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Web design for authors is a smaller problem than it looks. An author site has five pages, one job on each, and one thing it must capture: an email address. Most author sites fail not because they are ugly but because a reader arrives, enjoys the writing, and leaves with no way for you to reach them again. Design decisions follow from that.
The five pages
- Home. Who you are, what you write, the current book, and a newsletter form.
- Books. One entry per title with the cover, a two-paragraph description, and retailer links that open in a new tab.
- About. A real photo, a short bio in the first person, and one human detail. Readers come here to decide whether to follow you.
- Newsletter. A page dedicated to the reader magnet, so you can link it from a book’s back matter.
- Contact. A form, plus your agent or publicist if you have one.
Anything beyond these five is optional. A blog is optional and usually abandoned.
The home page above the fold
Your name, a line saying what you write and for whom, the cover of the current book, and one button. Not a slider. Not a video. A reader who lands from a book’s back matter should know within two seconds that they are in the right place, and should see where to get the free thing.
The reader-list form
Offer something specific. “Join my newsletter” converts badly; “Get the prequel novella free” converts. Put the form on the home page, on the newsletter page, and in the footer. Deliver the file automatically, and follow with a short sequence rather than silence.
Build it or hire it
Building it yourself with a free template takes an afternoon: free author website templates covers where to get one, and the reader magnet, delivery email, and sequence run free on systeme.io. Hiring a designer who specialises in author sites costs from several hundred dollars and is worth it if you have a publisher, a series, and no time. Tertulia sits between the two at $7.99 to $15.99 a month.
What to avoid
Autoplaying music. Stock images of typewriters. A splash page before the real site. Retailer links that navigate away without opening a new tab. Contact forms that go to an address you never check.
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Frequently asked questions
What should an author website include?
Home, books, about, a newsletter page, and contact. Plus a specific reader magnet with automatic delivery.
How much does author web design cost?
Free with a template and a free platform. Specialist author designers start in the hundreds; Tertulia is $7.99 to $15.99 a month.
Do authors need a blog?
No. An abandoned blog looks worse than none. A newsletter reaches readers directly and takes less upkeep.
What is the most important part of an author website?
The email capture. Retailers and social platforms do not give you your readers; the list is the only channel you own.
Related: free author website templates, email marketing for authors.