How to Create an Author Website 101 - Part 1
Determining if you even need an author website to begin with and figuring out where to start. Part 1 of a series in which I yap about how to build your own author website.
Hello hello everyone!
Welcome to my new series, HOW TO CREATE AN AUTHOR WEBSITE 101.
The outline for this series is:
Determining if you need an author website and what goes on it (features author website examples!)
Author branding and the lowest-cost platforms to build a site on
Ways to build more complex author websites, including online shops and more
All about Newsletters
What is SEO, why it matters, and how to be Google searchable
Series topics are subject to change!!
Some quick credentials and disclaimers before I dive on in! My day job is as a digital product designer, I’m a freelance web designer on the side, and an author. You can check out my own author website here. All of these are my completely own opinions!
And finally, a MASSIVE DISCLAIMER: all of my opinions are purely for fiction authors. Nonfiction is an entirely different ballgame and incredibly dependent on your niche/subject/topic/etc.
Do you need an author website?
Let’s break this down, because this is a big question. In order to answer this question, answer the following:
Am I pursuing traditional publishing, or self-publishing?
If I’m pursuing trad publishing, where am I in the publishing process? Still writing, querying, on submission, or with a deal?
Do I have existing publications (like short fiction or previous works)?
Am I planning on directly selling products? This doesn’t mean directing people to buy your book via a bookstore - are you planning on hand-selling physical or digital inventory like signed copies, stickers, bookmarks, or anything like that?
Let’s talk about the different responses to these questions and what they mean, starting with the easiest.
If you’re still drafting your book, and you’re planning on pursuing traditional publishing, you DON’T need an author website.
Why? A few reasons.
Author websites cost money. There are plenty of free or lower-cost options (which I’ll go into more detail in later parts of the series), but it still takes time.
There is no direct goal for your author website at this stage. There’s no reason for anyone to Google search you; your book title could change; your book’s genre could change; your pen name could change.
At this stage, you’re not likely to build any sort of significant online presence that would move the needle on your publishing journey.
At this stage, keep on writing your book, and don’t worry about your online presence!
If you’re querying your book, an author website is completely optional and not really needed.
Anyone who’s as chronically online as me may remember someone on Twitter quoting a literary agent at a conference, saying that they would not represent an author without a website.
This is not true.
Again, this is only for fiction, but - when you’re querying, the most information an agent needs on your book is in your query.
Do agents do a quick google search and social media check before offering representation? Some do! However, they’re not going to be looking for a polished website; they’re going to vibe check you to make sure you’re not spewing racist hate speech, etc. all over the internet.
If you’re a querying author, your author website can provide additional information in two other areas: an extended biography, and insight into your other works in progress.
However, I would say that these are marginal benefits; your query letter should contain a quick bio about you, and if an agent is interested in you enough to offer representation, they will likely ask about your other WIPs on the call.
A situation I could see happening is an agent being on the fence about the book you’re querying, but it’s ultimately a pass; however, they want to stay up to date on your career, so they end up checking out your website. They’re interested in seeing your WIP and invite you to query them whenever it’s ready.
Is this worth the hassle of creating an author website? Probably not, but the option is always there.
If you have published work, including short fiction/poetry/etc., you NEED an author website.
And not only do you need an author website, you need to be including it in your publication bio AND making sure it’s up to date.
YOU’VE PUBLISHED WORK, LET’S MAKE SURE PEOPLE CAN READ IT!!
Getting a piece published is a huge deal! You and the litmag will shout about it all over social media (hopefully) and hopefully, people will stumble on it. But how do they find more of your work? It becomes a full circle back to your social media, and hopefully they find more of your writing.
But how will people find your older publications? Social media is just a blip in time. And now, with social media platforms rising and falling (cough cough Elon), it’s always a good idea to have something of your own that you control. There’s also no central “literary magazine” archive or index or whatever, so unless you keep it yourself, there’s no track record of your publication history on the internet.
Sadly, the internet is not forever, so you should also be keeping your own copies of your published pieces. Save a PDF version of the website, or make sure to get a digital contributor’s copy. Why? It’s not uncommon for literary magazines, especially non-paying ones, to go under unexpectedly.
