Featured Article/Interview: EJ Jolivet

This month's featured article is by: E J Jolivet "What should be on an author's website." View below as we interview E J Jolivet about the content in his article.

Dominique Watson (DW): How important is an author's website?
EJ Jolivet (EJ): A website is a place where you can connect with fans 24/7 to share a laugh, a personal victory, or just bear your soul to your fans while making money in the process. Every author should consider launching a website as top priority. Once you begin working on a book project you can start to post tidbits of information, to test the waters and set up the pre-sell for the book.
DW: What are some mistakes that authors make when creating their website?
EJ: The most costly mistake is not connecting their website with other marketing channels and medias, to attract additional income streams that can help support their writing efforts. If you have this problem with your website, later on I'll share some suggestions on how to turn the situation around, but first let me zero in on a few more bad habits. For instance, if your products are the only product I can buy through your E-zine or website, then you may be guilty of a writers faux pas, and wasting a profitable opportunity. The worst offenders are self-published authors who don't use their webspace to build a mailing list, collect names for an E-newsletter or have their site plugged in for profits at all. One last thought on some of the mistakes writers make on their websites. A successful visit to your place in cyberspace doesn't always have to result in the purchase of your book. When you encourage your readers to purchase a T-shirt, cap, fanny pack and the hat with your books name on it, for themselves and others, you're getting free advertising everytime they wear them.It's a smart way for you to build your brand awareness, and generate some moohla in the process.
DW: How much should an author pay to have a website?
EJ: The cost for building websites can be all over the board.
DW: Should they create it themselves or hire someone to do it?
EJ: If you know how to use MS Frontpage you could probably put together a decent starter website for the cost of a few hours of your time. If you can't do that, I highly recommend finding a local college student to build you a good website and upload it to a server for $100 dollars or so. A high maintenance website is only necessary if your books are raking in big bucks.
DW: What do you believe is an eye catcher when a visitor goes to an authors website?
EJ: According to web design research pros, studies on eye tracking, show that the top of the page and the upper left hand corner are where most eyes start browsing a page. I'd put my best content, the latest pics, tour dates and clips from the press, in those places. Most fans become enamored with a writer because of the skills they exhibit in their craft, writing. Having tweetable quotes, memorable lines from your works and thought provoking comments prominently displayed, reinforces why they came to your site in the first place.
DW: What is one thing an author should avoid on their website?
EJ: I recommend that you put anything that your Pastor would be proud to see, on your author webpage. Don't forget to have links to your profiles on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and other social media sites prominently displayed on your home page. After all the hoopla this year surrounding the racy photos of Carrie Prejean, I hope authors realize that they too should never allow video cameras, cameras on cellphones or otherwise, to capture them in compromising situations. Bad press won't help you sell more books in the long run. Oh yeah, before I forget to tell ya! If you want to have a profitable author website, here are two ideas on ways to get your site out of the red and into the black.It's smart marketing to seek out a better known, joint venture partner or sponsor, like Amazon or Google Adsense and allow them to promote their products on your website, for a small fee. It's called affiliate marketing and it's a multi-billion dollar industry, that's a perfect fit for writers. You can probably sell twice as many books too. Once you know or hire someone who knows, how to build a mailing list, landing pages, opt in forms and set-up auto responders. These are tools for author's in the 21st Century. Every writer should be familiar with them. They can help you attract more fans. Your E-zine subscribers won't mind an occasional sales pitch if it comes along with other really valuable information. Without these tools, you are missing valuable opportunities to engage your fans and leaving money on the table.

We have had several speakers come on to the lounge and speak about the content of an author's website. It's always so important for an author to pay attention to articles like these because our websites are so important. To read E J's article check it out here: http://fromawriterspov.webs.com/featuredarticle.htm
Before we end today's blog...
Registration for our Fall Semester starts on the 7th. Check out this semester's classes: http://povonlinewritingcourses.webs.com/
Signing Off,
Dominique Watson