The Evolution of an Author Website
By Juliet Marillier | April 2, 2015 |
When I started out as a serious writer, back in the mid-1990s, I didn’t even own a home computer. I wrote in longhand and word-processed after hours at work. Once I had my first publishing contract I acquired a home PC and got internet access, and a family member who worked in IT set up an author website for me. It was pretty simple, a basic template with a Celtic border framing each page of text. The pages were Author Bio, Books, Contact and News. There were links to several online forums run by readers. As the fan base grew, readers were invited to submit book reviews, art work and (sometimes) their own writing for display on the site.
My readership outgrew that first website within five years or so. Not only did it get too time-consuming for me to handle the updates myself, but the program that supported the site became outmoded. The technology was developing fast and readers wanted more features. So I employed a professional web designer to create a new site, working in consultation with me. I pay her a monthly fee to maintain and update the site for me – a decision I have never regretted.
So what did we want, back in 2006? A quicker response. A way of displaying fan art more effectively. Features such as a rotating display of book covers. Video clips and audio samples. But what about the overall design? (Remember, at this point, tablets and smartphones were not widely in use – most people were still accessing the internet via laptop.)
I thought I knew what I wanted. Whether it was a good idea at the time, I’m still not sure.
I had a choice. Quick access and easy navigation: a single template with a smallish number of pages. Or atmosphere – a more complex, visually beautiful design that conjured up the ‘celtic twilight’ romanticism of my writing and led the reader on a journey full of intriguing surprises. In the end, I couldn’t resist the second option. After a lot of work by the designer, we ended up with this: www.julietmarillier.com
That website has done good service for more than 8 years. Readers loved it when it was new. It’s elaborate: there’s a different page design for each series (six designs in all) and the backlist book pages all have extras such as maps and/or historical notes. The rotating cover displays include every edition of each novel. Some of the best of the fan art is featured, and there are also links to galleries of reader art. It’s exactly what I wanted back then – a wandering pathway through the books, like a walk through a fairy tale forest.
Lovely as it is, this website, too, has outlived its usefulness. It’s horrible to read on a smartphone. And these days, when people want things instantly, it’s too far convoluted. The fact is, if something can’t be found in two clicks, many people lose patience and don’t bother. This is proven by the number of messages I get asking questions whose answers are on the site. So, another complete redesign is in order. This time we’ll go for a streamlined site, though I hope to keep a hint of the old flavour. I’ve asked my readers to suggest author websites they think are well-designed, and they’ve provided some great examples.
The new site is a work in progress, but it will be up before my next book, Tower of Thorns, comes out in October 2015. One change I will make is to add a personal blog. Up until now I’ve confined myself to my two-monthly Writer Unboxed contributions and occasional posts on GoodReads, plus my Facebook fan page. I’m concerned that maintaining a personal blog may gobble up time needed for writing my book. But a blog does help a writer engage with readers, especially a Twitter-averse writer like me (that’s a topic for another time.)
Instead of displaying readers’ art work, some of which is really wonderful, on the site or in a gallery, I will be putting it on my Facebook fan page, where it will most likely gain a wider audience. I’ll be reducing the amount of ancillary material on the site (maps, historical notes, cover art for foreign language editions and so on.) I love my backlist books dearly. A bit too dearly. People want what’s new, what’s current, what’s coming up, not what was written five, ten, fifteen years ago. So the new design will feature the current series front and centre, along with my upcoming travels and appearances. The backlist books will get one cover each with a brief story outline. Kill your darlings!
Essential pages, alongside the blog and the book pages, are Author Bio (short and snappy); Contact (rules of engagement, email and/or postal address); links to Facebook, Goodreads, Writer Unboxed etc; FAQ. And of course, info on how and where to purchase the books and audiobooks.
Although I feel a little sad at the pending demise of my current website, I’m excited about the development of the new one. I wonder how long it will be before the technology overtakes it once again.
I’d love to hear the story of your website – how you made your decisions about design and content and what changes you’ve had to make along the way. I’m sure many of you have far more bells and whistles on your site than I do on mine.
Photo credit: © Sborisov | Dreamstime.com – Pathway In The Autumn Forest Photo
Juliet Marillier has written twenty-four novels for adults and young adults and two collections of short fiction. Her works of historical fantasy have been published around the world and have won numerous awards. Juliet’s most recent series was Warrior Bards, of which the third and final book, A Song of Flight, was published in 2021. Her collection of reimagined fairy tales, Mother Thorn and Other Tales of Courage and Kindness, had its trade release in 2022. Mother Thorn is illustrated by Kathleen Jennings and published by Serenity Press.
