How Do You Plan a Website Design for Authors From First Idea to Final Launch?

After working on author websites through independent projects and creative teams, I began noticing a common problem. Many authors think the biggest challenge is choosing the right design, but the real work usually starts before that.

It all comes down to understanding what the website needs to achieve, what readers are looking for, and how they should find their way through the site.

I’m Jonathan Shaffer, and in this guide, I’ll share the process I use when planning author websites, from understanding an author’s goals to testing the finished site before launch.

How a Website Problem Usually Starts Before the Website?

The first time an author sends me a message asking for help with their site, it rarely starts with “I need a website.” It usually starts with something smaller.

A book is coming out in four months. Maybe a publisher asked for a link to include in a press kit. More importantly, a reader emailed asking where to buy the second book in a series, and there was nowhere to send them. That small, specific problem is the real starting point, and it's a better starting point than any template or theme.

Planning a website design for authors works best when it follows the way a real project develops, from the first discussion with an author to the final launch.

This is the process I use, based on the steps that usually shape a website from the beginning.

My Process Breakdown

Research the Author, Audience, and Website Purpose

Before opening any design software, I spend time understanding three things: who the author is, who reads their work, and what the site is supposed to do for both of them.

This step looks different depending on the author. A debut novelist usually needs the site to build credibility and give readers a reason to trust an unfamiliar name. A nonfiction author with an established career, say a business consultant who has written three books, usually needs the site to support speaking engagements and consulting work as much as book sales. A romance author with a backlist of twelve titles has a completely different problem: readers need to find the right book in the right series without getting lost.

I ask authors direct questions early on.

Who buys your books right now, and where do they usually find you?

What do you want someone to do after they land on your homepage?

Do you get more email inquiries about events, translation rights, or bulk orders?

The answers shape everything that follows, and skipping this step is the most common reason author sites end up generic. A site built without this research tends to look like every other author site pulled from a template gallery, with the same hero image and the same three buttons.

Create the Website Blueprint

After the goals are clear, I start planning the structure of the website before thinking about the visual direction. I look at the pages an author actually needs, how readers will move between them, and where important information should be placed.

I usually begin with the pages readers expect to find on an author website: a homepage, an about page, individual book pages, a contact page, and sometimes a media or press page. The final structure depends on the author’s catalog and how readers are likely to explore it.

For a writer with standalone books, I may create separate pages for each title with the synopsis, reviews, and retailer links. With a series, I usually organize the books around a series page first, then connect each title from there. This gives readers a clearer way to see where the series starts and how the books fit together.

I also plan navigation around how people actually search, not how the author organizes their own bookshelf. An author might think chronologically, book one through book six, but a new reader often searches by genre or by what's newest. I've built navigation menus that lead with “Start Here” for authors with long backlists, specifically because new readers were bouncing off homepages that listed every title without guidance.

This is also when I decide what NOT to include. Authors often want to add pages for every idea they've ever had: a forum, a fan art gallery, a member login area. Most of these ideas add maintenance burden without adding value for a typical author site, so I push back here and explain the tradeoff directly.

Develop the Visual Direction

With the structure settled, I move into layout, typography, imagery, and the visual elements that will carry the author's voice.

Genre plays a big role in the visual direction of an author website. I approach a thriller author’s site differently from a children’s picture book author’s site because the design needs to match the expectations readers bring with them.

For a thriller author I worked with, I used a condensed, heavier typeface for headings along with darker, high-contrast sections. The goal was to create a layout that felt sharp and moved quickly as readers scrolled.

For a picture book author, I went in another direction with softer typography and more open space, since many visitors were parents checking the site on their phones and looking for information quickly.

Author photography is another area where I push for specifics instead of stock choices.

I often find that casual author photos work better than carefully staged headshots. A photo of an author at their writing desk or holding a copy of their own book can make the website feel more personal, especially for debut authors who are introducing themselves to new readers.

