Why does an author need a good website? And why should they pay for one instead of using one of the many free ones? Or isn’t it easier to use Facebook or the writer’s blog they have been using? However, the best answer for writers is to have a website is yes. Unlike social media and blogging, an author website means you will spend time building your writing platform. Every author’s online platform is their most significant asset, and creating one is vital for your long-term success.
Of course, some writers may point to using their profiles on Facebook, X, Instagram, or other social media sites because they have friends following them. Yes, there is value in social media profiles for writers. However, social media platforms come and go. Just ask anyone who used MySpace or AOL. With your website, you will always have control over whether it lives or dies. You will work to keep it alive, as that is the one stationary spot for potential readers who are searching online to run across your website.
More reasons for having a website:
You get to control what messages about you and your writing projects go on your site. Even if your site is filled only with static pages, you can decide what content goes on those pages.
You can write your own content, provide readers (and other media and publishing professionals) with the best way to contact you, share links to your social media profiles, give information about your writing projects and books, and much more.
You have to figure out how much to invest in your website. It may start with you locking down your domain name. Next, it may be creating an essential static website. As your writing career expands, you may want to invest more time and money in the website.
Besides readers, some companies will find out about you through your website, and you might get contacted to do a three-day weekend book signing, like what happened to me this year. Busch Gardens Williamsburg, an amusement park, contacted me a few months back to schedule a weekend in October to sign my books at the park. I agreed and signed a contract. The event gave me the opportunity to meet potential readers.
So, go ahead with that Facebook page, Instagram, or other social media, but think about a website. As that is where your author brand will shine the best as a beacon of light on the internet.
Pamela K. Kinney gave up long ago ignoring the demanding voices in her head and has been writing ever since. Her horror short story, “Bottled Spirits,” was runner-up for the 2013 WSFA Small Press Award and considered one of the seven best genre short fiction for that year. She has various short stories and poems published in fiction and nonfiction anthologies, magazines, and online zines, a science fiction novella, an urban fantasy novel, five nonfiction ghost books, and a nonfiction cryptid book. Her horror poem, “Dementia,” got her mentioned in Best Horror of the Year, Volume Thirteen. She has stories and poems in two horror anthologies to be released in 2024, plus a YA dark fantasy novel, Demon Memories, first book in the Moon Ridge trilogy.
I had to learn to write the book blurbs for my nonfiction ghost books for Schiffer Publishing as a requirement of being published with them. When I self-published my urban fantasy/horror novel, How the Vortex Changed My Life, I was the most qualified to write the blurb for the back of my book. Since then, I have written many blurbs for books published by publishers, including my latest, a YA dark fantasy novel, Demon Memories.
Back of the book blurb for Demon Memories:
Blurb for Maverick Heart:
Blurb for the horror anthology, Vinyl Cuts:
Blurb for horror poetry anthology, Terror at Miskatonic Falls:
In a world of constant digital distraction, where we are terrorized by to-do lists and starved of authentic presence and connection, many of us feel tired and wired. Seven to eight hours of sleep often feels like an unattainable luxury, and caffeine becomes a convenient crutch.
Susan Treadgold is a holistic high-performance coach, speaker, and multiple #1 best-selling author with nearly two decades of investment banking experience at Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, and Citigroup. She empowers women to have more energy and success with the use of science-backed high-performance habits, executive presence, training, and a personally curated longevity portfolio of cutting edge biohacking products. She is an award-winning artist, host of The High-Performing Woman talk show, and on the leadership committee of 5050 Women on Boards. She is a proud mother of two teenagers, and family is her love language. As a board member of Roots of Promise, she is passionate about helping less fortunate kids.
Are you an author that’s tried to get radio, TV, or podcast interviews and had little or no success? You may be doing what every other author is doing. Let me share from the view of the decision maker.
Suzanne Lynn Cheesman has been in radio for over 25 years, in New Jersey, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, and Florida as well as having hosted her own nationally syndicated show. She now runs a digital media company that helps authors sell more books and build their brand with video and radio interviews. She currently hosts the Triangle Spotlight radio show on WQBQ 1410-AM, a Central Florida radio station that has a coverage area of half a million people. On this show, you can hear authors from around the country and around the world share their heart behind the writing of their books.
