​A website acts as a central hub for your work, providing a platform to showcase your books, share updates, and connect with readers. For small presses, a well-designed website can enhance visibility and sales. Here, we’ll explore why every author should have a website, key landing pages and design tips, and how platforms like Squarespace and Shopify can help create a website quickly and affordably. We’ll also cover ways to maximise search engine optimisation to ensure your website reaches the widest audience possible.
 
A Central Hub for Your Work
 
First and foremost, a website serves as a one-stop-shop for everything related to your work. Readers, journalists, and potential collaborators can easily find information about your books, upcoming events, and media coverage. It’s your digital business card, available to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Other benefits include:

• Control Over Your Brand. With a website, you have complete control over your brand and how you present yourself to the world. Social media profiles are important, but they’re subject to changes in platform policies and algorithms. A website, however, is entirely yours. You can customise it to reflect your personality and the essence of your work.
• Improved Credibility. A professional website enhances your credibility as an author. It signals to readers and industry professionals that you’re serious about your writing career. This can be particularly important for independently published authors who are building their reputation from the ground up.
• Direct Sales and Mailing List Growth. Your website can function as a direct sales channel, allowing you to sell books and merchandise without relying solely on third-party retailers*. Additionally, it’s a prime tool for growing your mailing list, enabling you to keep in touch with your audience and inform them about new releases and events.   *we’ll look at e-commerce tips and considerations in a future post

 
Preparing Your Website
 
When setting up your website make sure you’ve got these pages at a minimum:

• Home page. Your home page is the first impression visitors will have of your site. It should be visually appealing and clearly convey who you are and what you do. Include a brief introduction, your latest news or releases, and a clear call-to-action (CTA) such as “Sign Up for My Newsletter”.
• About Page. The about page is where you tell your story. Share your background, your journey as a writer, and what inspires your work. This helps readers connect with you on a personal level. Ensure you have a photo of you that can be downloaded in high res and used for media purposes or by event organisers.
• Books Page. Create a dedicated page for your books, with each title having its own sub-page. Include book covers, synopses, purchase links, and reviews. If you have several books, consider organising them by series or genre. Ensure your covers can also be downloaded (right click) in high res and for the love of God, put the ISBN, format, page count, and price on them. You wouldn’t believe how many people don’t put basic metadata on the book pages!
• Blog. A blog is an excellent way to keep your site dynamic and engage with readers. Share writing tips, behind-the-scenes insights, book reviews, and more. Regular updates can also improve your site’s SEO.
• Contact Page. Make it easy for readers and industry professionals to reach you. Include a contact form, your email address, and links to your social media profiles.

 
Maximising Search Engine Optimisation
 
A few more things to note:

• Keywords. Research relevant keywords for your genre and incorporate them into your website content. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help you identify high-traffic keywords.
• Quality Content. Regularly update your site with high-quality, relevant content. This could be blog posts, book excerpts, or author updates. Search engines favour sites that are frequently updated with fresh content.
• Meta Descriptions. Use meta descriptions for each page on your site. These are the snippets of text that appear under your page title in search engine results. A compelling meta description can increase click-through rates.
• Internal Linking. Link to other pages on your site within your content. This helps search engines understand the structure of your site and can improve your SEO.
• Mobile Optimisation. Ensure your site is optimised for mobile devices. Google prioritises mobile-friendly sites in its search results, so this is crucial for your SEO strategy.

 
Some Basic Design Tips

• Keep It Simple. A clean, uncluttered design is often the most effective. Use a cohesive colour scheme and easy-to-read fonts. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly, as many users will access it on their smartphones. Sites like Weebly, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify etc have ready-to-use templates that can also be customised. Find what you like and structure your site accordingly.
• High-Quality Images. Use high-quality images for book covers and author photos. Poor quality images can make your site look unprofessional.
• Navigation. Ensure your site is easy to navigate. A clear menu structure helps visitors find what they’re looking for without frustration. An author’s website shouldn’t be overly complicated anyway.
• Calls to Action. Include CTAs throughout your site. Encourage visitors to sign up for your newsletter (if you have one), follow you on social media, or buy your books. Some of the online sites mentioned above have integrations with Mailchimp or inbuilt marketing apps that can make newsletters relatively easy to run.

