author websites examples

33 Best Author Websites Examples (2024 Update)

February 2024.

I am going to show you EXACTLY how to create your own best author website.

We will address for you the “Dos” and “Don’ts” of creating an author website.

Examples of effective and ineffective author websites will be shared and how to improve the ineffective components as well. 

In the end, you will know for certain that you can create an effective author website that will enhance your image and branding!

The Purpose of this Article

In this article, we will see some nicely done author websites. These websites can provide inspiration and guidelines to make the best author websites.

By the way, to learn how to create, manage and market your author website, you have to read more articles on our blog .

Characteristic of best author websites

These are the things your author site must have no matter what genre or type of writer you are.

Your Website’s Landing Page Should :

• Include a list of your published work (books, novels, eBooks, articles etc)
• Promptly shows upcoming and new releases
• Have a separate page about yourself
• Provide a way to contact you or hire you.
• Include links to your social media accounts.
• Easy to navigate
• A blog to showcase your personality and/or writing process
• Has a unique, clean and eye-catching design
• Must run perfectly on Mobile and PC

We analyzed 500+ authors’ sites!

We have analyzed more than 500 author websites on the net to write this article.

We update this post in the future by adding new author sites to this list. We may remove some of them though. There’s no guarantee!

But did you really analyze 500+ sites?!

Yes, we did. Here’s the proof!

Let’s start with the list of best author websites

Simple and minimal examples of authors websites, lindatharpink.com.

Linda Tharp

Children's Books

Shadows Into Light, Karla

What they did well:

• She utilizes an attractive background.
• The minimalist design keeps the user focused on the imagery and tab options.
• Website upload speed is quick, allowing for ease of use. (the image speed is different)
• Author name is the central focus of the page driving her brand.
• Her bio adds to the focus of her branding.
• The focus lies on the author and not the books.
• Upcoming works are included leaving the reader in anticipation of the next book.
• Blog section is included allowing for media integration.
• Social media is included at the bottom of the website.
• Along with social media is a contact me section located in the same area.

What to consider changing:

• The format is best for authors: more than one book published and established fans.
• Books published are limited in their appearance on the site.
• If a new author, not having books advertised can be hurtful to your branding.
• There’s no link to buy books on Amazon or other book stores.
• Blog isn’t up-to-date.

shelsilverstein.com

Shel Silverstein

Children's Books and Poetry

Bookman Old Style, sans-serif

• The design according to book types plays in favor of the author’s theme.
• Library editions and hardcovers available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.
• Image gallery on about page enhances the appearance.
• Logo could be at the center of the header on the desktop version.
• No contact form nor social media links on the site. (The author died many years ago though.)
• CTA buttons should be in red as this draws the focus.
• Book reviews can be added to the books pages.

annvoskamp.com

Ann Voskamp

Parenting & Families and Religion & Spirituality

Cinzel, Merriweather, Montserrat

• Theme of the author is conveyed.
• Background provides a feeling of this being an author’s website.
• Promotes current work and upcoming books.
• Interactive tabs for short reading material/blog posts to pull in new audiences.
• Seamless and fluid transitions from one section of the website to the next.
• Author bio could include a bit more information about the genre of writing.
• Images start to blend together, it could use fragmentation for easier reading and interpretation.

william-golding.co.uk

William Golding

Literature & Fiction

Merriweather, Flareserif 821

• Minimalist website at its best.
• Interpretation of author is easy with less to navigate.
• Menu tab allows for seamless navigation.
• Limited menu options allows for quick decisions on where to next travel to.
• News and articles section can be easier to navigate as it is based on date of news.
• Social media links need to be more noticeable, the gold blends in with the white.

rolfpotts.com

Playfair Display, Lato

• Minimalistic design of the website filled with informative blogs make this website a perfect Author website.
• The About Me and Bio link is present on the Homepage of this website which helps readers to have a full understanding of the author.
• Direct purchasing links are present on each section of the book plus the audiobook format is present along with translated versions and international orders.
• The speed of the slider on the home page is not smooth and the quality of images aren’t captivating to make viewers enamored.
• The footer doesn’t have navigation links to Homepage, Contact, Books.

jackkerouac.com

Jack Kerouac

Biographies & Memoirs, Fiction, and Poetry

Futura, ITC Clearface

• Website domain name is the same as the name of author and the overall style is smooth, pleasant.
• The site has browser push notifications plus a newsletter signup option.
• More navigation links can be added to the footer.
• The homepage doesn’t have any information related to the books.

Jamesclear.com

James Clear

Continuous Improvement, Decision-Making, and Habits

Europa, Minion Pro

• Bewitching website with fluid UI design filled with attractive colours and font style.
• Numerous articles are present on the website , divided into respective categories which are really helpful for readers to feed minds with proper information.
• Testimonials are uploaded for books and those can be purchased directly from different platforms in numerous languages.
• Smart email marketing strategy by sending a free chapter of the book to visitor’s email address.
• Contact page is not present which is a must for an author website.

sallythorneauthor.com

Sally Thorne

Playfair Display, Avenir, Lato

• The website domain is on the same name of Author, Sally Throne.
• Colour scheme and loading speed are well maintained.
• Books can be purchased from different platforms including Amazon and reviews are also given on the website.
• The Blog Section isn’t present on the website . Footer does not contain the navigation menus.
• Homepage is very short and it doesn’t have any info about the author, Sally Throne.
• The newsletter sign-up form can be added to the footer.

jenniferlarmentrout.com

When you talk about contemporary romance and adult fantasy, you cannot miss out on mentioning Jennifer L.

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Young Adult

Raleway, Suranna

• The books section is very simple yet attractive. It gives you an easy browning experience.
• A good range of “where to buy” platforms are incorporated with the description of each book.
• The homepage says nothing about the author herself. It may leave a not-so-good impression on the potential buyers.
• The website should include an active contact page to reach out to the author.

veronicarothbooks.com

Veronica Roth

Science Fiction & Fantasy and Young Adult

Montserrat, Roboto Condensed

• A website for a book should always have the latest release on the homepage like this website.
• The homepage shows the author signing a book copy at an event which feels so wonderful.
• The books could be displayed in a more appealing manner.
• The biography of the author should be a little more detailed.

jasonwritesbooks.com

Jason Reynolds

Fiction and Poetry

Futura PT, Minion Pro

• The contemporary design of the website is very eye-catching and interesting.
• The initials of the author’s name look very classy on the main page.
• The best websites for authors like this should avoid lengthy descriptions.
• Social media links should be more noticeable with bigger fonts or icons.

oceanvuong.com

Ocean Vuong

Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry

Georgia, Palatino

• The sections for novels and poems are displayed individually, making it one of the best book website samples.
• There is a reading tour for the book time is a mother, which all author websites should have.
• The homepage is only limited to the information of one book, which is not taken as a good impression for websites for authors.
• The lack of literature gives the initial impression that this might not be an author’s website.

timothykeller.com

Timothy Keller

Christian and Religion & Spirituality

Proxima Nova, Adobe Garamond

• The loading speed and the layout are well maintained.
• Books are placed individually instead of creating categories which is a less-seen thing among other websites for authors.
• There is no navigation menu at the footer, and the social media links are also missing.
• There should be a newsletter sign-up option at the end of the website.
• A contact page is necessary for all author websites.

angeladuckworth.com

Angela Duckworth

Decision-Making and Self Help

• The author’s interpretation is placed with the video on its left, making it a great book website sample.
• The homepage layout is very basic and needs a lot of work.
• The purchase option of the books is missing on the homepage.

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Modern, graceful and iconic author website examples, miriammonfredo.com.

The first look on Miriam Monfredo’s website shows a picture of a dark forest with mist surrounding the area. This gives a sense of mystery to the reader and tells the writing style of the author. The first image on the landing page is the most important. It can be a slider but most often we see a still image. Marketing experts’ advice for authors is to set the mood of the website according to their writing style.

