Do I really need a site?
The short answer: yes. You really do. The internet is THE main tool for research, networking, and information. Most publishers are unwilling to invest large sums of marketing money on newer or debut writers. Authors are expected to market themselves.
Web presence is important
It lends legitimacy to you and your work. When people google your name, they’re looking for more then what’s on your Amazon page or Classmates.com – they want to know if you’ll be signing books near them, or what you’re working on now, or if they can email you. They want an idea of who you are. Plus, being online offers great networking and promotion opportunities.
But don’t just take my word for it…
From Writer Unboxed:
Audience Development: Critical to Every Writer’s Future
That’s audience development, and it’s NEVER too soon to start cultivating and growing your audience….Social media is not just about socializing. It is NOT wasting your time. It’s part of your critical mission of spreading the word about what you do, building audience, and developing relationships that benefit you over a lifetime.
From Lisa Schroeder’s Journal:
Timeline and Checklist for YA or MG Book Release
If you don’t have a web site, now is the time to put the wheels in motion! Don’t have the skills yourself? You’ll want to spend time researching other authors’ web sites, and when you find one you like, take a look at the designer’s site and start making a list of designers to contact. If you already have a web site, how long has it been since you’ve updated the information? Fresh content is important!
From Nathan Bransford’s blog:
Guest Blog Week: The Top 7 Things Every Aspiring Author’s Website Must Have
4. Professional design. For real. This doesn’t mean you need to run out and hire a $10,000 website designer, or that your website has to look as awesome as J.K. Rowling’s. You don’t have to dress like a fashion model to pitch to an agent at a conference.
At the same time, you’re not going to wear your ratty jeans and wife beater to a business meeting. Just like your nice pleated khakis, your website needs to look professional: clean, polished, easy to read (spell checked!), easy to navigate. Make it easy for your visitors to find the important stuff on your website (see #1, 2, 3, and 7, at least).
My own personal feeling is that every author out there is doing themselves a disservice if they don’t have some sort of a Google-able web presence with an e-mail address.
The bottom line: don’t make yourself hard to find.