I’m a massive introvert. Do I REALLY need an author website?
Some authors are brilliant at publicity. Others … not so much. So how do you promote your author brand if you really, really don’t want to show yourself to the outside world?
If you just flinched at the words “author brand”, this article is for you. And there’s one very important thing you should know.
You are not unusual
Many authors are serious introverts. Believe me, I know.
When I landed my first book deal, I was desperate to be anonymous. As a translator and freelance writer, I’d published under my real name before. People knew who I was and what I looked like. I’d even overcome my stage fright to present papers at conferences.
But fiction was different. Having a novel out there felt personal and vulnerable in a way I’d never anticipated. So I reacted by locking down.
No public social media. No in-person events. No podcasts or spoken interviews. I didn’t even have headshots taken until after the book was published.
And I didn’t connect my real, legal name to my author pseudonym until I founded my web design business. I’m sweating even typing this.
(I still hate having my picture taken, by the way.)
When my debut was first published, I had a beautiful, branded Squarespace author website, designed especially for me. But it felt horribly exposing, so I ended up severely editing it and then ultimately taking it down. This meant that, for months on end, my readers didn’t have access to the one, simple resource that could tell them:
Anything about my book, beyond my official publisher blurbs and online reviews
Where and how they could buy the different formats and editions
How to contact me (via my agent)
Can you spot my mistake?
In trying to protect my own privacy, I did a massive disservice to my book
When readers love your novel, or even when they hate it, they’re engaging with the world you created. Even if sales didn’t matter – which they really do, and I’ll come back to that in another post – why would you want to make it harder for people to find your stories?
A clean, well-designed author website is like having one of those dedicated bookshop display windows. It showcases your work. It gives new readers a convenient way to find and buy your book.
And as you build your career, it tells your growing fanbase what’s coming next, and when, and how they can buy that, too. If you get your SEO right, your author website can be the first thing that comes up when people search for your name. Like this, for example:
(Argh! So many reiterations of my face! But it does make the point rather well.)
You’ll notice that I haven’t used the cringeworthy term “author brand” yet. But all this – your work, your talent, the adventures of the people who live in your head – that IS your brand. And how you present that brand on your website is entirely up to you.
Want to have one author photo, or none, or use a cat picture instead? No problem!
Want to keep your pseudonym watertight, your bio strictly professional, your focus on your books and that alone? Fine!
Hate social media? Find it destroys your productivity and harms your mental health? Don’t have it. Really, just don’t.
I’m absolutely serious about this. You don’t have to post pictures of your morning coffee. You don’t have to tell people the colour of your underwear. If you don’t want to be the product, you don’t have to be. And here’s another key thing:
In the big, scary world of book publicity, your author website is the one thing that is indisputably yours.
This is the mindset change that convinced me to reactivate my Squarespace subscription. I realised that having my own website was actually empowering. Even better: I could use my platform to direct attention to the real people and real stories I set out to amplify through my books.
Five great website features for the publicity-shy
Whether you’re an established author or a brand-new debut, here are five brilliant website features that can draw visitors into the world of your book(s) while helping to keep you out of the spotlight.
Playlists. Perhaps because I always write to music, I love it when authors release playlists for their books – and by all accounts, I’m far from alone. Romance novelist Roni Loren shows how this can add real depth and value.
Book group questions are an old favourite for a reason. Check out Annie Garthwaite’s gorgeous (in every sense) question page for her novel Cecily.
Photo galleries (assuming you have the right permissions) can give readers a very real and compelling insight into your book’s universe. Whether it’s locations, objects, or people – like the female Red Army snipers who star in The Night Sparrow by Shelly Sanders.
FAQs can be as personal or as story-focused as you want them to be. Here, Alexis Hall shows that you can write a really in-depth FAQ without compromising your privacy.
Finally, a media kit. I know! If you hate publicity, then surely the last thing you want to do is court attention. But a comprehensive media kit is actually a great tool, giving journalists and bloggers easy access to an official bio (written by you!), photographs or other promotional images (chosen by you!), and a selection of your best blurbs and reviews. Here’s Ruth Ware showing how it’s done.
It may seem counterintuitive, but taking control of your online presence is more enjoyable, and less anxiety-provoking, than just letting your book go out into the world without you. So what are you waiting for?
Introvert-friendly website design
As a web designer, it’s my job to support you. I’ll never tell anyone that they MUST have headshots, or an in-depth bio, or integrated social media. After all, I know how intimidating publicity can be. That’s why I work closely with each of my clients to make beautiful, branded author websites that honour their boundaries and showcase their best work.