An author website is the one corner of the internet that belongs to you. Retailers rent you a listing among millions of others, and social networks change their rules and their reach without warning, but a site on your own domain stays where you put it. It is where a curious reader lands after a podcast, a panel or a friend's recommendation, and it is where you can show every book you have written in the order that you choose, collect an email address that no algorithm can take away and sell directly if you wish.
Author Website Design · from $1,399
Author Website Design that gives your books a home that you own
Author website design builds a fast, mobile-ready website with book pages, an about page, an email signup and a contact route, on hosting and a domain that you own. A designer and a developer build your author website design project from a plan that you approve, and launch it on hosting that you own, all at a fixed price. Choose a package to see what author website design costs for your own book.
View Pricing
Most author website projects are launched in about 14 working days.
- Book pages and email signup
- Mobile-ready
- Hosting that you own
Key facts
- $1,399Starting price for the author website, built mobile-first
- 2 roundsOf design revisions included before launch
- 10 to 14 daysTypical build time for the starter author website
Overview
What an author website actually involves
We design and build the site around the way readers actually behave. The home page opens with your newest book and one clear action. Each book has its own page with the cover, the description, praise, an excerpt and links to every store. An about page tells your story in your voice, a newsletter sign-up offers a reason to join and a contact page points press, events and readers to the right place. Everything is built mobile first, because most visits arrive on a phone.
The site is built on hosting and a domain that you own, with a content system that you can edit without a developer, and it is delivered at a fixed price. You get a short guide to updating books and news, the logins to every account, a backup plan and a checklist for the first month. We keep the design clean so that the covers do the talking, and we set up the technical basics, such as speed, security, structured data and search titles, so that the site can be found.
We start every author website design project with a discovery conversation. We ask about your books, your readers, the way you want to be found and what you want visitors to do, then write a short site plan that lists pages, goals and content. The plan is why the first design is usually close, and why changes tend to be about wording and taste instead of structure. It also tells us which of home page and navigation and book pages with buy links will matter most.
If you are collecting author website design ideas, begin with what the site has to do: introduce you, show your books and collect email addresses. The best author website design is rarely the busiest one. It is the one where a reader lands, understands who you write for and finds a next step within seconds. When you study author website design examples, notice that the strongest ones put a cover, a short pitch and a signup form above the fold. Website design for author brands works the same way whether you write thrillers or business books, and an author website for self-published authors has one extra job, which is to send readers to the retailers that sell your titles.
Why it matters
Why an author website matters
Author website design decides whether the work is accepted
Retailers rent you a listing among millions, and social networks change their rules without warning, but a site on your own domain stays where you put it and can carry the whole of your brand. For authors who want a website that sells books and builds a readership, the difference shows in how the finished author website design work behaves when it is opened, printed or uploaded, not in how it looks on the screen where it was made.
The details carry the quality
Readers who like a book search for the author, and the site they find decides whether they buy the next one, join the list or leave. We check each of home page and navigation, book pages with buy links and about and media pages individually, because a fault in one is easy to miss when the rest of the file looks right.
Doing it once, properly, saves time
A site is also where you control the link between a reader and every retailer, so you can send readers to the store that pays you best. Putting home page and navigation and book pages with buy links right once is cheaper than correcting them in every later edition.
Author website design
One place for your books, your story and your readers
An author website is the one place that you own, so we begin with your goals, whether to sell direct, to build a mailing list, to promote a series or to present a professional platform. We then plan the pages, the structure and the calls to action, and design them around your books and your voice.
The core pages are a home page, a books page with a page for each title, an about page, a newsletter signup with a reader magnet and a contact page. We add a blog, a media kit and event pages when they help, and we write clear titles and descriptions for search, so that readers who look for your name or your genre can find you.
Many authors ask whether to use a builder or a designer. A builder is fast and inexpensive, and a designer gives a distinct look, better structure, search setup and support for what you plan next. We build on WordPress or on another platform that suits you, and the domain, hosting and logins stay in your name.
