Marketing · Author websites
Author website design is the work of building a site that presents your books, shows who you are and gives readers an easy way to buy or follow you. We design and build custom sites for first-time authors, established writers and experts with a book, and each one is tied to your book marketing services goals from day one.
Think of your site as the one place online that you fully own, a home base where every book, interview and announcement lives together. It works for you at midnight and on weekends, long after a social post has scrolled away. Get a free consultation and we'll look at what yours needs to do.
Social platforms change their rules, and retailer pages belong to the retailer. Your author website is the one space where you control the message, the design and the relationship with your readers.
It lets you own your audience. A mailing list collected through your site travels with you from book to book, while followers on a social network do not. It also protects your author brand, because every reader who searches your name finds the story you chose to tell instead of a random profile.
Then there's search. Editors, podcast hosts, librarians and event organizers look authors up before they reply. A clear, professional site answers their questions in seconds, and a well-built one can bring in new readers who never heard of you. Without a site, you're borrowing someone else's space. A site also gives your author platform a permanent address that you can print on bookmarks, business cards and the back of your book.
Your site should feel like your books. We pick typography, color and imagery that echo your covers and genre, so a thriller site looks different from a cookbook site. We choose an author photo treatment and layout that suit your tone, whether that's warm, bold or quietly literary. Our book cover design services and our portfolio show how that cohesion looks.
Each book gets its own landing page with the cover, description, reviews you've earned and buy links to every retailer you use, plus a link to your Amazon author page. If you've recorded one, we add audio samples and links from our audiobook production services work. Readers shouldn't hunt for how to buy. We can also add a book trailer embed and a few pull quotes from early readers.
We place sign-up forms where readers actually look, and we set up a reader magnet such as a bonus chapter, a short story or a checklist. We connect the forms to the email tool you prefer, whether that's Mailchimp, ConvertKit, MailerLite or another of your choice.
A blog gives you fresh content and a reason for readers to return, and you can see how we handle it on our blog. We also build a downloadable media kit, a press page and an events or speaking page, so hosts can book you without sending emails back and forth. Social sharing images are set up too, so links to your posts look polished when shared.
Most visitors arrive on a phone, so we design for small screens first and scale up. We compress images, keep code lean and watch page speed and Core Web Vitals, because a slow site loses readers before they see your cover.
We follow Google's SEO starter guide for titles, descriptions and clean URLs. We also add Book structured data to your book pages, and connect Search Console and Google Analytics so you can see what's working.
We follow the WCAG guidelines, with alt text, readable contrast and keyboard-friendly navigation. Every site gets an SSL certificate, and we add a privacy policy and cookie consent where needed.
You don't need a hundred pages. You need the right ones, in a clear order.
Beyond that, add a blog if you enjoy writing regularly. Start with these, and grow as your catalog does.
Keep navigation short, with five or six links at most. A visitor who lands from a podcast or a review should reach your book page in one click, and your sign-up form should appear on nearly every page. Every extra menu item is another chance for a reader to wander off. If you write in more than one genre, we can give each its own section so readers find the books they came for.
We keep the process clear, and a project manager is your single point of contact.
Feedback is simple. At the structure and design stages, we ask for your comments in one consolidated round so changes are clear and nothing gets lost. Before launch, we check forms, buy links, image sizes and loading speed, and we make sure your site shows up properly when shared on social media.
After launch, we stay available. If a retailer link changes or you release a new book, we can help you update the site, and ongoing maintenance is available. Replies come within one business day throughout.
WordPress is our primary platform, and we also offer fully custom development. The right choice depends on how much you want to manage and how far you expect to grow.
WordPress offers the most flexibility, with plenty of plugins and full control over SEO. It needs regular updates and sensible hosting. Squarespace is tidy and polished, with hosting built in, so it suits authors who want fewer moving parts. It's less flexible for unusual features. Wix is easy to edit and quick to set up, though it can be harder to move away from later.
Whichever you choose, you own your domain name and your content. We'll recommend one after hearing your plans, and we'll explain why, including what each option means for your time and your budget once the site is live.
Website pricing is quoted per project after a free consultation, and we don't publish set figures. You get a written, itemized proposal to approve before work starts. The final number depends on scope, page count and the features you need, including: how many pages and books you have, how custom the design is, which platform you pick, whether you need features like a shop or a members area, and how much content you can supply. A site with a shop for signed copies, for instance, takes more work than a simple brochure site.
Your quote is fixed in writing before work starts and split into milestones, with no hidden fees. See our website pricing overview for how we structure quotes.
Plan for ongoing costs as well: a domain name, web hosting and occasional maintenance. We'll list these up front so nothing surprises you. Most author websites take 3 to 6 weeks from discovery to launch. A simple site with a home page, book pages, a bio and a contact form sits at the shorter end, while larger sites with several series, a blog, a media kit or custom integrations take longer. Quick feedback from you keeps things moving, and rush timelines may be possible for an additional fee, quoted up front.
Many web designers have never sold a book. We have worked with more than 170 authors across 250+ books, so we know what a book page needs and why a buy link matters. Our book publishing services and web team sit under one roof, which means your site, cover and launch plan match instead of fighting each other. Writers who also need editing or design help can get it from the same team.
Our approach is to listen first, build second and explain everything in plain English. We can't guarantee sales or rankings, but we can build a site that gives your books their best chance.
It depends on the number of pages, the level of custom design, the platform and any extra features. We quote each project after a free consultation, with a fixed written price and milestones. Remember to budget for hosting and your domain name as well.
At minimum: a home page, about page, books page, contact page and newsletter sign-up. Most authors also benefit from a press or media kit page, an events page and a blog. Each book should have its own page with buy links.
Choose WordPress if you want maximum flexibility and plan to grow. Choose Squarespace if you prefer simple, well-designed pages with less upkeep. Both can look great and rank well. We'll recommend the better fit after learning about your goals.
Most author websites take 3 to 6 weeks from discovery to launch. A simple site sits at the shorter end, and larger sites with several series, a blog or custom integrations take longer. Your speed in approving designs and supplying content matters too. We give you a schedule in writing before work starts, so you know the milestones.
Yes. We start with an audit of your current site, then move your content, images and book pages to a new design, keep your domain and set up redirects so you don't lose search traffic. We'll tell you what's worth keeping.
Good author website design gives readers a clear path from discovering your book to buying it and joining your list. Start your author website with a free consultation, and pair it with our book marketing services when you're ready to bring readers in.
Free consultation
Every enquiry is read by a publishing consultant, not a sales script. You'll get an honest view of your project, a recommended route and a fixed written quote.
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