Author Platform Basics
Get a complete branded author platform, promo graphics, 1000 subscribers, and blog that converts.
For authors building (or fixing) their website
Stop being invisible. Get an author website that works.
You don't need an expensive designer. You need a simple site that tells visitors what you write and gives them a reason to join your email list. I'll show you what good author websites do, and what some famous authors get wrong, then walk you through setting yours up in WordPress.
- A 92-minute walkthrough of good author websites, with a checklist of the features you need
- Critiques: bad examples from famous authors, and my own websites
- WordPress and Divi setup: hosting, install, homepage, pages and menus
- Four more of my courses included, like Reader Seduction for building your email list
What authors say about my courses and emails
I've done several introductory courses, but Derek's take the cake. The way he goes through his process by video gives a HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE I've seen nowhere else. He has a ton of stuff you can actually use that I haven't heard other people talking much about. He shows how to build a network between your website, social media presence, blog posts, graphics and video. He's given me the tools to build and lent a hand himself, and my platform is growing each moment.
Like so many authors out there, I felt like I was drowning when it came to marketing, and struggling with how to find my audience. Your videos and lessons are just what I needed. Rather than gloss over the 'big picture' stuff needed to progress, you break down steps into MANAGEABLE OBJECTIVES and give your students actual examples from your experience. So helpful!
1000’s of emails come into our boxes and sifting through the fog to find a bit of clarity is tedious, but when an email comes from you, Derek Murphy, it is all worthwhile. Brilliant, thank you.
Why bother with a website
Every single visitor to your author website matters.
Ashamed of your author website? Don't be. After all, does anyone actually even go to your website, unless you've personally handed them a business card? It's not like random strangers are just poking around in there, is it?
Truth: you probably shouldn't spend a ton of money on an author website until your books are selling. But also: especially when you're starting out, every single visitor to your author platform matters. You need to roll out the red carpet. They'll either get confused and bounce, or they'll get hooked and stick around.
If you can get them on your email list, you've just gone from a hurried 5 second sales pitch to a slow, comfortable fireside chat.
Most author websites lose people for ordinary reasons. The visitor can't tell what kind of books you write, the books are hard to find, or there's nothing to sign up for. You can fix all of that yourself, with a basic template, once you know what to look for.
Your author website is like an inflatable unicorn. As long as you fill it with air and there are no holes, it'll keep you afloat, so you can relax and focus on your writing. If it's big enough, it can even support your friends.
What's inside
Look at what works, then build your own
Three parts: your author brand, what good (and bad) author websites do, and the WordPress setup. 12 lessons, with 4 hours 38 minutes of video.
Author branding basics
66-minute video, plus a lesson on advanced brandingStart with your author brand and story, so the site has something clear to say before you pick a layout.
Bad examples from famous authors
10-minute video, plus more examples with constructive criticismBig names get their websites wrong too. Seeing why makes your own site easier to fix.
Good examples, and the features you need
92-minute videoThe longest lesson: a walkthrough of author websites that work, with a checklist you can hold your own site up against.
Critiques of my own websites
23-minute videoI critique my own author websites, so you can see what I'd change and why.
Homepage and header options
45-minute videoLayout options for your homepage and header with the Divi theme.
WordPress basics
About 42 minutes of videoHosting and installing WordPress, installing the Divi theme and layouts, and adding pages and menus.
The full lesson list is further down the page.
Get the coursePlus 4 more courses · 30-day money-back guarantee
Also included
Four more of my courses come with it
A website does its job when visitors sign up, and when the book they find is ready for them. So these come with it too.
Reader Seduction (Your First 1000 Fans)
About 8 hours of videoWhich email provider to choose, how to pick your opt-in offer, 7 ways to grow a list, how to turn subscribers into buyers, my fiction and nonfiction funnels, and how often to email.
Then the setup: MailerLite or Mailchimp, and adding an opt-in form or popup to your website.
Reach Your Readers (Original)
40 lessonsMy first course, on blogging and building up organic traffic for long-term sales. It also covers optimizing your book on Amazon: keywords, categories and reviews.
Bookcraft Academy
29 lessons, almost 6 hours of videoMy plotting and writing course: the 25-chapter plot outline, scenes, conflict and revision, and chapter planning for nonfiction. I include it because it's so important to do a final check and improve your book before you launch.
