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Author Website Design & Development

Your book is published.
But if readers Google
your name — what do
they find?

Most authors publish a great book and then become invisible online. A professional author website changes that — it works for you 24 hours a day, building your readership, growing your list, and selling your books while you write.

No commitment required · Free consultation · 100% confidential

140+Author sites built
4.8Average client rating
3wksAverage delivery
72hrFirst draft turnaround
Free Author Resource

The Author Website Checklist

12 things every author website must have to build a readership and sell books. Download free — most authors are missing 7 of these.

The 5-second testDoes your homepage pass it? Most don't.
The email capture secretOne element that grows your list 3× faster.
The SEO setup most authors skipBe found when readers search your genre.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Sent instantly.

The Reality No One Tells You

A published book without a website is like a shop with the lights off.

When a reader hears about your book — from a friend, a podcast, a mention online — the first thing they do is Google your name. What they find in the next 10 seconds determines whether they buy or move on.

  • No website means no credibility. Readers trust authors who have a professional online home. Without one, even a great book feels less real.
  • Amazon is not your website. Amazon takes 30–65% of every sale and you never learn who bought your book. Your own site gives you your readers' email addresses — so you own the relationship.
  • Social media is rented land. Platforms change algorithms, ban accounts, and disappear. An email list built through your website is the only audience you truly own.
  • Generic templates signal amateur. A WordPress template or Linktree bio does not represent the quality of your writing. Your website is your first chapter — it has to be as good as the book.
83%

of readers visit an author's website before buying a book from someone they haven't read before. Your site is the decision point — not the bookstore.

6×

more book sales for authors with a dedicated website and active email list compared to authors who rely solely on Amazon and social media.

"I published my memoir on Amazon and wondered why sales were flat. The week my Penscribe website launched, I got 47 email subscribers in 72 hours — readers I now talk to every month." — Sandra M., Memoir Author
What You Get

Not a template. A platform built for your book and your readers.

Every Penscribe author website is designed and built from scratch — around your book, your genre, your voice, and how readers in your category actually browse and buy.

Custom Design — Zero Templates
Three original design directions based on your genre, audience, and brand colors. You choose the direction. We build it. No Squarespace. No WordPress themes. No other author's website reused.
Included in all plans
Mobile-First Responsive
68% of your readers will visit from a phone. Every page is designed for mobile first \xe2\x80\x94 then expanded to tablet and desktop. Tested on 12 device types before handover.
Included in all plans
SEO Built In From Page One
Title tags, meta descriptions, Open Graph tags, structured data markup, XML sitemap, robots.txt, Google Search Console setup — all configured before launch. Your site is indexed and discoverable from Day 1.
Included in all plans
Book & Series Pages
A dedicated page for each of your books — with the cover, blurb, reader reviews, genre tags, and Buy Now buttons linking to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and your own direct-sale option. Built to convert browsers into buyers.
Standard & above
Author Bio & Story Page
Your About page is the second-most visited page on any author site. We write your author bio (or refine your existing one), structure your story for reader connection, and design the page to feel literary and warm — not like a resumé.
All plans
Blog Setup & First 3 Posts
A properly configured blog that feeds Google with fresh content about your genre, writing life, and themes from your books. We set up the structure and write your first 3 posts — so you launch with momentum, not an empty blog.
Professional & above
Events & Speaking Page
A dedicated page for book signings, podcast appearances, and speaking engagements. Podcast bookers and event organizers check author websites before reaching out. This page is your pitch to them — it must exist and look professional.
Standard & above
Full Training & Handover
A 60-minute recorded walkthrough of your entire site. How to add a blog post, update your book page, check your email subscriber count, and read your Google Analytics. You will not need to hire someone for every small update.
All plans
Recent Author Sites

What your site could look and feel like.

Every site we build is original. These represent three of our recent projects — different genres, different personalities, same standard of craft.

