I'v been looking at writers sites - Haven't come across many I really like much so far - They mostly seem almost like directory listings - very few inspire a reader to pick up any of their books.
Sites about books - seem more thought out in terms of appeal to an audience - So Lee Child's Jack Reacher - http://www.jackreacher.co.uk/
I rather like this site - http://www.malcolmpryce.com/home.html - It does echo the style / type of writing / books he produces - I like the simplicity of the interface and there is a simple concept to it - looking inside the writers head - although not hugely original fits the purpose - and to me is more appealing than so many that are more catalogue like in style. You also get a sense of personality from the site - so many seem really just publicity material. Like Ian McEwan's - http://www.ianmcewan.com/ - As are many writers sites they are third person about the author - rather than by the author - an extension of the book cover information - Even Ian McEwan's blog and Facebook are about him rather than by him.
Some sites seem to have a forum or some opportunity for fans to communicate / participate -
The Life of Pi - http://www.lifeofpi.co.uk/ - had a 'read along' - not exactly sure how this worked - it isn't explained in detail anywhere obvious on the site - and there are readers videos (not many) -
The Irvine Welsh site - http://www.irvinewelsh.net/ - After an introduction does seem a personal site and does reflect the author - And not just as a writer of fiction - The site has a journalistic flavour to it.
Margaret Atwood's site is interesting and full of resources - very magazine style and mixes her writing and writing about writing with her environmental campaigning - which does put her writing in context - http://www.margaretatwood.ca/index.php
An aside - my son has altered my facebook settings to be in pirate speak - So the facebook pages of these illustrious authors - Cap'n McEwan and Cap'n Atwood - have been very entertaining - and illustrates a factor about the web, which is the lack of control any author has when their work is released into the wilds of the web - The way it can be copied and edited, mashed up, or translated into real or fictional tongues - gives the written word a life of it's own - In some ways it guess it always has had - being retold - translated - adapted for different mediums -
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