Nonfiction Author Websites
If you’re a nonfiction or memoir author, you need a website.
Why?
It’s your official author presence and online home.
Your website has an important job. It should:
Provide a central place for people to find your work
Establish credibility, helping potential interviewers and readers see that you’re a serious author
Lead people to your email list for ongoing communication
If you’re writing your first book, you may be wondering what to put on your website. Or maybe you’re wondering whether your current site needs updates now that you’re an author.
I created an easy-to-use website audit so you can quickly gauge how your site is doing and get some ideas for tune-ups. It’s available to you now, free of charge. I hope it’s helpful.
Download now. 100% Free.
What makes a great nonfiction author website?
A great website requires careful attention to three critical elements: Design, Tech, and Marketing.
You need a great design.
You need the tech to work. (And work smartly.)
But design and tech are “table stakes.” They’re minimum “must-haves.”
Perhaps most importantly, your entire site needs to be underpinned by an effective marketing strategy.
Have you ever hired a website designer only to have them turn around and say: Send me all the text & other content I should put on your site!
You want to be involved, of course. To have input. To work collaboratively.
But wouldn’t it be helpful if your website designer was also a strategic marketer? A digital marketing specialist? Someone who understands author platform development, content strategy, search engine optimization, and most especially, nonfiction book marketing?
After all, you’re an expert in your book’s topic — not in digital marketing. And your website is not just any website. It’s your Nonfiction Author Website. Its job is to effectively represent you and your book to the world — including prospective readers, media & podcasters, and those looking for answers or information on your topic.
Ready for some help?
I love working with nonfiction and memoir authors to create their official author presence and online home. With my MBA in marketing, many years in the tech industry, and up-to-date certifications in digital marketing — including content marketing, email marketing, search engine optimization, and more — I bring a strategic and detailed lens to each project to ensure your nonfiction author website represents you well to the world.
When I’m already working with an author on publishing and launching their book, adding a website onto the project helps ensure your entire author platform is strategic, thoughtful, and coordinated.
But I work with other nonfiction authors, too — not just my publishing clients. Here are a few options for ways we could work together:
Custom Author Website Creation & Email Strategy
After we review your goals and plans, I’ll create a custom nonfiction author website for you. We can create an integrated email list strategy and implementation, too, if it fits with your goals.
I use Squarespace for all my websites because it’s powerful and flexible. When we’re done, I’ll transfer ownership to you and show you how to update it.
DIY Resource:
Comprehensive Guide to Nonfiction Author Websites
My comprehensive guide will help you create your own nonfiction author website with confidence.
It’s appropriate for users of any platform (Squarespace, Wix, Wordpress, etc.) because it’s focused on strategy and content, not technical instructions.
Included in this offer is a one-hour one-on-one consultation with me to answer your questions at any point in the process.
Available Soon! Get notified when it’s ready.
Personalized Evaluation & Recommendations for Your Existing Website
Have an existing website? I’ll review your current site and provide you with a personalized video evaluation walk-through. I’ll show you what it does well and make recommendations for improvements.
This is appropriate for sites on any platform (Squarespace, Wix, Wordpress, etc) because it’s a content and strategy review.
“The strategy, insight, and technical expertise Jenny provided in our website creation and launch is unprecedented. We came to her knowing we needed a new website to reflect our current line of work. Through probing questions, she helped us refine our strategy not only for our site, but also for our business in general. While we’ve been operating for decades, she gently but persistently guided us in considering options we hadn’t known we needed. From those objectives, she designed a website—to our preferences and specifications—that exceeded our expectations. She set up our lead magnets and advised us around the best way to maximize our SEO and social media. She also created easy DIY guides so we could manage our own blog posts and graphics creation. Jenny has the rare skillset to work effectively from the level of executive strategy to tactics—implementing every technical tool needed to fully maximize reach. We’re already seeing our list and audience grow, and we’ve secured new clients within a month of our launch. When I have a question about anything pertaining to marketing or platform development, I fully trust Jenny to go the extra mile to offer the best solution.”
—Jocelyn Carbonara, president & COO, Spiritus Books
“Jenny's detailed "how-to" guide helped me create my new author website in less than a few hours. Her instructions and suggestions made it easy to know what exactly to include to make sure I appear professional and seasoned. This guide is the perfect solution if you don't want to spend too much time or energy getting your name out there.”
—Cyndi Francois, author, Traveling through Grief: Life, Death, and Ten Months in a Tent
“I hired Jenny to help me publish and launch my book, The Zen of Learning to Ride a Motorcycle, and to create my author website. I couldn't have been happier with her services. I have paid other companies twice as much to do half the work that Jenny has done for me. There are so many businesses out there over-promising and under-delivering. Jenny Lisk is the real deal and she will work with you to make it happen. If you're on the fence about hiring her, do it already! You won't be sorry!”
—Leslie Reyes, author, The Zen of Learning to Ride a Motorcycle