04/06/2010 (11:46 am)
Websites for Books: A Review
By John Wolfe, Staff Writer
At the risk of stating the obvious: the Web presents all kinds of new opportunities for networking and publicity. Musicians have known this for years now–just look at MySpace. If musicians can do it, why not authors and publishers?
To be frank, the book trade is at least a decade behind the music trade. Some traditional publishers and indie publishers are already looking for innovative ways to make use of the web for publicity and business purposes (our own blog is, we hope, an example of this) but many major publishers don’t seem to understand how useful the Internet can be.
To check out how effectively authors and publishers are using the full potential of the Internet, I decided to review the websites of the top six paperback trade fiction books on the current New York Times bestseller list:
1) “The Last Song” by Nicholas Sparks
2) “A Reliable Wife” by Robert Goodrich
3) “Little Bee” by Chris Cleave
4) “Dear John” by Nicholas Sparks
5) “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson
6) “Shanghai Girls” by Lisa See
Design
This is quite honestly one of the most unappealing websites I have ever seen. The colors work together nicely and all, but honestly, they’re just boring. Pastel blues and greens definitely don’t stir excitement in my chest. Aside from what looks like the basic website template, there is nothing additional to this layout. I love simplicity. It’s a big deal for me if a website is too complicated or awkward to navigate effectively. But there is a big difference between simplicity and lifelessness.
Information
The main focus of the page is the synopsis. That’s nice, because why else would I want to go to a book website? Obviously I want to know what the book is about. Below the synopsis the website provides some awkwardly worded insignificant “Did You Know” facts about the book/movie production. Honestly, I’m not really interested in that. I’d rather read more about the book itself, or at least reviews.
The website does provide a review section, but it is stranded down in the left hand corner, and you have to change pages to read the entirety of the single review provided.
There are sections dedicated to Sparks’s comments about writing the book, his inspiration, FAQs, etc. However, these are once again displayed in boring, plain text format, with the same default layout.
Networking
The website does provide networking and Web 2.0 opportunities, which is almost a requirement if you’re looking for publicity on the Internet. It provides links for easy following via Facebook, Twitter, or Flickr, and provides a link to follow Sparks’s newsletter.
Conclusion
This website is more or less streamlined for information. However, the information presented on the main screen has been prioritized awkwardly. While too much razzle and dazzle can be a major turn off, too much plain text at one time is just as bad.
Design
The website has an interesting, thin red frame, which gives it an almost dignified feel. The background image of a wintry forest is visually pleasing to me personally, since I’m so accustomed to it, but it also conveys the isolated and chilling feeling the book is supposed to provide.
There are several links at the top providing different informational pages, with the same layout. It’s convenient, easy to access, and understandable.
Information
This website provides, through the links at the top, more or less everything you’d want to know about the book. Right away on the home page it provides a synopsis and a video interview with the author, Robert Goodrich. This was well thought out. I don’t just want to read about what the author has to say about his book. I get a much more personal feel from hearing and seeing him talk about his book. To be honest, his commentary made the book a lot more appealing to me. I’m mildly interested already, just because of this interview.
What’s more, I’m provided an excerpt from the first chapter, as well as a page of reviews, book club style questions, and a text interview. Each bit of information is prioritized on its own page, and laid out nicely.
Networking
There is no “follow me” kind of option on the website. However, the main page lists websites and stores where the book can be purchased. However, networking is paramount when it comes to the web, and not having a “follow” option is really not utilizing the web to its full potential.
Conclusion
The website is informational, yet attractive at the same time. It’s not trying too hard to grab your attention. It’s constructed well, and isn’t at all confusing to navigate. It could be a little more colorful, and provide some more networking opportunities, but I feel as if the somewhat simplistic look of the page makes sense with the feel of the book, as according to what the author states. Overall, the website is well thought out, and provides an equal amount of interest and information.