In a few projects, I have replaced traditional headshots with phone photos authors had taken themselves. Those images often felt closer to the author's personality and fit the overall tone of the website better.

Book covers deserve their own visual treatment too. On book pages, the cover image needs enough size and contrast to act like a mini advertisement, since for many visitors, the cover is the entire reason they clicked through from social media in the first place.

Build Pages Based on Reader Behavior

This is where structure and visuals come together into actual pages, and where I think about how different visitors move through the site.

The homepage usually needs to answer one question fast: what should I do here? For an author with a new release, that means the newest book takes the top position, full stop, even if it means moving an older bestseller further down the page. I've had authors resist this because their backlist title still sells well, but a homepage that buries the current release confuses new visitors who arrived because of recent press or a social media post.

Book discovery works differently depending on catalog size. For an author with one or two books, a simple grid works fine. For an author with a large backlist, I usually build a filtered browsing system, letting readers sort by series, genre, or release date. A cozy mystery author I worked with had eight books across two series, and readers kept emailing asking which book came first. We solved it by adding a simple “reading order” toggle on the book discovery page, which cut those emails down almost immediately.

Website Structure Decisions Based on Author Type

A quick reference for the challenge each type of author is really solving for.

Moreover, the contact journey needs the most thought, because “contact us” hides several different needs. A reader wants to say they loved a book. A journalist wants a press kit, and most likely an event coordinator may want the booking details.

I prefer giving each type of visitor a clear contact option. A reader looking to share feedback should not have to use the same form as a journalist asking for a press kit or an event organizer asking about a booking.

Add Features That Support Author Growth

Once the core pages work well, I add features that help the author grow their audience over time rather than just presenting existing work.

Newsletter signup forms need placement that matches reader intent, not just a popup that interrupts everyone. I place signup prompts at natural pause points, like the end of a book page after someone has just read a synopsis and is already invested, rather than the moment someone lands on the homepage before they know anything about the author.

Blog sections work well for nonfiction authors building topical authority, but for fiction authors, a blog often performs better when it's reframed as something like “Behind the Book” or “Deleted Scenes,” content that gives existing fans a reason to return rather than trying to attract search traffic on unrelated topics.

Event pages matter more than most authors expect, especially for those doing regular signings or festival appearances. I build these with a simple upcoming and past events split, since a page cluttered with expired events from two years ago makes an author look inactive even if they've been busy.

Media resources, things like high-resolution cover images, an author bio in multiple lengths, and a short list of speaking topics, save enormous back and forth once press inquiries start coming in. I've had authors tell me this page alone saved them hours during a launch week, because instead of drafting a new bio for every journalist, they could just send a link.

Complete Testing Before Going Live

Before any site goes live, I run through it the way a first-time visitor would, not the way I've been looking at it for weeks.

This includes checking every buy link against the correct retailer for each region, since an author with international sales often needs different links for different countries, and a broken or mismatched link on a book page directly costs a sale. I test contact forms by actually submitting them and confirming the email arrives, because a silently broken form can go unnoticed for months while an author wonders why nobody's reaching out.

Mobile testing gets particular attention, since most readers now discover authors through phones, often from a social media link. I check that book covers stay legible at small sizes, that navigation menus don't require excessive tapping, and that page load times stay reasonable, since slow-loading pages lose visitors before they ever see the book.

Before a site goes live, I spend time using it the way a real visitor would. I check whether a new reader can understand who the author is, whether returning readers can quickly find a specific book, and whether media or event contacts can access the information they need.

During this review, I usually find small things that need another look. A navigation label may not be clear enough, a link may be harder to find than expected, or a section may need more information before the site is ready.

It does add time to the project compared with starting from a template and filling in standard pages. The extra work helps create a website that matches the author’s catalog and gives readers a smoother way to find what they need.After working on author websites through independent projects and creative teams, I began noticing a common problem. Many authors think the biggest challenge is choosing the right design, but the real work usually starts before that. 

It all comes down to understanding what the website needs to achieve, what readers are looking for, and how they should find their way through the site.