Miriam Grace Monfredo

History and Mystery & Thrillers

Barlow, Open Sans

• Miriam provided an excellent background in hero which sets the mood and tone for mystery as her focus is on historical mysteries.
• The layout is easy to follow and flows from the reader’s perspective.
• The tag line for Miriam within the hero is excellent and provides a succinct summary of her work.
• Miriam draws the reader’s attention to the books by utilizing images
• Economy of language is utilized well here.
• There’s a specific page for each book with reviews and links to buy the book on Amazon and Smashwords.
• 3-D book design enhances website appearance, drawing attention to her books.
• There could be a greater focus on the books that Miriam has produced as its location is distant from the focal point of the website.
• Website upload speeds can be improved with limited images and features. Miriam’s books could also be larger in their image and her about me section should follow.
• The focus needs to be on promoting a book or books in general.
• Miriam should promote an upcoming book if she has one in the works because this will build anticipation for her fans and audience.
• She must keep the blog up-to-date.

seussville.com

• The background design is visually appealing and speaks to the brand.
• Navigation Links draw the user to the characters, books, and experiences tabs.
• The news & events add more extensions to interact with the author’s works.
• The shop option allows for further advertising and exposure of the author.
• Parents and Educators have a special link just for them.
• The design is cluttered, this works for this author as it is characteristic of them.
• The books and author are not the focus and the focus is entirely on the brand.

peterrabbit.com

Beatrix Potter

• The flow of design is key and this site has a natural flow from start to end
• The minimalist design in the beginning sets the tone for a children’s book
• Four navigation links makes choosing simple and direct
• Highlights special events/topics such as nature events linking kids to nature.
• Highlights upcoming book as well as film giving fans excitement for what’s to come.
• Social media is linked at the end of the site with contact information as well.
• Bring the focus of upcoming works to the beginning as this is an established author.
• The crafts are a fun concept but should be placed after upcoming work.
• Meet the characters could also be placed higher up to draw in more fans.

loislowry.com

Children's Books, Literature & Fiction, and Young Adult

Playfair Display, Open Sans

• Beautiful design in the beginning which draws you in with slides of new events.
• Highlights upcoming works and also includes netflix adaptations of books.
• Navigation links are in a proper sequence of importance with contact being last.
• The books section uses the covers in a collage formatting to draw in readers.
• Biography section is detailed and styled well conveying a sense of familial ties.
• Welcome section is very plain and uninviting even though she is inviting us in.
• Welcome section could be improved with warmer text.

raybradbury.com

Ray Bradbury

Horror, Literature & Fiction, and Science Fiction & Fantasy

• Including a banner helps to promote the author and works.
• Sectioning of the website allows for the transition from one part to the next.
• Theme of the author is conveyed throughout using the orange writing and images.
• Scrolling banner is often confusing and takes up far too much space.
• Scrolling banner content should be conveying the author or the product.
• There is randomness to the sequence on the website content on the homepage.
• The navigation bar needs to decrease options.

ransomriggs.com

Ransom Riggs

Arts & Photography, Mystery & Thrillers, and Young Adult

Europa, FilosofiaOT

• Background is beautiful and leads to the author’s adventure and explorer genre.
• Navigation bar is specific in where the user will be taken and less options is better.
• Footer contains social media links.
• Slow upload speeds for both computers and mobile devices.
• The home page lacks advertisements of upcoming books and past works.
• Very minimalist and lacks conveying this as author’s website instead of personal blog.

taylorjenkinsreid.com

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Tungsten Comp A, Georgia, Gotham SSm A

• Advertising of upcoming books is phenomenal and eye-catching.
• Author’s name is the first segment of wording to be seen by the viewer.
• Navigation bar is easy to use, simplistic but efficiently directs the user.
• Shopping access for the books is easily seen below the upcoming book’s intro.
• Social media links are included at the bottom of the site and accessible.
• About the author is short, succinct, and complete.
• Negative space is used perfectly to bring focus to the key elements of the site.
• Excessive book advertising by including the “Also from Taylor” section on homepage.
• No blog post is on the website and no links available to a blog site either.

ynharari.com

Yuval Noah Harari

History and Nonfiction

• Very inclusive of the various aspects of Yuval Noah Harari.
• Rolling banner allows for continual advertising of Yuval and his events and books.
• Social Media is easily accessible next to the navigation bar.
• Upload speeds are quick for desktop and mobile versions.
• Events are provided in chronological upcoming order.
• The homepage is cluttered and starts to blend together not in a cohesive manner.
• Initial impression is not that this is an author’s website due to the lack of literature.
• Books are not presented in any particular order.
• No upcoming books are being advertised, only events are current.

stephenking.com

Stephen King

Horror, Literature & Fiction, and Mystery & Thrillers

Source Sans Pro, Spectral

• Scrolling banner advertises upcoming works and other events.
• Navigation bar provides key choices to navigate to.
• Background is changeable in the bottom right corner from light to dark to set the mood.
• Mood of the webpage is consistent with Stephen King’s persona and works.
• Upload speeds on both mobile and desktop are very fast allowing for ease of use.
• The background of the site is relatively simple and could have more to draw in a reader.

maggiestiefvater.com

Maggie Stiefvater

Exlibris, Mackinac, Avenir

• Blog section is added in the website which contains some phenomenal content to feed the brain and get pleasure.
• Direct link for purchasing Novels is available which is an admirable functionality to save time for readers.
• The layout of the website is great and all of the books are classified into different genres.
• The News section isn’t up to date and readers really want to listen, grasp their favorite Author’s newest updates.
• T he loading speed of the website isn’t fast enough which can be more fluid and responsive.
• More testimonials or reviews can be uploaded as readers can have a look at those reviews and finalize if they want to purchase the Novel or not.

Brenebrown.com

Brené Brown

Health, Mind & Body, and Nonfiction

Helvetica Neue, Georgia

• The loading speed is really negligible though so many books, podcasts, and blogs are running on the website.
• Visitors can purchase their favorite books easily by using the drop downs in the hero.
• Some brilliant videos are also present on the website including TED TALK and many other inspirational programs.
• Novels aren’t divided into respective genres which is a downside for visitors coming to take a look at numerous books/novels.
• Blogs aren’t regularly updated.
• There’s no contact form on the site.

msrachelhollis.com

Rachel Hollis

Chick Lit, Cookbooks, and Self Help

DIN Condensed, Essonnes, PT Sans Narrow

• This author website has a proper format in respect of colour and section-wise breakdown of topics in each page layout.
• Rachel has uploaded lots of blog posts on different niches which are great to read.
• Sticky social media links on all pages of the site helps followers to get engaged with Author.
• Top Menu Bar can be well-formatted , make brighter and font size should be increased.
• The promotion of books isn’t admirable with respect to other author’s sites.

chrismcdougall.com

Christopher McDougall

Roboto Slab, Roboto Condensed

• There is a picture of the author that makes it more interesting as compared to other authors’ websites.
• About section of the website does all the justice to the writer.
• It could be made the best author website design with a books relevant theme.
• There is a lot of blank space on the home page that could be otherwise utilized beautifully.

awtozer.org

Christian and Religion

• The quotation of the author on the main page makes it a captivating website for a book.
• The color scheme of the website is very soothing to the eyes.
• There’s a large picture of the author in the hero section on the home page.
• The email newsletter is not visible in the footer and it pops up by clicking on subscribe link which isn’t good for conversion rate.
• The contact details and social media handles are missing.

markwaid.com

The website can be counted as one of the best author websites 2022 for comic fans.

Comics & Graphic Novels

Oswald, Raleway

• This author’s website has a huge variety of content which is always updated from time to time.
• The most important pages of the site are visible in the hero on the home page.
• The footer has no newsletter forms, quick links, or social media buttons.
• The layout is very common among author website examples.

becomingmichelleobama.com

Michelle Obama

Biographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction, and Social Sciences

GT Eesti, Earth Rich

• The word “Becoming” is so beautifully incorporated throughout the website.
• The most unique thing about this website is it includes an audio clip which is found very rarely on authors’ websites.
• The website is more focused on the books than the author.
• She could consider shortening the paragraphs on the main page of the website.

helenhoang.com

Helen Hoang

Chick Lit and Romance

Montserrat, Lora

• The Author’s signature added more value to the page.
• The boxed layout made this website different from other authors’ websites.
• The site includes links to all translations of the books.
• There are no blog posts or any links to the blog site available on the website.
• A contact form works better than sharing email addresses.

Beautiful Dark Authors Websites for Inspiration

Radical.net.

David Platt

Montserrat, Roboto Mono

• Video banner draws the audience in with an easy to access video.
• The navigation bar stands out using the white text against a dark background
• Consistent color patterns created continuity on the site.
• Mobile and PC upload speeds remained consistent and high.
• The focus of the website is evident, it is a site for christian fellowship not just books.
• Accessibility and navigation on the site is easy to follow and natural for the user.
• Books could be advertised more if that is the focus, but here it is not.
• The theme of this does not appeal as an author site.
• Imagery is portraying an experience, in this case a christian experience.
• The focus of the site is not on literature or the author.

annefrank.org

Biographies & Memoirs

Graphik, Merriweather

• Simplicity in design is used well as the images are the navigation bar.
• As a Holocaust icon , having a change language option is crucial.
• Color use keeps with the theme of history and feeling of the holocaust.
• Limited information is provided on the website’s homepage.
• As a minimalist style , it is missing substance to draw in new audiences.
• For an author’s website it does not advertise any text such as her famous diary.

robert-galbraith.com

Robert Galbraith

Crime, Suspense, and Thriller

Merriweather

• Homepage is well-made in a very creative manner and while using this website viewers will feel like they are flying in the sky due to the smoother experience.
• Newsletter section is present at the bottom with social media links too .
• Website domain is created according to his name , where he has described different characters too which make his website unique from other author websites.
• The news section is not up to date.
• Placement of purchasing links for books is troublesome.
• The contact page is absent.

hawking.org.uk

Stephen Hawking

Nonfiction and Science

Bebas Neue, InterFace

• The animation of the book covers makes this website one of the best author website designs.
• The website is very easy to use and has no unnecessary options.
• The background of the site is relatively very dark and gloomy.
• The menu options should be made brighter, and the font size of the text should be increased a little.

After Thoughts

These were some great looking best author websites which can provide inspiration for your future websites. Check out our more helpful guides to learn how to make your author website from scratch or about important ingredients to rank it on top of Google. Furthermore, you can contact us, our skillful team can help you design and market a perfect author website for you.