Literary Thriller
Dark, editorial — ink-and-shadow aesthetic
Memoir & psychological fiction author
↑ 340 email subscribers in first 30 days post-launch
Memoir / Personal Narrative
Warm, parchment — intimate and literary
First-time memoir author, self-published
↑ Book ranked #3 in category on Amazon within 2 weeks
Business / Leadership
Corporate authority — commanding and bold
CEO & thought-leader author, speaking engagements
↑ 4 paid speaking invitations within 60 days of launch
View Full Portfolio
The True Cost of Not Doing This Right

Here's what you'd pay hiring each piece separately.

We've priced this transparently so you understand exactly what you're getting — and why the alternative costs more, takes longer, and produces less.

Custom website design (5 pages)
Freelance UI/UX designer, not a template
$1,200\xe2\x80\x93$2,400 Included
Website development & build
WordPress or Webflow, custom coded
$1,000\xe2\x80\x93$2,000 Included
Author bio copywriting
Professional writer, author-genre specialist
$300\xe2\x80\x93$600 Included
SEO setup & technical configuration
Sitemap, schema, GSC, page optimization
$400\xe2\x80\x93$800 Included
Email marketing integration & welcome sequence
ConvertKit / Mailchimp setup, automation
$250\xe2\x80\x93$500 Included
3 launch blog posts
Genre-relevant, SEO-optimized, 800\xe2\x80\x931000 words each
$300\xe2\x80\x93$600 Included
Cross-device testing & quality assurance
12 device types, 4 browsers
$150\xe2\x80\x93$300 Included
Training & full handover session
60-min recorded walkthrough, documentation
$200\xe2\x80\x93$400 Included
Total if hired separately
Minimum realistic estimate — plus 3–5 months of coordination
$3,800+
Penscribe Author Website — starting from
$1,499
Delivered in 3\xe2\x80\x934 weeks. No project management overhead. One team, one vision, one voice.
The Transformation

What changes when you have a real author website.

✗ Without a Penscribe Author Website
A reader hears about your book, Googles your name, finds your Amazon page and a 4-year-old LinkedIn. They move on.
Every sale happens on Amazon. You get paid, but you never know who bought it. You can't email them when your next book comes out.
Podcast producers and journalists who want to feature you can't find a professional media kit or bio. They choose a different author who made it easy.
Your "author presence" is a Linktree bio with four links. Your writing is world-class. Your first impression isn't.
Six months after your launch, your book's ranking drops because there's no new content driving traffic. Momentum dies quietly.
✓ With a Penscribe Author Website
A reader Googles your name. They land on a stunning, literary website that immediately feels like your book. They download your reader magnet. They're on your email list in 60 seconds.
You have a Book page with a direct-buy option. 30% of your sales now come through your own site, at full margin, with a reader's email address attached.
Your Events & Media page has your author photo, bio, and press kit ready to download. Podcast producers book you without a back-and-forth.
Your blog posts bring in new readers from Google every week — readers who never heard of you before finding that post.
When your next book comes out, you email your list. 20% click through. Day-one sales create an Amazon ranking spike.
How We Build It

Five stages. You're in control at every one.

From your first call to the day your site goes live — here's exactly what happens. No surprises. No disappearing acts.

1
Discovery Call
Free 15-min call. We learn about your book, your readers, and your goals. You get honest advice — even if it means a smaller project than expected.
2
Strategy & Scope
Within 48 hours: a signed Scope of Work with every page, every feature, the timeline, and the exact price. Zero ambiguity before we start.
3
Design Concepts
You receive 3 unique design directions for your homepage. You choose one. We refine it based on your feedback until it's exactly right.
4
Build & Review
Full site built on a private staging URL. You review every page and request changes. We implement. Nothing goes live until you approve every element.
5
Launch & Train
Live. SEO submitted. Analytics live. Email integration tested. 60-min walkthrough so you can run your own site with confidence from Day 1.
3\xe2\x80\x934wks
Average delivery time
Unlimited revisions
On design direction once chosen
1 team
Designer + developer + copywriter assigned to you
Author Voices

What authors say after launching their Penscribe site.