I’m Jonathan Shaffer, and in this guide, I’ll share the process I use when planning author websites, from understanding an author’s goals to testing the finished site before launch.

How a Website Problem Usually Starts Before the Website?

The first time an author sends me a message asking for help with their site, it rarely starts with “I need a website.” It usually starts with something smaller. 

A book is coming out in four months. Maybe a publisher asked for a link to include in a press kit. More importantly, a reader emailed asking where to buy the second book in a series, and there was nowhere to send them. That small, specific problem is the real starting point, and it's a better starting point than any template or theme.

Planning a website design for authors works best when it follows the way a real project develops, from the first discussion with an author to the final launch. 

This is the process I use, based on the steps that usually shape a website from the beginning.

My Process Breakdown 

Research the Author, Audience, and Website Purpose

Before opening any design software, I spend time understanding three things: who the author is, who reads their work, and what the site is supposed to do for both of them.

This step looks different depending on the author. A debut novelist usually needs the site to build credibility and give readers a reason to trust an unfamiliar name. A nonfiction author with an established career, say a business consultant who has written three books, usually needs the site to support speaking engagements and consulting work as much as book sales. A romance author with a backlist of twelve titles has a completely different problem: readers need to find the right book in the right series without getting lost.

I ask authors direct questions early on. 

Who buys your books right now, and where do they usually find you? 

What do you want someone to do after they land on your homepage? 

Do you get more email inquiries about events, translation rights, or bulk orders? 

The answers shape everything that follows, and skipping this step is the most common reason author sites end up generic. A site built without this research tends to look like every other author site pulled from a template gallery, with the same hero image and the same three buttons.

Create the Website Blueprint

After the goals are clear, I start planning the structure of the website before thinking about the visual direction. I look at the pages an author actually needs, how readers will move between them, and where important information should be placed.

I usually begin with the pages readers expect to find on an author website: a homepage, an about page, individual book pages, a contact page, and sometimes a media or press page. The final structure depends on the author’s catalog and how readers are likely to explore it.

For a writer with standalone books, I may create separate pages for each title with the synopsis, reviews, and retailer links. With a series, I usually organize the books around a series page first, then connect each title from there. This gives readers a clearer way to see where the series starts and how the books fit together.

I also plan navigation around how people actually search, not how the author organizes their own bookshelf. An author might think chronologically, book one through book six, but a new reader often searches by genre or by what's newest. I've built navigation menus that lead with “Start Here” for authors with long backlists, specifically because new readers were bouncing off homepages that listed every title without guidance.

This is also when I decide what NOT to include. Authors often want to add pages for every idea they've ever had: a forum, a fan art gallery, a member login area. Most of these ideas add maintenance burden without adding value for a typical author site, so I push back here and explain the tradeoff directly.

Develop the Visual Direction

With the structure settled, I move into layout, typography, imagery, and the visual elements that will carry the author's voice.

Genre plays a big role in the visual direction of an author website. I approach a thriller author’s site differently from a children’s picture book author’s site because the design needs to match the expectations readers bring with them.

For a thriller author I worked with, I used a condensed, heavier typeface for headings along with darker, high-contrast sections. The goal was to create a layout that felt sharp and moved quickly as readers scrolled. 

For a picture book author, I went in another direction with softer typography and more open space, since many visitors were parents checking the site on their phones and looking for information quickly.

Author photography is another area where I push for specifics instead of stock choices. 

I often find that casual author photos work better than carefully staged headshots. A photo of an author at their writing desk or holding a copy of their own book can make the website feel more personal, especially for debut authors who are introducing themselves to new readers.

In a few projects, I have replaced traditional headshots with phone photos authors had taken themselves. Those images often felt closer to the author's personality and fit the overall tone of the website better.

Book covers deserve their own visual treatment too. On book pages, the cover image needs enough size and contrast to act like a mini advertisement, since for many visitors, the cover is the entire reason they clicked through from social media in the first place.