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You have chosen some beautiful author websites! As I looked through many of them, it’s interesting to note the difference in style. Your website style will depend on what type of books you are selling and who your audience is that you are marketing to.

I also found some new authors I want to check out! Thanks for sharing this.

The kevin hearne site is close to being perfect except for a couple of issues like the logo top being cut off on opera browser , great image though and a nice example of design apart from that

Love the tigner site too , nice to see people having well designed sites and no the usual garbage , nice list

Excellent looking sites and reflect on the quality of the author and writing skills. Besides a beautiful site, good reviews are essential and a critique of the author would be good to post on the first page. TeamGolfwell does free book or author reviews > https://www.teamgolfwell.com/free-book-reviews.html

Your activity and inspirational work are good. Authors have to see this article only once to increase their knowledge of writing skills.

Hi How can we improve this site and what would be the cost. Thank you. Mary

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16 Best Author Websites & What They Do Well

Published: January 05, 2024

Whether they write fantasy, fiction, or non-fiction, are self-published or published by one of the “ Big Five ,” authors need a website.

The internet is one of the — if not the  — first place readers and publishers will look to learn more about you and your work. A website is also a great way to connect to your audience, inform them of upcoming releases and events, and let them know more about you personally and professionally.

If you’re an author in need of a website, or just like looking at cool website designs, then check out some of the best author websites below for inspiration.

Best Author Websites

• N. K. Jemisin
• Leigh Bardugo
• Rick Riordan
• Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Aytekin Tank
• Joan Didion
• Ibram X. Kendi
• Miquel Reina
• Helen Hoang
• Jennifer Egan
• Sandra Cisneros
• Mark Dawson

The author websites below are categorized by the genre they write in (fantasy, non-fiction, and fiction) and whether they're self-published or not. It's important to note that many of these authors work in multiple genres, and have been self-published and traditionally published.

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Fantasy Author Websites

1. n. k. jemisin.

N. K. Jemisin has one of the best minimalist websites that exemplifies how powerful a few words and details can be.

On the homepage, visitors immediately see her name, the typography of which matches the typography used on the cover of her latest book, The City We Became (a great touch!). Above that is a testimonial which informs new readers, diehard fans, publishers, and movie scouts alike that she's a widely-known and popular sci-fi and fantasy writer. Below that are three CTAs inviting visitors to read her bio, learn more or purchase one of her books, or read her blog.

What We Like

• Minimalist design 
• Clear CTAs across site
• Blog is frequently updated and tone is casual and intimate

2. Neon Yang

Neon Yang's website immediately grabs visitors' attention with its neon green accent color and bold typography. But it avoids looking crowded by striking a balance between text and images. In fact, it provides only the most essential information, starting with who Neon Yang is, what awards they've been nominated for, and some praise they've gotten in the press. At the bottom of the homepage, you'll find out how to connect with them over email or on social. 

• Accent color and animations keep users engaged as they scroll
• Clearly lays out Yang's books, stories in anthologies, and standalone fiction so visitors can browse or find a specific work they're looking for 
• Offers multiple ways to connect with author

3. Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo's website is a great example for prolific writers with lots of work. It features a carousel slider to promote multiple books, including her latest release Ninth House , recent sequel Rule of Wolves , and collector’s edition of Shadow and Bone , as well as a link to her author bio. It also includes a link to a reading order, which can help first-time readers figure out which book to start with, as well as the "Grishaverse." This microsite is designed to provide visitors with a more in-depth look at the fictional universe Bardugo has created.

• Carousel slider on homepage promotes multiple works and author bio
• Can't miss newsletter opt-in form
• News page outlining releases, acclaim, and TV adaptations

4. Rick Riordan

Visiting Rick Riordan's website takes you on a mini quest, like many of his characters embark on. Starting at the "Explore" CTA on the homepage, you can scroll down to learn about the many different series and books Riordan has written. As you scroll, the yellow-dotted line will turn solid and change color. It's a unique twist on the traditional reading orders you find on most author websites. 

• Interactive reading order
• Lots of images and drawings make his website feel "bookish"
• Book pages include audio files, YouTube clips, reading guides, and other resources

Non-fiction Author Websites

5. ta-nehisi coates.

Ta-Nehisi Coates's website is an excellent example of user-centricity. It immediately tells you a little bit about the author and promotes his latest book, The Water Dancer , with clear and colorful CTAs. The homepage ends with a simple email opt-in form. If visitors are hoping to take another action on his site, the sticky navigation menu makes it easy for them to find info about his books, graphic novels, speaking engagements, and events.

• Color scheme and typography inspired by cover design of best-selling work, Between the World and Me
• Email opt-in form appears in different variations on different pages, including as a parallax section and in the sidebar

6. Roxane Gay

Roxane Gay's website is designed to showcase her work first. On the homepage, her latest release, The Selected Works of Audre Lorde , is promoted above the fold. Next is a larger selection of her recent books with a CTA encouraging readers to view all her work. Only after does she have an About section that's linked to her bio page. Notice this order is reflected in the navigation menu: "Books" is listed first, whereas "About" is listed last. 

• Design tailored to promote and sell her work
• Masterful use of whitespace and accent color
• Images are engaging and informative

7. Aytekin Tank

Jotform founder and CEO Aytekin Tank’s website immediately showcases his expertise as an entrepreneur, with his popular book Automate Your Busywork front and center. The homepage presents a clean, modern aesthetic with clear, accessible navigation. The design is elegant and functional, creating an inviting space for readers and followers to explore his work.

Aytekin puts his books first on the homepage as well as the navigation bar, and then introduces himself as an automation enthusiast.

• Simple opt-in form with a clear CTA for Aytekin’s newsletter
• Articles on productivity and automation are featured on the homepage
• First-time visitors can read a free chapter of Automate Your Busywork right away

8. Joan Didion

Joan Didion has won several awards, been the poster girl of Céline, and the subject of a Netflix documentary — so most people know who she is. That's why her website can focus on promoting her work first, just like Roxane Gay's.

Didion's homepage starts with a quote and title of an anthology of her work, "We tell ourselves stories in order to live." Below that is a carousel slider showcasing her large collection of work while taking up little space. Next there is an excerpt from her work The Year of Magical Thinking , with a CTA to read more. At the bottom of the page there is a short section about who she is with a CTA to read her complete bio. 

• Promotes collection of work before herself
• Unique page dedicated to excerpts from her writing
• Each book page includes a short description, reviews, quotes, and a longer excerpt to help readers make decision to buy

9. Ibram X. Kendi

Ibram X. Kendi is a best-selling and award-winning author, podcast host, contributor writer at The Atlantic and CBS News, professor, and Founding Director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. Instead of having to go to one place to purchase his books, another to read his essays, and another to listen to his podcast, his website clearly displays and organizes all of his content, media appearances, and events so you can find exactly what you're looking for, or spend time browsing. 

• Website is a hub for all his works and accomplishments
• His books, essays, pod, and press pages have grid layouts to display a lot of content in a clean and easily digestible way
• Two easy ways to donate to BU's Center for Antiracist Research in header and footer

Fiction Author Websites

10. miquel reina.

When landing on Miquel Reina’s website, it looks deceptively simple. There's his logo to the left, some navigation items to the right, and what appears to be an image of his book Lights on the Sea in the center. But if you stay on the page, then the book at the center is replaced by different translations and covers of his novel. This is an engaging and informative technique for visitors looking for the book in a particular language.

• Animated GIF displays each translation and cover of his book Lights on the Sea
• Offers discussion guide, free excerpts, and signed copies that you can purchase directly on site
• Simple email opt-in form and social media icons

11. Helen Hoang

Helen Hoang's website shows how authors can promote not just one, but multiple pieces of their work. Thanks to their position above the fold and colorful cover art, Hoang's trilogy immediately captures visitors' attention. Visitors can click to learn more about one of these books, or scroll down to learn about the author. You can find these options in the navbar as well. Here, you can also find a page dedicated to the many translations of her books and a page showing all the different places you can purchase her work. 

• Multiple ways for readers to learn more about her work and purchase
• Page dedicated to translations of her books that are available for purchase
• Color scheme based on cover of her first bestseller, The Kiss Quotient

12. Jennifer Egan

Jennifer Egan's website is unlike any other author website on this list. It offers a completely immersive experience to visitors. Those landing on the page will see the title of her latest book Manhattan Beach . Encouraged to scroll down the page by the vertical lines, visitors feel as if they submerge into the ocean thanks to a parallax scrolling effect. As readers continue to scroll, excerpts from the book float to the surface. Once they're done reading an excerpt, they can click to reveal the next in the series. Photographs are included as well.

• Interactive website invites visitors to immerse themselves in her latest book, Manhattan Beach
• Excerpt for each book available with clear CTA button
• Reviews and testimonials throughout site help convince readers to buy

13. Sandra Cisneros

Sandra Cisneros is an international best-selling author whose won multiple awards, fellowships, and honors. Her website offers a more intimate look into who she is, with photos of her swimming, posing with her dogs, and traveling. She also includes a "guestbook," where she displays messages she's received and responded to. This includes a contact form so you can send your own message as well. 