How to Self-Edit Your Book
12 lessons, about 1.5 hours of video. Free on its own right now, too.Avoid common writing mistakes and fix your book before you publish: my editing process, whether you really need an editor, and how to work with one.
Some of these are older courses, so a few screens look different now and some tools they mention have changed or closed.
How it works
Start with the checklist, not the theme.
- Look before you build.Watch the bad examples, the good examples and the checklist with your own site open. If you don't have a site yet, you'll know what you're building.
- Set up the basics.Hosting, WordPress, the Divi theme, your homepage, pages and menus. Keep it simple: a basic template is fine.
- Give visitors a reason to stay.Use Reader Seduction to choose your opt-in offer, set up MailerLite or Mailchimp, and add a signup form to your site.
Is this for you?
It's a good fit if
- You're starting out and want a simple author website without hiring an expensive designer.
- You already have a website, but nobody signs up and you're not sure what's missing.
- You want to do it yourself in WordPress. On another platform? The examples, critiques and checklist still apply.
Skip it if
- You want someone to build or review the site for you. This is a do-it-yourself course.
- You want click-by-click tutorials for the newest WordPress and Divi. I recorded the setup videos years ago, so the screens will look different.
- You want a promise of a certain number of subscribers or sales. Unlike most other self-proclaimed self-publishing gurus, I'll never promise you Big Results.
Already own the DIY Book Design bundle or Guerrilla Publishing? You already have some of the included courses, so check your course dashboard first. What this course adds is its own lessons: branding, the author website examples and checklist, the critiques and the WordPress setup.
Hi, I'm Derek Murphy.
I have a PhD in Literature, and I supported myself as an editor and then a book cover designer, working with over a thousand writers. CNN once featured me for renting castles for writing retreats. I've built my email lists to tens of thousands of subscribers, for fiction and nonfiction.
Years ago I made some basic videos on setting up a WordPress author website. My main argument was, "just use a basic template and keep it simple." I still focus more on content than design. But now that I've built up quite a bit of traffic with content marketing, what I care about is getting more of those visitors onto my list.
The offer
Your website, your list, and the book behind them
Every visitor who leaves your site without a way to hear from you again is someone you can't reach when your next book comes out. The checklist shows you where yours is leaking; the setup lessons and Reader Seduction help you fix it.
30-day money-back guarantee
Watch the examples and go through the checklist with your own site open. If the course isn't what you needed, email support within 30 days of your purchase and you'll get a full refund.
Author Platform Basics
- 12 lessons: author branding, good and bad author websites with a feature checklist, critiques of my own sites, WordPress and Divi setup
- Reader Seduction, for building your email list
- Reach Your Readers (Original), on blogging and organic traffic
- Bookcraft Academy and How to Self-Edit Your Book, for the book itself
- Self-paced, with lifetime access
- 30-day money-back guarantee
One payment
$197
Get the courseFollowed a link with a discount code? Your price shows in the enrollment box below.
Questions
Before you enroll
Do I have to use WordPress?
No, but the setup lessons do. I personally use and recommend WordPress with the Divi theme. If you're using something else, the examples, the critiques and the checklist still apply.
What else will I need?
A domain name and web hosting (there's a lesson on hosting and installing WordPress). WordPress itself is free. Divi is a paid theme, sold separately by Elegant Themes.
Are the videos up to date?
Not the setup screens. I recorded the WordPress and Divi videos years ago, and both have changed since, so menus and buttons will look different. The examples and the checklist are about what your site needs to do, not which button to click.
Which courses are included?
Reader Seduction (Your First 1000 Fans), Reach Your Readers (Original), Bookcraft Academy and How to Self-Edit Your Book. They come with your purchase, along with this course's own 12 lessons.
I already own the DIY Book Design bundle or Guerrilla Publishing. Do I need this?
Check your dashboard first. The DIY bundle already includes Reach Your Readers (Original), Reader Seduction and How to Self-Edit Your Book. Guerrilla Publishing already includes Reach Your Readers (Original), Reader Seduction and Bookcraft Academy. What this course adds is its own 12 lessons on branding, author website examples, critiques and the WordPress setup.
Will you build or review my website?
No. It's a do-it-yourself course: the lessons, the examples and the checklist. You don't need to hire an expensive designer or someone to set up your email list for you.
When does it start, and how long do I have access?
It's self-paced. You get access as soon as you enroll, and you keep it: lifetime access, on any device you own.
What if I'm unhappy with the course?
