. Her husband is alive and well, and she seems very sane. Oh, the power of fiction.
If you have a favorite author website, send it my way. I would love to see.
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