• A very personal author website
• Guestbook shows letters she's received from readers and responded to
• Section for letters to her readers as well

Self-published Author Websites

14. rupi kaur.

rupi kaur has one of the best interactive websites that carefully guides the reader toward different resources and pages on her site. When visitors land on the page, they see a hero image with rupi holding a copy of her latest poetry collection, home body . As readers scroll, the navar transitions from transparent to solid so visitors who know exactly what they're looking for can click on one of those links. The rest can just keep scrolling.

A section featuring her latest collection of poetry with a CTA to buy slides in first. Then, videos of rupi on The Tonight Show and a trailer of her stand-up poetry special appear. Next is a link to her shop, books, and bio. At any point, readers can click on one of the links in the sticky navbar at the top of the screen. 

• Super easy to navigate and fun to browse
• Unique layout with different text alignment and lots of whitespace so it looks like one of her poems
• Includes shop with stationary, art, and other goodies

15. LJ Ross

• Animated background image and hover animations engage visitors
• Fly-out menu with hamburger menu perfect for mobile
• Unique grid layout for book archive pages

16. Mark Dawson

Looking like one of the covers from his best-selling John Milton series, Mark Dawson's homepage perfectly encapsulates his brand. Only two elements are overlaid on top of the background image. The most eye-catching is the email newsletter opt-in form, which pops thanks to its white shadow effect. There's also the navigation bar, which is split into primary navigation items (on left) and secondary items (on right). Notice that "Books" comes first, since they're the main focus of the website. 

• Consistent branding so readers can easily recognize relation to his book series
• Multiple ways to connect, including email opt-in form and social follow buttons
• Built-in shop for purchasing books directly on site instead of being redirected to third-party site

The Online Presence of Authors

Authors can use a website to attract new readers, inform their existing audience of new releases and events, and share some more personal and professional details about themselves. The websites above are all unique but they have one thing in common: like the best bookstores, they’re easy to browse for hours.

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BUSINESS STRATEGIES

10 best author websites for inspiration

• Jenna Romano

Get started by: Creating a website →  | Getting a domain →

Never judge a book by its cover—but as far as we’re concerned, judging by the author’s website is just fine. Of course, we’re kidding, but deciding to create a website for your readership is an important professional step as an author, even in a world traditionally dominated by print.

Whether you’ve already been published or you're in the middle of working on your masterpiece, this article will guide you in creating an author website of your own (if you're not sure if you need one, check out does my business need a website ). We’ll briefly go over what purpose author websites serve and what should be included in one. Hint: You'll need a professional bio , and some testimonials and an RSS feed of your most recent posts can't hurt either. Plus, we’ll show you 10 examples of author websites to inspire your own website design.

Read Also: How to make a business website

What's the purpose of author websites?

As hard as it is for bibliophiles to admit, every author needs an online presence. An author website leads visitors to accessible information about you and your work - which they can then use to view your published books and learn more about your accomplishments. In this way, having a website improves your visibility and cements your professional reputation.

In addition to providing background information to visitors, author websites create opportunities for increasing interest in your work and building a base of avid readers. While word of mouth never goes out of style, your online presence will put you on the map, and improve your methods for promoting upcoming books or events.

Finally, author websites can streamline the sale of your books. Adding an online store to your website means you can sell your books directly to interested readers. Alternatively, if your book is on a platform like Amazon or Kindle, your website can direct visitors straight to your account. By leveraging sales with a good online marketing strategy plus steady website traffic , you might just bring yourself to the top of the bestseller list.

Benefits of having an author website

An author website is a powerful tool for building your brand and reaching readers. Some of the main benefits of a website include:

Showcasing your work, sharing your writing process and connecting with your audience on your own terms.

Growing your online presence, attracting readers and gaining visibility as an author.

Selling your books directly, promoting upcoming releases and controlling your own marketing efforts.

Connecting with your audience through blog posts, newsletters or a dedicated forum.

Establishing yourself as a credible author with a dedicated online space to build a community around.

Learn more: AI website examples

10 examples of author websites

Before you design your own site, take inspiration from this list of the best author websites made by Wix users. These examples include all the key elements listed above, and then some:

Romi Neustadt

Jessica Winter

Taylor Tyng

John Clarkson

Trevor Cosson

Alan Allinger

Ajinkya Dharane

Crawford Content

01. Romi Neustadt

Romi Neustadt is an entrepreneur who shares her professional wisdom with the world. Her latest book You Can Have It All is an encouraging piece, guiding readers to live an authentic and fulfilled life. Romi’s author website certainly has it all. It communicates her mission as an author immediately, using impeccable personal branding and key elements that lead her to show off her mission and accomplishments.

Take a look, for instance, at the strong first impression she creates. A customized slideshow on the homepage features two powerful images. Romi’s headshot is confident and warm, embodying the vision of an author you’d like advice from. This is followed by a quality image of her latest book, which is accompanied by a short description and a strategic call-to-action button that states “Order Now”—making it easy for visitors to purchase a copy.

02. BB Writer

BB is a fiction and non-fiction writer from Boston with a sincere message and a visually pleasing website. The minimalist design and color scheme gives her website a clean feel, while the addition of images and an inspiring quote about writing enlivens the site and strengthens the writing theme.

Scrolling down BB’s author website, you’ll come upon a short “About Me” section, which allows visitors more insight into BB’s background as a writer and provides a space for her to write about what she’s currently working on.

You’ll also see that she’s added a customized logo to the site. Creating your own logo is a good idea as a writer, since it strengthens your personal brand.

03. Jessica Winter

Authors who want to showcase a specific book should turn to Jessica Winter’s website as an example. Jessica does an impressive job highlighting her latest novel by placing a high-quality image of the book’s cover strategically on the homepage. Alongside this image is a positive book review from another author, which gives an enticing description of her book as sassy, sarcastic and wonderful. Sounds like something you’d want to peruse, right?

Adding a well-designed website footer to her author website leaves Jessica ample space for a contact form. While the footer is generally the last thing people see, it’s a strategic place to encourage people to sign up to your mailing list.

04. Taylor Tyng

Anything from typical, Taylor Tyng’s well-designed author website makes for a pleasant browsing experience that keeps users engaged. High resolution animated images add a unique and exciting effect, telling the visual story of the writer’s journey. These colorful images provide a powerful visual contrast to the dark grey background and white text.

Using a hamburger menu allows Taylor to collapse the navigation bar of his site - ensuring users have a clear path to the important sections of his website while allowing more real estate for the visual attraction of his homepage. Another clever element is Taylor’s incorporation of a lightbox —the pop-up window grabs users’ attention and encourages them to sign up to the mailing list.

05. John Clarkson

The thrilling nature of John Clarkson’s novels is made palpable by his website’s visual theme. Its cohesive design theme includes a bold color scheme and the cover art taken from his book covers. As users scroll down the homepage, parallax scrolling gives the site a sense of depth and sophistication.

John’s homepage’s content is impressive while a clear navigation menu links users to even more information. Here, we have a spotlight on his latest book, reviews from critics and readers, a short bio and strategic calls-to-action placed through the page. Clearly visible links to his Good Reads and Amazon accounts encourages site visitors to purchase his work.

06. Trevor Cosson

Trevor Cosson’s site design is minimalistic, using lots of negative space to bring the user’s attention to the text featured throughout. As viewers navigate the site, they’ll be brought to different samples of his work, including his blog and examples of both creative writing and copy. With such a strong focus on text, you should choose a font that reflects your personality and is consistent with the rest of your website’s visual style. In this case, Trevor’s use of a simple serif font enhances the site’s classic feel.

Trevor’s website header also includes links to his various social media accounts. This is a strategic way to build your following as an author, helping increase your visibility and consistently engage with your readership.

07. Alan Allinger

Alan Allinger uses one of Wix’s templates to create a customized author website. The video box featured in this template perfectly embodies the goals of this crafty design element, which allows you to add overlays to your own video and frame it with customized shapes. In this case, a moving image of clouds inside of a quotation mark alludes to both the inspirational and practical aspects of writing.

Overall, the dynamic template showcases Alan’s work and experience quite well. Plus, the addition of a blog gives him the opportunity to share even more great content with his online community.

08. Ajinkya Dharane

Ajinkya Dharane’s powerful website exemplifies a design that’s daring while simultaneously adhering to the web design rules of thumb. A large, high-quality image dominates the background of his homepage, instantly catching the eye. The visual hierarchy and organized structure of the site are also on point, thanks to the use of boxes and strips added throughout the page.

We also love the subtle branding incorporated throughout. The repeated use of his logo’s elements and the inclusion of a favicon are both skillful ways to strengthen Ajinkya’s brand and bolster the professional appearance of the site.

09. Crawford Content

Here’s another example of a Wix website template that’s just perfect for showcasing your work as an author. In this case, the Crawford sisters work as a team, customizing this elegant design by including their own logo, images and text.

Their sophisticated style is further emphasized by the use of light colors and traditional fonts. Their one-page website makes it easy to scroll through their site, and is a web design trend that's sure to impress.

