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The quick & easy way to create, maintain & control your own website with no coding for just £49 per year.
Screenshots of author's websites
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my e-mail contact?
How do I change my password?
I can't remember my password
What type of computer do I need?
Do I need access to the internet?
How will be my web address be shown?
Does Authorsites.co.uk provide access to the internet?
Why would I use Authorsites.co.uk?
What do I put on my site?
Where do I get content from for my site from?
How should I store my data?
Can I have photographs/images on my site?
What format do my photos need to be in to upload them?
What size and resolution should my images be?
Can I change the template/style of my site?
Why are some details I have entered not showing up? E.g. Books
How do 'hide' a book?
What can I do if I get stuck?
Can I sell books?
How will people find my site?
Is there anything I can't put on my website?
How can I cancel my service?
What happens to my site when my subscription ends?
What happens to my site when my subscription ends?
Have we missed anything?
How do I change my e-mail contact?
From the Authorsites.co.uk home page log onto your site. From the Author's Control Panel click on 'edit your details'. Click on the 'change e-mail' link. Enter a new e-mail and enter it again in the second area. Click the 'submit' button and you will then have a new contact e-mail.
From the Authorsites.co.uk home page log onto your site. From the Author's Control Panel click on 'edit your details'. Click on the 'change e-mail' link. Enter a new password and enter it again in the second area. Click the 'submit' button and you will then have a new password.
Click 'Forgotten login/password?' button.
General Information
What type of computer do I need?
The type of computer is not important, it can be the very latest model or one that is a number of years old. It can also be a 'PC' or a 'Mac'. The 'faster' your computer is will mean it will be quicker at processing images. If you don't own your own computer why not ask a friend to help you, or use one at a public library/internet cafe.
Do I need access to the internet?
Yes. If you don't have access to the internet at home, you can always get online at a public library or internet cafŽ.
How will be my web address be shown?
Your site will be shown as www.authorsites.co.uk/yourname
Does Authorsites.co.uk provide access to the internet?
No. Authorsites.co.uk is not an Internet Service Provider (ISP). To gain access to the internet you will need to subscribe to an ISP. If you choose a 'broadband' service it will provide quicker access to the internet and speed up downloads and uploads.
What happens if my computer crashes?
If your computer crashes after you have pressed the 'submit' button on a data entry page, then you will not lose any data. If your computer crashes or freezes before you have 'submit', then the recent data you have added will be lost. Your 'site' is backed up on the Authorsites server. As your site is 'hosted' and not stored on your computer, you can access your site from any computer with internet access.
Why would I use Authorsites.co.uk?
- Authorsites has been designed with the sole purpose of supplying the website needs of authors.
- You get a selection of professional designs to choose from and all you have to do is add the content.
- You are also able to update the content as and when you require, rather than having to wait weeks for someone else to do it.
- Your site will have no adverts or pop-up messages.
- You can use your site to publicise yourself and your books.
- One of the most important features of the site is that it gives you the control to choose exactly what content you have on your site.
- You can let readers contact you by e-mail if you wish.
- You don't need to have advanced computer skills to create your site.
Your site has a number of pages that you can add content to. You don't have to add all the content in one go. The site will evolve over time, and you can add what you feel is important. You will need to provide some information about yourself. Include as much or as little detail as you wish. The more detailed the information you have on your site, the more interesting it will be to others. However, it is not necessary to give every last detail of your life. Visitors to your site might be interested in the following: Visitors to your site might be interested in the following:
- How you got into writing?
- What you are currently working on?
- What gives you inspiration?
- What you do apart from writing?
- Where you get your character ideas from?
Remember to keep the information on your site up to date.
Check out fellow authorsite websites to see what sort of information they put on theirs. These can be accessed from the authorsites homepage. www.authorsites.co.uk
How do I add content to the site?
Once you have registered for a site you will be taken to the Authors Control Panel. From here you can start building your site. On the left hand side of the page you will see a number of options. Click on these to start building your site. If you get stuck, the useful Help bars at the right hand side of each page should have the answers you need. If you still don't understand something after reading these FAQ's or the Help bar, e-mail technicalsupport@authorsites.co.uk for assistance. The support is only available Monday- Friday 9.30 Ð 5.00pm. Phone support for technical support is not currently available.
Where do I get content from for my site from?
Some of the information that you might require from your site can be taken from the Amazon online bookshop. www.amazon.co.uk If your book is listed on Amazon, go to the page listing. To save the cover image, right click on the image with your mouse and save the image onto your hard disk. You can rename it with your book title. You can also cut and paste other details of your book, such as price, ISBN, title, binding from the Amazon page. Highlight the information you want to copy by dragging your mouse over the text, then right click on your mouse and 'copy'. You can then paste this information into the relevant box on your site. Easy.
