Dear Authors,
This is a friendly letter in regards to your websites. Have excerpts for your books. ALL of them, dammit. Yes – enough readers may want that super old one republished, and it might happen. If they know about it. If you revamp your site, please DO NOT remove the book blurbs and excerpts. You might have that 10-15 year old book still for sale on amazon, through the publisher, and I’m not buying it unless I’ve read an excerpt. I also might want it enough to create a big stink on say, Harlequin, and convince them to republish. (Hey, it’s been known to happen. Every so often I’ll go in there and stomp around and issue my demands. Sometimes, they’re even met. I so heart Harlequin.)
Also, about the excerpts… If the link is to a pdf, please warn us. Some computers don’t like that sort of thing, so we need to prepare our machines.
Please have book blurbs. Sometimes, I want to know what the book is about, and cannot find it anywhere. You, kind author, should have easy access to it. Please post it. Right by the book page. We put them by our reviews too, and sometimes (while not necessarily accurate), blubs are that final step that convince a reader to buy.
Speaking of – have a book page! A one that is easy to navigate. I know you, or your web developer want to show off your mad interwebbing skillz. But make it user friendly. If you didn’t know the site – could you find it all? Too often I go to a site and become frustrated. I want to hit someone, or break something, because I should be able to easily find your book page and information. That is not always the case. Please fix that. Make sure there are clear links to your books. SEPARATE links. Make sure the links WORK and go to the CORRECT book. Thanks. Also, make sure the links are PROPERLY LABELED. Help our blind friends out. And you know, the ones who aren’t blind because that’s just not useful for anyone if you have a mislabeled link.
Make sure your webpage is legible. Accordingly, watch for typos. I know we all make them. I for sure do. But I’m not a professional reviewer (would that I were!) – and still – I do try and edit everything. Also, no glitter graphics, please. Not on your website. No dancing, moving, shifting, pixelated anything. Not unless you’re in middle school.
Make sure the font is readable, the colors compatible. Do people need to highlight text for it to be visible? That is BAD. Is it something that appeals to a four year old girl and only said four year old? Also bad.
Check your webpage in different browsers. I hesitate to say the “old guard” loves IE and nobody else does… but a number of people use Mozilla Firefox (because its better). Do see if your webpage works in FF and other browsers.
Don’t have misinformation on your site. Yes, it may seem all sophisticated and erudite, and that you’re so culturally aware… but if it’s wrong, you are fail. Please make sure what legend/myth/”fact” you have posted are in fact, correct.
Don’t sign up for chats/visits etc, then do a no show. If you had an emergency, that’s understandable – but do try to give notice. (Other professionals do the same.) Accordingly, don’t renege on contests. If you promise one, follow through. As a side, update your contests page. If you don’t want to do one anymore, take it down.
Naked man pictures – why. On a blog, fun posts, a fun page- fine. All over your main page? Look. We get you write romance. Or erotica. Or erotic romance. No need to throw it in the viewer’s face. Or perpetuate all the derision for the genre of some non-reader who stumbles upon your page. Honestly. For fun, all well and good- bring on the naked men. But on a home page? … ehh. Unless you’re a p0rn star, that’s not really how you want yourself represented professionally… is it?
I heard a new, and horrifying one today, about an author photograph. Just… be aware of how you present yourself. Would you be embarrassed if say, the clerk of courts recognized you from your web page? Your mayor? Your first grade teacher? A senator? If yes… reconsider posting whatever it may be.
NO MUSIC, or forcing someone to watch your book trailer as soon as they access your site. Please – just have a welcome/home page. If you write adult materials and don’t want someone underage accessing your site, I understand the “go away if you’re under 18.” Otherwise, please let the viewer choose what fancy doodads they want to see.
Thus – that floating toolbar? Anchor it. Instead of it being useful, it covers up text and images I want to see elsewhere in the page. The toolbar lurching around trying to follow me as I scroll around doesn’t make me think “oh how nice and helpful!” It makes me wonder if the toolbar is having a seizure, and I have the urge to break my cute little laptop screen. This is not good.