10. Icon 303

Icon 303 is an artist and writer whose multi talented character is perfectly rendered on this website. The homepage is simple but visually potent—including an applied filter effect to the background image, a rousing quote, and an easy-to-navigate menu so visitors can check out his work.

Each page of Icon 303’s site has its own visual theme—a daring example of how your website does not necessarily have to be uniform. In fact, we’re seeing more and more web design trends that lead to a “more is more” mentality. While the shifting of color palettes, imagery and fonts might be too busy for some, it’s a compelling way to distinguish certain facets of your career on a single site.

What should an author website include?

Websites are personal in the sense that they reflect your distinct taste, so the design and content of each site varies depending on the author. Start by choosing a web hosting platform  and choose a template  that incorporates the features you want to include. Keep in mind that you can always customize these templates to evoke the style of your written work.

Once you’ve set up your foundation, be sure to include the following elements on your website.

A professional domain name

First, choose a domain name  that’s professional and easy for visitors to remember. It’s good practice to stick with something short and on brand. For example, you might choose to include your name and perhaps the words “books” or “author."

Pro tip: Try to use your author name instead of the title of one of your books. That way, if you plan to create new work in the future, you won’t need to worry about changing your domain. This is also helpful when establishing your brand identity  as an author.

An About page

An About page gives you the chance to tell visitors about yourself, your professional accomplishments, and your sources of inspiration as a writer. Here, you’ll want to include a headshot of yourself, a list of notable awards you’ve won over the course of your career, and of course, a professional bio . We’re not talking about a full-length novel—keep your bio short and sweet. For many visitors, this page will be their first impression of you and your work.

Perhaps this goes without saying, but you should dedicate a section of your website to your books. The purpose here is to give visitors an overview of your writing and entice them to purchase something. Include a high quality image of each book’s cover, along with a succinct description of its contents. The best author websites we’ve seen also incorporate excerpts from the book itself, which further entice visitors to read.

You can also set up an online store to sell your books directly from your website If you do this, you’ll want to set up your website in a way that encourages visitors to purchase. Adding call-to-action buttons such as “Buy Now” and linking them to your shop is a seamless way to create an easy buying experience.

Read Also: How to start a business , Best business websites

Should you include books that you haven’t finished writing yet? Absolutely. If you have a title already and can create a preview of what the book is about, this will generate hype around its upcoming release.

Positive reviews

Be sure your website incorporates positive feedback about your work—either from readers, notable publications, or other writers. Adding reviews and testimonials  to your website is not only encouraged—it’s expected. Books with reviews are more likely to be read, since they familiarize potential readers with your book’s content and exhibit the general reaction of those who have already finished it. An author website is the perfect place to amplify positive responses and prove your book is worthwhile.

Add a contact form

As an author, you want to keep your fans updated on your career, book releases or special events surrounding your work. In order to do this, you need to capture their contact information and steadily build your mailing list. Help users sign up by adding a well-designed contact form  to your website and use effective email marketing  to increase engagement with your readership.

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Top 20 Author Websites Every Author Must See (in 2024)

Getting readers to notice you in a sea of online sameness is hard. An author website helps you stand out online while positioning you as a writer worth reading.

But creating an engaging, professional author website isn’t easy. And a website that makes you look like an amateur, can be worse than no site at all.

A great author site needs to be:

• appealing to your audience
• quick-loading
• mobile-friendly
• and designed to grow your readers

To give you some direction and inspiration, we’ve put together a list of our top 20 favorite author websites in 2024. Take a page from the book of these authors and give your website the literary love it deserves.

Author Website Examples:

1. Chunka Mui 

Carry your book branding into your website.

chunkamui.com

We had the pleasure of building this website for Chunka and I think it sells his platform perfectly. Not that my opinion is skewed or anything…

What makes this author website stand out is the bold colors contrasted by the white space design. It emphasizes the author’s brand and the content laid out.

There is plenty of useful, groundbreaking content for readers to learn more about Chunka and his work.

Actionable Tips: If you have a book that you want as the main feature, consider using the style and colors from the book cover to dictate the design of the website. And if you have information to share about your cause or core message, make sure to give that content plenty of room to breathe on the page.

2. Leigh Bardugo

Create rich, fan-focused content.

leighbardugo.com

Leigh’s site has got that rich graphic novel-type feel.

The use of illustrations, textures, decorative fonts, and fan resources all come together really well and complement her edgy fantasy brand.

It’s engaging and well-made, catering to her fans and encouraging readers to jump on board and become fans.

Actionable Tips : Planning an intricate universe for your novels? Use what you have to create some fun resources for your fans to explore on your site.

3. Austin Kleon

Keep your website fresh and worthy of revisiting.

austinkleon.com

Austin Kleon’s blog is the main focus of his author website. This makes his website feel fresh all the time because he literally posts almost every day! 

His books are also tastefully displayed in the sidebar. The longer you’re on his blog the more likely you are to check them out.

What makes his blogs successful is that he links to other resources and encourages others to link to his site. His blog is one of the most respected in the author blogging field – so what he’s doing is definitely working.

Actionable Tips : If your platform thrives on blogs, podcasts, and other content media, then we suggest building your website with those elements at the forefront. Don’t forget to keep it up to date! Your website will garner visitors that are super into your work and you can promote your work to them conveniently.

4. Helen Hoang

Make it easy for all types of people to read your books.

helenhoang.com

Helen has a tab on her menu just for translated editions of her books. They come in many languages, catering to a wider audience.

Her website carries her book branding nicely into an online format. Similar feminine color schemes with white space, yet still punchy and fresh. 

Actionable Tips : If your book covers stand out, then let your website design sit in the background as a supporting character. Keep your books in the spotlight.

5. Mike Michalowicz

Build a lovable personal author brand.

mikemichalowicz.com

Mike pulls off what few business authors can: a cheeky, enjoyable brand of business education that makes you want to dive deeper.

Hover over his books on the home page and he transforms accordingly. And scroll to the bottom and click “I can’t stand this guy” for a laugh.

Actionable Tips : Let your website match your personality if that’s your selling point. Excite visitors with an online experience that makes them stay on the site longer, like fun animations, quirky pictures of yourself, and content with a friendly tone.

6. T.A White

Showcase your series.

tawhiteauthor.com

This is another one of our own author websites. We concentrated on representing each of her book series while keeping the main mystical feel. 

The blend of fantasy and Sci-Fi is seamless with the genre-specific, clear fonts and color palette.

There are even a few deleted scenes for fans to sink their teeth into. 

Actionable Tips : You could frequently change your intro image to fit your latest book release, but have an overall design theme that suits all your potential genres. Be sure to leave room for each of your series to be displayed without overshadowing any of them.

7. Mark Dawson

Focus on growing your email list.

markjdawson.com

More than anything, Mark wants you on his mailing list. It’s hard getting readers to take the leap and just purchase a book.

Mark believes he can convince readers over time, through his author newsletter. And with a glowing opt-in box, and nothing else much to do on the home page at first glance, it’s hard to resist the urge to put your email in!

When it comes to the design of his author website, it’s characterized by high contrast and dark, moody pages that fit his genre.

Actionable Tips : If you want to focus on growing your mailing list, it needs to be front and center on your website. But you can still give your books the stage they deserve by featuring them on other pages of your website. This is a great way to have each portion of your website fulfill a specific purpose.

8. Miki Taylor

Showcase your illustrations.

mikitaylor.com

With characters as cute as Miki’s, we had to use them on her author website.

Even though the website is designed with children in mind, adults will have a blast exploring it, appreciating the conversational, quirky tone used.

The menu style is accented by colored bubbles, emphasizing the playfulness of this author website.

Every little extra has a story behind it, giving more value to kids.

Actionable Tips : Your cute illustrations with unique designs and colors should be celebrated on your website! From the backgrounds to the intro imagery, and even your menu design – you can stray from the conventional while creating a succinct online experience for your readers.

9. Mark Manson

Let your content do the talking.

markmanson.net

Mark’s site is fun! Much like his writing in general, you just kind of love his insouciant attitude and the website reflects this well while still being quite organized. 

He has clearly worked out his funnel very well, both in terms of customer journey and SEO. There are various tiers of membership to his content. 

He’s getting an estimated 250K organic visits a month! He definitely understands SEO and content marketing. All-round this is a brilliant site that is no doubt a huge success for its author.

Actionable Tips : If you want readers to enter your funnel, you should provide as much gripping, premium content for them to subscribe to. Utilize SEO and other content marketing strategies to make your site a hub for gathering interested readers for your platform.

10. Daniel Gibbs

Bring your books’ world-building to life online .

danielgibbsauthor.com

Another one of our author websites! Daniel Gibb’s site loads with an engaging full-screen background video.

Daniel went to a huge effort to create a fully fleshed-out world for his readers using interactive star maps and ship diagrams. He’s even got a full-on encyclopedia of his universe!

His author funnel is very slick, offering books for both his series. With such professionally produced high-value lead magnets , his email list grows rapidly.

Actionable Tips : Create an intro that is as action-packed as the novels you’ve written. And if you have a complex universe, laying out timelines for your books will give fans and newcomers a better understanding of your world. They’ll also feel more confident that they’re in the right place – given that this genre is their jam!

Want To Give Your Readers An Engaging Online Experience?

