Book Marketing Pep Talk: Show Your Domain Name!
Is your author website working as hard for you as it should? Admittedly, that’s a big question, so let me get more specific: is your author website domain name working hard? Let’s explore that today.
And yes, this is a pep talk! Clients who work with me attest that my default style is polite, tactful, and supportive. And generally, my articles here follow that same pattern. But once in a while, I write a piece that’s more direct. Instead of simply bending my husband’s ear about something in the book industry that riles me, I’m bringing it here instead!
Do people even know that your website exists?
And if they don’t, are YOU doing all you can to make sure your website is obvious and easy to find?
Don’t panic, I’m not suggesting that you take out an advert on the side of a London bus. I’m talking about the relatively simple step of showing your website domain name everywhere that you can.
Two recent and true client stories about author website domain names
This is why I’m convinced today’s pep talk is needed:
I was working with an inspiring and committed independently published author who also offers consulting services. He was investing seriously in his online presence and author website in particular. Together, we planned —and I delivered— an exceptionally strong and professional-looking site. During the project, he was smart to realize that a free infographic would help his audience get a feel for his work and methodology. So he commissioned a freelancer to design it. But neither of them thought about putting his author website address on this PDF download, until I intervened. This would have meant people could visit his website, download the freebie, share it with others, and his information wouldn’t be on it. Is the website address there now? You bet it is.
I was working on an author website for an exciting and fairly high profile book being released by a “Big Five” publisher. Luckily, the author sent me both a PDF of the book interior and the almost-final cover design. And I was shocked to realize: the book’s website address was not on the book cover. It was not in the front matter. Nor was it in the back matter. Happily, the author then requested urgent changes and all three of these things were added before publication day.
(Side note: my smartest clients work with me well ahead of their book release. I’ve got your back, and I will speak up when I see a missed opportunity for you!)
I can forgive an inexperienced (rushed, underpaid?) freelancer for not watching out for his client’s overall interests. But I was astonished and dismayed that the big publisher wasn’t more clued up and thinking about overall book marketing tactics. After all, they want the same thing as the author: more book sales!
And it’s a huge missed opportunity, not to leave easy breadcrumbs everywhere you go, inviting people to visit the “mission control” of both your book marketing and your author career.
OK, so, where should you think about putting your domain name? Here’s a handy checklist:
Where to list your author website domain name
Printed books
cover
front matter and back matter, often with a call to action and mention of a freebie or reader magnet
Ebooks
front matter and back matter, again mentioning why the reader should visit your website
… although keep an eye on Amazon’s policies about external links in Kindle books
PDFs including lead magnets (reader magnets), speaker sheet, media kit, and presentation handouts
Marketing collateral, like your author business card, bookmarks, postcards, and flyers
Sample book pages that you offer at conferences and writing events
Book merchandise, like mugs and tote bags
All of your social media profiles, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Central
Don’t forget lesser-used profiles like Meetup, AirBnB, professional associations, and your Alumni network
(yes, seriously: I sold several of my books to a delightful AirBnB host in New Zealand!)Your by-line for any regular writing gigs, or guest articles
In your email footer
In your email out-of-office response
In your personal holiday / Christmas cards
On a return address sticker (for when you send anything by snail mail)
And you can even buy magnetic plates for your car
Whether you’re publishing independently or traditionally, you’ll have at least some influence over most of these locations.
Bonus points: include a QR code in physical materials
Any “real life” locations (like printed books, flyers, bookmarks, your car) will benefit from a QR code to make it easy for visitors to go directly to your website, or even to a specific page.
All about using QR codes for book marketing, including where to put them and how to make one. (Update: you can make QR codes in Canva now, too.)
More author website domain name tips
Don’t worry if, like many first-time authors, you’ve purchased a domain name inspired by your book title instead of your own name. I did it too! (These days, I actually use that for my books website, leaving paulinewiles.com and brilliantauthor.com for this, my web design business.) It’s honestly not the end of the world, because you can also buy yourname.com and simply link both of them up to your main website. That’s the kind of tech detail I take care of for my clients all the time.
If you’d like to brush up your knowledge on domain names in general, you might also enjoy these related articles:
Don’t let your domain name expire! - a cautionary tale. Take 5 minutes and check, I beg you!
Squarespace: should you connect or transfer your domain name?
Now, go check on the places where your website domain name is showing!
There are many, many strategic and tactical decisions and actions that contribute to successful book marketing. But showing your author website domain name in as many places as possible is easy, low-hanging fruit. I encourage you to get to work!
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Are you ready to sell more books?
If you’re feeling some reluctance to splash your author website name everywhere, it might be because you’re ashamed of your outdated (or even non-existent?) site. Let’s fix that. I work with a small number of clients each year to create strategic, attractive author websites that ooze professionalism and work hard to grow your audience, while you get on with writing your next book.
Learn more, and then schedule a complimentary chat with me.
Popular resources for a powerful author website
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