Design
The layout of this website is relatively simplistic–but compared to the website for “The Last Song,” it is infinitely more attractive. The template seems to be a traditional layout, maybe even a default web template. However, the colors are bright orange, and black. The contrast this creates is much more exciting than pastels. However, there is nothing particularly striking or exciting about the website. It’s constructed almost completely out of squares, which actually bores me, because once I notice it, I can’t stop. All I see are squares everywhere, and god knows I see enough squares throughout the day.
There are informational tabs at the top, with drop down menus, which seems to be pretty standard. The drop downs are nice, and give it a pretty modern feel.
Information
The book cover is displayed on the main page. However, there is no textual synopsis on the home page, which is a pretty big deal. There is a video interview with the author, Chris Cleaves, in which he provides the synopsis, and additional information about what inspired him. This was interesting. However, I still feel as if a textual synopsis is a selling point.
There are reader reviews at the bottom of the page, and a link to more reviews on the main page. There are several other links on the main page, along with the reviews link, which are not provided in the tabs at the top. There is one offering the first chapter, which is nice. It’s good to go for a test drive first. There are others pointing to the author’s inspiration, and suggestions on how to get involved with the issue the book presents.
However, these links floating about on the main page, unrelated to the tabs at the top, give the page unnecessary clutter. The viewer is being bombarded with orange links in all capital letters. It would be much better if they had reduced the lengths of the hyperlinks, or better yet, incorporated them into the tabs.
Networking
Way down at the bottom of the page, where no one ever looks, is a tiny little RSS feed button. Just in case you wanted to keep track of the book page. Well that’s helpful. I’d prefer not to have to hire a private detective to find the follow button for me. The reader reviews suggest some sort of community on the web page, but it’s not elaborated upon. There are tour dates provided on the tabs at the top of the page. Essentially, this page has a lot of work to do in the networking department.
Overall
The website looks all right, but after a while, the orange and the squares get to you. No one likes to be pounded in the face with all caps either, and it doesn’t help that they’re clutter. The page could use some reorganizing. Also, the Follow option really needs to be big, bold, and obvious. It’s one of the biggest publicity opportunities any author has on the web, and it absolutely needs to be used.
Dear John should come next in this review, according to the top five list. However, the website is exactly the same as the website for “The Last Song.” There is absolutely nothing new here.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Design
The website is artfully simple, with a black on gray template, and a home page displaying the cover of the novel. There are tabs at the bottom for various other pages, such “praise”, “about Stieg Larsson,” and the like. The bar at the top is a constantly changing header that displays numerous positive reviews. The webpage gives the novel a somewhat mysterious feeling, due to its coloration and patterning. Everything on the website is easily accessible, simple, and well thought out.
Information
The website provides a synopsis, as well as reviews, and even a trailer for the upcoming movie. It also provides the first chapter for reading, which is definitely important. The tabs at the bottom for accessing the different information are simple and useful. Again, the website’s simplistic look is surprisingly helpful. All of the information I could want about the book is provided.
Networking
As far as I can tell, this book is already very well known. However, networking is still important. On the main display box of the website, in the lower right corner, are two banners. One reads “Tweet This Page.” That’s good use of networking in Web 2.0, however it’s a little hard to spot. Literally right on top of that banner is another one reading, “Friend Lisbeth on Facebook.” I thought that was a fascinating idea. Lisbeth is the protagonist of the book, and she has a Facebook. That’s not only good for networking, but just an interestingly new idea in general.
Overall
I actually enjoyed this website pretty well. It appeals to the simplicity that I love, without losing any aesthetic appeal. It also doesn’t lack any information, and it provides a fresh idea in networking. This website harnesses the publicity power of the web well, and I think it’s the best-designed site on the list.
Design
The design of this website is actually fairly awkward. At first glance it looks like a big confusing jumble. It doesn’t have any outstanding or creative design, or any eye catching color patterns. It can’t quite be called simple either, because there is too much happening on just a single page. The design is lackluster, and generally uninteresting, if not even hectic.
Information
There is too much here. There are too many links on the side, and too many reviews scrolling vertically down the page.