Get an author website that showcases your books, grows your list, and attracts publishers and promoters.

11. George Weigel

Organize your content better than a news site ever could.

georgeweigel.com

We think the author website we designed for George aligns well with his genre and work as an author. It is content-focused, holding true to the message it is getting across. 

This is a great balance to achieve on a website as less is more and you allow your work to speak for itself.

Actionable Tips : If you have heaps of content to display, don’t be afraid to let less important site features like CTA’s play second fiddle. You need to decide what you want out of your website and let the rest become neat peripherals.

12. Brené Brown

Engage with your community.

brenebrown.com

This website is well-designed, easy to navigate, and feels smooth and sleek. High-quality photography helps sell the value behind the words. Has a ton of great-looking downloadables and shareables.

Actionable Tips : You can professionally display your works while still keeping your personality vibrant throughout the website. Keep the language conversational and the colors warm and welcoming.

13. Charlie Cochet

Display your massive collection of books and related content.

charliecochet.com

We built this behemoth of a website for Charlie. Her website is jam-packed with books and content yet a breeze to navigate through. 

There’s no shortage of things to see with the exclusive content like playlists, signed copies of books, interviews, etc.

Not to forget the mix of stand-out and cursive fonts with bright colors that keep the eyes entertained.

Actionable Tips : Fans of the romance genre don’t shy away from the seductive and quirky, so neither should you. Let your genre dictate the atmosphere proudly. And if you have merchandise to sell, you can include a Shop page to display it.

14. Wilbur Smith

Use your books’ themes to create ambiance.

wilbursmithbooks.com

The homepage you land on is fantastic with striking colors and clean navigation. 

The website feels alive with the engaging animated elements, making you feel like you’re about to embark on an adventure of Wilbur’s choice.

Actionable Tips : Instead of a flashy intro, you can go for alive and realistic. And you can have each page have a theme that goes along with the specific book’s concept to serve as the gripping element.

15. The Winter Skye Series – Valencia Weaver

Create a vibrant playground for your younger readers.

wswbooks.com

When you get to make a fun site like this, you’ll enjoy every second of it. And we definitely did!

Amusing animations pop and excite across this website, making it an entertaining experience for the user. The extras for kids make your stay on this website rewarding.

Actionable Tips : If your books are vibrant, your website should be too. It gives readers an idea of what’s to come. And don’t forget to tailor your reader magnet offering to your target reader – like coloring pages for kids in the case above.

16. Gary Vaynerchuk

Showcase all the ways readers can stay connected.

garyvaynerchuk.com

Everything Gary is on his author website. It feels so easy to sink into his world and get engaged with his many facets of entertainment.

Fans will feel welcome here and newcomers will have a new obsession.

Actionable Tips : If you have many streams of media that some fans may not know about, create a user journey on your website to introduce them to it. You can expand your following in each venture by sharing it with your audience on your website.

17. R.J. Palacio

Let your book do the talking.

wonderthebook.com

A fun and cute layout, Palacio’s author site uses a simple color scheme to focus on her playful character art. She’s created a whole bunch of downloadable resources and even some merchandise.

Actionable Tips : If you have one successful book that you want every new reader to start with, make that the main focus of your website. This doesn’t make you a one-hit wonder (excuse the pun) but rather lets your best work strut and collect a following.

18. Tim Sullivan

Use video to set the right atmosphere to attract your target readers.

timsullivan.co.uk

This is another author website designed by yours truly. 

The background video creeps you out in the best ways possible. Plus, there are transitioning icons that continue the ominous atmosphere and keep the visitor on their toes. 

The dark colors with pops of blood-like pigments are enough to make your skin crawl, and that’s how you know you’re exactly where you need to be. 

Actionable Tips : If your intro creeps out a website visitor and they leave, they were never your target reader anyway. Embrace your genre completely when designing your website as potential readers that love your genre will eek with excitement when the find your site. And don’t forget to back your books up with stunning testimonials that sing your praises in a meaningful way.

19. Good Life Project – Jonathan Fields

Create an entry point to grow your community.

goodlifeproject.com

A site that stylishly broadcasts “feel good” vibes. Combines warm colors with professionally shot uplifting background video which gives it some class. 

This is an all-around very professional and engaging site. The Opt-in bar is perfectly aligned with what the book promises and sends you to a quiz. 

This site does all the right things and does them well while keeping true to its brand.

Actionable Tips : If you want to foster a community, then make sure your opt-in hints at the type of community it will be. You can use a quiz, like the example shows, to discover more about your audience and how you can make your community happier.

20. Maggie Carpenter

Let your genre and personality shine through.

maggiecarpenter.com

We’re in love with this author website…and not just because we built it!

Maggie’s author website has a tone that’s emphasized by the images that are revealed as you scroll. 

But what leaves a lasting impression is Maggie’s voice atop the sultry design.

She’s conversational, cheeky, and admirable. She knows the less desirable tropes that can be assimilated with her genre and she squashes them, saying you’re in for something even better with her books.

Actionable Tips: You can use your voice as the driving factor of your website, keeping the target reader locked in and enticed from beginning to end. Even if it’s in a genre like romance, you can still be friendly while maintaining the desired atmosphere.

Author Website Must-Haves

Your Author Website…

These stunning author websites weren’t built overnight. They took time, effort, and website-building expertise to get it just right.

If you don’t feel like figuring out how to build your own awesome author website yourself, then we can help!

We’re a professional web design agency that specializes in working with authors. Fill in this inquiry form and take one step closer to your dream online presence.

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Our blog | Author resources

Complete Guide to Author Websites with 15 Great Examples

Published: May 3, 2022

Most authors know they need an author website to build their community, grow their audience, and sell more books . But that knowledge is followed by some common questions: Ok, but how do I do it and what will go on it? I don’t have much content; I haven’t gotten many reviews yet, and I’m not a designer or a tech person. Where should I even begin? (Spoiler: you can start here but read the article first!)

Creating an author website can be hard, especially if you’re a first-time author. That’s why we created this simple and complete guide that will show you how to build an author website that works (both for you and your audience) and help you decide what to put on it.

PS: If you’re still not sure that you really need an author website, here’s how New York Times  bestselling author Jerry Jenkins puts it:

“If you’re an author, published or not, you need your own website. Period. Why am I so forthright about this? Because of the realities of publishing today. You’ve heard and read of your need for an author platform—a following, a tribe, visibility. Well, that all starts with having your own author website. Regardless of what you say about yourself and your work when pitching agents and publishers, one of the first things they do—sometimes even before reading the rest of your proposal—is conduct an internet search for your name… No way around it, an author website is crucial.” Jerry Jenkins

Table of contents

• How to build an author website
• Tools and platforms you can use

What an author website should look like

Essential aspects of a website

• Essential elements of each page
• 15 great author websites

How to build an author website that works

Before diving into the guide, let’s be clear on something: Just as publishing a book won’t make you a best-selling author, having a website won’t guarantee you readers, a community, or book sales. An author website is the base (often the foundation) of your book marketing platform . If you are not planning on actively promoting your work, there’s no point in creating a website.

The goals of your website should be clear:

• Selling books : This can be done directly from the website or, more conveniently, from any online bookstore (like Amazon, Bookshop, Barns & Noble) by using links to direct your readers to your book on those sites.
• Building a mailing list : Direct email is going to be the cheapest, most effective, and engaging tool you can possibly use with your audience. It is far more effective than social media.

Everything you do on your website should focus on those two things. Also, remember that an author website is not a “thing,” it’s an activity, an evolving tool, not a one-and-done job.

If this sounds as daunting to you, be aware that you don’t need to have everything ready before launching your site. You can (and should) add things as you go. Your career as an author will evolve over time, and your website will evolve with you.

Let’s get started!

Now that we have defined the goal for our website, we need to define a structure that will help you achieve your goals. This answers the question, “ What should I put on my website ?”

We recommend including the following information:

• About the author – jump here
• About the book(s)/projects – jump here
• Reviews – jump here
• Contact information – jump here

Other common things you might want to include are:

• Events list (in whatever format those are) – jump here
• Media page/gallery (press kit, interviews, reader magnet) – jump here
• Blog (memoirs/biography, non-fiction, blog to book) – jump here

Once you define the content you have or need, you’ll be able to map it into pages.

Bear in mind that this example doesn’t necessarily have to match the list of pages you’ll have on your website. One page could host more than one thing—for example, you may want to show the reviews on the “About the Book” page; and you will probably include multiple pieces of content on the homepage.

• About the author

This section is about you . Even if you don’t like to talk about yourself and you think your written words should be the focus, connecting with your readers is very important, especially if you have more than one book. Write a professional, edited biography, something short that can be used in different places. You probably already have one on the back (or inside) of your book. Start with that or with a very similar version.

Then work on your long bio. Don’t overlook this, and don’t make it a watered-down, boring version of your short bio. Remember, everything you do should increase the chance of reaching your goals.

How does your bio help you sell more books and keep people in touch? A long bio, or self-presentation, is a key element that allows you to break the ice and create a connection with your readers. Would you buy something from someone you don’t like? Maybe, but you’re more likely to buy from people with whom you feel a connection. Books are emotional products; we get attached to the stories they tell and the people behind those stories (aka the authors). Make sure the readers get to know you, or at least the part of you that has a direct impact on your work.

