Do writers need a personal website?

[jcorkman1]

I think the increasing numbers of e-book readers and self-publishing writers are changing the rules for authors. The need for an agent is slowly slipping away, and with print on demand so easily available, the need for large publishing companies might be fading away as well.
Personally, I feel the need for writers to have a personal website is becoming a necessity.
The competition for a place in the writing world is getting fierce, and new writers need a platform to build on. With a personal website you can strut you stuff and get noticed.

Some readers want to know more your characters. Some want to see if you are credible about what you write before they invest their time and money to purchase your writing. There are times when you just don’t have enough room on the front or back cover to give enough detail about your stories, poems, or whatever you write. Having a personal website allows you to go into more detail about you writing.

If you are thinking about getting a website eventually, you need to start planning right now.

Step one: Grab your domain name right now.

For the moment they are fairly in-expensive, but the prices are going up. Figure out a name that you will want to keep for a very long time. When you do decide on a domain name, buy it for at least ten years, and don’t forget to renew it before it expires. Once it expires, it’s up for grabs. Unscrupulous people will grab it and ransom it back to you for an extraordinary sum of money if you want it back. Don’t procrastinate for too long, or the name you want may be claimed by somebody else.

Good luck to my fellow writers.

James

[Ursila_Sage]

I write just for personal enjoyment and making a website actually sounds like fun. I have a friend who is trying to get published though and I'm going to run the idea past him too. Would a blog work? Thank you for the insight.

[Sine_Ni_Ceallach]

I'm a musician, and a website is absolutely integral to my business and making sure people have a place to go when they want to find out about me. I would think that it would be similar for a writer. At the very least, having a Facebook fan page that is professional and is updated regularly is very important.

[jcorkman1]

Just blogging helps, and using Facebook is good, too. The advantage to a personal website is it’s a fixed location that you can add too with information about your work, and it can be easily accessible to your followers. With Facebook your messages and ideas scroll down the page, and make it more difficult for followers to see your blog after someone adds messages back to you.
My website cost’s fifty nine dollars a year when I paid the hosting site for five years in advance and I got the website builder for free, plus the fourteen dollars a year for the domain name, also paid in advance for ten years. If you pay the hosting site for a longer period, the yearly amount is usually less. Don’t accept a website builder program just because they offer a free domain name. It is better to shop around, and you can get a domain name yourself. They make you do a lot more work, and usually it isn’t right for your particular needs.
I have a few tips on where to go and what to do. It took me a while to find the right combination of host and website builder software, but I know I can’t promote them on this forum. If you want more information on what to do once you have a site for viewers, I’ll continue adding that information to this forum. I’ve learned a few tricks that will help you make it appealing to visitors. With my particular website program, I can offer visitors an e-book download of my published novels using the correct electronic conversion tools, but that’s a different topic. For now I’ll stay with what to do once you have a site.
Number one: Keep it simple to navigate, and refrain from adding too much glitter on the home page that distracts your visitors. They want to stop by and quickly look around. Most visitors to your site don’t want to scroll down a long page to see what’s at the end.
Good luck. James.

[gabgobblr]

If I were to get a personal website, would I still need sites like facebook, tumblr, twitter, etc.?

[jcorkman1]

Yes, they are still part of your marketing strategy. Some of the publishing sites will link to those other accounts as part of their promotional tools.

[afabiny22]

I do think that writers need a personal website. It can help to promote their books and can open up the opportunity for readers to comment on the book and the writer may improve. I have several times looked at an author's website to see a list of their books they have written so that I can be sure that I have read all of their work.

[Smitha Nayak]

Do you want to impress editors? Do you want to attract more readers and sell more books? Do you want readers and editors to know that you are an expert in your field? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you've answered the title question as well: Yes, you need a Web site.

For the first time in history, writers have access to something they've craved since the first cuneiform was chiseled: worldwide publicity at almost no cost. The Internet offers writers an opportunity to promote their books, become more accessible to their readership, establish their expertise, and enhance their professional standing with editors (and other writers) -- all for the cost of your ISP connection and a little time spent learning HTML.

Before you rush out to post a home page, however, stop and take a deep breath. The Internet is flooded with sloppy, unimpressive, cutesy, and trivial "writer" home pages. As a professional, you want something that says more than, "Hi, my name is Bob, click here to read my stories, click here to see a picture of my dog!" Before you launch, you need to make some important decisions about your site.

[jcorkman1]

What you need to think about for a website.
Your heading and home page should reflect the tone of your writing; Murders, romance, fantasy, Sci-fi, etc.
Don’t post too much personal information on the about me page. Hackers can use a little of the wrong information to learn all about you.
Keep it neat and clean. Too much clutter distracts your visitors.
Use click buttons to go to other information. Most visitors don’t want to scroll for very far, unless they are reading a sample of your stories.
Always include your contact info, e-mail only, not your mailing address or phone number.
Make it easy to one click link to where to buy your books; Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, etc. Have the link go straight to your book page to make it easy to buy.
Keep it up to date. Update sources and social media.
Use a professional picture of yourself if possible. Home photos of you in a bathing suit won’t add to your credibility as a serious writer.
Only add a sample page that is well edited.
For book cover images, use a high resolution.
Add your reviews, if you have any.
Allow visitors to see your site on mobile devices.
Don’t have changes automatically uploaded to your social media sites, and when you do it yourself, don’t do it too often.
Have a way of tracking the number of visitors to your site.
Add a one click link to your website on your social media page; facebook ect.

I hope this information will help you build an appealing website.

James.

[Gadsubone]

A writer's website can be a valuable tool- but is it a necessity? ... I've had many employers tell me that they could hear my voice within my personal website.

[Nathrad Sheare]

I can't help but to agree with you. I think the web is the best place to advertise one's work. Most of the big writers have web sites and the lesser ones get them to keep some kind of publicity going. Not very many of us an expect to pack the penny jar the conventional way anymore.

-- 16 Dec 2013, 19:51 --

I forgot to say I appreciate your suggestions. I'll be considering them all VERY intently.

[rbbrooks]

I can't believe this is an actual debate. Of course writers need a personal website. Anyone trying to promote anything in today's world needs a personal website. It's like your home base on the web. It's an absolute necessity. Twitter, facebook, etc are important too but they should all link back to your personal website.

[jellymonty]

In this day and age its compulsory for every serious writer to have a website whether they like it or not.

[eddas]

As a reader, I'm generally less likely to buy a book from an author that doesn't have a website or a facebook page. Both are a necessity in this day and age.
A website gives readers a way to learn more about your books, and upcoming books, and can be an outlet for short stories and other writings. Considering you can get your domain name for under 15USD per year, and hosting for under 10USD per year, there's no financial reason a writer shouldn't have a website, and considering most hosting accounts let you install wordpress at the click of a button, creating and maintaining your website is as easy as pie.

A facebook page is a great and easy way to interact with your readers, which is becoming more and more important.

[Loveabull]

JC, has anyone ever suggested you look like Shelby Foote? Take it as a compliment

I think it's good for writers to have their own website. It promotes their books and makes them that much more accessible to their readers. Someone like Terry McMillan has a beautiful website.