On the side of the page are a plethora of links, starting off with a Beef Lo Mein recipe. I’m sure this has something to do with the book, so it’s probably a well thought out touch. There are two interview links below that, followed by a link to buy the book, and book club questions. A sample chapter is provided as well. There isn’t much that’s really new or interesting here. However, the website manages to provide more information than the website for “The Last Song”–as if that’s difficult.
Networking
There is little to now networking on this page. There is an option to e-mail Lisa See, or to join her mailing list. I found no twitter, Facebook, or RSS feed option on the actual novel page. If you navigate to the home page for Lisa See, there are Facebook and twitter options. However, it would probably be wise to place these on as many pages as possible.
Overall
This website could use a lot of work on its design. That is its major flaw: it is simply uninteresting. The information provided isn’t bad, or boring. Rather, it’s how the information is presented. To harness the power of web publicity, this website needs a pretty big aesthetic overhaul.
One Final Thought
I suppose I expected that the book sites that had been designed by authors rather than publishing houses—the book equivalent of indie music sites—would be more creative, given that the author has more freedom than the publisher.
As it turned out, though, the book website I enjoyed the most, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, was on a publishing-house site. I suppose it’s a sign that those with more corporate resources or backing can produce a flashier website, but even so, it’s disappointing to see the lack of imagination shown by authors creating their own sites.
Either way, it’s clear that web publicity for authors is still in its early growth, and we still have a fairly vast future of progress to look forward to before we can really see how publishers are going to make best use of the Web.
18 Comments »
Comment by LU
You make interesting observations. You know what I’d love to read from you:
Would you write a post as a followup on suggestions for what would create a great site for authors marketing their books? Maybe include links for resources of who you know is creative to help with the design?
Just a thought.
Keep your posts coming…I’m a fan.
Lu
Comment by admin
You read our minds. Yes, the next step is to find authors and/or publishers who are doing really interesting things with their websites. Feel free to send us recommendations!
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Comment by Leslie Musoko
I am an author and I echo your reasoning here. It took me a while to come up with a website but I struggled to think of what I wanted my readers to see. One thing was important my thoughts. I wanted them to feel as though they were writing the books themselves. I needed them to come on the journey and experience. I have pictures and music on my site. This may be distracting but I think if the readers enjoy these then browsing through the blogs and other relevant items that surround my books shouldn’t be much of an issue. well I hope not
Comment by Eileen Flanagan
It’s interesting that each site focused on a book, rather than an author. I have heard conflicting things about which is better. As a nonfiction author, I am trying to sell books, build a long-term audience, and build a public speaking career, so my site is about me, rather than having a different site for each of my books. I’m curious what others think of this.
By the way, I’d appreciate it if anyone wants to offer feedback on . (I’m still trying to figure out how to get a news sign up form on the site.)
Comment by Eileen Flanagan
P.S. Sorry. I somehow made the sentence in parenthesis the link to the site.
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Comment by Dana Lynn Smith
Interesting question about author vs. book websites. For a nonfiction expert/author, especially one with multiple books, I agree that the site should focus on the author. But I recommend a separate sales page on the site for each book so you can link directly to each one. I’d also buy a separate domain name for each of those pages.
Independent authors don’t necessarily have the resources to spend a lot of money on web design, but it’s important that their sites look professional. I recommend that indie authors create blog-based websites on WordPress.org or Typepad because it’s easier and cheaper to maintain, rather than having a traditional static website and a separate blog.
I recently did a blog post with examples of several author websites: http://bit.ly/aI7cPo
Dana Lynn Smith
The Savvy Book Marketer
Comment by Ron Pavellas
1. I don’t immediately see the goal or purpose of the blog.
2. As the emperor said to Mozart, there are too many notes (words), at least without a break.
3. You seem sincerely motivated (not solely commercially, if at all) and this is refreshing.
4. It just takes too much time. I was interested in the fact of the poem about China, but I ran out if time.
5. I am 73 years old, if this helps you to view my comments in the proper light.
Best wishes,
Ron
Comment by Amy
I am an author and I echo your reasoning here. It took me a while to come up with a website but I struggled to think of what I wanted my readers to see. One thing was important my thoughts. I wanted them to feel as though they were writing the books themselves. I needed them to come on the journey and experience. I have pictures and music on my site. This may be distracting but I think if the readers enjoy these then browsing through the blogs and other relevant items that surround my books shouldn’t be much of an issue. well I hope not
Comment by Dave Marx
Here I am, at John’s invitation via a publishers’ discussion group.