 
A well-designed website is a powerful tool for authors and small presses. It serves as a central hub for your work, enhances your credibility, and provides opportunities for direct sales and reader engagement. Online platforms like Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, Shopify and others make it really easy to create a professional site quickly and affordably. By focusing on key landing pages, effective design, and strong SEO practices, you can maximise the impact of your website and reach a wider audience. Embrace the digital age and let your website be a testament to your dedication and passion for your craft.

​_____________
 
NOTE: Here at RM Marketing Services, we do websites for authors, small presses and industry organisations. We prefer Squarespace because it has a  user-friendly interface and elegant design templates. It offers a range of features including blogging tools, e-commerce functionality, and analytics. Squarespace also provides hosting and a custom domain, making it a comprehensive solution for building your author website. If you plan to sell books directly from your site, Shopify is an excellent option. It’s primarily an e-commerce platform, but it also offers a variety of website design tools. Shopify’s integration with payment processors and shipping services can streamline your sales process. We also have experience with Wix and Weebly so if you are looking to launch a new website, get in touch with us to discuss your project and our availability.

In the dynamic landscape of book publishing, the rise of digital technology has heralded significant transformations, none more impactful than the advent of ebooks. For publishers, the ebook market opens doors to significant opportunities, especially in the consumer and library sectors. Despite the challenges and misconceptions that have slowed their adoption, ebooks offer substantial benefits. This blog post explores these benefits, examines the obstacles publishers face in making ebooks accessible to libraries, and highlights key trends and statistics underscoring the increased importance of digital lending.

The Consumer Market
 
Ebooks provide consumers with unmatched convenience and accessibility. Significant market shifts occurred with the launch of Amazon’s Kindle in 2007 (available in Australia in 2009) and Apple’s first iPad with iBooks in 2010. The proliferation of smartphones, tablets, and dedicated e-readers enabled consumers to carry entire libraries in their pockets. This portability is especially advantageous for avid readers and travellers, reducing the need for physical space and the burden of carrying multiple books. Despite the jokes about always needing a charger, ebooks quickly became the preferred format for high-volume readers, particularly in genres like science fiction and erotica/romance. Ebooks often come with adjustable font sizes, text-to-speech capabilities, and other features that enhance accessibility for readers with disabilities. These options make reading a more inclusive activity, broadening the potential audience for publishers.
 
The Library Market
 
Libraries have long been pillars of community and education, and the integration of ebooks into their collections only strengthened this role. For publishers, making ebooks available to libraries means reaching a broader audience who may not otherwise have access to their titles. Digital borrowing is particularly beneficial when physical library access is limited, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Australian university libraries generally prefer digital formats, the pandemic significantly accelerated the shift to digital, especially for textbook publishers.
 
For the larger publishers, creating their own ebook platform for libraries meant they could encourage direct relationships with their customers but they also worked with the ebook aggregators to ensure they had their content available in all possible sales channels – but saw them as competitors in many instances rather than partners or even solutions in that market. Overtime the number of aggregators decreased as they were acquired and merged into other platforms e.g. ProQuest’s Ebook Central is the platform name created by the acquisition and merger overtime of EBL, MyILibrary, ebrary.

Library Suppliers
 
We first saw the big shift to digital content with the reference publishers - as it was encyclopedias and dictionaries that were the first to transition to digital and impact library supplier revenue back in the mid to late 2000s. To counteract that change, library suppliers would work with publishers directly on a commission basis selling the publisher’s own platform. They also had to partner with ebook distributors so they could continue their role in the library supply chain and meet the tender requirements of their customers, especially if they worked in the academic library space. Library suppliers and ebook aggregators are more or less one entity these days with ProQuest and Ebsco prominent in academic library markets. Overdrive/Libby and Borrowbox are prominent in public library markets but there are a number of options available and publishers should ensure their content is available in all sales channels.
 