It is advisable to create a folder on your computer for your authorsite files. Name it Authorsite files for example. Then create sub-folders for each of the pages of your site. If you do this you will know exactly where all the information is. For example if you want to change the entry to your welcome page text, go to the welcome page folder and open up the file, make the changes and then upload the new file.
Where do I get a sample chapter of my book?
It is possible to add a sample of your book onto your site. Authorsites recommend that you use a sample chapter or part of a chapter in Portable Document Format 'pdf' format. Pick a chapter or sample that best represents your book. You will need to ask your publisher for this file. Make sure that you explain why you need the pdf file, and make sure that you only ask for one chapter as you don't want to be giving your book away. The advantage of using the pdf file from your publisher is that this file is one that your book would have been printed from, which means it will have been edited. A pdf file also has been typeset, which give a more professional appearance. If it is impossible to obtain a file from your publisher then it is possible to copy and paste a text file in from a word processing document. Remember, this should just be a taster, the aim is to encourage the visitor to your site to purchase the book from the link provided.
Can I have photographs/images on my site?
Yes. Your site will be much more interesting and visually appealing if you include photos/images. Why not put up images of any events/signing sessions that you host?
What format do my photos need to be in to upload them?
All images need to saved as JPEGs. This is a standard format, and most digital cameras can automatically save photos in a JPEG format. If you have an image that is saved in another format such a TIF, you will need to convert it to a JPEG using a photo editing programme. You can also scan printed photos into your computer in order to upload them onto your website. Most scanners also automatically save files in a JPEG format.
What size and resolution should my images be?
There is an upper size limit of 60kb per file. On each help page it will also tell you the maximum pixel width that is allowed. If you attempt to upload a image that is either bigger than 60kb, or wider than the permitted size, it will be rejected.
The resolution of your image should be set to 72dpi.(this is the resolution of a computer screen, so even a higher resolution image will appear the same.) You can check to see if your file is under 60kb by looking at the file in Windows Explorer/view/details, or if you are using a Mac the equivalent. Occasionally, if the image is very large to start off with, even reducing the pixel width to required amount and reducing the dpi to 72, the file can end up being over 60kb. To overcome this problem, try saving the image again. If you are asked what quality you would like the image saved, try decreasing this. E.g. from maximum to high. This should solve the problem.
Can I change the template/style of my site?
Yes. You can change the style of your site as many times as you wish. To change the style go to the Author's Control Panel Ð Preferences. Under the word 'template' you will find a drop-down menu, simply click on the new style you want and hit the submit button. We will be adding more designs for you to choose from in the future.
Why are some details I have entered not showing up? E.g. Books
See detailed explanation on Help bar in Author's Control Panel.
See detailed explanation on Help bar in Author's Control Panel.
Please make sure that read the Help bars at the right hand side of each page and these FAQ's as these should have the answers you need. If you are still having trouble please e-mail technicalsupport@authorsites.co.uk. for assistance. The support is only available Monday- Friday 9.30 - 5.00pm. Phone support for technical advice is not currently available.
If you have entered the ISBN number of your book, the site will automatically create a link on the books page that will enable people to click and buy directly from Amazon. You cannot sell books directly.
Unless you request otherwise, your site will be listed in the Authorsites.co.uk list of authors. Your friends and family can simply visit www.authorsites.co.uk and click on your name, or bookmark your site directly.
Can I include advertising on my website?
No, Authorsites.co.uk does not allow any advertising on your site beyond promoting your own books.
Is there anything I can't put on my website?
Although we want to encourage the creative spirit of authors, we would ask that certain boundaries of 'good taste' are not crossed. We reserve the right to suspend service of any sites displaying illegal content that is brought to our attention. This may include but is not limited to libellous, pornographic, or racist content or copyrighted materials used without permission. Sites must not be used for personal attacks on others. Subscribers maintain all legal responsibility for the content of their sites.
If you wish to have your site removed please e-mail technicalsupport@authorsites.co.uk. No refunds will be made for any unused time remaining.
What happens to my site when my subscription ends?
Subscriptions to the service run for a period of 12 months. If you do not renew your account, access to your site will cease within one month. If you decide at a later stage you wish to renew your subscription, we will keep your data in storage for 2 years and within this period your site can be reactivated.
If you feel that we have missed any points that would be helpful, please don't hesitate to e-mail any suggestions to technicalsupport@authorsites.co.uk