Juliet is currently working on a two-book fantasy series. The first book in this duology, The Amber Owl, will be published by New Dawn in February 2025.
When not writing, Juliet looks after a small crew of rescue dogs.
You’ve struck a nerve in your post today, Juliet. Reading the history of your web presence leads to the new reality we all have to understand now – go small for mobile devices or lose readers.
Over 50% of people using the web are doing so on smart phones and tablets, so our sites must be designed for ease of use (meaning large font size and simple format) or our visitors will just click away.
As of April 21st 2015 (this month) Google will give higher ranking preference to websites that are “mobile friendly,” and degrade others.
Do a search on the term “mobile friendly” to get a better understanding of what’s happening soon. Honestly, of all the changes we’ve weathered on the web, this one will probably have the most dramatic impact.
I just got a new mobile site designed this week, although my primary site is responsive, which means it “knows” what type of device the reader is using, and it displays my site appropriately. But it doesn’t work perfectly for every device every time.
I’m glad you brought up this conversation because we all have to deal with it ASAP.
Juliet, your point about including a blog on your web site is a good one. Generally I find most authors’ web sites to be pretty dull with the same general content of reviews, book covers, yada, yada. But when there’s a blog included, that’s the first place I go because I want to hear the author’s personal voice. I write fiction so my blog/website is about fiction. My blog posts reflect my personal study: reading dead authors’ fiction every week. I’ve been having so much fun discovering the short stories of forgotten authors that no one reads anymore like Chekhov or ETA Hoffmann. It’s odd, I’ll admit and appeals to a limited audience.
That sounds great, Paula. I think you make a very good point about the blog providing the author’s personal voice. If the content is ‘from the heart’ I suspect I will blog quite a bit about animal rescue, dog training and my own menagerie.
When you’re planning your first book launch, this is one of the things that come high on the list: your own online presence, the one you control every detail of.
Now I have to make choices – and people will see them!
This writing thing sure exposes the author to all kinds of unexpected (and maybe unwanted) opportunities.
But they all have to be done.
Thanks for reminding me that the loveliest design out there may not work on phones nearly as well.
Alicia
Alicia, it took readers to tell me that the site wasn’t good for smartphones – I almost never use my phone for that sort of thing as I prefer the larger screen of a laptop. I get really useful feedback via Facebook, Goodreads etc.
Juliet–
As a borderline technophobe, I am in special need of the sort of information you provided today. AND the useful comments (Mia Sherwood Landau–50% of all web use is done on smart phones and tablets???). Thank you!
Yup. It’s true. They call it the “heads-down” phenomenon. Look around at any restaurant and (God forbid) at truck drivers in their big rigs out on the highway. Everybody is surfing on their phones now. Those of us who use laptops and desktops to write may be a bit out of touch with normal people. I know I am!
Hi Juliet, Such an evolution, and it’s ongoing. Necessarily so. I’ll be sure to subscribe to your new personal blog once it’s live. I think you’ll like it. Despite the advice I often hear about needing to blog routinely, I find my audience is quite understanding if I only post once a month or so. I tend to only post when I have something I truly want to say, or an issue I want to explore for myself, and thereby bring the audience along. An added bonus: my last post was one I intended to turn in to Therese for WU. But it got a bit lengthy and felt a bit inclined toward my own personal work. In other words, it just wasn’t feeling WU-worthy. So I popped it up on my own blog. Now I can try-try again. (Not that you’d ever write a post unworthy of WU. ;-) )
I’ve enjoyed your current site. Looking forward to the reveal of your new one!
Thanks Vaughn. That is reassuring – once a month I could manage, once a week would be a stretch and, like you, I would not want to blog unless I had something to say that was worth sharing. While I am endlessly fascinated by the lives of my five dogs, I’m not so sure my readers would be. :)
For those building your own site, you might consider using SquareSpace. It’s a turnkey what-you-see-is-what-you-get website builder that includes hosting, and all sites are mobile-optimized, so people viewing on phones or tablets or whatever get a good viewing experience.
Personally, I think that the choices you make for the website depend on who you expect to arrive there and what you want them to do. If you get a lot of new readers, then you don’t want to prune your backlist too much, because they’re probably there to find out what else you have and purchase it, and see what new stuff you’ve got on there. It sounds like your site in particular is for fan interaction, and you’re designing it to build that experience. You say that viewers want to get where they’re going in two clicks, which is true for the most part. But what’s the most important thing you want them to do? Do you want them to sign up for a newsletter? Do you want them to check out (and purchase) a new release? Do you want them to follow on social media? Knowing what the primary goal of your site is — depending on who you expect to be there and how they’re getting there — and then defining secondary goals, helps inform the design.