I had this exact situation happen a few weeks ago! I have a few short publications listed on my website; I happened to click on one of the links to my older pieces. Instead of taking me to the magazine, it turned out that the URL now redirected to a Hong Kong auction site (i don’t even know). The magazine’s Twitter hadn’t been updated in months, either. Thankfully, I had a PDF version of the magazine, so now, it links to the PDF (uploaded on my Google Drive!) and people can read if they want to.
Finally, if you’re placing pieces in pro markets, I cannot stress enough how important it is that you have an author website.
It is not uncommon for literary agents to scout talent from pro markets. I can personally name three authors who have signed with their agents in this exact manner! If you’re placing pieces in Clarkesworld, The Paris Review, Khoreo, etc. (can you tell I’m a SFF author?), you want to have those pieces handy and accessible forever. Especially if someone reads one of your pieces, decides they’re a fan, and wants to find more of your work to read. Again, a website does not have to be fancy, and more on that later!
If you’re agented and on submission to editors, it’s probably time for an author website.
Does anybody remember this tweet?
Yes - this is an editor begging for author websites to stalk.
Editors are a lot more likely to Google authors! Not only that, if an editor is interested in buying your book, they’re sending your MS out around their imprint. Sales and Marketing is going to weigh in during acquisitions. It’s going to spread to people who may not default to searching you on Twitter - they’re going to type your name into a Google search bar. While I was on sub, I could actually track my website analytics and see when editors started looking at my site.
If you’ve got a traditional book deal, you DEFINITELY need an author website.
Once your book sells, it’s time for a website. There’s a lot of info you’ll need to disseminate and keep centrally located! You’ll need somewhere to put preorder/order links; you’ll need your agent’s contact information publicly available; if you’re going on tour, you need your tour dates and locations posted; the list goes on.
But once again, I’ll stress - you don’t need the beautiful bells and whistles. A clean, easy-to-read author website goes so, so much farther than something wildly illustrated and animated.
If you’re self-publishing, you DEFINITELY need an author website.
Similar to the above, once you’re going to have a book in the world, it’s time for a website. For self-published authors, having an up-to-date author website can be even more critical.
Why? You’re the only person available to contact about your book.
With traditional publishing, if an audiobook or foreign rights publisher is interested in acquiring the rights, there’s a lot of different avenues they can find contact information (Publishers Marketplace being the most direct - the rights info is listed there!). But if they’re interested in acquiring rights for your self-published book, the best way for them to do so would be reaching out via contact information available on your website.
There’s also a lot of options for indie authors to drive engagement via their website.
My sweet beautiful friend Kath Richards recently released her debut novel, A LOVE MOST FATAL. I built her website (please go check it out!), and she ran a preorder campaign through her site. If you preordered, you got 10% off the cover price, and it was a signed copy with limited edition stickers, art prints, and bookmarks. Adorable! She got tons of preorders through her site, which has helped drive engagement elsewhere (it links back to her various forms of social media, contact, and - most importantly - her newsletter!).
What goes on my author website?
So now that I’ve yapped on endlessly to debate the point of whether or not you need an author website - if you’ve come to the conclusion that yes, you do need one, the next step is figuring out what goes on it.
The key components of an author website that you’ll always want to include are:
Author Bio
This should be short! Longer than your query, shorter than a 5 paragraph essay
Author headshots are optional but helpful! A note of caution though - if you do include a photo of yourself, try to include one that’s semi-professional looking. It doesn’t have to be a formal headshot, but something that’s not a selfie is great!
Book Blurb
A Twitter-length pitch of your book is a great starting point to introduce your book
It’s very helpful to include age group and genre as well!
If you want to use imagery for your book (like a mood board or placeholder cover design), make sure you’re using images that are publicly available to use. For example, if you’re grabbing your mood board photos off of Pinterest, you probably don’t have a license to use them. However, Canva Pro, Unsplash (free), and Pexels (free) are three great places to get stock photos that you can use on your site and in your graphics!
Contact Details
This can be as simple as an email icon, along with your social media handles, or as complicated as a contact form embedded on your site
If you do use a contact form, set a calendar reminder IMMEDIATELY to double-check that it works every couple of months. Sometimes these forms randomly break and you don’t want someone trying to contact you and think you’re ghosting them!!