These are authors who were skeptical, pressed for budget, and unsure whether a professional website was worth it. Here's what happened.

★★★★★
I'd been putting off a proper website for three years because I thought I couldn't afford it. The Penscribe site paid for itself in three months — not from direct sales, but from a speaking invitation I got because a conference organiser found my Events page. That one event was $4,000.
M
Margaret D.
Business book author \xc2\xb7 Leadership & Strategy
★★★★★
I'm not technical at all. I was terrified of managing a website. The training session they gave me was so clear that I added three blog posts in the first week on my own. My email list went from 12 people to 290 in the first month — readers I'd never have reached through Amazon alone.
S
Sandra K.
Memoir author · First-time self-publisher
★★★★★
What surprised me most was how well they understood my genre. The design immediately felt like my thriller series — dark, tense, editorial. Three readers emailed me after visiting the site to say the website made them want to read the book before they even looked at the blurb.
J
James O.
Thriller novelist · 4-book series
Free Resource

Not ready to invest yet? Start with the free checklist.

The 12-Point Author Website Checklist shows you exactly what your site needs — and what most author websites get completely wrong. Download it, audit what you have, and use it whether you work with us or not.

  • The 5-second visitor test — and how to pass it
  • The one email capture element that triples signups
  • Why your About page sells more books than your Book page
  • The SEO setup 90% of authors skip entirely
  • What podcast hosts check before they invite an author

Download the Free Checklist

Instant delivery. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Send Me the Checklist →
Also receive: our free guide "6 Things Every Author's Website Must Have to Sell Books"
Questions We Always Get

Everything you want to know about your author website.

These are the real questions — the ones authors ask in the first five minutes of a call. Answered honestly, with no sales spin.