At the risk of seeming crass and commercial, the review criteria seem to have a lot to do with style and originality, and not nearly as much to do with efficacy. There’s a big emphasis on having a clever and attractive multi-media “brochure,” but not nearly enough emphasis on making a bond with the readership. Was there anything about these sites that would encourage a repeat visit, or was the idea to close a sale on the first visit? Did the sites offer e-newsletters/mailing lists, message board communities, schedules of public appearances? That got barely a mention. Could visitors connect directly with authors (living authors, that is)? You gave marks for the existence of an RSS link, but was the content sufficiently compelling that one would bother clicking that link, in order to receive updates?
Moving on to the follow-up post about sites that work… Is there evidence the authors generated any kind of following or significant revenue from their sites? For those that offer an online commerce option, was the online store easy to use? I did check the BookScan statistics for those three authors’ books (BookScan reports actual weekly sales from about 90% of the US book trade, including all the major chains and online booksellers), and of the three only David Gilman had sold more than 20 books. Gilman is published by Random House, so it’s likely that his sales were due to factors other than the web site.
While I’m the first to advocate making a “Web 2.0″ connection with readers (my wife and I were connecting that way with our readership long before it was called “Web 2.0″), how effectively were any of those authors using those features? It’s one thing to invite followers to receive Tweets and and to “Friend,” it’s another entirely to make use of those connections once established. And when they are used, is there a two-way relationship, or is it simply a celebrity or publicist sending one-way promotional traffic down the line?
Further, while it’s very convenient to outsource social interaction to Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress, most followers (and those media are mostly for following, not interacting) will bypass the author site from that moment onward, unless the author can promote reasons to send followers back to the site.
While it’s much harder to build a community within the author/publisher web site, when successful it helps turn that site into a destination in and of itself. The Stieg Larsson site might have done better to provide a gathering place for fans (of which Larsson’s books have plenty) than to simply create a character to be Friended on Facebook. Unless there’s a “Lisbeth” actively posting and interacting with her Friends to keep the connection alive, Lisbeth becomes just another picture on the Friends List.
A key to the long-term effectiveness of any online relationship is “stickiness,” features that build a bond with visitors and keep ‘em coming back. That can be the promise of new, compelling content, interaction with the host and other visitors, ongoing usefulness for the visitor, etc. Were any of these sites sticky in any way?
In the marketing world, there’s a general understanding that a consumer needs about seven “positive impressions” before making the purchase decision. One visit to the typical web site counts as a single impression. So, will the site be responsible for additional positive impressions down the line, or will other publicity efforts be required? The better the site, the fewer outside impressions are necessary.
Comment by admin
Dave,
Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it. You make several good points about aspects of the websites I hadn’t considered very heavily. You make a good point about the actual marketability of the website, and its ability to draw people back in. I see that the long term effect of the website is equally as important as its first-impression effect.
What kinds of content would you like to see that really keep visitors coming back, or convinces them to subscribe to the RSS Feeds and newsletters? Do you have any specific ideas or suggestions on how to create a strong author to reader relationship on these sorts of websites, in order to foster this “stickiness”?
Thanks for your insight,
John
Comment by Dave Marx
John,
The challenge is different for non-fiction (which is my specialty), and fiction, which seems to be the thrust here.
For fiction, the challenge is to build and sustain the author’s brand. For an established author, that’s certainly easier to do than for an unknown. “Face time” with readers, and easy access to as many of the author’s published works as possible. Perhaps samples of works in progress, and certainly news of upcoming works. If the author has built fictional worlds, there are ways to let readers play in those worlds (J.K. Rowling’s site comes to mind). Blogs and newsletters become stickier because the readers already care about the author.
