Our Author Website Services
Custom Design or DIY
Designed Specifically for Authors
Whether you are tech-allergic or tech-savvy, we have the website solution for you.
In no time at all, Joel & Laura created a professional, colorful and classy website. They are a pleasure to work with and indispensable to authors like me who who are allergic to technology projects.
Marguerite ElisofonWhile there are many web designers out there, very few are attuned to the specific needs of authors. In helping many authors launch and promote their books to the world, we’ve learned a lot about what works, what doesn’t, and what an author uniquely needs in a website.
Custom Design
If you want to work with an experienced book marketer to build a site tailored to your needs, purchasing our custom author website might be your best option. We will work closely with you to assess your overall website goals, then build your site according to that vision.
Author Website Features
Our author websites are based on years of experience launching and promoting books, and include the most essential and effective elements for authors.
Home Page
Visitors get a taste of every page on the site when they scroll through your homepage. A snippet about the book and a view of the cover, a few sentences about you, the author, and links to your featured blog posts and media appearances. We will work with you to match your aesthetic so the look and feel of the site fits your personality and your book’s branding and genre.
After we build your site, you’ll be able to update it later, without relying on us or other designers:
- Newest Blog Posts Will Automatically Update On The Home Page
- Newest Media Appearances Will Appear, And Older Ones Will Drop Off The Home Page
- If You Publish A New Book, Just Swap Out the Cover Art And The Blurb Copy–Easily!
About Page
It’s important to have an About page that tells readers about you and your background. With years of book marketing experience, we can help you craft a bio to present on the About page that fits your needs and works for your audience.
Press/Media Pages
Getting media exposure is an important part of launching and promoting your book. My author sites include a Media Page for displaying all your media appearances, and helping you get more interviews.
We build it for you, and we’ll add in all your current media appearances for you. After it’s built, you can easily update yourself, so new interviews and reviews are live on your site in just minutes:
- Quickly Duplicate Pre-Designed Modules: We will create a sample media item, so when you’re ready to do it all on your own, all you have to do is swap out the text and the link
- Select Which Media You Want FEATURED On Your Homepage
Book Page(s)
Optimized Sales Page For Your Book
When you launch your book, it’s important to have a compelling landing page that tells potential buyers about you and your book. My websites follow best practices for online sales and marketing, and include buttons so visitors can buy your book, a place for book testimonials, and a visually appealing format.
Easy-to-Update
My author websites are built on a platform that is intuitive. It’s easy to create and update for novice web users. I’ll teach you how to use it, so you won’t be dependent on me or anyone else to make changes to your site in the future!
Custom Features
Are you looking for a website feature you don’t see here? I can find a solution for any specific need you have. Just let me know and I’ll add it to your site!
Blog
If you want to build an audience for your book, it’s important to get your voice “out there” through a consistent blogging presence. My sites include a variety of blogging options to make it easy for you to publish your latest thoughts and share them with the world.
I’ll build your blog for you, and help you get started by posting a few to the site so it isn’t blank when you go live. Then, I’ll teach you how to keep it updated as you write new blogs! It’s very easy, and I’ll create a template to help you do it with the push of a button:
- Replace sample blog text with your new blog copy
- Swap in your new picture
- Decide what category and whether you want to feature it on your homepage
- PUBLISH!
Event Calendar
Some authors schedule events when their book is published, and others provide services related to their books, like coaching or teaching workshops.
Our sites offer an event calendar function that allows you to list all your book events, workshops, or speaking gigs on your website. I’ll get you started by listing any events you have scheduled.
Once the site is finished, the event calendar is easy to update yourself, and I will teach you how!
Social Media Integration
Social media is an important part of any campaign to spread the word about your book. My author websites link up to all your social media platforms. This will help your site visitors easily share, like, and talk about your book across all social media platforms.
Email Opt-Ins
One of the best ways to grow the audience for your work is to grow an email list. My sites include beautiful email sign-up forms that will encourage your website visitors to become subscribers, without being too spammy.
Mobile-Friendly
These days, the majority of people visiting your website will be doing so on a mobile device, so it’s imperative that your site be “responsive” to all devices. My author websites are built on a platform that automatically adapts to any device . . . no matter how small.
Writing Copy
When you decide to use my custom website services, I help you craft web copy that presents you and your book in a compelling way that represents the core ideas of your work.
The website that Joel & Laura built for me is aesthetically pleasing, functional, and continues to work with very little tweaking. Most importantly they made it possible for me to add content and write regular blogposts without outside help. For a non-techie, this was a huge gift. Great work!
Linda K. JacobsAs a first time author about to embark on a book launch campaign, I realized reaching the public via a web presence was a key to success. After an arduous process of studying various websites, I decided to put my project in the hands of Joel & Laura. They artistically crafted an engaging and charismatic experience for the viewer. I highly recommend their web design services to one and all.
Adele Paula RoyceDo It Yourself
If you’re fairly confident in your online abilities, you can purchase our author website template. We will give you two 1-hour lessons to get you started, and then you upload your own content to personalize the website.
Our DIY template is as easy as 1-2-3
Choose Your URL
You’ll need a domain and a hosting service for your site. We can point you in the right direction for how to get these set up if you don’t have them already.
Upload the Template
We’ll facilitate the process of loading the author website template onto your domain (www.you.com). The site comes with all the features of an optimized author website (see below). You just need to add pictures, copy, and your personalized aesthetic twist.
Learn How To Build It
Once we’ve uploaded the template to your site, we’ll have a 1-hour Skype session where we take you step-by-step through the process of using your site. By the end, you’ll have a strong understanding of how to update it, and we’ll point you in the direction of resources for future support and learning.
I’m so happy with my new site! Joel & Laura walked me through every step of the process. They are seriously patient and thorough, with great instincts for what (tech-challenged) writers need to succeed. Best yet, because they showed me how to do it myself, I feel in control moving forward.
Susie MeserveBoth Options Are Affordable
And Our Sites Are Very Easy To Maintain
In our work with authors, we’ve learned a couple of things about their website needs. First, most don’t have the budget to spend on a high-end designer, but still need something that looks great and is up-to-do date with online best practices. Second, most authors want a site they can easily update themselves instead of relying on web designers for costly future updates.
Our author sites are cost-competitive and use an elegant template that allows even the least tech-savvy author to update their own site into the future.
Pricing
Custom Design
$2,450
A fully functional website with all features from above, tailored to your specific needs.
Do It Yourself
$750
Includes our author site template and two 1-hour lessons in how to use it.
Let’s Connect About Your Website Needs
Here are just a few examples of websites for our author clients.
Contact Us
Author Your Website is the author-website division of Launch My Book, Inc. Founded in 2013 by Joel Pitney, Launch My Book started as a service to support authors grow their platform in preparation for book launch has expanded into a full-service, boutique marketing shop. In 2016, Joel’s business partner and wife, Laura Hartzell, joined the team after a long career in fundraising. Together, they help authors with all aspects of getting their book out into the world, from cover design, to social media strategy, to marketing campaigns, and building websites. They live and work together in the mountains of Bend, Oregon and provide personalized service to authors throughout North America.