- Book pages that link to every store
- An email signup tied to your newsletter service
- Titles, descriptions and schema set up for search
Choose the right build
The first decision in an author website
Brochure-style author website
A few pages and a clear signup. It suits debut authors and single-book launches. We choose this route when the book leans on home page and navigation, and we show a sample before the whole author website design job proceeds.
Full author website with store
Books, news, extras and an optional shop. It suits authors with several titles and a loyal audience. We choose this route when book pages with buy links are central to how the book is used, and we explain the cost and schedule consequences before you commit.
Specification
The author website specification we build to
These are the decisions we make on every author website job, and the reason for each one.
Element
How we build it
Why it matters
Home page
Genre, newest book and one clear action above the fold. We confirm the value with you before building, and record it in the specification for your author website design job.
Visitors decide in seconds. Getting this right early avoids rework once the author website design pages have been proofed.
Book pages
Cover, blurb, reviews, sample and buy links. We apply it through a defined style or setting, so it holds across the whole author website design file.
Each book can sell by itself. For a author website, readers and reviewers notice when it is wrong, even when they cannot say what is wrong.
Email signup
A form with a reader magnet, connected to your list. On this author website job, we verify it again in the final proof, because it is easy to disturb during late edits.
Your list is the asset you own. For a author website, platforms and printers check it automatically, and a failure delays the launch.
Speed
Optimised images and light scripts. Where your platform sets a different rule, we follow the platform and tell you why in this author website order.
Slow pages lose readers. It also keeps later editions of the author website design work consistent with the first.
Files
A live, tested website, your content in place and a short training and written guide, named consistently and delivered with a short specification.
A clear package prevents mix-ups between versions and speeds up any later change for the author website. Getting this right early avoids rework once the author website design pages have been proofed.
Checks
Preflight or validation run on every deliverable, with the report supplied for the author website. We apply it through a defined style or setting, so it holds across the whole author website design file.
Evidence of a clean pass is what separates a checked file from a hopeful one on this author website project. For a author website, readers and reviewers notice when it is wrong, even when they cannot say what is wrong.
See what it costs
See the price of your author website in a minute
Pick a package to see what author website design costs for your own book, with the delivery estimate and extras shown before you decide.
Build my priceProcess
How an author website project runs
Discover
You tell us about your books, readers and goals, and we write a short site plan for your approval. You are never left guessing what comes next, because we confirm each stage of the author website design job in writing.
Days 1 to 2
Design
We design the key pages and show them as clickable layouts, so you can judge the author website design site before it is built. If something unexpected turns up at this stage, we tell you at once and agree the fix before continuing in this author website order.
Days 3 to 7
Build
We build the site with your content, books and forms, and connect the email signup. This stage is where most questions arise, so we leave time for them in the schedule on this author website project. You are never left guessing what comes next, because we confirm each stage of the author website design job in writing.
Days 8 to 14
Test
We test on phones, tablets and browsers, check speed and accessibility and fix what we find. You are never left guessing what comes next, because we confirm each stage of the author website design job in writing.
Days 15 to 17
Launch
We publish on your domain, set up redirects and connect analytics, then check everything live. If something unexpected turns up at this stage, we tell you at once and agree the fix before continuing in this author website order.
Day 18
Hand over
You receive training and a guide, with support available for the guarantee period. This stage is where most questions arise, so we leave time for them in the schedule on this author website project. You are never left guessing what comes next, because we confirm each stage of the author website design job in writing.
Day 19
Before and after
An author website before and after design
The same books, first on a social profile or a template page and then on a site of their own. The books are the same, and only the second sells.
123Before
- 1Links to books scattered on social profiles
- 2A default theme with a stock photo
- 3No way to join a list
123After
- 1A home with a page for every book
- 2A look that belongs to you
- 3An email signup on every page
- 3problems found in the first review
- 3fixes checked in the final review
- 1named specialist owning every fix
- Fixedprice confirmed in the calculator before you order
A home you own
Readers can always find your books.
