You do not need a large or expensive website. You need a simple, reliable home that you control, where a reader who has heard of you can find out who you are, see your books and get in touch.
Why have one
- Readers look for you. If someone hears about your book and searches your name, they should find something you made.
- You control it. Social profiles can change or disappear, and a website stays yours.
- It supports everything else. It is the place for your mailing list, your buy links and your press information.
The essentials
1. A clear home page. Who you are, what you write and what readers can do next, all in the first screen.
2. Your books. A page for each, with the cover, the description, and links to buy. Link to the retailers where readers actually shop.
3. About you. A short, personal page with a photograph. Tell readers what they would want to know and what makes your writing yours.
4. A way to join your mailing list. Put the sign-up where it is easy to find, and say what readers will get.
5. Contact details. A simple way for readers, reviewers and event organisers to reach you.
6. A page for the media, if you want publicity. A short bio, a photograph, a list of books and a few topics you can talk about.
Practical points
- Choose a domain name that is easy to say and spell, ideally your author name.
- Make it work on a phone. Many visitors will use one.
- Keep it simple. A few good pages beat many thin ones.
- Write descriptions for images (alt text), so that everyone can use the site.
- Add a privacy notice and, if your site sets cookies, a cookie notice. UK rules apply if you collect email addresses or use analytics.
- Keep it current. Update the site when you publish a new book, and check that the links still work.
What you can leave for later
A blog, an online shop, a forum or a complicated design. You can add these when you have the time and the readers to justify them.
A simple page-by-page plan
- Home: who you are, what you write, and one button to join your list
- Books: a page per title with the cover, description and buy links (see how to write a book blurb)
- About: a short, warm biography and a photograph
- Contact: an email address or form
- Newsletter: a sign-up page with a clear promise (see building a mailing list)
Keep it safe and tidy
Use a reputable host, keep the software up to date, and back the site up regularly. Check every link after you publish a new book. And keep your look consistent with the rest of your author brand.
A website that matches your brand
Your website should look and sound like your books. Use the same name, the same photograph and the same colours as your covers, so that readers recognise you at a glance.
Once your site is live, our book marketing and promotion service can help bring readers to it.
Want to know where your book stands?
Submit your manuscript for a free book review: the whole book, or at least the first three chapters. We'll read it and send you our feedback. There's no obligation.