the blog

We work with a lot of publishers and authors so we are pretty well versed in what goes into making a good, and successful, author or book website. One of the standard elements is a link to buy the book(s). Obviously, this is a rather important element too. One thing I’ve noticed on a large number of author sites, however, is a link only to Amazon.com. Now, personally, Amazon is my preference for buying books, DVD’s and CD’s (and come Christmas time, it’s my one-stop shopping spot), but that doesn’t mean an author should ignore the other major players such as Barnes & Noble, Borders (teamed with Amazon), Powells, Waterstones (in the UK) and Booksense – just to name a few.

As an author, it’s a good idea to provide your visitors with various options on where they can purchase your latest bestseller. Make it as easy for them as possible. What we do for our author clients, and what I’d suggest to all authors, is create a page within the site which lists various outlets for purchasing the book. Be sure to include Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Borders, and Waterstones if you are in the UK. An extra call-out on your homepage to this section may be a good idea as well. It doesn’t have to be a loud or obnoxious, but a nicely designed, and well placed button will make it even easier for visitors to get straight to this section, purchase your book and indulge in some quality reading.