A distinct look
The site tells your story.
A growing list
Visitors can join.
Pricing calculator
Build your author website price
An author website is where readers who liked one book go to find the rest, and where agents, reviewers and event hosts form their first impression. Tell us how many pages you need, whether you will sell directly and who writes the words, and the fixed price builds below.
Beyond our online packages? Let us quote it properly.
A membership site, a multi-author site, a complex shop or a site migration is priced individually so nothing is missed. Send us your author website plans and a specialist replies with a fixed price and delivery date.
The price covers design, build and the stated revisions. Domain, hosting, premium plugins, email service fees and ongoing care are not included.
Price guide
Author Website Design cost at a glance
The table shows the cost of author website design for each package, with the base price, delivery time and the kind of job that fits. The calculator adds extras to your author website for an exact total.
Package
Base price
Standard delivery
Typical book
Focused
$1,399
10-14 working days
Focused
Fuller
$2,369
14-20 working days
Fuller
Complete
$3,779
20-30 working days
Complete
A larger or custom build
Custom quote
Agreed with your quote
A larger or custom build
Comparison
Author Website Design compared with the alternatives
What you compare
A template author website design
A custom author website design project
Approach
A template site looks like everyone else's and ignores your books. That approach saves effort at the start and tends to cost more in repairs once the author website design job is live.
A planned author website design site is built around your books, readers and goals.
Mobile
A desktop-first layout is cramped on a phone. It leaves the cause in place, so the same fault tends to return when the text changes on this author website project.
Designed for phones first, then enlarged for desktops. It is built to be repeated, so later editions cost less and match the first for the author website.
Email
A signup buried in the footer. It is hard to check, so faults are usually found by readers instead of by the author with your author website.
A clear signup with a reason to join, connected to your mailing service. It is checked by a person and by software before it reaches you, so problems are found early with your author website.
Control
Changes need a developer. That approach saves effort at the start and tends to cost more in repairs once the author website design job is live.
You can update books, news and links yourself. We do this as standard on every author website design job, and the evidence comes with your files.
Speed
Heavy images and plugins slow every page. It leaves the cause in place, so the same fault tends to return when the text changes on this author website project.
Optimised images and light scripts. It is built to be repeated, so later editions cost less and match the first for the author website.
Support
You are on your own after launch. It is hard to check, so faults are usually found by readers instead of by the author with your author website.
We fix launch problems at no charge and offer a care plan. It is checked by a person and by software before it reaches you, so problems are found early with your author website.
Our standard
The standard we hold every author website to
Fix causes, not symptoms
Our author website design work corrects the underlying structure, so the same problem does not return when the text changes. It is a standard we hold on every author website design job, whatever the price of the package or the length of the book.
Evidence over assurance
We supply the validation or preflight report with your files, so a clean result is something you can see on this author website project. On this author website job, you can check it for yourself, because the evidence comes with your files. For a author website, holding to it costs us time, and it saves you the cost of repairs later.
Plain communication
We explain what we found and what we did in plain language, and we tell you honestly when something is outside what the file can support in this author website order. For a author website, holding to it costs us time, and it saves you the cost of repairs later.
Checklist
The pre-delivery checklist for an author website
Every item below is verified on your author website before it leaves our desk.
- Audit completed and agreed with you
- Home page and navigation checked and corrected
- Book pages with buy links checked and corrected
- About and media pages checked and corrected
- Email signup checked and corrected
- Validation or preflight run with the report supplied
- Previewer and device checks completed
- Text compared with the approved manuscript
- Specification and change log delivered
How we build
How we think about your author website
Structure first
In author website design, home page and navigation and book pages with buy links are built into the file, not painted on top. On this author website job, we treat structure as the foundation and appearance as the finish, because structure is what survives edits and platform changes.