It’s also important to remember that both your short and long bio help create and reinforce your “author brand.” Be consistent and recognizable, match your writing style, highlight the elements that make your life and books interesting and worth noting. I would expect a mystery writer, a picture book author, and a business-focused writer to have different bios and different styles. Generally, bios are written in the third person, so you can have fun with what you reveal, without sounding over the top.

Pictures come next . As with the short bio, you probably have an author shot in your book. Especially if you only have one book, use that. It will help your readers to recognize you and become familiar with your work. In our ten-plus years working with authors , we’ve seen a lot of not-so-great pictures. If you really can’t invest a little bit to have a professional photo taken, at least avoid selfies, cropped pictures from a cousin’s wedding, or the one nice picture from 10 years ago. It must be you; your readers must be able to recognize you at the next book event. If you can, gather a few more pictures of yourself. Action shots during a presentation, holding a book, or interacting with readers can improve the connection with visitors.

Depending on your book genre and your experience, collecting testimonials or endorsements from other authors, experts in your field, journalists, or public figures may be very beneficial. If you’re a business writer, having the CEO of a company endorsing you can give you a big boost in credibility; similarly, if you’re a true-crime author, a review from an investigative journalist praising your attention to detail will attract readers of the genre.

Depending on how much content you have, your About the Author can be a section on the homepage or have a dedicated page (the preferred choice).

RECAP FOR ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from “must-have” to “nice-to-have”)

• Short bio: 100 words or less, usually identical, or very similar, to the bio on your book. It should be direct and professional (but make sure it matches you author brand).
• Headshot: A good one, possibly the same professional photo you have on the back of your book.
• Long bio: Not just an extended version of the short bio, the long bio is your chance to let your readers get to know you. Think of the virtual or in-person chat you’d have with someone you met in a bookstore or in a coffee shop.
• Extra images: A couple more pictures of you may come handy when building your website. Again, these should be high-resolution photos that project the image you want to present to your readers
• Testimonials, endorsements: For some authors (especially for non-fiction and business books writers) having a couple of testimonials from other people in their field can help complete the profile.

Depending on the amount of content, it can be a section of the homepage or a dedicated page.

About the book(s)

This is the section dedicated to your work. Depending on how many books you’ve published and their genre, you may want to write a short introduction to guide the visitors through your titles. If you only have one publication, skip the introduction and focus on the book.

Important elements of this section (or page) are:

• The book cover: Either flat or a 3D mockup, depending on the website style (but make sure to have both available).
• Book description: This is your sales pitch; make sure you craft an effective one. You should probably use the one on the book, but you can craft a different version if you like. Note: different does NOT necessarily mean longer. For more check out our post on how to write back cover text .
• More information about the book: Like the long bio, you can add information about the book, how it came to life or other important elements that could intrigue your audience but didn’t make it into the description.
• Reviews / endorsements: Add your most important, most significant reviews and testimonials right next to the book.
• Links (or buttons) to all major stores: Make buying your book as easy as possible. Have your book available in different stores and let the users choose where they’d prefer to buy.
• A book sample: Let you visitors jump right into the story allowing them to read, listen to, or download a chapter or more for free. Ask for their email for additional free reading material.

If you have multiple books, we suggest you creating a page per book.

Advanced SEO tip: add product schema markup to your book.

Book reviews

Find a balance between quality and quantity. You don’t need to import every your Amazon or Goodreads reviews for your book onto your site. Pick the ones that are actually interesting and copy them on the page, linking them to the original review. Give priority to those written by authoritative sources (newspapers, magazines, book sites, other authors, etc.). You can also collect reviews directly on your website, but make sure to have a moderation system in place, so you can approve them before they become visible on the webpage. Consider that you may need to ask for permission to show someone’s review on your site. If you have many good reviews for different books, you can create a dedicated “Reviews and Testimonials” page. (However, you’ll still want to include some reviews beside the books on your “Book” page.)

Remember you are allowed to shorten your reviews by leaving out parts if you mark them with ellipses. (Example: …you are allowed to shorten your reviews…if you mark them with ellipses.) You are NOT allowed to alter the text of reviews in other ways.

Advanced SEO tip: add schema markup to your reviews.

Make sure people can get in touch with you. We suggest you include a Contact page with a simple form and other relevant information. If you have a business, adding your address and phone number provides additional ways for people to reach you. Otherwise, keep it simple. Add a few lines to encourage people to write and set their expectations. You can also link to your social media profiles, Amazon or Goodreads profile, or other author communities where you’re active. Because the goal is always to either collect an email or sell a book, add an opt-in box to the form and set an auto-reply that reminds visitors how to buy your book. 

If you often get requests for interviews, event participation, or other paid or non-paid appearances, consider creating a dedicated form and a media page. 

A lot changed in terms of book events in 2020. Most bookstores halted book signing events and author presentations, but moving forward, all these things will come back. Also, we learned that virtual meetings and round tables can be done, and not just during a pandemic.

If you’re planning a book tour —whether it’s virtual or in-person—it’s probably a good idea to set up a dedicated page where people can easily and quickly find all the information they need to participate. Registration forms or sign-ups are a very good way to gather more emails to add to your list! Showing that you’re an active author who participates at different events or is invited as a speaker can boost your credibility and nudge people into buying your book.

Media gallery or page

A media page with content and images available to the public, journalists, and fans can be a useful marketing tool. Let people know what is available and how they can use your name, book title, and cover; add content that can be easily quoted in an interview-type article, have samples of your work and images that can be used in different contexts. Here are a few practical examples : The author of a picture book can have some illustrations from the book available as a coloring activity for kids; a thriller writer can provide a map to use while reading the book to guess the ending; a non-fiction writer can have some of the book information available as infographics, tables, or excerpts.

A media page can also be the place to collect your press coverage. Upload or link to the articles about you or your books that can help turn a visitor into a buyer, or encourage more media people to feature you in their publication.

There is a reason why we’re leaving the blog as the last section. Not because it isn’t important, but because it’s not for everyone. Blogging can be very beneficial, but it also takes a lot of time, and you need to decide if it’s worth it for you. Everything you do on your website should help you achieve your goals, so if you don’t have the capacity to write enough content to attract readers and make them come back and sign up for a newsletter, blogging probably isn’t the best use of your resources. If you already have a blog, have a lot of extra information related to your book or your work, or have a lot of knowledge related to your book that can be shared in bite-size pieces, you should either continue or start blogging. For some writers, a blog can be the starting point of a new book , a way to see what topics and posts are more interesting and could be developed for a book.

Tools and platforms

Now that you have a better idea of the goal and the content for your author website, let’s move to another important part that most authors need help with: Choosing the right tools and platforms .

If you have questions about the best technical solution to build your website don’t skip this section.

At Luminare Press we tried different options and considered many platforms before we decided that our favorite tool to build an author website is Wix.

If you’re thinking, Wait a minute, I heard WordPress is the best, and what about Squarespace, or Ghost? don’t be alarmed. Wix is our recommendation , but of course you might choose a different solution for many reasons: personal experience, pricing, integration, technical knowledge, etc. That’s totally fine. We are not here to convince you; we’re trying to help you decide by considering a few factors.

If you have lots of experience with a specific CMS (Content Management System, like WordPress or Drupal), and you know how to use and maintain it, that’s probably the best choice for you. We’re big fan of WordPress (this website is built in WordPress), and we’ve used it in the past for authors. What we discovered, though, is that most authors don’t want to (or can’t) spend time thinking about their hosting, updating the platform, the theme, the plugins, taking care of compatibility, security problems, and potential spams. We think WordPress is a great solution, but it requires more attention than our average author wants to give.

Our advice is to choose a hosted, managed solution—like Squarespace or Wix—that doesn’t require regular maintenance or updates, and has an easy and straightforward builder to add and manage your content. Among the options, we’ve found that Wix has the best combination of design tools, marketing tools, simplicity, and flexibility with a reasonable price.

Besides choosing a platform for your site, the number one marketing tool you want to choose is an email marketing service . Please don’t try to collect and manage your subscriber manually or in a spreadsheet. It gets messy very quickly and you are at risk of privacy violation.

At Luminare Press we use MailChimp , which is a good, solid tool with a generous free plan to start. Other popular platforms are ConvertKit, Constant Contact, and Mailerlite, but the market offers many options to choose from. Each service has pros and cons, and it really depends on how many subscribers you have, how many emails you’re planning to send, how far you need to go into marketing automation, and—ultimately—your budget. If you don’t need a dedicated solution and you’d rather keep everything in one place, Wix integrates email and other marketing tools into the platform . Although changing service is possible, we recommend doing some research and testing a few before you pick one.

There are other potential extensions of your site, like e-commerce solutions for directly selling e-books, physical books, or other products, but we’re not going to get into that here. Unless you have a stock of books and you know you can manage direct sales (including shipping, returns, billing, and more) it’s best to have a great distribution setup for your books, and link to all the online bookstores that carry them (Amazon, Barns & Nobles, Bookshop.org, Target to name a few).