Make sure your home page is user friendly. Don’t hide links in images or place links in counter-intuitive places. There is one website I get linked to once every few months, (yes an author page), and I’ve never once found anything. I’m stuck on the main page and I don’t know where anything is or anything about that author. And after the initial go, I’ve never tried again. I’ve also never read anything by that author, and you know, don’t really care to. If s/he wanted me to read his/her books, a readily accessible book page would be there. I’m reasonably intelligent – rather confident in my smarts. I’m also competent with computers and the internet. Your webpage shouldn’t stump or frustrate me.
A suggestion – have “upcoming news” – important professional things you’re doing. A blog tour? Book tour? Speaking engagement? New book coming out? Do let readers know.
Possibly have a newsletter or email list. Have a contact page. And/or a blog. Group blogs. However, if you can’t keep up with the blog you have now, don’t go joining more. Don’t create a second one. Don’t pretend to have a blog that you don’t even update. Consensus from the duckies is also that if you have a personal blog and can’t handle it – stop. Don’t let your assistant/mom/random person update for you. Not. Good.
Lastly, don’t say you’re happy to hear from readers if you’re not. What do I mean? Well, I personally, have bad luck “cold calling” authors. I’ve done it a few times now, and was always ignored. (And yes, I gave the author sufficient time to respond – anywhere from one, to twelve months.) Really. I’d be ok with you shooting back an email six months after my “sent” date. I’m sure you’re busy, and believe it or not, I’m hella busy too. Don’t encourage readers to contact you, and say you love chatting/interacting with readers, if you’re not going to. However, I have corresponded with some fabulous authors, and I know there are a number of authors out there who love getting emails from readers and respond. Joy!
That’s just my little rant/hope for all author pages.
Have I offended anyone? Dug out any culprits? Is there anything you would have added to this list?
Signed,
Limecello, et al
Good post! You hit a couple of my own pet peeves–illegible text, flashy/sparkly/moving stuff, and music or video that starts up automatically as soon as the page loads. I’m designing my own author Web site right now and am using your post as a checklist.
I can’t think of anyone who’d be annoyed by this. Unlike published books, websites can be improved and changed and this seems like good basic advice. I’m putting it in my little file.
From your lips to authors’ ears! From another reader, one who usually avoids authors websites because they commit too many of the sins mentioned in this post, PLEASE PLEASE listen to Limecello’s words of wisdom.
I’m always looking for the link that says “upcoming releases”. I know that sometimes authors don’t have contracts for more books. But if you do, please, please tell us. I just read your latest book. I love, love, loved it. I want more! When can I please get me more? Tell me!
Oh how many times have I ranted on this very topic!
Suzanne Brockmann is the best example of the KISS theory for authors. You couldn’t have a simpler website than hers, but it’s wonderful! All the data you could possibly want to see about her and her work is linked there in a very simple page with NO BACKGROUND or fancy graphics. PERFECT! Loads fast and is very informative in a very short space.
http://suzannebrockmann.com/
Not that I don’t enjoy the fancy schmancy website when they’re done well. I just don’t see the need to spend that kind of time and money if it means I have to wait for my data or for the site to update to include the latest releases.
I seem to see this about once a year and so many authors have yet to get the message. Karen Chance, I like your books but hate your website. The noisy Flash introduction does nothing for me.
Another pet peeve is if you have an email announcement list, please mention on the sign up page if you send out announcements more than once a month. If you like to update more than once a month, get a blog.
Nancy – Yay! Thanks 🙂 I hope it’s useful.
Carolyn – w00t! So this means I get to come after you if I see any violation on this list? 😉
Jessica – I sure hope so! :X I’m going out on a limb here and … well I think I should’ve included ALL sites- there are some review ones that are just… an assault on the eyes.
Phyl – I know! There are some websites that haven’t been updated in TWO YEARS! I swear – time to close up shop! (Well, not really, but… come on!)
Gwen – I’m going to check hers out right now 😀 Haha. Maybe this post would’ve gotten a lot more heated if I ddid a column/list of “yesses” and “nos” for author websites.
