Every writer needs to have a website. That’s it. End of story.

It really doesn’t matter what you write, be it non-fiction, self-help books, romantic sizzlers or a children’s adventure story, you still need a website.

Why?

Before I get to that, let’s just look at the what.

A website will fall into one of two categories – static and dynamic.

Static websites are those that really don’t change very much and are rarely updated. They are mostly providing information that doesn’t change much. It may well be an e-commerce site where products or services are sold and some writers even have static websites.

The dynamic website is one that does change frequently, for example, a blog. These tend to be updated frequently because new blog content is added and they also contain static information. It’s the dynamic content that creates the focal point and that is why it is a different kettle of fish.

So, now to the why – why do you, as a writer, need to have a website?

There are nine very good reasons why:

It provides you with a professional presence online – Whether you are a freelance writer pushing out eBooks for a living or a full-on author writing a block-busting novel, potential publishers need to know who you are and so do your clients and customers. They need to know what you are offering and the first place they will look is online.

Sending a fantastic query letter to an agent is simply not enough these days. They get thousands of them but if they can find out more about you then they are more likely to consider yours over everyone else’s. You need to stand out from the crowd, be head and shoulders above the competition and show the agent that you are the shining star they have been looking for. Plus, boring side, you also need to show them that you are a little bit au fait with technology.

You can’t do that if you don’t have a website.

It provides future customers a way of finding your work – yes, you most likely do have social media accounts but a website is a proper authority site and the best marketing tool you can use. Plus, everyone expects you to have one these days. Readers search the internet for books, they want to know who you are and local businesses might want to find a freelance writer – it’s up to you to make sure they can find you.

Websites are critical tools for marketing success – all book writers who want an agent and a publisher need an online identity. You are, after all, expected to do most of the marketing yourself! And if you go down the self-publishing route, then a website becomes even more important. Type the name of any successful writer into Google and see what happens. I guarantee you, their website is what will happen. It may not be the best-looking website in the world, but they have one and it's out there for the world to find and look at.