Thursday’s profit tip for authors

Fast Company Magazine recently named Sarah Susanka to their list of the world’s Top 50 Visionaries in recognition of her contributions to architecture and lifestyle planning through her books. Sarah’s Not So Big brand has breathed new life into American residential architecture. Her latest book, the Not So Big Life: Making Room for What Really Matters, applies the lessons from her first 6 books to lifestyle planning.

The book’s companion Not So Big Life website offers an excellent example of using a website to building lasting ties with readers.

Viewing the book as the “spark” that ignites relationships with readers, Sarah has created a website that intensifies reader relationships by providing resources like a community forum, new content, and exercises for readers.

Bonus content, with a twist
What sets her site apart from others, however, is the way that she has organized her site’s bonus content by chapters, allowing readers to comment and ask questions relating to specific questions. Navigation to each chapter’s contents is accomplished by clicking tabs corresponding to the various chapters in the book located along the right edge of the text area.

All in all, a very elegant solution–as one would expect from an architect whose books focus on the details of human interaction!