Guest Post: Five Awesome Author Sites that Bring Books to Life by Dane Cobain

Today I’m pleased to offer you the following interesting insights from author Dane Cobain. For more of Dane’s work, click here or here – or visit him on your own…

Five Awesome Author Sites that Bring Books to Life
by Dane Cobain

Ernest Hemingway didn’t have a website. Neither did Charles Dickens, nor William Shakespeare, Jane Austin or George Orwell.

But authors today have a whole host of tools at their disposal to get the word out about their work. Some opt for static ‘brochure’ sites, which are rarely updated but serve as a digital billboard for them to advertise their releases. Some go a step further and launch a blog so that they can keep their fans updated while helping new readers to discover them through search engines.

Most serious authors run a website, a blog and a social networking presence, but that alone is no longer enough to cut through the noise. That’s why some people take it a step further, creating a digital home that offers fans more than mere information – they offer an experience.

And so, without further ado, here are five sites that do just that.

• Terry Pratchett – Pratchett’s site is notable because of its thriving community. It offers up a forum, where fans can discuss their favourite books and characters, as well as all sorts of interesting little titbits including an illustrated timeline of the author’s life.
  One of the most useful features is a section that’s dedicated to different characters from his Discworld series. Because the series is so large, and characters pop up here and there depending upon what the stories call for, it can be difficult to tell which books contain which characters. The character list solves that problem, presenting a brief bio of each character alongside the covers of the books that they appear in.   Visit Terry Pratchett’s website.

• Amy Krouse Rosenthal – Amy’s site makes the list because of its cute, quirky design, which does a great job of reflecting her work. It also allows the visitor to choose their ambiance via a set of sliders, which reflect both the design and the website’s audio.  The site has plenty of interesting content for her readers, including an address so you can write to her and some secret family recipes, but it’s the design itself which makes it stand out. In a world with such stiff competition, Amy’s site does a great job of communicating her personality.  Visit Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s website.

• Rick Riordan – Riordan’s site is notable because it looks and feels almost like an RPG game. His epic tales are reflected in the design, and it even includes a gallery of Olympians, Gods & Monsters where readers can find out more about the legends that inspire his work.  Like many of the other sites on this list, it features videos and information on the author’s latest releases. But it also offers something a little different in the form of free downloads, including desktop backgrounds and games.  Visit Rick Riordan’s website.

• R. L. Stine – The Goosebumps author’s website does a great job of reflecting his style while providing information geared towards multiple different audiences. Kids can check their scare rating (“Are you a SCREAM MASTER or QUIVERING BLOB OF JELL-O?”), parents can check out his new adult novel, and teachers can access a wealth of different activities to use in class.  The site comes with all sorts of extra goodies, from book trailers and free comics to puzzles and games. And if you’re ready to take a break from reading, you can kick back with some videos courtesy of his Rainy Night Theater.  Visit R. L. Stine’s website.

• J. K. Rowling – You can’t write an article like this without mentioning Pottermore. J. K. Rowling’s site is more of a media portal than a traditional website, including all sorts of extra content that you can’t find anywhere else, including unique insights into her fictional world.  The site is perhaps most notable for its sorting hat, which gives people the only definitive, author-sanctioned way to discover what house they belong to. And you can also check out the shop for all sorts of magical surprises.  Visit J. K. Rowling’s website.

• Your Turn – What are some of your favourite author websites? Let us know with a comment!

About the author
This post is written by Dane Cobain and sponsored by Publishing Addict, an organisation that helps authors to establish a brand, connect with their readers and to sell more books. Click here to find out more about Publishing Addict.