I recommend not listing your email in plain text on your website; this can lead to bot spam! Hide it behind a link or an icon
If you’re represented by a literary agent, make sure to add their information to your contact page!
If you’re a published or soon-to-be published author, you may start getting book blurb requests through your website. If you want these to go through your agent only, make sure to add that note to your contact section!
And… that’s all. Those components are really the only things you need on an author website. That’s why, if you’re querying or still in the early stages of publication, you won’t need a super fancy website. There’s not that much to put on there!
Some other common elements of author websites I’ve seen:
Short Publications
If you’ve got them, add them to your author website!
It’s helpful to have the piece title, the publication name, the type of piece it is (poetry, flash, short fiction, etc.), and when it came out
If it’s nominated or has won a literary award, also make sure to call that out!
Works in Progress
When you’re querying, these can be really helpful to have on your author website! If agents are looking and interested, it can give them an idea of what you’re envisioning for your author career as a whole
However, if you’re on sub or have a deal, I’d double-check with your agent if they’d want your WIPs on your author website. Editors tend to reach out directly to your agent about your next WIPs, there can be issues with option clauses / announced works, etc., so it’s safer to double-check with your agent!
Once you’ve sold your book (or are self-publishing), you’ll also want to include the following information:
Preorder links
Make sure you’re including everywhere someone can preorder - not just Amazon, but your publisher’s website, Barnes & Noble, etc!
How to buy your book
Again, include all of the ways! Amazon, B&N, direct from the publisher, etc. For kidlit authors, you may want to include a note about bulk-ordering for libraries or schools (and this is where your agent/editor can help out!)
Don’t forget to add your release date!
Book blurbs, starred reviews, and media
It’s a great idea to add your blurbs to your author website as they come in! Same with starred reviews or interviews that you’ve done
As you approach your pub date, it’s probably a good idea to have a full page on your site dedicated to your book, so you have enough room to include the full list of book blurbs, link to reviews, the whole shebang
Press Kit
This means having a downloadable version of your author headshot, with photographer credit listed, as well as a third-person 100-word bio.
If you’re feeling extra fancy, have a portrait and a landscape version of your author headshot available; your headshot will be cropped a million different ways for various social media platforms, newsletters, brochures, etc.
And finally, some totally optional elements of an author website you could consider are:
Newsletter sign-up
It’s probably a good idea to have a newsletter. What do you put in one? I have no idea. This series is me grasping at straws.
There are a million different newsletter platforms, and each one will have a different way to get a sign-up on your website, so this is where things may get a little technical.
Part 5 of this series will be dedicated to newsletters, so if you’re interested, keep an eye out
Online Store
If you don’t need to sell direct, you do not need an online store. Also, really consider if you actually NEED to sell direct before you go down this path!
This is mostly applicable for self-published authors; traditional authors, you most likely will not be able to / want to hand-sell signed copies, but this is all contract dependent
What does a good author website look like?
I can’t stress it enough: clean and simple wins over flashy and splashy, every single time.
Kailee Pederson’s website is a stellar example of this motto. It’s easy-to-read, information is easily accessible, and she’s got everything linked in the top navigation. (Also shout-out for her debut novel, Sacrificial Animals!).
Alan Lastufka (also the founder of Shortwave Publishing - cannot recommend their books enough) also has a super-clean and easy-to-use site. Shortwave’s site is similarly easy-to-use and definitely a standout from a lot of the indie press sites I’ve seen!
I’m horrendously biased, but I also love Lenora Wood’s (ROLL FOR ROMANCE, Dell Romance 2025), Court Behr’s (FALLING LIKE SNOW, Dial Press 2025), Shayla Frandsen’s (Agented Author), and Katlyn Zehnacker’s (Querying Author) websites. They range from complex (Lenora’s) to simple and sleek (Kat’s)!
I’m horrendously biased because I’m the one who designed them (and if you’re interested in working with a designer to get up and running - I’m booking for December 2024 now!).
Now what?
Thanks so much for tuning into part 1 of my “How to Create an Author Website 101” series. In the next installment, I’ll go over author branding and get into the lowest-cost options for author websites!
P.S. if there’s a topic that you want to learn more about (in the world of author online presence) that isn’t covered in the outline at the beginning of the post, let me know! I’m happy to extend this series as necessary!