I just recently switched from a WYSIWYG sitebuilder that was next to impossible to update (oh, the horrors when you know fixing one typo will take you twenty minutes, or that adding a new page could make all the content on one of your other pages mysteriously disappear!!) to wordpress. I honestly wish I’d done wp from the very beginning. So easy to update, to fix typos, to add content and review snippets or what-have-you.
I will admit, I have a sexy (female) graphic on my homepage, but it’s more in the spirit of classic nude art photography than the cover of a skin mag. Never really considered the difficulty blind people might have with graphic-based links. Do you know if tts will read the “hover text”? You know, the little box that comes up when your cursor is over the graphic?
I also stick my upcoming releases in the “My Books” page. They’re first in line, and the caption says they’re coming soon. And I’ve put a widget in the sidebar of all the pages to let people know I have them. But should I have a whole page dedicated to them (or “it’)?
I have excerpts up for all my books, and a few for works in progress too. Can’t tell you how annoying it is for me as a reader when they’re not there for available titles.
Can’t say I love Suzanne Brockmann’s site–it’s easy enough to have a site that’s simple and user-friendly, and pretty too. But you’re right, it is thorough. I’d rather have that than something with mondo-spectacular graphics where you can’t figure out where anything is.
Elaine – you slipped in right before I entered my comment! You sly fox 😉 I know this isn’t a new topic – and actually… I wrote this post more than five months ago. (Never let it be said that the duckies -and this one in particular- don’t know how to procrastinate!)
I’m tempted to go to Ms. Chance’s website now… I HAAAAAAAAAATE flash introductions. I’ll generally close the window, and just forget it. And good call on the email announcements/newsletters. I hate getting spammed. This is why I don’t really check yahoo groups. Incidentally I should weed some out…
Kirsten – I trotted myself over to your website – and I think the nude woman is tastefully done. I meant more like images such as this: http://tinyurl.com/dkqsg6 plastered ALL OVER THE FREAKING PLACE. There are a number of author websites with embracing couples that are half clothed that are well and good. But something that’s borderline an advertisement for playgirl? … no.
Glad that wordpress is working out for you! The pond is wordpress too, but it hates me. As for hover text, I’m not sure – it might? I’ll have to defer to our resident expert, Shannon.
For upcoming books – no, I think just letting people know they exist and to watch out for them is enough. I mean, if you want to create one, that’s great too – give readers an excerpt, let them anticipate holding it in their hands ;). But that’s up to you – all I ask for is a “hello – I’ve got this book. You should know about it. Kthnxbai.” In fact, I think your “My Books” page is great. I also like how your site is clean – and easy to navigate.
Your site? Gold star! 😀
[And uh oh :X I just clicked to Ms. Brockmann’s page. Dare I say I’m not 100% in love with it? Minimalist indeed. I don’t know if … I don’t know.]
Brockmann’s is very minimal. But I’d rather have that, and it be updated, than have something flash-tastic that isn’t.
Just sayin’…
😉
I probably go too far in the opposite direction–at the moment, my site’s really plain. It’s intended to load quickly and easily and provide relevant information. there are no graphics–you have to click links to see my couple of book covers.
But yes, it could be prettied up a bit without making it cluttered. I plan to do that. Eventually….
Gwen – truth.
Victoria – I like pretty, I don’t like… wtf is going on here?. I know :X I’m a demanding reader. I’m going to check your site though 🙂 Hee – Gwen should like your site!
That’s it – yours and Suzanne’s both make me think the old school geocities pages. Cover images might be something that helps. 🙂 At least yours is updated!
Also, if an author has a “news/coming soon” page, maybe have a date that it was last updated. Sometimes the news is very, very old. 🙁
And Suz’s site, while not the most attractive, does have all the info you need and is easy to navigate, etc.
c2- Agreed. I think it can be extremely helpful for an author to note when the page was last updated -or… you know, just be on top of it :P. And you’re right – Suzanne’s site meets all “requirements. Levels of aesthetics is a personal choice. (But yes, this can be a good example of “less is more.”)
