Is having your own site worth it?

[ThisAdamGuy]

In addition to posting my stories on sites like Scribble Hub, for the past ten years or so I've had my own personal website called Bolander Books, and....nobody ever uses it. I keep it running purely for sentimental reasons. Yeah, I get (slightly) more attention on other sites, but I have to share those sites with other people. Bolander Books is mine. People (theoretically) go there specifically to read my stories and I don't have to share the space or the (nonexistent) attention with anyone else. I guess it could be worse...and was worse...back when I was actually paying for the premium plan just so I could have my own unique domain name. I got rid of that and started using the free plan instead, so while I don't have my own domain name anymore, at least I'm not wasting $200+ on a site nobody goes to.

What's you guys' take on things like this? Is it worth it for an author to have their own website, even if they're not that well known?

 

[CharlesEBrown]

If I had access to a free server, you can bet I'd have my own site, but I'd have to be making money from my writing to be able to afford a site.
Heck, I used to have a fairly elaborate (but unpolished) site back when AOL had server space for one (site vanished from even the Web Archive service around 2004 or so, about five or six years after AOL stopped any site hosting). Was a good way/excuse to learn some web design tricks and play around with JavaScript.

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

If I had access to a free server, you can bet I'd have my own site

You could just use Wix like me. You'll have to use a weird domain name like "bolanderbooks.wixsite.com/bolander-books" unless you're willing to pay extra for it, but it's still free. And it's actually really easy. I know exactly jack squat about coding and web development, but managed to put Bolander Books together entirely by myself. It's just drag and drop.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

You could just use Wix like me. You'll have to use a weird domain name like "bolanderbooks.wixsite.com/bolander-books" unless you're willing to pay extra for it, but it's still free. And it's actually really easy. I know exactly jack squat about coding and web development, but managed to put Bolander Books together entirely by myself. It's just drag and drop.

Tried using Wix for the Modern Doll website back after there was a rights issue (long, LONG story - and a pretty boring one), but had one of the doll artists put together something on her own site that worked better than what I was putting together so I'm no longer their webmaster... It does have a good e-commerce interface, from what I remember.
Oh, have you looked into using "Tiny URL" (www.tinyurl.com) to try and make the URL more manageable?

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

Oh, have you looked into using "Tiny URL" (www.tinyurl.com) to try and make the URL more manageable?

I've thought about it, but I'm lazy. In fact, the only reason Bolander Books ever got made was because I was young, energetic, and full of hope for the future ten years ago. If you asked me to do it today, I'd probably just moan weakly and go back to bed.

 

[DeOwl]

For me, the thing about a separate website is that it is inconvenient to use. I have a site like scribblehub that not only allows me to track multiple stories from different authors, but also discover new books and write my own without ever leaving it.
When creating any kind of service, you have to think of what advantages your site has over the competition, which is basically none (in your case from what I saw) and also wether your side gas enough advantages to go over the "inconvenience" threshold of using a new service/multiple services.
If you have a site for the sake of a portfolio/ your own satisfaction / learning web design, then go right ahead, but if you make a site with the expectation of other people using it, you have to think about a lot more then just "wouldn't it be cool".

 

[Dec]

Yes, it is worth having one, doesn't matter who you are. A private website nowadays is like a business card of old, and it is super simple to create one.
But, if you have a little bit of know-how, you can create it for free or super cheap;
There are free domain registrars (like dot.tk; you can register anyname.tk here) and you can grab yourself a free SSL certificate (super simple at Cloudflare (recommended) or a bit more advanced on Let's Encrypt).
The server itself can be costly UNLESS you have an old pc/laptop in your house. You can turn it easily into a server for your website. Dynamic IP is not a problem thanks to services like noip.com.
There is also a chance that one of your friends already has a server and they can host your files there.
Otherwise, you might want to look at services like Digital Ocean - super cheap, pay-as-you-go (you pay only for what you use).

edit;
A simple example of basically a free website (only paid for the domain itself (~$20 a year). The author uses my server to host everything
foxification.wiki

ps;
I have a lot of free (as in - unused) resources, so anyone who asks nicely can have a small piece of them. Just get yourself a domain and website files

 

[tiaf]

An own website is like a safe back up haven in case any other publishing site gets nuked or you get for any reason exiled from or forced to leave the site. Your readers will have somewhere to go to in such cases.

But that’s probably more important for commercial oriented authors.

 

[ArtBusterBeeze]

The short answer is yes. There is alot you can do with your own website to benefit your Novel.

 

[Golden_Hyde]

absolutely. With all the reasons everyone has stated, to me, since I was thinking of providing illustrations within my soon-to-be published work, you basically have your own set of rules regarding illustrations, where you can put any explicit nature of a particular scene in your story (i.e detailed love scene), apart from what SH's content guidelines have stated.

P.S: of course that needs to stay in a legal frame, otherwise I'm afraid this reply might rub others the wrong way ?

 

[beast_regards]

How are the people going to find out about your website?