Checked, not hoped
A file is not finished because it looks right on our screen in this author website order. For a author website, it is finished when the validator, the preflight and real devices agree, and when we can show you the evidence. It is the principle behind most of what we do on author website design, and the reason we prefer to explain our choices rather than hide them.
Your files stay yours
We deliver source files and a specification, and we never lock your author website design work inside a proprietary format. On this author website job, if you hire someone else later, they can pick up where we stopped. It is the principle behind most of what we do on author website design, and the reason we prefer to explain our choices rather than hide them.
Client reviews
What authors say about our author website design
Verified reviews from authors who used our author website design service.
The world-building section of my website gives readers a proper introduction to my universe before they even open the first book. It is exactly what a fantasy series needs. Beautifully structured and genuinely immersive.
The website positions me as an authority in my field without feeling stiff or corporate. The testimonials section, media page, and book overview all build credibility effectively. Exactly what a nonfiction author needs.
The website feels faith-centred without being off-putting to first-time visitors. The devotional resource section, speaking ministry page, and book store all reflect the purpose of my work clearly and respectfully.
Good website design overall. The mobile experience is excellent. I requested a few content changes after delivery which were handled efficiently. My reader newsletter opt-ins have increased noticeably since launch.
My author website now functions as a complete lead generation platform. The speaking page, media kit, and book sales funnel all work together seamlessly. I have received four speaking enquiries in the first month.
My author website for children's books needed to be welcoming for both parents and young readers. The colourful, engaging design works perfectly for both audiences. My school visits enquiries have also increased.
The tone of the design perfectly matched the warmth and humour of my books. Readers feel welcomed from the first page. My engagement metrics improved significantly within the first two weeks of the new site going live.
Good website design that captures the right atmosphere for my genre. The book pages and series navigation work well. One imagery choice in the hero section was updated after my feedback. Final result is exactly right.
The website reflects the quality of my coaching work and the seriousness of my brand. The blog setup is easy to manage and the book landing page converts well. I am proud to share it with everyone I meet.
The website made my romance series feel like a real reader destination. The book pages, series tropes, and signup sections finally work together. Readers stay longer and my newsletter list grew significantly after launch.
The dark, atmospheric design matches the tone of my crime novels without feeling clichéd. New readers understand the genre and mood of my work immediately from the homepage. My ebook sales from website referrals increased by 60%.
The newsletter integration and reader magnet landing page were set up exactly right from day one. My opt-in rate from organic website visitors is consistently above 15%. The design and the copy flow work together seamlessly.
My website needed to reflect both the literary and the speculative elements of my work. The design found exactly the right tone. My publisher commented that it looked more professional than most traditionally published author sites.
My speaking and consulting enquiries increased noticeably after the website launched. The professional design and clear service pages communicate exactly what I offer. A worthwhile investment in my author business.
The romantic atmosphere of the cover design is exactly right for my readership. The colour temperature, the typography, and the visual composition all signal the genre clearly without being generic.
Good formatting work on my early reader book. The large font and generous spacing were applied correctly. One illustration needed repositioning in revisions but it was fixed quickly. Happy with the result.
My book blended speculative and literary elements that needed sensitive typographic treatment. Every unconventional element was handled with understanding and real precision. A genuinely impressive result.
The reflowable EPUB looks perfect on every device I tested — Kindle, Apple Books, and Kobo. The clickable table of contents and chapter navigation work exactly as they should.
FAQ
Author Website Design: questions answered
These are the questions authors ask most about author website design, including design, platforms and cost. If your question about the author website is missing, request a quote and a specialist will reply.
What is an author website?
It is a website that belongs to an author and presents their books, their story and a way to contact them or join their email list, on a domain that they own. For author website design, we check the result against the platform's own rules before you see it.
Do I need an author website if I sell on Amazon?
You do not need one, but it helps. A site gives readers a place to learn about you, lets you collect emails and keeps your books in front of readers without a platform in between. We keep a record of what we changed so that you can review the work on this author website project.
What pages should an author website have?
