How do I promote my new DreamHost site?

#1

Hello,

I have just started a site on DreamHost, (unhappened.com), and need advice on how to get traffic.

The aim of my site is to promote a remarkable novel by someone else, (not me), and I believe once it gets going, once word gets around, everything will be fine.

I have added my url to as many search engines as I could find, (which probably accounts for the only visitors so far), I have emailed web-promotion companies for advice, to which very few have even replied, except to ask what I am selling, (a person), then ask for money I cannot afford.

I am a student of arts with limited funds, and I don’t have much technical knowledge, but I have unlimited faith in my project of introducing the world really to the most remarkable, strange, challenging, and beautifully written work I have ever read, and I have read heaps.

I do not subscribe anywhere, rarely comment, or have any efriends, (I have a few physical friends), so I am not exactly gregarious, more a quiet loner, but I am more than willing to do what it takes, even selling my old car and pay someone to get my site noticed.

Anyway, any advice would be appreciated.

Thankyou,

Lauren Wills

#2

Content, content, content.

#3

There’s a blog called Pepys Diary (http://www.pepysdiary.com/) which over the course of years re-published the diary of Samuel Pepys. Perhaps you should just publish the book bit by bit as posts, rather than linking to PDF and DOC files that cannot be indexed

Once you have a decent amount of content, you need to promote through relevant channels… e.g. literary blogs and forums.

#4

Dear Monjo,

It was my intention to publish the book bit by bit, but not as posts, as formatting will be lost. What does “a decent amount of content” mean?

Thanyou for your response.

Lauren Wills
[hr]

Dear keyplyr,

Could you please elaborate.

Thankyou

#5

There is not really one magic thing you can do to increase traffic to your website. It is really tons of small things that do the trick.
You are on the right track just asking the questions.

Some ideas: join every book-club, discussion forum or blog site you can that is related to what the book is about. Whenever possible, link back to your website. Ask the blogs and book-clubs if they can discuss your book. Offer a free copy of the book as a promotional item to the Book Clubs (or on your own blog)
Even here, when you post your question, include a full link: http://unhappened.com rather than just the domain: unhappened.com

Keep at it. Discuss other books on a blog on your website. Watch Google Analytics to see what sort of traffic your site is getting.

After 3 or more months you will start noticing what is working and what is not.

#6

Content is king. Approximately 70% of your traffic will come from search engines. You will rank high in searches if you have good, relevant content to those searches. The more content you have, the more searches you will be included in.

Publish rich, meaningful articles. Cite sources, give examples, be relevant. Consider including author bios, photos, etc. Become an authority.

#7

Dear sierracircle,

Thankyou for your advice.
[hr]

Dear keyplyr,

Thankyou for your advice.

#8

Not sure why formatting is important… a good book is a good book. So long as you have the paragraphs and dialogue/speech properly done, then nothing else matters to a reader. Plus you can always offer the ePub version – preferably to either word or pdf – for download. I cannot imagine many people downloading a file for an author they don’t know. You should also host the download files on your site.

“Decent amount” - means more than one post. Perhaps 20-30 articles is a bare minimum. People are drawn to repeatedly visit web sites and share them if there’s content already there and it’s updated regularly. One article a day is good; 3-4 a week is minimum.