Building an author website will look a little different for each writer, but whether you’re an unpublished writer, a first-time self-published author, or a NYT bestselling author, your website tells your unique story, showcases your work, and markets to your target readers. These are the steps to successfully create an author website.
Step 1. Buy Your Domain
Even if you are still contemplating “do authors really need a website,” you should purchase a domain. Typically, this will be your author name. If yourname.com is not available, consider yournameauthor.com, yournamebooks.com, or yournamewriter.com. John Green, author of The Fault In Our Stars, uses the latter naming convention for his website.
Some authors might also consider purchasing domains for individual book titles—you might not have plans for these immediately, but they could prove useful in the future.
Tip: It is important that you retain ownership of your domain. You can buy a domain from any ICANN-accredited domain registrar, then point it to your site after it is built.
Step 2. Gather Your Assets
Whether you plan to build your own website or hire a web designer, here are the assets you’ll want to gather:
Images. Needed images include your headshot and any book covers. Perhaps you also have foreign covers to display or other marketing materials provided by your publisher. If you work with a web designer, they can help you select other photography or artwork that your site may require.
Bio. Authors often display a short bio on the Homepage linking to a more detailed bio on the About page.
Blurbs. Have your book descriptions and blurbs ready to go. If you are an established writer, your author web designer can pull from existing online sources.
Purchase Links. Where can your visitors buy your books? Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound are fairly standard. Have a list of links complied for each book leading to all the major retailers.
Contact Information. Most new writers include a contact form directed to their inbox. Established authors may also want to include relevant information for an agent or publicist.
Social Media Profiles. Include links to your Facebook author page, Twitter, Instagram, or Goodreads on your website. After launching your website, you’ll update your social platforms with a link back to your website.
Reviews. Collect any positive recognition, press, or reviews that your work has garnered in the media.
Step 3. Choose A Website Builder
Whether building your own site or hiring a website designer, Squarespace is our preferred platform for authors and writers.
Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder with templates that can be customized to your liking. Comprehensive marketing tools can help you engage with your audience. And most importantly, Squarespace takes, care of website security for you. Authors moving from Wordpress to Squarespace enjoy the more modern platform and easier maintenance.
See our in-depth Squarespace review that also looks at alternatives such as Wix, Wordpress, and Webflow.
Step 4. Organize Your Content
Most author websites will have the expected pages: Home, About, Book/s, Events, and a Contact page. Additional content might include a Blog, Foreign Editions, Book Club information, Press and Awards, FAQ, Privacy Policy, Resources, or other bonus materials. It is your site, you get to choose.
Step 5. Optimize the Site
Website optimization is a broad topic, but you’ll want the site to rank well in search engines for both your author name and book titles.
Start by familiarizing yourself with what search engine optimization is, read up on how to learn SEO basics, and read about common SEO myths that mislead beginners. If in doubt, sign up for a tailored SEO training.
Step 6. Promote Your Book or Writing
Showcasing your work is one of the most important aspects of the website. While it is important to introduce yourself to readers, make sure to present your work front and center. Site visitors should instantly know you are an author with books for purchase.
Use strong calls-to-action to encourage site visitors to explore your site and take action.
Step 7. Capture Site Visitors
Many author sites use a lead magnet to capture email addresses. You might offer content giveaways such as a chapter of your new book to compel visitors to subscribe to your list.
This allows you to hook interested readers and build a list for future publications all at the same time. To do this, you will use an email marketing program such as MailChimp in which to collect emails.
In our experience, most authors are told to “do email marketing,” but the reality is many authors don’t follow through. It is fine to add an email signup form or pop-up to collect emails, and then decide at a later date if you want to send emails or not.
Step 8. Keep Content Current
Even if you don’t have a newly released book, your website should look current. The site can feature recent author events, updated social feeds, or regular blog posts.
Remember, anything on the web related to your book marketing—such as press releases, book reviews, your Google knowledge panel—may lead readers back to your website, so make sure the site is up-to-date.
Remove content if it becomes irrelevant. If your last book appearance was three years ago, consider hiding your Events page until it’s needed again. Set a calendar reminder for an annual website review.
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