Do I really need a website if I already have an Amazon author page?
Yes — and here's the exact reason. On Amazon, you compete for attention on the same page as your competitors' books, sponsored ads, and Amazon's own recommendations. Amazon decides what readers see next. On your own website, you control everything: what readers see, what they click, where they go, and — most importantly — you capture their email address. An Amazon author page cannot do that. The email list you build through your website is the only audience you truly own. When your next book launches, you email them directly. That's the difference between a one-time sale and a career-long readership.
What platform do you build on — can I edit it myself after? +
We build on WordPress or Webflow — both are industry standard, both give you full editorial control. WordPress is the most common (powers 43% of the internet). Webflow produces cleaner, faster code. We recommend based on your comfort level and long-term plan. Either way, adding a blog post, updating your book listing, or changing a photo is as simple as editing a Google Doc. We include a full 60-minute recorded training session so you can do all routine updates yourself without hiring anyone.
How long does it take to build from first call to launch? +
Our standard timeline is 3–4 weeks from kickoff to launch. Week 1: design concepts delivered, you choose a direction and give feedback. Week 2: full site built on a private staging URL. Week 3: your revisions implemented, all testing completed. Week 4: launch, training, and handover. Rush options are available for authors with time-sensitive book launches — ask during your call and we'll give you an honest timeline based on current capacity.
I'm not technical at all. Will I be able to manage the site myself? +
This is the question we get most often — and it's the one we're most confident about. We have built author websites for 70+ year old memoir writers who had never updated a website before. Our training session is designed specifically for non-technical authors: no jargon, step-by-step, and recorded so you can watch it again whenever you need it. The most common things you'll want to do — adding a blog post, updating your book page, checking your subscriber count — take less than 5 minutes each and require zero coding. We also include 30 days of free support after launch for any question that comes up.
What if I only have one book — is a full site worth it? +
Especially worth it if you only have one book — because your website does the work that a second book would do. It gives readers a reason to stay connected to you via your email list, your blog, and your story as an author. When your second book comes out, the readers who found your first one through your website will be the loudest voices promoting it. The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
What do you need from me to get started? +
Very little to start the conversation. For the discovery call: just yourself, a rough idea of your book(s) and your readers, and 15 minutes. After you decide to move forward, we send a simple creative brief — about 20 questions covering your preferred aesthetic, your genre, your audience, and what you want readers to do when they land on your site. We've found that authors who spend 30 minutes filling in this brief get dramatically better design results, because we're working from your voice rather than guessing. We gather your author photo, book cover, and bio during the scope phase — you don't need any of that on Day 1.
Will my site rank on Google? How does the SEO work? +
Every Penscribe author website is built with SEO as a structural requirement — not an afterthought. Before launch: unique title tags and meta descriptions for every page, Open Graph tags for social sharing, structured data markup (so Google understands the page is an author's website), XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console, proper H1/H2 heading hierarchy, and image alt text throughout. After launch: your blog posts — which we write and optimize for the keywords your readers actually search — are the primary engine for organic traffic growth. Most clients see their site indexed in Google within 48 hours of launch and start receiving organic visitors within the first 30 days.
What's included in the email list setup? +
We connect your site to your email marketing provider — ConvertKit, Mailchimp, or Kit (we recommend ConvertKit for authors). We design and build the opt-in forms: one in the header, one below your book description, and a pop-up triggered after 45 seconds. We create or help you create a reader magnet — the free thing you offer in exchange for an email address (a deleted chapter, a bonus story, a character guide, a reading guide). We also set up a 3-email welcome sequence so every new subscriber gets a warm introduction to you and your book automatically. Everything is tested before launch — you will have a working, growing email list from the minute your site goes live.
What does it cost to maintain the site after launch? +
Third-party costs (not included in our fees): Domain name: ~$15/year from Namecheap or GoDaddy. Hosting: ~$10–$25/month from SiteGround or Kinsta (WordPress) or $23/month for Webflow. Email provider: ConvertKit free plan up to 1,000 subscribers, then $29/month. Total: roughly $35–$50/month to keep your site live and your email list running. Our optional maintenance plan covers software updates, security monitoring, and one content update per month for $79/month — but it's completely optional. Most authors manage their own site with zero ongoing cost to Penscribe after the training session.
How is this different from hiring a freelancer on Fiverr or Upwork? +
Freelancers on Fiverr build websites. We build author platforms. The difference is that we are a publishing company first — we understand how readers find books, what makes them sign up for an email list, how genre aesthetics work, what podcast bookers look for on an author site, and how to connect your website to your book's marketing strategy. A freelance web developer doesn't know that thriller readers respond to dark editorial design while memoir readers respond to warmth and intimacy. We do — because we've spent years in the publishing world, not just the web design world. You're not paying for code. You're paying for publishing intelligence applied to your digital presence.
30
Day Satisfaction Promise
Our Promise to You

If you're not completely satisfied with your author website within 30 days of launch — we fix it. No questions. No fees.

We believe in the quality of our work completely. If any element of your site isn't performing the way we promised — whether that's design, functionality, SEO setup, or email integration — we revisit it, rebuild it, and make it right. Our reputation is built on author satisfaction. We haven't gotten where we are by walking away from a client who isn't happy.

The Next Step

Your readers are out there.
Let's make sure they can find you.

Book a free 15-minute call. We'll talk about your book, your readers, and whether a Penscribe author website is the right move. No pressure. No pitch. Just an honest conversation — and you'll leave with clarity either way.

Download the Free Checklist

Free consultation · No commitment · Response within 4 business hours

140+
Author sites built
4.8\xe2\x98\x85
Average client rating
3wks
Average delivery
30day
Satisfaction promise

Let’s turn your manuscript into a masterpiece.

Our team of expert writers, editors, and designers is ready to guide your book from first idea to finished bestseller. Book a free consultation and let’s talk about your project.

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