A website for authors: books, events, a newsletter and the right contacts
Three kinds of people visit an author's site: readers deciding what to read next, event hosts and journalists looking for a bio and a photo, and agents or publishers looking for who handles rights. Give each a clear path, keep the book list easy to update, and the site keeps working between publications.
Three audiences, three routes
- Readers
- Want the books in order, what each is about, where to buy it in their format, and what's next. Many will look for series order before anything else.
- Event hosts and press
- Want a short and a long bio, a recent author photo they're allowed to use, past events and how to invite you. Libraries, festivals and bookshops often book months ahead.
- Agents, editors and rights buyers
- Want to know who represents you, which rights are available (translation, audio, film) and who to contact. If you have an agent, this is their name and email, not yours.
Put a short line for each on the home page with a link to the right place. Readers shouldn't wade through a rights paragraph, and a scout shouldn't have to dig through the newsletter pitch to find your agent.
The book list as a collection
Books are the part of an author's site that changes most: new editions, new covers, paperback dates, a fresh quote from a review. Rather than editing a long page by hand, keep them in a CMS collection. Each project can have collections with typed fields that you edit in the dashboard, and each entry is served at its own address, such as /books/ for the list and /books/the-salt-road for a single title.
| Field | Why |
|---|---|
| Title and series number | Readers search for "book 2" and want reading order |
| Publication date and formats | Hardback, paperback, ebook, audio, with dates if they differ |
| Short description | Two or three sentences, without spoilers |
| Cover image | With alt text that names the title |
| Where to buy | Links to a couple of retailers and, if relevant, your own signed-copy link |
| Praise | One or two quotes you're allowed to use, with the source |
| Content notes | Optional, but readers increasingly look for them |
Buy links and signed copies
Most books are bought through retailers, so their "where to buy" links do the work. If you sell signed or dedicated copies yourself, point that button at a checkout link from Stripe Payment Links, PayPal, Shopify or another supported provider. The provider takes the payment; you post the books. If you sell ebooks directly, see the digital products guide for delivery options.
The newsletter
Retailers and social platforms decide who sees your launch announcement; your mailing list doesn't. Put the sign-up on every page, say what subscribers get (first look at covers, a short story, event dates) and how often. Sign-ups are saved in your dashboard, and with the Kit or Mailchimp connector each one is added to your list as it arrives; Mailchimp sends its double opt-in confirmation. The newsletter sign-up page guide covers the wording.
How Anticode builds an author site
As an author website builder, Anticode works from a sentence such as "a site for the novelist Hannah Pryce, three historical novels in a series, a newsletter, events and a rights contact for her agent at Fenwick Literary". The Architect plans the pages and may ask about the look. Editorial (Geist) suits literary fiction; Luxury (Jost) suits historical or romance; Playful (Fredoka) suits children's books. Upload covers and author photos to the build; the model sees each image.
The contact form handles event invitations. It asks for a name, email and message, so list what you need above it (event name, date, place, audience size), or ask for a custom form tied to a site function with those as separate fields. Enquiries can be emailed to you, or posted to Slack or Notion if someone else manages your diary.
Where it falls short
- No blog engine. A CMS collection can hold posts, but there are no comments, RSS or scheduled publishing. If regular essays are central, a blogging tool may suit you better.
- No retailer feeds. Prices and stock from retailers aren't pulled in; you add the links.
- No reader accounts or members' extras. Send bonus material through your newsletter tool instead.
- English pages only. If you're published in translation, list those editions with links rather than expecting translated pages.
Questions people ask
Do I need a website before my first book is out?
It helps to have a simple one by the time the cover is announced: a bio, the book with its publication date, and a newsletter sign-up. Add buy links when pre-orders open.
Should my email address be on the site?
Use the contact form for readers and events, and give your agent's address for rights. That keeps your own inbox off the page.
Can I add a page for each book?
Yes. Entries in a CMS collection are each served at their own address, which also helps each title turn up in search.