Challenges
 
Libraries expect content to made available in all available formats – print, ebook, audiobook, databases, multimedia, online platforms etc – to meet the needs of their readers, students, lecturers or researchers. Despite the clear benefits, publishers have historically faced several challenges in making their ebooks available to libraries:

1. Licensing Models: Traditional one-copy-one-user models have often been at odds with the nature of digital content. Libraries and publishers have had to navigate complex licensing agreements that balance fair use with profitability. Ebook platforms now offer multiple licensing models  to publishers who are able to decide what works best in terms of commercial arrangements as well as aligning it to the company's business philosophy.
2. Pricing Structures: Publishers have sometimes struggled with pricing ebooks for libraries in a way that reflects the value of unlimited digital access while remaining affordable for library budgets. The fear of cannibalising print sales has also influenced pricing strategies.
3. Piracy Concerns: The ease of digital distribution has raised concerns about unauthorised sharing and piracy, prompting publishers and ebook distributors to implement stringent digital rights management (DRM) measures that can sometimes hinder the user experience.
4. Cost of Distribution: If the publisher does not have a distributor who handles their print and ebooks, tech systems capable of making the process easier are not affordable - so manual workflows need to be implemented. Smaller publishers do not the resources to handle ebook distribution for multiple sales channels - particularly as each distribution partner has their own way to ingest metadata (if ONIX is not an option) so data templates needs to be filled in separately, workflows documented and followed, and training available so staff – and new staff - understand the requirements of each platform.
5. Content Restrictions: handling rights and restrictions in author agreements can be tricky at the best of times! It’s critical that only books with digital rights are placed library and consumer platforms.

Trends
 
Despite these challenges, the trend towards digital lending is unmistakable. Recent statistics highlight the increasing demand for library ebooks:
 
Global Rise in Ebook Lending:
According to OverDrive, a leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools, 2023 saw over 500 million ebook and audiobook loans globally, a significant increase from previous years.
 
Academic and Scholarly Libraries:
A report from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) noted that academic libraries have seen a marked increase in digital lending, with ebooks comprising a substantial portion of their collections. In Australia, for example, academic libraries reported a 25% increase in ebook borrowing in 2022 compared to the previous year.
 
Consumer Preferences:
A Pew Research Center survey found that 28% of American adults had read an ebook in the past year, indicating a steady shift towards digital reading habits.
 
The Australian Context
 
For Australian publishers, the ebook market presents unique opportunities and challenges. The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has been proactive in advocating for better access to ebooks for library patrons. In recent years, ALIA has worked with publishers to develop fair and sustainable ebook lending models that benefit both libraries and publishers.
 
A notable initiative is the National E-Deposit (NED) service, a collaboration between Australia’s national, state, and territory libraries. NED enables publishers to deposit digital publications, including ebooks, ensuring long-term access and preservation. This initiative not only supports the digital infrastructure for libraries but also provides publishers with a streamlined way to meet legal deposit requirements.

The Benefits of Multi-Format Availability
 
For publishers still hesitant to enter the ebook market, it is essential to consider the benefits of making content available in all formats:

• Market Expansion: Offering books in multiple formats—print, digital, and audio—allows publishers to reach diverse segments of the market. This inclusivity can drive higher overall sales and reader engagement.
• Enhanced Discoverability: Digital platforms often come with sophisticated search and recommendation algorithms that can increase the visibility of titles. Ebooks can also be sampled and recommendations shared more easily, fostering word-of-mouth promotion.
• Sustainability: Ebooks contribute to a more sustainable publishing model by reducing the need for physical resources such as paper and ink. This aligns with the growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products.
• Data Insights: Digital formats provide valuable data on reader preferences and behaviours. Publishers can use these insights to make informed decisions about marketing strategies and future acquisitions.

Summary
 
Ebooks offer clear benefits to both consumers and libraries, providing convenience, accessibility, and broader reach. Although publishers have faced challenges in integrating ebooks into library collections, evolving licensing models, supportive industry initiatives, and growing demand for digital content make a compelling case for embracing this format. For Australian publishers, initiatives like the National E-Deposit service exemplify the forward-thinking approach needed to succeed in the digital age. By offering content in all formats, publishers can meet the diverse needs of their audience and ensure their continued relevance and success in an ever-evolving market


Our director, Rachael McDiarmid, has been in the library ebook space since 2003 and has championed digital content for decades - particularly in academic and scholarly publishing. She works directly with ProQuest for Ebook Central as publisher relations manager for the Australian and New Zealand market and consults regularly on ebook distribution, particularly for libraries. The number of publishers who don't have ebooks available for both consumer and library markets never ceases to amaze her. It's 2024 last we checked.