Author Website Design Services: Websites for Novelists, Nonfiction Authors, Speakers and Publishers

Updated September 2026 · Written and maintained by the Progression Agency strategy team

Progression Agency provides author website design services for novelists, nonfiction and business authors, indie and traditionally published writers, speakers and small presses across the United States and worldwide: book pages that sell through every retailer or direct, a reader list you own, events and press kept current by you, and a site that is found for your name, your books and your genre.

What author website design covers

Author website design is the design and build of a site for a writer whose books, ideas or speaking are the product. It ranges from a debut novelist’s five-page site to a business author’s platform with courses, speaking and a newsletter of thousands. The site sits between the reader and every retailer, so it must never be a dead end: each book page links to Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, Audible and your local independent, and sells direct when that makes sense. Compare personal website design for the general professional site and consulting websites for authors whose books feed an advisory practice.

Author websites by kind of author

Book pages that sell everywhere

Each book gets its own page: cover large, the description as it appears on retailers, praise and awards, an excerpt or sample chapter, formats and ISBNs, a retailer grid with every store where the book is sold, and a direct option where you fulfill or use a service. Series pages give reading order. Book pages carry Book structured data from schema.org so that search and AI assistants can answer “what order should I read [series]” and “where can I buy [title]” from your site rather than a retailer’s.

The reader list is the asset

Retailers do not share reader emails. The site should offer a reason to join (a reader magnet such as a short story, first chapters, a toolkit or a checklist) on the home page, book pages and after excerpts, and the list should live in a tool you control (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, MailerLite, Substack) with an automated welcome sequence. Launches, pre-orders and events are announced to that list first.

Platforms for author websites

Speaking, media and school visits

Nonfiction and children’s authors are often booked more than they are bought. A speaking page lists topics, formats, past venues, a short reel and a request form with date, audience and budget; a media page holds headshots, bios in three lengths, book covers, sample interview questions and contacts; a school visit page states programs, grades, fees and technical needs. These pages convert the visitor who arrived through a podcast or conference program.

Being found for your name, books and genre

Author search is by name, by title and by genre plus situation (“cozy mystery series set in Maine”, “books about leading remote teams”). The site should carry a clear about page matching your author profiles, one page per book with the description and facts in text, series and topic pages that answer genre and situation searches, and Person and Book structured data. Consistency with Amazon Author Central, Goodreads, your publisher’s page and Wikipedia is what makes AI answers about you accurate. See content marketing.

Integrations

How we design and build an author website

1. Author review: books, formats, retailers, list size, events, speaking and what you want more of.
2. Structure: books and series, about, newsletter, events, speaking, media; direct-sales decision.
3. Design: typography suited to the genre and the covers; a system you can extend for future books.
4. Build: Squarespace, WordPress, Shopify or Webflow; retailer grids; newsletter and sales integrations; structured data.
5. Content: descriptions, bios in three lengths, excerpts, praise, events; alt text and captions.
6. Launch: domain, redirects, speed and accessibility checks, analytics.
7. Handover: a checklist for adding books, events and press yourself.

What author website design costs

Author website mistakes

• One retailer link (usually Amazon) when readers buy in six places.
• No newsletter offer, so the launch of the next book starts from zero.
• Book pages with a cover and no description in text, invisible to search.
• An about page that does not match Amazon Author Central and Goodreads.
• Events listed years out of date.
• A speaking page with no topics, fees or request form.
• A domain registered by a designer or publisher rather than the author.
• Slow pages from full-resolution cover and headshot images.

Author website design by publishing path

Traditionally published

Retailer-first book pages, the publisher’s assets used consistently, events and tour dates, and a list that carries readers to the next book regardless of publisher.

Indie and hybrid

Direct sales with higher margin, reader magnets and automations, series bundles and pre-orders, and wide retailer links for readers who prefer them.

Business and nonfiction platforms

The book as the entry to speaking, consulting, courses and community; the site sells the ideas and the author’s availability, not only the book.

What to gather before an author website project starts

• All titles with ISBNs, formats, covers and descriptions.
• Retailer links for every store and market.
• Praise, reviews and awards with sources.
• Excerpts or sample chapters cleared for publication.
• Bios in three lengths and headshots with credits.
• Events and appearances for the next twelve months.
• Speaking topics, formats and past venues.
• Newsletter tool, list size and current welcome sequence.
• Media kit elements and press contacts.
• Domain, social profiles and Amazon Author Central details.
• Reader magnet or bonus content ready or planned.
• Upcoming releases and pre-order dates.
• Audiobook narrators and formats to credit.

Measuring an author website after launch

• Newsletter sign-ups per week and by source page.
• Retailer click-throughs by book and store.
• Direct sales and average order value, if selling direct.
• Speaking and school-visit requests.
• Rankings for your name, titles and genre phrases.
• Pre-order and launch-week traffic and conversions.
• Event page views ahead of appearances.
• Media kit downloads and press inquiries.

How Progression Agency builds author websites

We design and build author websites from New York City for writers, speakers and presses across the United States and worldwide, on Squarespace, WordPress, Shopify and Webflow, with retail and direct sales, newsletter and speaking integrations and the structure that gets you found for your name and titles. Related: personal website design, portfolio website design, content marketing, Squarespace design services and website design and development.

Frequently asked questions