Fiction authors with little or no following have a much harder job. It’s probably too early to engage most readers in the author’s personality, as interest in the author usually follows passion for the author’s work(s). So, the author can try to engage readers in other ways. If it’s genre fiction, then discussion of the genre. An e-newsletter of value to fans of the genre. Genre fans are more likely to support authors who are themselves part of the fan community, so author participation in other fan sites helps build a reputation and traffic for the author’s site. Free short stories, story sketches, etc. on a regular basis, with reader feedback/interaction encouraged. It occurs to me that, in the old days, there were more print outlets for short stories, and even the web may not be as generous towards short fiction as it could be. So, an author’s site offering a regular diet of short fiction could keep folks coming back.
Especially for lesser-known authors, I can’t emphasize “accessibility” enough. A top-down approach, where communications are essentially a one-way street doesn’t work well. Make friends with your readers. Answer their questions. If they respond to your blog, respond to their comments in turn. Be friendly, courteous, and open to them. When you make friends of a core readership, they become evangelists for your works, and that’s incredibly powerful.
In non-fiction, it’s easier, since, at least to start, it’s about the topic, not the author. Give people good information and keep it coming, and you’re off to a good start. I’ll point folks to the http://www.oreilly.com web site, where Web guru Tim O’Reilly proves he knows of what he speaks.
One key concept for any author/site is the difference between “destination” and “outreach.” You can’t just sit at a web site hoping folks will drop by. A regular newsletter gives you the chance to push news out to folks who visit the site infrequently, and to maintain contact with the reader base. Even if only a fraction of readers actually open and read each newsletter (expect 1/3 or fewer to do that), just seeing the item in their in-boxes will keep you in their minds. The web site, on the other hand, gives those newsletter readers (and everyone else) a go-to destination when they know they want information/entertainment, et.
I publish travel guidebooks to Disney vacation destinations, and most folks come to our site because we feed their passion for information about Disney parks, the Disney Cruise Line, etc., and their passion for planning their vacations (preferably with the help and support oother passionate vacation planners) http://www.passporter.com . We have a huge discussion community (40,000 members, 2.5 million posts), hundreds of articles about Disney and general travel, a very busy online store, a subscription-based “club” offering e-books and vacation planning resources, a weekly e-newsletter (50,000 subscribers) with news and articles about Disney and general travel along with news of our publications, a weekly podcast available at the iTunes store… Our publicity efforts at Facebook and YouTube funnel people back to a very rich web site. We involve our readers in the production of our books, by soliciting and incorporating their vacation tips and photos in our books. Many of our newsletter/web site articles are contributed by our readers, and we identify talent and develop authors for our longer-form titles through their participation in the message boards and newsletter article contributions. We’re accessible in a variety of ways when they have questions or concerns about our topics or our publications – we answer message board posts on a regular basis, although with hundreds or thousands of posts daily, most posts are made by other community members who are sharing their experiences and expertise. A lot of folks come for the community, and only buy books farther down the line.
I could go on for a while. Our publishing house and web site are more than 10 years old. While what we’ve done is not easy to emulate, we’re doing so much with online marketing that other authors and publishers should be able to come away with some techniques they can apply with success.
Good luck, everyone. I’ve got to run out to a Disneyana club meeting!
Comment by admin
Dave,
All of that is very true. Keeping up a reliable fanbase through interaction is something I was hoping to stress through the access of things like a Facebook, blog, or Twitter. However, I can see how these become one-way streets, and how maintaining a two way communication through those sorts of outlets can require a lot of effort. This is especially true due to the tendency people have to look at it once, and drop it when it comes to Facebook groups.
I think releasing work in snippets or serialized portions is actually a great idea. http://www.fluffy-seme.net/ uses it for their main source of readership and income, and they also exhibit a fantastic reader to author relationship through the fansite/messageboard ideas you suggested.
Maybe what we’re looking it is a need for both fledgling and corporate publishers alike to remodel their efforts in web advertising to become more communication and reader centered. I personally haven’t noticed a ton of websites functioning in this fashion, but I may just be missing out. Regardless, the few I have seen always seem to have a very reliable and strong following, which is obviously not a coincidence.
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