A very informative post. I will certainly be looking over my website to check I’ve not committed any of these no-nos! I do want my readers to enjoy visiting my website and I want to make finding (and buying!) my books as easy as is humanly possible! Thank you for your insight.
Hi Victoria – Haha, :X I hope you haven’t committed the no nos either! I like how you have the different links clearly labeled on your web page -very nice on the organization. 🙂
Thank you! That is all down to my technical support department AKA The Husband. He’s done a great job (I think) of making the site easy to get round. He had to, I have to use it! 🙂
No made up lingo on the home page. Books page should be titled either books or bibliography, NOT library, NOT a characters name, NOT a setting in your new book, and unless this is a J.R.R. Tolkien elvish site NOT in YOUR made up language. If I have to click every damn link on the page to find a backlist, I’ll more often than not blow off the author’s books.
Graphics are good. Graphics can be our friends. But don’t load up the entire site with smiling happy faces if your books are dark and ominous (and if your books are the happy, feel good books, don’t have a dark site), or so many that my Firefox browser freezes (Firefox rules!!!).
No neon pink/orange/green. It burns my eyeballs and makes me squint, which gives me a headache which makes me not so inclined to shell out the $ for your books. And along the lines of what limecello said….no fairy dust crap trailing after the pointer arrow. There is one site that looks like Tinkerbell exploded and when I move the pointer around the fairy dust crap clicks links randomly. ARGH!
And this one is a sticker for me. Don’t have a themed site. Yes your books are restaurant themed. But do not for the love of all that is holy make your site a “menu” that does all of the above!!!!
Newsletters…If I sign up, and don’t get somewhat regular updates (once a year would be nice) please don’t have the link. Also, please don’t make your newsletter page the publisher’s newsletter. I did not sign up to find out what Jane Goody Two Shoes has coming out in two weeks. I signed up for you. Don’t spam me. Don’t send out 4 addendum’s to your weekly update.
Please don’t link on your About Me page your YouTube page that shows you/your loved one/your beloved pet having a colonoscopy without a warning in all caps. Ewwwwwwwwww. (For real-no joke).
Please please please don’t update your site every week with an update that your site will get a new look with the next update…if it doesn’t happen. Repeatedly.
If you have a blog, please do not load it up with 1. valley girl talk (Cuz lyk O MY GOD!), 2. Filler (if you don’t have anything to talk about, stop typing. I don’t want to read a blog that on off days discusses proper punctuation in regards to everyday emails. Just stop.
And finally, I love charities, and I love it more when an author will have a worthy charity link on their links page. But if you are raising money for a charity, person or action, please update on what’s happened. Don’t just let it go leaving all of us that have donated wondering if we just donated to your Paypal account.
Ok…off my soapbox. Deep breath.
DeeCee – oooo VERY good points! Haha, and I’ve seen a few themed ones… yes… branding gone too far, perhaps? And I HATE the unclear links. If I haven’t read the authors books, I sure as hell won’t know who the hero is – and that’s not helpful if I can’t find it.
As for the colonos…. I can’t even finish it. Ew. Cubed. Ew ew ew. Ewwwww. Ew. My eyes are sad just for reading it. I so hope nobody… ew.
And EXCELLENT point on the charities – I like that very much. Authors, I hope you’re taking notes!
All good points. And, thanks to it, I was just reminded to add an “upcoming page” to my own site.
Saw yesterday: a site with white text on light pink background (along with many other offenses, including a navigation system that was impossible to figure out) — but the text was the worst. (Although if music had been blasted as soon as I arrived, something else might have been worse.)
Hi Meljean! Thanks for stopping by 🙂 I like your site – gold star! I especially like that you have a complete book list, with links so I can just click to them – and they’re all easy to locate from one spot 😀 Also – nice background; negative space, but not dead space.
Heh. I’m scared to ask what site you went to. I think a lot of people don’t… consider text fonts. I know I’ve been guilty of it. In college my friends yelled at me all the time for my blog posts. I also sometimes used fonts only I had, which totally defeated the purpose of using them….
