So you’ve come to the conclusion that you need your own website.  Congratulations, you've made an excellent decision to facilitate your online book(s) marketing efforts!

{If you are still uncertain as to whether you need own website, I invite you to read this informative article now.}

But what type of website do I need? In this article, I will show you the one website solution which will not only facilitate your marketing efforts, but also facilitate the creation of a fan base, plus include a shopping cart. Authors, today, need far more than some “pumped up” wordpress blog. Authors, like you, need a real honest-to-goodness ecommerce solution which delivers easy navigation for the website visitor and accommodates an abundance of relevant content to keep the search engines satisfied (thus ranking your site in the first couple of pages for your primary keyword).

When I started Atypical Publishing, I realized that I needed to provide more than just a publishing service. I wanted to provide our author clients with the opportunity to build their own business to sell their books from their own shopping cart today, tomorrow and far into the future.

The dilemma I faced was conflicting goals. I wanted software that was both easy to use and had a familiar feel like Microsoft Word.  But I also wanted software that would be so powerful and the training so complete that an author client need only use my basic publishing services for future books; thus affording the author significant cost savings on future books. My final requirement was that the site design must be used for the Atypical Publishing website as well as Tracy’s website.

In the over-hyped world of the internet, justifiably skeptical authors are bombarded with claims of “best”, “unique”, “secret”, and my personal favorite, “free” solutions to their website design. The end-result is the same. An over-hyped product is released, purchased and usually discarded or returned as it failed to meet even a portion of the “claimed” solutions. Discernable proof of one’s claims becomes paramount to combat the skepticism.

The successful resolution of these conflicting goals seemed unattainable at first glance. So I approached my business partner Rich Ramalho for suggestions. Rich recommended one person who might be able to solve this problem. I approached numerous business owners and senior corporate IT personnel at places like Sprint, First Data and AT&T and one name was repeated over and over. That name so highly acclaimed by my peers is Chris Moos.

I contacted Chris and discovered a man who has been building websites since the dawn of the internet. In truth, from the stories my peers told me, I began to imagine that Chris had built a website for Cincinnatus to record his speech to the Roman Senate voluntarily stepping down as the absolute dictator of Rome.

When we spoke, I explained to Chris the Atypical mission statement of empowering authors around the world to publish their works because they have “something to say” and it “needs to be heard”.   In turn, Chris showed me how his website solution could provide a means to achieving my stated goal.

The problem faced by authors is a choice of content or ecommerce.  Put up a blog and you can add content to entice visitors but you lack the flexibility of a shopping cart and control over multiple authors. Build an ecommerce site and you have a flexible shopping cart but lack adequate flexibility and ease of use for adding needed fresh, relevant content. So Chris created a solution. A website solution which as he puts it, “helps real people do real business…on a content publishing platform that allows anyone to start their own multi-user article, news or blog website. It includes dozens of professionally designed templates and is as easy to use as Microsoft Word.”  The website software is called Netfluence Publisher and offers an author a complete solution to his/her website needs. Netfluence Publisher provides authors with the opportunity to create a website which easily navigates through all the “noise” of irrelevant websites providing you with top search engine rankings and hence more visitors and ultimately more buyers of your book.

Does Netfluence Publisher work miracles overnight? No, but did you write your tome overnight or did you get your book published overnight? Like all “value” products, Netfluence Publisher works over time as you build relevant content your rankings increase. You should view Netfluence Publisher as you view your book marketing efforts – over the long term. New authors need time to develop a following, an audience, to build market share. Netfluence Publishing simply makes those efforts pay greater dividends.

So why do I believe so strongly in Netfluence Publishing? Because this website you are currently visiting is a prime example of the software’s power and flexibility.  But what about our authors; does this software assist their efforts? I can answer that by simply stating that Tracy Ames’ website is on the first page of the search engines for her primary keyword and her website has only been online for about two months.  Talk about assisting her book sales.  Her most recent work was published on March 9, 2009 and sales have already exceeded expectations.

You see, in truth, writers have an advantage over everyone else online today. Writers can by definition write! Search engines are seeking fresh, relevant content as they rank sites. As a writer, you don’t need to resort to ghostwriters creating subpar content for your site or sorting through pages upon pages of rehashed, poorly written PLR content. You are a writer! Use your talents to write for your website and you will accomplish the following: a) increase your rankings; b) create content for your website that the visitor finds useful and enlightening; c) create a loyal fan base who will buy your book today, your next book and each subsequent book.

Ask this question, can you afford not to use Netfluence Publishing? With a book published every minute of every day, by the time you finish this article at least 10 more books will in the marketplace competing for your potential readers. Are you prepared to compete for their “hard-earned” dollars? Netfluence Publishing can ensure that your book will be selling copies long after those books are forgotten.

I know there is yet one unanswered question: why am I recommending this software? This recommendation is both unsolicited and unpaid. In fact, Chris actually told me I was foolish to provide you with this recommendation. Visitors to this site are not necessarily clients. Anyone reading this article can take this recommendation, publish their book with one of our competitors and contact Chris directly about his website solutions. In that example, I’m completely out of the “financial benefit” loop. Yes, this is true. It is also true that should you decide to take advantage of either our Premium or Platinum publishing packages, you will receive a copy of this software for which I must pay Chris for your website and its installation on your server.

But I offer this recommendation because Atypical Publishing was founded for the purpose of empowering authors. This website is filled with pages of content which can inform and educate the visitor without requiring a purchase.

It is not that I do not want you to make a purchase. In fact, I strongly believe if you seek a publisher where you are more than just another line item in their income statement; where your work is respected; and where you retain total control over the production of your book; then your best choice is Atypical Publishing.

But I try to practice what I profess. I want our author clients to receive the most value for those “hard-earned” dollars they invest with us. So we created a website filled with information that we believe is useful and educational for you. For example, read this article, a seed is planted and you begin to research websites for authors and ultimately decide to create or improve your own author website. In my mind, mission accomplished – the empowerment of authors. 

In conclusion, Chris Moss and his entire product line at Netfluence.com evokes my highest recommendation.