The Overview

1. Her Website = Hub for Loyal Fans
   J.E. Harter sees her website as a place to stay in touch with her readers, where they can easily sign up for her newsletter and stay connected. It’s not the first place she gets new readers, but it’s essential for keeping her biggest fans in the loop with exclusive content like sneak peeks and cover reveals!

2. Keep It Simple (and Free) to Start
   Harter recommends starting with a free website (hello, budget-friendly!) to get the basics up and running—your bio, books, and a newsletter signup. You don’t need all the bells and whistles right away. Just get your feet on the ground and grow from there!

3. Get That Newsletter Going!
   Her website is all about getting readers onto her newsletter list—it's the only way readers can sign up! She uses fun calls-to-action on social media, offering free incentives (think sneak peeks and special reveals) to encourage sign-ups.

4. Upgrade When You’re Ready
   Harter plans to eventually switch to a paid website and focus more on SEO. She suggests taking your time, building your audience first, and then upgrading your site when it makes sense.

5. Make Sure It Looks Good on Mobile
   J.E. knows how important it is to have a site that looks great on every device. Her pro tip? After making changes, always check how your site reads on mobile to make sure it’s looking its best for your readers!

6. Essential Pages to Include
   On her site, she’s got a dedicated page for each of her books, an "About Me" section, a reviews page, and a newsletter sign-up. It’s clean, simple, and all about helping readers find what they’re looking for. Even without a shop (yet!), she’s made it super easy for fans to buy her books by linking out to where they can purchase.

How Fantasy Author J.E. Harter Uses Her Author Website

WHO: J.E. Harter
Website URL: https://jeharterauthor.wixsite.com/j--e--harter-author

Book Purchase Links: https://jeharterauthor.wixsite.com/j--e--harter-author/copy-of-press-reviews

J.E. Harter has been writing since childhood, with an unwavering passion that stretches back to when she was very young. "I have always been writing since I was a little kid, it was something I was always very committed to. I didn’t just write a page or so of writing, I would actually write books from a very young age, so it has always been something that I’ve enjoyed doing," she recalls.

It wasn’t until two and a half years ago that she began work on her debut novel, The Butcher and The Bard. The idea came while she was watching The Witcher. "I was watching The Witcher actually, and I thought it would be cool if there was a female version of Geralt, so that’s who my main character is about." With a blend of fantasy and a fierce female lead, Harter’s book has attracted readers intrigued by her take on a strong female protagonist.

How J.E. Harter is Currently Marketing Her Books

As an indie author, Harter relies on social media to connect with readers and promote her work. She finds social platforms essential for reaching her audience. "I would say certainly social media is important, I would say it’s almost impossible as a self-published author not to use social media, unless you are so well established that people know who you are."

She primarily uses Instagram, TikTok, and reposts her Instagram content to Facebook. "The majority of people find me via TikTok or Instagram," she explains. "I can connect to readers that way, share my favorite books, things that I’m reading, share my writing process and advice with people there, which I think is really helpful. I also talk about the tropes of my book and other avenues to capture people's attention." By engaging readers in this way, Harter keeps her audience connected to her writing journey and characters.

In addition to social media, Harter uses a monthly newsletter to stay in touch with her most loyal readers. "I don’t think I’m getting new readers, but my most loyal readers sign up for the newsletter, those are people who are mostly guaranteed to buy the next book whatever I write," she explains. The newsletter serves as a way to give these readers something special, such as exclusive content like title reveals, cover reveals, and even sneak peeks. "I always send out the blurb, the title reveals, or cover reveals. I even sent out the first chapter of my third book to my newsletter last month and this month again, as a kind of sneak peek."

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How J.E. Harter’s Author Website Fits Into Her Book Marketing Efforts?

When it comes to using her website as a marketing tool, Harter sees it more as a necessary hub than a primary driver of sales. For her, the website primarily functions as a place for readers to sign up for her newsletter and as a central landing page. "Typically, people get to my website through social media, and the only way for them to sign up for my newsletter is through my website," she says, emphasizing how social media plays the main role in directing people to her site. She uses calls-to-action on her social accounts to entice readers to visit. "I usually say things like: Here are some free incentives if you sign up for the newsletter."

Where Are Most People Buying Her Books?

For most of Harter’s readers, Amazon is the go-to platform for purchasing her books. "Definitely Amazon. I think most people are going to purchase on Amazon, it’s just so much easier for everyone. If you have Prime, you get free shipping and it comes in like two days."

However, Harter also notes that mindful readers, those who really want to support indie authors directly, are trying to buy from alternative sources. "Mindful readers who are really trying to support the indie author themselves are trying to buy direct as much as possible," she shares, adding that she’s considering adding a store element to her website in the future.

Advice to Fellow Authors About Launching Their First Author Website:

Harter’s advice for new authors setting up a website is practical and budget-friendly. "My current website is a free website from Wix. It was really simple to set up and honestly, for an aspiring author or a brand-new indie author, I don’t see anything wrong with having a free website to just get your feet on the ground."

She emphasizes the importance of keeping things simple when you're first starting out. "Create a free website, get your basic bio, talk about your books, whatever else, get that newsletter going because that’s going to be really helpful. That’s all you need to start with if it feels intimidating."

Looking ahead, Harter plans to eventually switch to a paid website and explore more advanced SEO options as her audience grows. "In a year or so, depending on how book sales are going, I might switch to the paid version so that way I can work on some SEO stuff on my author website," she adds.

What J.E. Harter Included on Her Author Website?

When designing her website, Harter focused on giving each book its own space. "I tried to give each book its own separate page," she says. On the homepage, she displays pictures of her books with a small snippet of information to direct visitors to detailed book pages. Her site also includes an "About Me" page, a reviews page, and a newsletter subscription at the bottom of the homepage. Although she doesn't have an online shop yet, Harter has a purchase page that links to various places where people can buy her books, making it easy for readers to find the right platform for their purchase.

J.E. Harter’s journey as an indie author highlights the importance of balancing social media, newsletters, and a website. While her site may not yet be a primary driver for new readers, it remains a crucial tool for connecting with loyal fans and presenting herself professionally to a wider audience. Her practical advice to fellow authors emphasizes starting small and expanding as your readership grows.

Future Plans for Her Author Website and Some Tips for Authors:

As for future website improvements, Harter is focused on optimizing SEO and making sure her site is user-friendly on mobile. "When the time comes, look into your website’s SEO. That is something that I feel like really does help any website." She also advises authors to check their website on multiple devices. "Always double-check after you’ve made some changes on your website. Look at it on a couple of devices to make sure it is reading the way that you like it."

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What’s Inside?

Discover the secret sauce top authors use to build loyal reader lists and skyrocket their book sales! 🚀 Download my free guide: Author Newsletter Booster: How to Get More Newsletter Signups on Your Author Website and start building your fanbase today.

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