I’m glad you brought up the website topic. (I need to tweak mine a bit, myself, before a year-end launch.) Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Juliet! It’s an excellent point how changing technology and reader’s changing tastes affect an author website. I can’t even compare website issues with yours, as I don’t have near the readership, fans or work available that you do. :)
I did find it funny that my website journey is opposite of yours, though! I started out with a blog, using it as my “hub” until I actually released a book. (I self-published, another difference between us!)
When I decided it was time to create a website, I went for simple – because I was doing it myself! CJ Lyons came over and gave a nice critique about a year after I’d made my website (I think it was a part of Indie ReCon that year), and I made changes accordingly.
My blog is connected to the website, and it definitely gets more traffic than any part of my website. I also linked my Wattpad page to my website, so some of my short-stories and the excerpt from my book is available to visitors. I also have a link to Pinterest (well, and all my social media), where people can see my idea boards. The only bad thing is that all the links don’t open in a new window! It’s rather short sighted of the designers.
I have found my blog and twitter as the two best ways for me, personally, to connect with people. Which is humorous, because I was incredibly reluctant to get on Twitter. Nina Badzin helped me overcome that fear, and with Porter Anderson’s advice on how to become “outward facing” I really enjoy Twitter a lot, and it has actually helped me to develop more of my Tribe, although I really feel like I’ve been taken into their Tribe, really. Or maybe we (my twitter friends) have developed a Tribe together? :)
“Lovely as it is, this website, too, has outlived its usefulness.” This line reminded me that I need to give my own website a make-over – soon. As in, “Don’t put this off any longer.” I don’t think I need to delete any pages yet… But I need to make the Menu bar less cluttered and freshen up the site’s overall look. I love the theme and color scheme – but it’s time to go with something cleaner and crisper.
Anyways, just my musings there. Thank you for sharing your “website facelift” story and reminding me of what I need to do with my own, Juliet. :)
Hello Juliet,
I was excited to see your writers website, and hope you aren’t foregoing all of it’s flavor in the redesign. What I found instantly missing from your site was a blog. That was what I looked for first. I have a FB & Meetup group on Writers Platforms and a blog we’ve found is the primary ingredient for fiction writer platforms. So too is a theme that adjusts to all the technology forms, but that is in the theme app, not it’s appearance, and I’m hoping you don’t change that element in yours.
Thanks Amber. I’m passing on all the advice and suggestions to Ariel, who is designing the new site for me. Certainly there will be a blog, but as I’ve said above I am not sure how often I will be able to post – writing the book is top priority. In terms of the appearance we’ll be going for a simpler, more streamlined look, but there still need to be design elements that suggest the general style of my writing (as there are now.)
Very timely for me Juliet, I am launching my new website this weekend. The old one was lovely and not old, but I had trouble with replying to comments. The platform just didn’t have the bells and whistles we have gotten accustomed to for a writer’s blog.
The question for me, as I ramp up to publishing, is what to blog about. Since I am also a photographer, and since some of my characters tend to be photographers, I am going to start with a large and mind-boggling project I am doing – making a hardcover photobook of family pictures going back 100 years. Will this appeal to new blog readers? I hope so. Will they translate into book readers when the time comes? Who knows, but I don’t think at this stage that is my goal. The blog is more to build a community of people with like interests. And as you point out, juggling what to put where, facebook or blog, is a whole other (also mind-boggling) decision.
Good luck with the building of yours. Are you doing the work yourself? I look forward to seeing it.
Judy Hudson
That sounds fascinating, Judy, and I wish you well with it. I’m not doing mine myself – I lack the expertise and the time to do it properly, so I’m paying a professional.
I hope there will be room for the audio excerpts on your new website. I enjoyed them very much.
I agree we should keep them if possible!
Hi Juliet,
I love how accessible you are to your readership. I imagine that it is a full time job in and of itself and as your readership grows, I imagine that it’ll be harder to provide the personal touch that you’ve always provided.
Thank you!
Juiliet,
You have a beautiful and immersive website. I enjoyed reading about how it all came together–and how it is still evolving.
When I was told I should set up a website I didn’t know what to do. My web designer kindly set me up on a simple WordPress platform and at some point in the future, when I’m getting closer to having author-related content, she is going to help me change it from a blog-based site to an actual domain-based site. I admire the websites of George R. R. Martin and Brandon Sanderson, and one day, distant though it may be, I aspire to have something similar to catalog my fiction and fantasy world.