Do Web sites help sell books—and what should writers or publishers put on them?
If you want the New York Times to answer the first question in absolutely definitive terms, you’re out of luck. "As in so much of publishing," writes J. Courtney Sullivan, a Times staffer and first novelist, "no one quite knows." But a thriving little cottage industry has sprouted among professional builders of book-related Web sites. Partly that reflects the success of The Da Vinci Code—pitched in a splashy way on the Web.
The Codex Group surveyed 21,000 book shoppers and, as reported in Publishing Trends, learned that "7.5 percent of book shoppers had visited their favorite author’s Web site in the past week. As a point of comparison, 7 percent had visited the Wall Street Journal.
"And any remaining skeptics out there," PT goes on, "take note: Web site visits translate directly to the number of books bought. Book shoppers who had visited an author web site in the past week bought 38 percent more books, from a wider range of retailers, than those who had not visited an author site."
That pesky little issue of content
So what should a a book-related Web site include? From the December PT (subscription information here):
Codex found that the main thing respondents want on fiction authors’ sites is exclusive, unpublished writing, with 43% saying they return for it regularly. "Exclusive content appears to be a missed opportunity on almost all sites," says [Codex President Peter] Hildick-Smith, and women find it especially appealing. Visitors will also return authors’ sites regularly for schedules of author tours, book signings, and area appearances; lists of the authors’ favorite writers and recommended books; explainers, or inside information about the book (36%, with men finding these especially appealing); downloadable extras like icons and sample chapters and weekly e-mail news bulletins with updates on tours, reviews, and books in progress. And fans under the age of 35 are especially interested in contests, puzzles, and games, with prizes like autographed copies of books. "Give them something fun to come back for," says Hildrick-Smith. Younger fans are also more interested in knowing about their favorite authors’ book, music, and movie recommendations.
Yes, as I see it, the type of the book will influence the content of the site. A site promoting a serious nonfiction book, for example, would need less flashy graphics than a site pushing the latest romance from a Harlequin writer.
The e-book angles
But what about the e-book angles? Pretty obvious, if you ask me. If you’re looking for an e-book, you’re probably more comfortable with the Web than the typical p-book buyer. So you’ll be more likely to cruise to an author’s site.
Tip from Twilight Times publisher Lida Quillen: E-book covers should use larger titles than p-book covers, since the images of them, as typically viewed from the Web, are smaller than the dust jacks found in bookstores.
Your own thoughts: As a reader, writer or publisher, what Web tips would you provide for author sites? What do you most want there, and what do you most want writers and publishers to avoid?
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