Elements of an A+ Author Website: Covers, Blurbs and Excerpts

Posted by Sienna Condy on Dec 14 2011, 3:33 pm

If you talk to book buyers these days, three things, other than recommendations, typically persuade readers to want to buy one book over another. Those things are book covers, book blurbs (otherwise referred to as the back cover copy) and excerpts. All three of these should be found on your website.

• Make it prominent.

Even if a reader has come to your website for something specific, such as information on a specific book, an interesting book cover on a books page or in a booklist can draw their attention to another title or series and may influence them to buy more than one book.

• Display your work.

Your latest title, along with the cover and blurb or back cover copy, should always be displayed prominently, preferably on the home page. Most readers coming to your website for specific information will be looking for information on your newest title, so you want to make it easy to find. Information, like the book cover, on your newest title, should be available at least a month or two in advance, if at all possible. If your publisher is heavily promoting your title, you’ll want to make this information available on your website even sooner—preferably six months or more before the publication date.

• Stay easy.

If I’m a reader coming to your website to look for a book, I don’t want to have to think too much to find what I’m looking for. Links to excerpts, blurbs and your full booklist should be relatively prominent and easy to find, along with any series information. When including a series page, be sure to include information on the order in which the books should be read.

• Keep it short.

• Think like a reader.

When you go to an author website, what do you like to see? Chances are, your readers want the same thing.

Have a question? Email the Bemis Promotions crew at info@bemispromotions.com

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