what's critical for author websites?

[mizkit]

My friend and fellow writer Emma Newman is asking, over on Bluesky, "When you have been to an author's website in the past, what have you been looking for? What info is critical for you?"

I think this is a great question, and am always looking for the answers to it, myself.

I streamlined my professional website (catiemurphy.com) significantly the last time I updated it, and it's basically just What's Out Now, What's Out Next, and Here Are All My Books. There's a contact form, but not a heckin' lot more than that. And I still am concerned, sometimes, that it's too...complicated?

I even finally gave up on trying to keep any kind of blog on it, because I lack the mental capacity to keep a Professional Blog and a Personal Blog. Since all the professional stuff goes on my personal blog anyway, I just put it all over here on mizkit.com and accept that nobody's going to see it, since we're far past the heyday of individual blogs. :)

So, yeah! If you've got an answer to this one, I'd love to hear it! Is there anything you might go to my website to look for that you don't find? What's the platonic ideal of an author website for you? :)

Comments

[jreynoldsward]

Interested in the replies myself because I'm contemplating a website overhaul.

[mizkit]

I'm going to do a writeup in a couple weeks with everything everybody's suggested! :)

[rmc28]

The main thing I want from an author website is A List of All The Books. Ideally on one page rather than having to click around between multiple pages.

Group 'em by series / pseudonym, sure, go wild and have suggested reading order if you like, but please also include publication year.

I also look for "here is how to sign up for a mailing list to find out when more books". All social media is terrible and I don't want to have to keep looking up when new book, please let me sign up to be told when new book :-)

Events and signings are of some interest but mostly I want to know all the books and how to find out when there are more books.