🌐 How to Build an Author Website That Sells Books
Your author website is your home base on the internet — independent of Amazon, social media, or any platform that can change its rules. Here's how to build one that grows your email list, attracts ARC readers, and converts visitors into buyers.
Step 1: Domain Name & Hosting
Your domain is your permanent address on the internet. Get this right first — it's almost impossible to change later without SEO damage.
✅ Good domain choices
- ✓ yourfullname.com (e.g. sarahjohnson.com)
- ✓ authoryourname.com
- ✓ yournamebooks.com
- ✓ yourpenname.com if you write under a pen name
- ✓ .com extension always preferred
❌ Domain mistakes to avoid
- ✗ your-name-books.com (hyphens hurt)
- ✗ Naming after a book series (you'll write more)
- ✗ .net or .info as primary domain
- ✗ Free subdomains (wixsite.com/yourname)
- ✗ Generic names that don't identify you
Registration tip: Register your domain at Namecheap or Google Domains. Domain costs roughly $12–15/year. Always register for multiple years — it signals legitimacy to Google. Enable privacy protection to hide your personal address from WHOIS records.
WordPress vs Squarespace vs Wix — Which Should You Use?
The honest answer depends on your technical comfort level and publishing goals.
| Factor | WordPress.org | Squarespace | Wix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $5–15 hosting | $16–23 | $0–17 |
| SEO capability | Excellent | Good | Fair |
| Design flexibility | Unlimited | High | High |
| Ease of use | Moderate | Easy | Easy |
| Email list plugins | All major ESPs | Built-in + integrations | Limited |
| Schema / structured data | Full control | Partial | Limited |
| Best for | Serious authors, bloggers | Visual-first portfolios | Quick starter sites |
Our recommendation: WordPress.org with the Kadence or Astra theme for authors who plan to blog regularly for SEO. Squarespace for authors who want a beautiful portfolio without technical overhead.
The 6 Essential Pages Every Author Website Needs
Each page has a specific job. Don't launch without all six.
Home
Featured book hero image, one-sentence author hook, clear email sign-up CTA. First impression — make the value obvious within 5 seconds.
Books
All titles with covers, buy links for every retailer, series order, and brief descriptions. Update immediately with every new release.
About
Third-person bio for press (150–200 words) + first-person bio for readers (200–300 words). Include a professional headshot and a reader-focused hook.
Newsletter / Reader Magnet
A dedicated sign-up page with your reader magnet offer. Explain clearly what subscribers get. This is the most important page for long-term book sales.
ARC / Reader Team
A page for readers to apply to your ARC team. Describe what you send, when, and what you ask in return. Link to your iWrity profile for managed ARC distribution.
Contact
A simple form with fields for name, email, and message. Separate inquiries: media, book clubs, and rights requests. Never list your personal email directly.
📬 Building Your Email List: The Author's Most Valuable Asset
Your email list is the one asset Amazon can never take away. A list of 1,000 engaged readers is worth more than 50,000 Instagram followers for book launch sales.
ConvertKit (Kit)
Best for authors- • Free up to 1,000 subscribers
- • Author-focused templates
- • Landing page builder
- • Automation sequences
- • Integrates with BookFunnel
MailerLite
Best free tier- • Free up to 1,000 subscribers
- • Generous automation on free plan
- • Simple drag-and-drop editor
- • Good deliverability
- • Landing pages included
Mailchimp
Most well-known- • Free up to 500 contacts
- • Widely integrated
- • More complex UI
- • Automation on paid plans only
- • Good for beginners
Reader Magnet Ideas by Genre
🔍 Schema Markup Tips for Author Websites
Schema markup (structured data) tells Google exactly who you are and what your books are about. It can result in rich results — star ratings, book panels, and author knowledge cards — that dramatically increase click-through rates.
WordPress users: The Yoast SEO or RankMath plugin handles most schema automatically. For Squarespace, you'll need to add JSON-LD manually in the code injection section. For Wix, use the built-in SEO settings for basic schema, or inject JSON-LD via Velo.
Your Website Sends Readers. iWrity Turns Them Into Reviewers.
A great author website drives traffic and builds your email list. But the single biggest lever for Amazon sales is reviews. iWrity connects your books with a matched community of readers who are pre-committed to leaving an honest Amazon review — before and after launch.
Start Getting Reviews on iWrityFrequently Asked Questions
Do I need an author website if I already have a Facebook page?+
Yes. Social media platforms own your audience — they can change the algorithm, restrict your reach, or ban your account at any time. Your author website and email list are the only assets you truly own. Facebook pages have an organic reach of under 5% for most pages; an engaged email list converts at 20–40% on book launch announcements.
How much does it cost to build an author website?+
You can build a professional author website for $50–150/year. That covers domain registration ($12–15/year) and hosting ($5–12/month on SiteGround or Bluehost for WordPress, or $16/month for Squarespace). A free WordPress theme like Kadence or Astra is sufficient for most authors starting out. Design tools like Canva handle graphics for free.
What should I put on my author website homepage?+
Your homepage should: (1) immediately communicate your genre and audience, (2) feature your latest or best-selling book with a clear buy button, (3) have a compelling email sign-up with a reader magnet offer, and (4) include a brief personal note to readers. Keep it focused — a homepage that tries to do everything ends up doing nothing.
How do I connect my author website to my ARC team?+
Create a dedicated 'ARC Reader Team' or 'Advanced Reader Copy' page on your website. Explain what ARCs are, what you send, when, and what you ask reviewers to do (post an honest review on Amazon). Link to your iWrity profile so readers can apply through the platform, which handles ARC distribution and review tracking for you.
Is it worth blogging as an author for SEO?+
Yes, if you write blog posts that answer real questions your target readers are searching for. 'Best fantasy books like X', 'historical fiction set in ancient Rome', or 'how to get into cozy mysteries' are the kinds of posts that attract your exact target reader via Google search. Use WordPress for best SEO results. Consistency matters more than volume — one post per month beats a burst of ten then nothing.