Build Pages Based on Reader Behavior

This is where structure and visuals come together into actual pages, and where I think about how different visitors move through the site.

The homepage usually needs to answer one question fast: what should I do here? For an author with a new release, that means the newest book takes the top position, full stop, even if it means moving an older bestseller further down the page. I've had authors resist this because their backlist title still sells well, but a homepage that buries the current release confuses new visitors who arrived because of recent press or a social media post.

Book discovery works differently depending on catalog size. For an author with one or two books, a simple grid works fine. For an author with a large backlist, I usually build a filtered browsing system, letting readers sort by series, genre, or release date. A cozy mystery author I worked with had eight books across two series, and readers kept emailing asking which book came first. We solved it by adding a simple “reading order” toggle on the book discovery page, which cut those emails down almost immediately.

Website Structure Decisions Based on Author Type

A quick reference for the challenge each type of author is really solving for.

Author Situation Main Website Challenge Recommended Approach

Debut author Building trust with readers unfamiliar with the name Prioritize author introduction, book information, reviews, and newsletter signup

Author with a growing catalog Helping readers discover multiple books Organize titles by series, genre, or reading order

Nonfiction author Supporting professional opportunities beyond book sales Add speaking information, expertise pages, and media resources

Established author Managing a large audience with different needs Create clear paths for readers, media contacts, and professional inquiries

Moreover, the contact journey needs the most thought, because “contact us” hides several different needs. A reader wants to say they loved a book. A journalist wants a press kit, and most likely an event coordinator may want the booking details. 

I prefer giving each type of visitor a clear contact option. A reader looking to share feedback should not have to use the same form as a journalist asking for a press kit or an event organizer asking about a booking.

Add Features That Support Author Growth

Once the core pages work well, I add features that help the author grow their audience over time rather than just presenting existing work.

Newsletter signup forms need placement that matches reader intent, not just a popup that interrupts everyone. I place signup prompts at natural pause points, like the end of a book page after someone has just read a synopsis and is already invested, rather than the moment someone lands on the homepage before they know anything about the author.

Blog sections work well for nonfiction authors building topical authority, but for fiction authors, a blog often performs better when it's reframed as something like “Behind the Book” or “Deleted Scenes,” content that gives existing fans a reason to return rather than trying to attract search traffic on unrelated topics.

Event pages matter more than most authors expect, especially for those doing regular signings or festival appearances. I build these with a simple upcoming and past events split, since a page cluttered with expired events from two years ago makes an author look inactive even if they've been busy.

Media resources, things like high-resolution cover images, an author bio in multiple lengths, and a short list of speaking topics, save enormous back and forth once press inquiries start coming in. I've had authors tell me this page alone saved them hours during a launch week, because instead of drafting a new bio for every journalist, they could just send a link.

Complete Testing Before Going Live

Before any site goes live, I run through it the way a first-time visitor would, not the way I've been looking at it for weeks.

This includes checking every buy link against the correct retailer for each region, since an author with international sales often needs different links for different countries, and a broken or mismatched link on a book page directly costs a sale. I test contact forms by actually submitting them and confirming the email arrives, because a silently broken form can go unnoticed for months while an author wonders why nobody's reaching out.

Mobile testing gets particular attention, since most readers now discover authors through phones, often from a social media link. I check that book covers stay legible at small sizes, that navigation menus don't require excessive tapping, and that page load times stay reasonable, since slow-loading pages lose visitors before they ever see the book.

Before a site goes live, I spend time using it the way a real visitor would. I check whether a new reader can understand who the author is, whether returning readers can quickly find a specific book, and whether media or event contacts can access the information they need.

During this review, I usually find small things that need another look. A navigation label may not be clear enough, a link may be harder to find than expected, or a section may need more information before the site is ready.

It does add time to the project compared with starting from a template and filling in standard pages. The extra work helps create a website that matches the author’s catalog and gives readers a smoother way to find what they need.