From someone who has had too many iterations of her author website to count

Back in 2016, after I attended my first writing conference, I decided to start my author website. I didn’t yet have a completed manuscript, let alone any publications other than those in my university’s literary journal, but the importance of having an author website was one thing I took away from the conference. I liked how so many of the writers in attendance could easily direct people to their website where you could find almost anything you wanted to know about their work.

So I decided to take the plunge.

I was an avid reader of fashion blogs back in their heyday, so I knew some of the basic blogging platforms that I could start with. There were Tumblr, Blogger, WordPress.com, Wix, and probably several others that I don’t remember the names of. A lot of options existed that would allow me to create a basic, free website, and a lot of options that would help me design said free website, but that didn’t mean I knew where to begin.

So I did a little research, shopped around online, and decided on WordPress.com. I knew some very basic web design at the time, and I was counting on WordPress.com to help me figure out all the parts of web design that I didn’t know. Somehow I hobbled together a website that functioned decently enough and was easy to find when Googling my name (the perks of having a relatively unique name.)

I had my first author website!

Since then, I’ve been continually grateful to have my little corner of the internet carved out. There have been many iterations of my website, including different web hosts, domain names, website themes, and color schemes, but regardless of all that, my website has continued to remain my hub online. It’s been on my business cards, can be easily added to social media, serves as a writing portfolio for freelance clients, and is even linked on Medium in my bio.

I’ve learned since that first WordPress.com blog that having an author website is not only important, but it’s sort of fun to manage, especially once you really nail down your own personal brand and image.

If you’re wondering about starting your own author website or simply sprucing up your online presence, look no further. While I’m not a web developer or expert by any means, here are some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the past few years as I’ve honed my own author website:

Why do you need an author website?

This is a common question, and one that has many answers. If you plan on taking your writing seriously and being published one day, you probably need a website. If you plan on being paid for any of your writing one day, whether that’s through freelance clients, ghostwriting, or landing a book deal with one of the big five publishing houses, then you probably need a website.

If you don’t want to take my word for it, here is some similar advice from experts in the industry (although the when and how, when it comes to creating your author website varies a bit depending on who you ask):

Creating an author website is important because it shows that you are serious about your writing, and also allows you to start crafting your author brand. And the best part? You are in control of your author website — no reviewer, client, BookToker, or fan can change what you put on your website. It’s all up to you!

Creating an author website can be as simple or as complex as you make it.

Where to start

As with starting anything new, the best place to start is with a little self-evaluation. Take a look at yourself and answer a couple questions. What is your level of savviness when it comes to web design? What are you hoping to get out of your author website?

The answers to these questions will help you know what website building platform will serve you, and your future website visitors, best.

Let’s tackle question number one first. Are you a complete novice when it comes to web design? If so, then you’ll want a platform that’s easy to navigate and has lots of built-in themes and widgets that you don’t have to create yourself. Website builders like Wix or Squarespace might be perfect for you if you fall into this category.

On the other hand, are you the go-to website person for your day job? Have you used basic or mid-level HTML code or CSS code to update websites or customize your social media presence in the past? Then you might be more suited to a self-hosted website through WordPress.org or another similar platform.

And what about question two — what are you hoping to get out of your website? If you’re looking for a sleek blog, then one of the pre-formatted blogger themes through platforms like the aforementioned Wix or Squarespace might be good for you. If you simply want a landing page where people can find a picture of you, the author, and links to various social media pages or publications, then you, again, might want to opt for a free and easy-to-use website builder that comes with preformatted options.

Figure out exactly what you would like on your website — and visit a few websites from your fellow authors (New York Times bestsellers and unpublished authors alike) to figure out what you like, don’t like, and want to make unique and usable for your website.

Next, research

Once you’ve narrowed down your options based on how you answered those questions, research those options! I recommend watching a few video tutorials on YouTube about the platform you’re interested in using. If you’re looking at self-hosting through WordPress.org, you’ll not only need to figure out how to use WordPress, but figure out which host to use. There are a ton of options, from Bluehost to SiteGround to Hostinger, and all have their pros, cons, and costs.

If you’re looking at using one of the options that already have themes and widgets built-in, you’ll want to find out which one seems more intuitive to you. Watching tutorials and videos of people actually building their website through Squarespace, for example, can help you know if its interface makes sense to you, or if Wix or WordPress.com might be a better option.

Another great thing to research is other authors’ websites! Check out your favorite author’s site and scroll down to the bottom to see if the site mentions if it is hosted by WordPress, Squarespace, or another platform. Beyond looking for that footer, it’s also helpful to simply look at what type of features you like and don’t like about any given author’s website. Take note of the things you want on your website, and research which platform easily supports that feature. Take your time in this step because research will only help you in the long run!

Finally, make your decision

This is the part that can trigger some anxiety, but after doing all of your research and considering the best website-building platform for you, you’ll eventually need to take the plunge and start.

The good news is that you can almost always start over. If you go with a WordPress.com site, you can eventually transfer over to a WordPress.org site. If you go with Wix and decide that you don’t like the tools they offer for building your website, you can always start from scratch with Squarespace.

Nothing is ever final — trust me. I think I’ve had at least six different variations of my website over the past several years, and beyond those six big overhauls, I’m always tinkering with the color scheme or fonts to keep them up to date and aligned with my current branding. Building your website doesn’t have to be “one and done,” it’s a process that evolves as your writing evolves!

The idea of building an author website can be overwhelming — I totally understand. This is especially the case when you’re unfamiliar with different website hosts and platforms, or when you simply aren’t super web-savvy. It’s important, though, to have a space where you and your writing live online. Hopefully, these tips can help you know where to get started, and where to go from here.

So what’s the status of your author website? Are you looking to give your online presence a facelift, or starting from scratch? It’s never too late to get started, so get to researching!

Previously published in The Writing Cooperative