By Dean Hua

Part 1 of this article will focus on how WordPress can be used as a website and robust Content Management System for book authors. Part 2 will focus on how WordPress can make for a powerful web publishing and blogging platform.

In recent years, the Internet has made significant breakthroughs in technological advancement. The proliferation of new technology has allowed people to promote their businesses in more meaningful and powerful ways. Businesses that have adapted to these new technologies have gained a competitive edge over their rivals.

Two tools that are blazing a trail in this next generation of the Internet are blogs and content management systems (CMS).

Known as on-demand web publishing platforms, blogs and CMS have allowed businesses to articulate their message in more powerful and engaging ways than they have in years past. At the forefront of the blogging revolution is a robust and popular platform called WordPress.

Businesses across many industries are taking advantage of this new technology. Unfortunately, book authors have been slow to adapt and are instead still relying on static websites and unproductive book tours to promote their work.

However, today’s user-friendly blogging software and CMS can help book authors develop an online presence in line with the next generation of web technology. More specifically, I’ll discuss how WordPress – a blogging platform and CMS – can fulfill the needs of many book authors who are looking for that competitive edge.

As an author, you most likely have the following or similar goals:

• Build initial buzz about your book
• Get feedback from your readers
• Update your readers on what’s new with you
• Increase book sales

If these sound like your goals, then a blog/CMS platform such as WordPress may be a suitable fit for you.

WordPress As A CMS.

Although WordPress was created originally as blogging software, it has become a viable CMS with software that allows the user to manage all types of content, such as web pages, digital files, and images through the website interface.

The WordPress CMS eliminates the need to pay and rely on a web designer to create new pages every time there is an update. Ordinary people with no technical skills can now have control over their online presence. They no longer need to know about foreign acronyms such as HTML, FTP, CSS or PHP in order to maintain a professional-looking website.

A WordPress-powered CMS allows users to:

• Include images, audio or video on a page
• Create categories and tags for your content
• Maintain and edit content instantly
• Simple-to-use backend interface
• Let multiple owners access the website
• Have multiple blog contributors
• Create unlimited pages

Let’s give a common example of how WordPress can help you, the author of a new book. The first thing many users do is complete their “About” page describing themselves, their business, or the focus of their blog. You write your page and publish it, but two days later you decide you want to add a few more sentences and change an existing one. Before CMS existed, this type of change would require you to contact your web designer. Sometimes the designer would respond; sometimes he didn’t. Meanwhile, you’re stuck with an outdated web page and no idea how to fix it.

Those days are gone. Welcome to the next generation of websites, where you can publish, edit and maintain content on demand. You don’t have to waste time chasing down a designer; instead, you can focus on building reader interest and promoting your books.

WordPress is simple to learn.

There are hundreds of content management systems out there, but the WordPress advantage is a backend administration that’s very easy to understand. Its simple CMS platform will not inundate and confuse you with unnecessary features that will only waste your time.

Its core functionality is intended to serve the needs of small business owners, unlike some CMS that cater to enterprise-level customers. As an author, you’ll need to occasionally publish new web pages or update release dates or book signings. You’ll also want to consider a blogging platform as part of the online marketing initiative and have it bundled into the CMS package. WordPress can serve both needs.

Continued next week: Part 2 – WordPress as a Blog

About:

H. Dean Hua is Chief Web Evangelist of Sachi Studio- a web design and online marketing consultancy. He helps book authors develop a remarkable online presence by focusing on websites, blog designs, best practices in blogging for authors, and exploring how book authors can use Facebook as a viable social media tool. http://www.sachistudio.com

Dean can be reached on the web at www.sachistudio.com.