Notes from the studio

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Practical advice on author websites, book marketing, and branding

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What your author homepage needs above the fold

Most readers decide in five seconds whether to stay. Here’s what I put at the top of every author homepage, and what I leave out on purpose.

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A pre-order page has one job. Here’s how I structure them so readers click the button instead of bookmarking it for later.

Thrillers, cozies and literary fiction each have a typographic accent. A practical guide to picking yours without hiring a type designer.

Short answer: probably not the kind you’re picturing. What to post instead, and how often is enough.

Bonus chapters, prequel novellas, character art: which freebies bring in readers who stay, and which bring in bargain hunters.

How to set up colours, type and cover cues once, so book four looks like it belongs next to book one.

Readers shouldn’t need a spreadsheet to work out where a series starts. Simple patterns for listing books clearly.

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The one-page list I work through before every launch, so nothing important gets missed on your site.

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