A home page, a page for each book, an about page, a newsletter sign-up and a contact page, and optionally a press page and a page for each series. For your author website, the calculator on this page shows the fixed price for each package before you commit.
How much does an author website cost?
The price depends on the number of pages and the features. The calculator on this page shows a fixed price for each package before you order, and domain and hosting are billed by their providers. For your author website, if you are unsure, send the file and we will tell you what the job involves.
Can I update the site myself?
Yes. We build the site so that you can add a book, change a link and post news without a developer, and we give you a short guide. With your author website, revision rounds are included, so the first delivery does not have to be perfect.
Who owns the website?
You do. The domain, hosting, files and email list are in accounts that you own, and we hand over every login. For author website design, we check the result against the platform's own rules before you see it.
Will the website work on phones?
Yes. We design for phones first and test on common phone, tablet and laptop widths. We keep a record of what we changed so that you can review the work on this author website project.
Can the site sell books directly?
Yes. The premium package includes a store or a link to one, and we can connect a payment service on request. For your author website, the calculator on this page shows the fixed price for each package before you commit.
Which email services can you connect?
The common services such as MailerLite, ConvertKit and Mailchimp. Tell us which one you use and we will connect the form and test it. For your author website, if you are unsure, send the file and we will tell you what the job involves.
How long does it take to build?
A starter site usually takes about two weeks from the brief, and larger sites take longer. The calculator shows an estimate before you order. With your author website, revision rounds are included, so the first delivery does not have to be perfect.
Do you help with search engines?
We set up page titles, descriptions, headings, structured data and a sitemap, which gives the site a sound base for search. For author website design, we check the result against the platform's own rules before you see it.
What do I need to send you?
Your book covers and descriptions, a short bio and photo, your retailer links, your brand colours if you have them and the sites you like. We keep a record of what we changed so that you can review the work on this author website project.
How much do author website design services cost?
The calculator on this page shows a fixed price by package, from a starter site to a full site with a shop. For your author website, the calculator on this page shows the fixed price for each package before you commit.
Where can I find author website design inspiration?
Study the sites of authors in your genre and note what they do well. We turn the best ideas into a plan for yours. For your author website, if you are unsure, send the file and we will tell you what the job involves.
Do you offer author website design templates?
We build custom sites rather than selling templates, though we can start from a proven structure to keep the price down. With your author website, revision rounds are included, so the first delivery does not have to be perfect.
How much does author website design cost?
The author website design cost starts at $1,399 for a starter site and rises to $3,779 for a premium site. Author website design services and author website design cost depend on the number of pages and features, and the calculator shows the total.
How long does author website design take?
Most author website projects are launched in about 14 working days. Priority options shorten the schedule, and the calculator shows an estimate with your author website.
Is responsive design important for author websites?
Yes. Many readers discover authors on mobile devices, so responsive author website design helps the site remain readable, fast and easy to use on every screen size.
Can an existing author website be redesigned?
Yes. A redesign can improve structure, messaging, visual hierarchy, mobile experience, book presentation and conversion paths while keeping the author identity intact.
How to design author website pages that readers actually use?
Start with four pages: a home page that states who you write for, a page for each book, an about page and a contact page. Keep the menu short, put the newest book first and repeat one clear call to action, such as joining your mailing list.
Should I hire author website design services or use a builder?
The author website builder vs designer question comes down to time and finish. A builder is cheap and quick if you enjoy tweaking templates. If you hire author website design services, you get a structure planned around your catalogue, a faster site and a design that does not look like everyone else's.
What does website design for authors include?
It covers the layout, the book pages, an about page, a blog or news page if you want one, and search basics. A good author website with book pages gives each title its own buy links and reviews, and an author website with email signup adds a reader magnet and a welcome message.
Ready when you are
Ready to start your author website?
An author website that you own gives every book a home and every reader a way to find you. See your price in a minute, or send your plans and we will quote it.
- Fixed price shown before you pay
- Revision rounds included
- One named specialist, brief to upload