I have to admit I added a part for Lauren (Dane) based on a tweet she posted about a photograph she saw…
[quote]
Never really considered the difficulty blind people might have with graphic-based links. Do you know if tts will read the “hover text”? You know, the little box that comes up when your cursor is over the graphic?[/quote]
It will if you code it right. If you put the image into the HTML, be sure to include an alt tag. The text in the alt tag will appear if the image doesn’t display, or be read by screen readers. An image tag should have:
src=”the file name”
height=”the height of the image”
width=”the width of the image”
alt=”Your alternative text or description here”
If you’re including the image in the CSS as a background image, put the alternate text in the HTML and then ‘hide’ it with a text-indent that shoots it off the page (A technique known as FIRT).
I love reading these kinds of posts… they’re very helpful for those of us who make these author websites. 😉
Hi Laurie – Thanks so much for sharing that with us. Very helpful. Also, very nice site – of course 😉 But one would expect that from you, huh.
Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for the gold star! 🙂
And Laurie, you lost me at “put the image into HTML”. Yes, I am a technophobe. LOL
I think I’ll just type in the relevant info under the cover images and put the links on that text, too. Easier than me messing with code, which can only end in disaster if past experience is any indication.
Another one I noticed the other day that I think is important
Be Proud!!
HAVE PICTURES OF ALL YOUR BOOKS!!!
I was trying to track down a book and I thought it was by a certain author but all she had was a LIST of books. I remember the cover but not the author or title so I was VERY frustrated.
And ditto on the contests. If you aren’t running one – TAKE IT DOWN. I don’t enter that many of them but I don’t like it when I see a contest page and there hasn’t been on in over a year. Also – follow through!! I did win one time and never heard from the author or got the book even though I know she had my info. Do you think I’m going to be trying that author again??? Nope.
Kristie – hi! Also, yes, yes, YES! Book covers are extremely helpful. People are visual. And… I hate the contest fake out. I had a similar experience – if I remember, I’ll generally contact the author/person a month later. One [person] actually
had the audacity to tell metold me that I’d already gotten the prize. (I hadn’t). Ah well.I think it’s things like this which is what led to all the rules/regulations that are in contests now. Which is helpful when what is expected is clear. But definitely – if you aren’t willing to have the contest, don’t do it..
One of my blog readers told me about your post after I complained about all the flash graphics on some sites.
Thanks for all the useful info.
Hi Marta – thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! This made me very happy – and I’m glad people are agreeing – haha, seems like I’m preaching to the choir!
Hi, Limecello, I visit this site often and link to it on my Vampire Wire blog, http://www.vampirewire.blogspot.com. I hope someday you’ll review my books!
Marta- Very fun! Thanks for the link love 🙂 Haha if ever I get my hands on your books, there’s a good chance that I’ll review them. 😉
I’m just now getting over here to read your pondering, lime. Great job. You hit some serious issues!
One thing I like to see on an author’s site is a series list on the Books page. If you’re an author who has several series, or even just one, give me the reading order, along with any other related books. I’m a series-a-holic and when I finally decide to read one, I want to know where to start and then which direction to take after that. I shouldn’t have to search the internet for that if you’ve got a website.
And on a Bio page, give me some info about YOU, the person as well as the author. Doesn’t have to be your entire history, but something interesting or unusual or whatever. More than just I was daydreamer in elementary school and my teacher told me I could write or some such drivel. It’s a bio, for heaven’s sake, so give me some meat to chew on! (Yes, I know some authors don’t like to give too much info because of their “other” job, but anything is better than that daydreaming stuff!)
Sandy – thanks! 🙂 Definitely a good call on the series/connected books – I feel the same way.
And you know, I was just thinking that about the author bios a few days ago, when it seemed that I was reading one after the other that said nothing. Hopefully some of your target authors will see this! 😉
Aha, I checked my website against your list. Am not an offender in any category. Hooray!
