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Author Website Design
UK
An author website has an unusual job. It must introduce a person, present a book, and stay useful long after launch week. It is also the one corner of the internet you control, which matters when social accounts change their rules or disappear. This page explains what we build, what goes on an author site, and what a website can and cannot do for a book.
Author website design is the planning, building and launching of a website that presents a writer and their books clearly to readers, event organisers and the media. We design and build author sites for UK authors, from a single-book page to a fuller site with a blog and events. We do not promise visitors, rankings or sales. We do build a site that is clear, fast and simple for you to keep up to date.
Last updated 27 October 2026.
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What should an author website include?
Fewer pages, done well, usually serve better than many thin ones. These are the pages we would normally discuss with you.
Home
What it holds: Who you are, your current book and a clear next step
Why it matters: Visitors should understand the site in seconds
Books
What it holds: Each title with a description, cover, formats and links to buy from leading online bookstores
Why it matters: Gives readers a direct route to the book
About
What it holds: A bio written for readers, and a good photograph
Why it matters: People look for the person behind the book
Events
What it holds: Upcoming and past events
Why it matters: Useful to organisers and local readers
Media and press
What it holds: A short bio, high-resolution images, book details and a contact
Why it matters: Saves journalists and hosts from asking
Contact and newsletter
What it holds: A simple form and a sign-up for news
Why it matters: Lets readers stay in touch without relying on social accounts
A blog, a reading group guide or a page for a series can follow if you have the material to keep them alive. An outdated page does more harm than a missing one.
Website design for authors: how a build works
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Brief
We talk about your books, your readers and what you would like the site to do.
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Structure
We agree the pages and how readers will move between them.
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Design
We propose a look that suits your genre and voice, for your comments.
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Build
We build the site with a content management system, so you can edit text without a developer.
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Review
You test the site, we correct what needs correcting, and we check it on phones and larger screens.
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Launch and handover
The site goes live, and we show you how to update it.
What we build in
Search basics
Descriptive titles, sensible headings, image descriptions and fast-loading pages. These help search engines understand the site. They do not promise a ranking.
Accessibility basics
Readable text size and contrast, image descriptions and clear navigation, so more people can use the site.
Ownership
Your domain name and your site belong to you.
Author website design for first-time authors
If this is your first book, you may have a cover, a short bio and not much else. That is enough to start. A single well-made page that explains the book, shows the cover and gives buying links can be a sensible first step, with more pages added as material arrives. We can plan the site so it grows without being rebuilt.
Custom author websites and what that means
Custom here means designed around your book and genre rather than dropped into a standard template unchanged. A memoir, a children's picture book and a thriller want different tones, and the design should reflect that. We keep the build simple enough that you can edit it. See our author branding page if you also want a consistent look across your site, your books and your profiles.
What you need to supply
- Your bio, in whatever state it is in, and a recent photograph.
- Book descriptions, cover files and any quotations you have permission to use.
- Links to where readers can buy, and your contact details.
- Any events you want listed, and any images you own or are licensed to use.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
The main variable is how ready your content is. We give a timescale and a written quote after the brief. The quote states what is included, such as the number of pages, hosting and any support after launch. We do not publish a headline price or a "from" figure on this page.
Planning your content before the build
A website is largely words, pictures and decisions, and the design only frames them. We therefore start with content. For each page we agree what it needs to say, who it is for and what a visitor should do next. A book description is a good example. It works well when the first line tells a reader who the book is for and what it offers, before any detail about the plot or the author. If writing is not your preferred task, we can help shape the text with you.
After the site goes live
A site is not finished when it launches. Events pass, new books arrive and links change. We show you how to update the pages yourself, and a simple habit helps: check the site when you publish, when an event ends and once or twice a year otherwise.
Who this is for
First-time authors who need a clear home for one book, self-published authors who have no publisher's page to point readers to, and established authors whose site has grown untidy. If you only need a short page for a single book, say so. A smaller build can be the right one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still need help? Contact us
+44 20398 08310
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Why does an author need a website?
A website is the one place you control. It gives readers, event organisers and journalists a reliable place to learn about you and your books, whatever happens to social accounts. It does not promise sales or visitors.
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How do I create an author website?
Decide what readers should find, gather your bio, book details and images, choose a simple structure, and build or commission it. If you build it yourself, keep it small and keep it current.
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Do self-published authors need a website?
It is not required, but self-published authors have no publisher's page to point readers to, so a small site of their own fills that gap.
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Can my author website be optimised for search engines?
We build in the basics: clear structure, descriptive page titles, fast loading and sensible metadata. Nobody can promise a search position, and we do not.
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Can an author website help sell books?
It can make buying easier by giving readers a clear books page with buying links, and a sign-up for news. It cannot promise sales, and we do not present it as a sales engine.
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How long does it take to build an author website?
It depends mainly on how ready your content is. A site with finished text and images moves faster than one waiting on a bio and photographs. We give a timescale with the quote.
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How much does an author website cost in the UK?
There is no single price. Cost depends on the number of pages, custom features and who writes the content. Ask for a written quote that lists what is included, including hosting and updates.
Talk to us
Tell us about your book and what you would like your website to do, and we will say what we would suggest.
