While I'm thinking up the next Nosey question, I thought I'd ask one just to keep you busy.
What does everybody think about personal websites?
I know some of the members here maintain blog sites and some even professional websites. Do you get a lot of visitors to your sites? Do you feel it is helping with developing a fan base, or marketing your work?
This is something that 20 years ago no one worried about, and I've never had to think about it before. Back then, if you wanted to know more about an author, you bought an autobiography, or read dust jackets. I figure it'll be a long time before I need a website, but I've been wrong before. So, the question becomes, at what point do you need a site? Two published stories? Five? Fifty?
Or, do you never really need a site and all it does is encourage stalkers?
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
Well, I don't yet have my own site, so my comment is only from the perspective of a reader interested in any given author. For me personally, I only look up the websites of those authors that I was blown away by, and would like to know more about. So that typically means I've read one or more novels by the author. Even if I really enjoy a short story, to date I have not looked up the author on the web unless I already have heard of them somewhere else. But that is just the way I do it. I'm sure there are a lot of different takes on this one.
Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :
On a related topic, look at page 6 of the March 2005 issue of Writer's Digest. It talks about self-promotion over the web.
Posted by catnep (Member # 2359) on :
I look up authors on the web when I want to know when their next book is coming out. I do not randomly search for genre's and such, but look for someone specific or some specific installment in a series.
This does apply to a new author too, in my case: Kristain Britain. I really enjoyed her first book and looked her up to see if she had more. She did have a website with updates and a short bio and some writing tips, and I was appreciative of that. Her second book was due out in a month from my checking and I bought it as a consequence of knowing that it was coming out. Otherwise she might have wandered into the back of my brain never to emmerge again unless I had hapened upon her work in store.
[This message has been edited by catnep (edited February 24, 2005).]
Posted by JBSkaggs (Member # 2265) on :
I have read several interviews with authors that have websites links in their bio's increase their sales. I know that I would not have aquired as many of Card's books I did if I would not have had a chance to visit his site and SAMPLE a portion of each.
But internet sampling can be tricky and may make a work unpublishable to a prospective publisher.
Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :
There are so many web sites out there, and honestly, unless someone has read your book...why would they be interested? I know it sounds negative, but with all the web sites out there, what reason does someon have to go to a web site telling someone about something they can't even get?
Now if you have a book published...a web site could be a good thing. If you can find a domain available for your name you might want to get it early. But until the book is available I doubt it will be worth while.
You might come up with something that would have interest to people before hand, but you can't promote something till it actually exists.