Sherry – Woohoo! 😀 I just clicked over to your site -and I really like it! I also think it really complements the books you write in terms of genre/style. 🙂
Have to agree with the keep it simple stuff. Some of us still have a dial up connection. Yes, gasp, it is true, I can’t get cable where I live…and a high speed connection is $$$.
A simple website that doesn’t take hours to download is much appreciated.
Christine – Not a consideration I had, but definitely a good point. Too many “do-dads” just isn’t that good in general.
Thanks for commenting!
Great list! I know I hate trying to find excerpts to link to in reviews because authors like to hide them.
Scavenger hunting is frustrating when I’m trying to get something done.
And the naked man pictures are a prob when you innocently go to a site and have to explain what you’re looking at to the friend standing behind you.
One of my personal pet peeves is having to click through a splash page. Not many authors do it, but I want to make the warning just in case.
Liv – great points, all. And HAH. The naked man with someone behind you… yes, I’ve lived that more than my fair share of times… *sigh*
Very informative. The whole point of an author website is so we can share what we have to offer to readers. Thanks for explaining how readers want us to organize that info.
I’m constantly tinkering with my website, trying to make it more user-friendly. If anyone spots a bad link or something just plain annoying, please let me know.
I recently visited one author website that looked like something a Commodore 64 vomited onto a lab rat’s maze.
Dude, if I have to click on a text link in a bland list of text linked titles just to see each book cover? Fail. How can I tell from the title alone that I’m going to be interested enough in the book to waste my time looking? Especially if you have ten or twenty books to sift through?
If I have to click to the publisher’s site to read a description? Epic fail.
You’d expect a review site to post the cover and blurb in a review of your book. You’d expect your publisher to put your covers on your author page. Why wouldn’t you post those things in a visible spot on your own website?
Very good advice. My biggest pet peeve is in going to a site and it’s not updated. I’ll know the author has a new book out and the last one on there was from 2006. Very frustrating.
And, must say I hate Brockmann’s site. Her books are dynamic and there’s nothing about the site that telegraphs that. But do agree authors can overdo it.
Great blog! We obviously have the same taste in websites. I want easily accessible information!!!
(Of course now I’m going to have to back and type in Excerpts for my first three books ;))
Hi Teresa! Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂 Haha and … it’s always nice to get a gentle reminder isn’t it? :X
Heh…I see the need for excerpts has already been mentioned a time or three. 😉 Still, I will say it again – PLEASE HAVE EXCERPTS FOR ALL YOUR BOOKS! Or, if that is too much, as you have new releases, put excerpts up for those. It doesn’t have to be a whole chapter or anything – just enough to give a good sample of the book. Please?? *big sad eyes*
Such a great post lime!
I have to agree on so many points. PLEASE list all your books I know you have OOP books you wish you never wrote but I might need them. Tell me if they are in a series. Give me excerpts.
No blurb and no excerpt = no sell
If I have to hunt for the info, depending on my mood and time it is more than likely I am going to move on to the next thing.
Personally I am one to say as soon as your ink is dry (if not sooner) on your contract you should have a basic site, with title, blurb, excerpt and general time frame of when I should be dying to have your book.
It is up to you to make me want it. And that is really pretty simple to do, seriously I am easy, at least at first it is keeping my attention that is the trick ;).
Sound is grand fun if you want it fine but DO NOT HAVE IT AUTO START. ALLOW your reader the choice to turn it on or not. Remember more than half of them will be at work and shouldn’t be surfing the web. Getting them in trouble is no way to sell a book.
Julie Garwood did (does?) have one of the worst sites because it take 100000 to find anything. It is a really cute idea but you have to scroll over shit to find anything. Lisa Kleypas use to have the same thing, it sucked when she did it to but I think she at least had a menu as well. Lisa’s site is much better now (but she doesn’t have excerpts for old books and still likes to pretend she didn’t write her first four novels).
I think that is all I can think of right now that bug me the most. And I do agree with gwen I would go with great info and simple over purdy and empty. But honestly I have always thought brockmann could do better. I don’t think it is hurting her sales though ;).