I’ve never met Kori Nelson or Paul Leblanc in person. But, thanks to the power of the internet, I recently introduced them to each other. Now, Paul is financing Kori’s trip from Minnesota to New Hampshire, so that she can attend her college graduation ceremony at 
Ashley Henyan is a digital marketing consultant, a freelance writer, and the executive director for the American Red Cross of Lowcountry South Carolina. Previously, she held leadership roles in digital communications and media relations with the Red Cross (the 2017 Harris Poll Non-profit Brand of the Year). Ashley has-developed curriculum and trained hundreds of staff and volunteers across the United States in courses like Leveraging Your Story on LinkedIn and Social Media Story Telling. She has been invited to discuss social media marketing and brand visibility on various podcasts and with local and national associations. Ashley has played an integral part in award-winning social media campaigns including honorable mention recognition with the PR Daily Content Marketing Awards and numerous Silver Telly Awards for Branded Content. She holds a B.A. in government and politics from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in English and creative writing with a concentration in screenwriting from Southern New Hampshire University. Ashley’s work as a ghostwriter has appeared in national and international publications including Yahoo News, China Global Television Network, and The CEO Magazine.
Today I took my dog Chilly, a white miniature poodle, to a brand new groomer named Sally. After I dropped Chilly off, I ran two blocks down the street to pick up a prescription from CVS. I was expecting to wait at least an hour and thought I’d get one errand done in the interim. Less than 20 minutes later, when I returned to Sally’s shop, Chilly was already finished! I laughed, because staring at me through the front window was Chilly and an identical dog. Well, identical except for one big difference. This dog was two feet taller than Chilly! I even joked with the cashier, stating, “I thought for a moment you transformed him into a giant!”
Mikhail Bakhtin was a 20th century Russian philosopher who expanded upon Marxist thought to define the social function of language. His work, forever ahead of its time, stumps scholars to this day. In fact, much of what Bakhtin wrote aligns with poststructuralist thought, a movement that didn’t emerge until just before his death, in 1975. In his 1935 essay “Discourse in the Novel,” Bakhtin draws attention to the way a variety of diverse discourses work together, to explain, “a concrete socio-ideological language consciousness . . . where consciousness finds itself inevitably facing the necessity of having to choose a language” (677). To quote my favorite professor’s favorite Bakhtin, “When we stare at each other, two different worlds are reflected in the pupils of our eyes. Dialogue, the give and take of language, completes these two worlds” (Salyer). But what if the person you are staring at isn’t physically there? What happens to language when pupils are replaced by a message board, a photo, or a post? Is there a virtual give and take between dialogue and reflection in our digital world? Have we become blind to authenticity, communicating now through only that which is implied? Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in-between, in the virtu-verse of social discourse.
One could argue that film, the precise blend of dialogue, visuals, special effects, and music, is the ultimate form of communication. As a screenwriter (doing my small part to create films), appropriately understanding and applying the English language plays a huge role: especially when it comes to expressing character thought with accurate and realistic dialogue. As society turns to technology for everyday needs, the English language will continue to adapt and eventually become the ultimate universal language. As a professional screenwriter, I hope to blend the English language with technology and convey heart-felt stories to diverse audiences, worldwide.
Once you’ve completed your manuscript, you’re likely to feel a sense of accomplishment. Those months, or possibly even years, of hard work and dedication to your story have finally come to completion! You then go back to your manuscript and revise it, tinker with it, and maybe run it through a software program to check for issues with grammar and spelling. After those steps have been exhausted, you may realize there’s only so much you can do on your own, and you embark on the next step toward publication — finding an editor. But how do you find one, and more importantly, how do you find one who is trustworthy, skilled, and reliable?
Jennia Herold D’Lima
Not since the advent of the internet — or perhaps the printing press — have writers experienced as much turmoil as they have in recent years. The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 has spawned myriad “writing platforms” that purport to write copy in the blink of an eye. As this new technology has entered the market, Google has rolled out update after update, which has caused many websites that hired writers to craft search engine–optimized copy to slow their hiring or reduce writing quotas. The result is a shrinking freelance market at a time when writers need more and better-paying gigs just to keep pace with inflation.
Now comes the hard part: finding a profitable micro niche. How do you find a micro niche to specialize in?
Jeanne Grunert is the president and founder of Seven Oaks Consulting, a business-to-business content marketing agency. She is an award-winning writer and direct marketing expert with over 30 years of writing, marketing, and business experience. Prior to founding Seven Oaks Consulting, Jeanne led marketing for divisions of McGraw-Hill Education, Teachers College Columbia University, The College Board, and retail, publishing, and financial service companies in the New York City area. Known worldwide for her exceptional leadership and communication skills, Jeanne works seamlessly across cultural and corporate barriers to achieve outstanding results. She holds an M.A. in writing and an M.S. in direct and digital marketing (awarded with distinction) from New York University, as well as certifications in social media marketing, content marketing, and adult education. Originally from the New York City area, Jeanne currently resides with her husband, John, and many pets on a 17-acre farm in rural Virginia. When not leading marketing teams through her work at Seven Oaks Consulting, she enjoys gardening, reading, cooking, and writing mystery novels.