You're covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee. If the course isn't what you needed, email support within 30 days of your purchase and you'll get a full refund.
Be the flame, not the moth.
The coolest thing about having a platform is that it's worth much more than just promoting your own content; you can use your influence to help others. Build a platform so you can be a patron, instead of begging for favors and handouts.
It starts with the website. Go through the checklist with your own site open and see what's missing.
Get the coursePlus 4 more courses · 30-day money-back guarantee
Stop being invisible! Get an author website that WORKS.
Ashamed of your author website? Don't be! After all, does anyone actually even GO to your website, unless you've personally handed them a business card? It's not like random strangers are just poking around in there, is it?
I mean, everyone knows the only way to sell books is through Amazon - it's not your fault that advertising has gotten ridiculously expensive, Amazon's shift from Createspace to KDP print has most authors pulling their hair out, and full-time authors are going out of business every day (either because they can no longer compete now that Amazon's organic visiblity has shifted to a "pay to play" model, or because they got their accounts frozen for no reason from the all powerful Zon.)
TRUTH: you probably shouldn't spend a ton of money on an author website, until your books are selling.
BUT ALSO: especially when you're starting out, every single visitor to your author platform MATTERS. You need to roll out the red carpet. They'll either get confused and bounce, or they'll get hooked and stick around. If you can get them on your email list, you've just gone from a hurried 5 second sales pitch to a slow, comfortable fireside chat.
A few years ago I made some basic videos to setting up a Wordpress author website. My main argument was, "just use a basic template and keep it simple." I still focus more on content, instead of design... but now that I've built up quite a bit of traffic (with content marketing), it's time to focus on boosting conversions:
- more email subscribers
- more fans and reviews
- organic visibility without advertising
- more book sales
Everything you need to build your author platform
This "course" is mainly a bundle of three other courses, that will help you start your website, know what to blog about, hone in on your author brand and story, start and grow your email list, so you get the basics right quickly and move on, confident that your author platform is quietly working for you (while you focus on writing more books).
I'm also including the "Bestseller Blueprint" materials because it's so important to do a final check and improve your book before you launch; they will also be useful for creating a reader magnet or "teaser text" as I call them in Reach Your Readers.
You don't need to hire an expensive designer or someone to set up your email list for you; these resources will help you DIY, while saving time and money.
While you're free to use any kind of hosting or website set up, I personally use and recommend Wordpress, with Divi theme. But even if you're using something else, you'll find the materials in this bundle well worth the price.
Your author website is like an inflatable unicorn.
🦄🦄🦄 As long as you fill it with air and there are no holes, it'll keep you afloat, so you can relax and focus on your writing. If it's big enough, it can even support your friends.
The coolest thing about having a platform is that it's worth much more than just promoting your own content; you can use your influence to help others. That's the whole point of my "six stages of creativindie" (something I'll finally be putting into a book soon) - be the flame, not the moth. Build a platform so you can be a patron, instead of begging for favors and handouts.
If that sounds good, grab the deal. and we'll take it from there. Everything I make is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so there's no risk to see what's included.
TODAY ONLY SPECIAL
Join this deal today and get three bonus courses at a massive discount:
- Reader Seduction (get your first 1000 subscribers QUICKLY, and turn them into raving fans)
- Reach Your Readers (content marketing and blogging basics, to attract new readers on autopilot)
- Bestseller Blueprint (self-editing tips to make sure your book is amazing)
I'm *also* going to add in some of my best content; interviews, presentations on branding and web design, and some exclusive special bonuses.
I'm also *planning* to include some done-for-you graphics and promotional banners - when they're eventually ready, I'll let you know. EVEN IF you're not ready to overhaul your website or author platform yet, or have already found a non-Wordpress solution, getting these courses together in one bundle is a massive deal.
Your Instructor
Derek Murphy has a PhD in Literature and has been featured in CNN for hosting writing retreats in medieval castles. After working with thousands of authors as a writing coach and developmental author, he began developing plotting cheatsheets and advanced writing tips for authors that now have nearly 3 million views on YouTube.
Course Curriculum
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StartREAD ME
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StartBad examples from famous authors (10:26)
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StartMore author website examples (and constructive criticism)
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StartGood examples (and a checklist of features you need) (91:52)
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StartThe case studies (critique of my own websites) (22:42)
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StartHomepage and Header Options with Divi (45:09)
Courses Included with Purchase