RECAP ON HOW TO BUILD AN AUTHOR WEBSITE THAT WORKS

• Your author website will be the main tool for your book marketing plan. While a website alone won’t guarantee you sales and a growing audience, building your marketing plan without one will prove very difficult. If you need help with your marketing plan, check out this great resource from our partner, Sue Campbell .
• About the books
• Choose a platform you’re comfortable with. If you don’t have experience with website development and maintenance, we recommend a managed solution like Wix .
• Evaluate your marketing needs but consider that you should at least use an email marketing solution, like Mailchimp or Wix’s integrated feature , to collect and manage your subscribers.

Bonus advice: Get the help of professional book designers to build your author website .

Now that you have a possible structure in mind, let’s get to the fun part: designing your author website and your pages.

The advantage of hiring Luminare Press (or someone like us) to design your website is that a professional designer will match your site to your author brand or the style of your book.

If you want to do it yourself, you should probably start exploring some pre-made template or themes that you like and that work with your style.

When it comes to marketing and communication, it’s important to be consistent—it makes it easier for readers to recognize your work and became familiar with your style. The more someone sees a product, the more likely they are to consider it, and ultimately, buy it.

Domain, site name, and URLs

Unless you know that you’ll only ever publish one book and all your marketing efforts and branding will be around the book, it’s best to r egister a domain that matches your author’s name rather than the book title. firstlastname.com, firstlastname-author.com, firstlastnamebooks.com are all good options. If for any reason firstlastname.com is not available because already taken by someone else, it’s best to add author or books, rather than register it with a different “ending” (like .net or .us).

There are plenty of places where you can register your domain name: Hover , domain.com , namecheap.com are among the common options if you just need a domain. Otherwise most hosting providers (like BlueHost or GoDaddy ) and platforms (like Wix.com or SquareSpace) let you register your domain (sometimes for free) while subscribing for their services. No matter how you buy it, domains must be renewed every year, so it’s a good idea to set a reminder on your calendar or to put it on auto-renew.

Make it as easy as possible for a visitor to get to the information they are seeking. A simple, clear menu is the starting point for any website. Keep it at the top of the page, always visible, because that’s where people expect a menu to be. Especially if your website only has a few pages, there’s no reason to create submenus or to hide pages in the sidebars or hamburger menu for your desktop version. You also want to add links to the other pages or sections to make it easier to reach the content without having to use the menu (especially from mobile). Links can be added as text or with a button, just make sure it’s clear where people should click.

The header is the first part of your website, and it’s generally the same for all pages. It should include your name and/or logo, a tagline, the menu, and a main call-to-action (like “buy the book,” “get a free chapter,” or “sign up for our email list”).

Mobile first

Most people browse the Internet from their smartphones. Because of that, you need to make sure your website not only “works” on a phone, but it’s optimized for small screens. At the very least you should choose a theme that’s responsive (able to adapt to different screen resolutions) and, if you can, review your content to make sure it’s fully accessible from a phone. Nowadays, most smartphones can download files, make online payments, and play videos, but large images, tables, or tiny fonts should be reconsidered.

Page structure and content

When it comes to designing your page, you want to consider these elements:

• Style : It should match your brand or the overall style of your book/genre.
• Content : The design will change based on the amount of content you have. You always need to consider different levels of complexity when you distribute the content. The most important piece of information should be at the top, and you should add the rest of the content lower on the page.
• Images : Images are part of the page content, and they help people visualize the message. Depending on your style, your site may be full of images or have just a few.
• Call-to-action : Show people what you want them to do. Each page should help you guide the visitors toward the final goals. Add clear messages and buttons to lead the readers to your books or subscription forms.

Elements of each page

The most important page—most users will start and end their visit here. Add all essential information, your call-to-action, and links to other pages for more details.

• Latest book : Cover, title, description and blurb, links to buy your book.
• Headshot and short bio : Add your headshot and a short bio with a “read more” link to your About page.
• Reviews : Show the best reviews and praise for your books, with a link to the book page.
• Email subscription form : Invite people to join your mailing list offering an immediate reward for doing it (eg. a chapter of your book).
• Other books or content : Keep the users on your website by showing that there’s more value for them, whether it’s more books or articles from your blog.
• Contacts and social media links: Most people are used to finding contacts at the bottom of the page. They add a simple way to get in touch with you.

About the Author

This page allows readers to learn more about who you are and what you do helping to create a connection.

• Headshot : Use the same picture as the homepage and your book’s back cover.
• Short bio and long bio: Place both versions of your bio on this page. The short at the top, next to your author bio (similarly to the homepage), and the longer version under that. You can also add one or two pictures of you if that helps tell your story.
• Email subscription form
• Blurbs or testimonials

Show all your work on one page. If you only have one book, you can skip it.

• Short introduction to your work
• Book list with cover, title, link to main store, “read more” link to the individual book page

Single Book

Create a page per each book you have published

• Title , subtitle
• Full description
• Links to buy your book at all major stores
• Download a free chapter (or other engagement tools): this helps the user to commit, making a first step towards buying your book
• Reviews of the book

Contact Page

Keep it simple and useful

• Headshot (optional): It can help people know that they’re writing to a person, not a company
• Contact form : Simply add the necessary fields (name, email, message) and an opt-in for your emailing list.
• Email address (optional): Especially if you have different reasons for people to write you, you may add specific email addresses (eg. for business or media)
• Mailing address (optional): Fans may decide to send you a thank-you note or a letter; if you’re a non-fiction writer, it may be useful to potential clients. If you’re uncomfortable posting your home address on the internet, you can use a PO box.
• Social media links

15 examples of great author websites

We selected 15 websites of both self-publishers and traditionally published authors that can inspire you. Per each site, you can see what they did well and what could be improved.

A couple of things to consider when you look at these (and other) sites: each author may have different reasons to add or skip certain elements. For example, while for most self-publishers it is crucial to try to build a mailing list, authors who are under contract with one of the Big Five publishers may not directly manage their marketing activities and therefore you won’t see their contacts. For some non-fiction authors, a book can be part of their business tools and it doesn’t have to be the main focus on the site. When creating a website, keep your primary goal in mind and build around it.

Ann Bennet Spence (Bian An)

#novel #fiction

What we like:

• A great, simple design that fully matches the book style.
• The book is the focus, with all buying options immediately available.
• Nice way to show testimonials.

May be better? It’s missing an email subscription form or extra content.

Visit website

Betsy Prioleau

• The design matches the books style and speaks to target readers.
• It’s immediately clear who the author is and what books are available.
• Really extensive book pages and a lot of extra content

May be better? It’s missing an email subscription form.

Rajani LaRocca

#children’s book #novels

• All books immediately available in homepage
• Great press kit area with different author pics, book covers, and ready-to-use text.

May be better? Pages with content in two languages, which is not ideal.

Vicki Krohn Amorose

#art #non-fiction

• Design that speaks for the book
• Great use of “social proof” with the list of art schools using the book
• Clear instructions for booksellers on how to order the book in bulk

May be better? All the branding is on the book, to the point that it’s hard to find the author’s name on the homepage.

David Sedaris

#biography #diary

• Clean, elegant design
• Complete book pages with both written and audio excerpts available
• Nice take on the author picture

May be better? Almost too many purchasing options.

James Clear

#business #non-fiction

• Minimal, clean design
• Email subscription form with strong, clear call-to-action
• Complete blog that drives users towards buying the book

May be better? No author picture on the website.

Kristin Hannah

• Bold design with color matching the book cover
• Email subscription form always available at the top
• Nice header that combines author image and book cover

May be better? “Order now” link not very visible.

Helen Hoang

#novel #romance #series

• All books immediately visible to show it’s a series
• Tagline that clarifies the genre
• Nice author shot

May be better? Web design

Howard Libes

#novel #sciencefiction #series

• Book trailer that brings the visitor right into the book
• A free chapter immediately available
• Nice web design with custom logo

May be better? Few testimonials on a dedicated page

Kristen Riggle

#children’s book

• Great illustrations
• A lot of extra content, including blog articles
• Strong local community

May be better? Books not present in homepage

#memoirs non-fiction

• Clean design, easy navigation system
• Author bio that supports the author brand
• Good use of testimonials

May be better? No email signup form

Ta-Nehisi Coates

#non-fiction #graphic novels

• Bold web design
• Evident sign up form that appears in different versions on different pages
• Good use of the fonts

May be better? Events section not updated

Taylor Jenkins Reid

• Pre-order campaign with the mystery around the book cover
• All other available books immediately visible
• Dismissible banner with subscribe CTA

May be better? Color contrast makes some titles hard to read

Visit website (now with Carrie Soto’s book cover)

Sara LaChapelle

#memoir #non-fiction

• Pictures supporting the author brand
• Content and photos per each chapter
• Linear homepage structure

May be better? Branding all around the book

Olivier Sibony

• Impactful homepage
• A lot of extra contents, including videos, and webinars
• Effective sign up form

May be better? Missing links to stores for the first book on the homepage

Ready to build your featured author website? We can help .

Some of the links on this blog post may be affiliate links. This means that if you go through them to make a purchase, Luminare Press will earn a small commission without affecting your price.The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. 

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