As an author website designer, it’s no surprise that I believe authors greatly benefit from having a website. After years of helping authors improve websites that weren’t serving them, or building first-time sites for new authors, I’ve seen that authors without websites face a much harder time establishing their brand. Those with poorly functioning sites are often left frustrated, unsure of what went wrong.
I regularly ask myself whether an author truly needs a website to ensure my design services add value—and the answer is consistently yes. When created with clear goals, a website strengthens an author’s brand, builds a community, and provides a platform for their content that they control—important advantages for any author.
There are great solutions out there like Substack, video platforms (ie: Tiktok), Instagram, etc…. for reaching your audience, but they are in control of your content and how it’s shared, and work best as a way to spread the word about your work and build community rather than as a website replacement.
An author website serves as a central hub for readers, media, and industry professionals to find information about books, events, and more. Here are the key reasons every author needs a website:
- Visibility & Branding: It helps establish the author’s personal brand and online presence.
- Direct Reader Engagement: Enables mailing lists, updates, and fan interaction.
- Content Control: Authors manage their message and content, independent of social media platforms.
When thoughtfully designed, a website is a powerful tool for marketing, book sales, and credibility.
While hiring a professional website designer adds value in terms of strategy, design, content advice, and SEO, it’s possible to build a website yourself. I’ve written about the must-have content for an author website, and the best platform to use to build your author website to help you get started.
If hiring an expert is within your budget, it’s often worth the investment for a polished site that enhances credibility and attracts readers, agents, and publishers. But if it’s not, don’t worry! A simple, well-crafted site can still yield great results.
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If you’re interested in diving into more details about this topic (and many others!), check out my Author Website Planning Kit which details out everything you need to know to build your own author website.
This document consolidates, updates, and fleshes out my most popular and helpful articles written for authors and writers into a single, affordable resource. If you’ve been thinking about it for a while, but aren’t sure where to start, what platform to use, and what key decisions you’ll face, this planning kit is for you.
Interested in working with me on your author website? Contact me to schedule a chat.
Note that links to SiteGround author website hosting services throughout this website are affiliate links. I use and recommend these services not only because I receive a small commission if you purchase from them, but because I believe they are doing the best job possible.
Meet the Author
Author website designer, Kate Anchev, specializes in author websites for authors, publishers, and book promotion that are clean and goal-oriented to help authors tell their stories online. With many years of experience, Kate not only creates beautiful, easy-to-use, fresh designs, but also helps you make strategic decisions about your whole web presence, soup to nuts. If you’re interested in talking with Kate about your project, get in touch with her to schedule a chat.