Seriously.

How?

It's a legitimate question.

You could add the link to your personal website to your profile here on the Scribble Hub, and on the many similar sites, but the vast majority of the readers won't be particularly motivated to check your site out when the content they search is already on the Scribble Hub (or any other similar site). Most won't even see your profile, let alone your website.

You could try to convince them "check my other works" but most of those people won't, as the convenience of having everything on the one site is the king and your followers from here might not follow you to the Royal Road, and vice versa. Some might, but many don't. I did the poll on this, on my story when I went there, and results weren't particularly favourable. Again, most writer doesn't check profiles, and those who do are there to check for other things than your personal website link.

Of course, you could use your own sell your books on your website, but that's actually much harder to set up that any other legal / content consideration like age restriction and copyright. Handling money is a pain, and you are better off delegating the role to Patreon. So, once again, the personal website is for naught, as no one knows about it, and no one trusts it with money even if they would deal with Patreon, as you could send their scam senses tingling.

You couldn't post links to your website on the social media either.

Well, you could, but since most people on Twitter and Facebook aren't even looking for books, or you, it won't get the attention you expect.

I seriously considered it, but when money is tight, it is not worth to spend them on the things that won't get you what you want (which in case of writer is readers). It simply isn't worth the effort unless you are big popular writer, that already makes the money without the site...

...and if you are big, popular writer, your personal website is more an image thing, than anything you necessarily need.

I personally considered sites like Campfire or World Anvil, which would give me both encyclopedia for my own story, and the place to post chapters. In case of Campfire, you could even sell e-book there! But do you have the popularity?

*) I am aware I am blocked, but I'll try, anyway, because what else I am going to do on this forum?

 

[Y2N1]

I did have the same question as you, but that's only because I was literally an unknown author and no one would really visit the website. But I do think it's worth it if you are going to include some of your works that are not available in other websites. As for me, I do it for fun since it's a free plan website.

 

[RiceballWasTaken]

and....nobody ever uses it

Your site like uses like multiple ugly as hell fonts. So that's a part of it. But sites are mainly used as a hub to promote an author which is typically published and selling their books.

 

[beast_regards]

The World Anvil lifetime subscription (with all most features enabled, expect their unique monetization features) costs $650 single time payment. Using their monetization features would cost you twice as much.

Which is ... expensive shitload of money... for me at least, and couldn't afford it.

However, if you are operate of budget of $200/month and put this into the perspective, you could host your novels there as long as their company is alive for the expense of the three months only.

 

[Golden_Hyde]

How are the people going to find out about your website?

Seriously.

How?

It's a legitimate question.

I get it why this question exist, and honestly, I do agree on how to gain traffic in one's website.

My general thought would be using the same tactic as Patreon ad stuff, or something similar to the writer named whatsawizzer (probably got his name wrong lmao) did with his story, encouraging others to read more chapters of his work ahead of what he uploaded in Scribble Hub.

 

[beast_regards]

My general thought would be using the same tactic as Patreon ad stuff, or something similar to the writer named whatsawizzer (probably got his name wrong lmao) did with his story, encouraging others to read more chapters of his work ahead of what he uploaded in Scribble Hub.

I understand.

However, it isn't easy to implement the payment processor on your website. It's very hard to maintain, and even harder to secure, requires skill and effort to program, and if it ever gets hacked, it's much easier to prosecute you for fraud than for breach of the copyright for example. That's why the sites like this one don't have the feature built into them, and all the writers are using the Patreon or Ko-Fi. The chapter locking feature is easy to implement here, but the monetization ones are too much of the hassle, especially for the site maintained by the single guy (which is true for both your personal website, and the SH)

So, you are better off leaving the secure payment processing to the companies which are better equipped to deal with it, like Patreon, and leave your advance chapter locked there instead than on your webpage, even if you have a webpage.

That's why I suggested sites like Campfire or World Anvil. One of the features is the monetization services, which allow you to do exactly what you need, covered by the company which has a team which deals with the issues. Problem is, it is expensive there, locked behind the higher levels of the highest tier of subscription / services.

 

[Dec]

However, it isn't easy to implement the payment processor on your website. It's very hard to maintain, and even harder to secure, requires skill and effort to program

It's super easy actually. You get a library (or use API) from the company (like Paypal) that handles transactions and attach it to your website. Done. Everything is on them now.
If you want to handle money flow by yourself, you would first need permits and a special agreement with the bank.

and if it ever gets hacked

Then all data is safe because you have nothing on your server - they are on the server of the company that handles it. And if they are hacked... well, happens. Not your problem (mostly).

Tony didn't implement this here (I assume) because those solutions are for individuals only. Here he would need a "company tier" solution, and that can be costly. So not worth doing it.

 

[Lysander_Works]

Whether it is "worth it" or not is a time/cost parable. How much time must you spend launching, designing, setting it up, and how much money (in addition to time) will it cost? Is the end result worth this?