To promote your books effectively, an author website is not an option. It’s a necessity. People will visit your website to find out who you are and what types of books you’ve written. Your website should be attractive and thoughtfully laid out. It must sell your offerings and position you in the best possible light.
Key elements of an effective author website
- Book Cover
- Author Headshot
- Blurbs from Reviewers
- Book Trailer
- Buy Buttons to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.
- Excerpts or Quotes from the book
- Media Clips & Logos
- Book Awards
- Your Backlist of Books
- Option to sign up for your mailing list
If you’re ready to design a website for your books, it only makes sense to take a close look at the sites of other authors. They may inspire you and give an idea of what you’d like your website to look like. To start, I encourage you to check out these author websites. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you come across a great author site that should be included on this list.
1.Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins’ website draws attention because of its large tagline. From the moment you visit it, you want to “Ignite. Achieve. Excel.” His website conveys what he believes in right off the bat. You don’t have to click around to find out.
2. Anthony Horowitz
Anthony Horowitz nailed it in the color department and was strategic about the colors he used. There’s no denying the rustic orange showcases his top-selling books. His Twitter handle is also front and center so you can follow him quickly and easily.
3. Colleen Coble
Colleen Coble’s website has a great layout with a clean look. It features a newsletter signup as well as specific pages for her latest books and media coverage.
4. James Patterson
James Patterson can pay anything for his website. So what does it include? Take a look and find out for yourself. Feel free to join his mailing list, tweet out all his books, and watch his latest trailers.
5. Jay Shetty
Jay Shetty’s website is a great marketing tool for his podcast and courses. It also showcases his impressive media coverage. It’s clear he was a guest on The Today Show, Red Table Talk, World Mental Health Day…the list goes on.
6. Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell’s clean website draws attention to one of his top books, “The Bomber Mafia.” The “Learn More” tab directs site visitors to take the next step and buy the book on third-party sites like Amazon and Apple Books.
7.Emma Davies
Emma Davies’ website features a turquoise color scheme as it really stands out. There’s also an attractive picture of her plus a welcome message that directs visitors to her social media outlets and contact page.
8. Daniel Gibbs
Daniel Gibbs was smart when he opted for an interactive website. You can click around to enticing pages like the map page, ship schematics page, timeline page, and comprehensive universe encyclopedia.
9. Karen Kingsbury
Karen Kingsbury’s website is designed to convince visitors to buy her New York Times bestselling book, A Distant Shore. Once you visit it, it becomes quite clear that she wants you to order and enjoy it right away.
10. Jonathan Fields
The close up of Jonathan Fields’ face makes quite the statement. There’s also a unique email signup that you’ll be directed to join if you state that you “totally agree” and love discovering stories and ideas that inspire you.
11. Stephen King
Stephen King’s website features a thoughtful design and useful frequently asked questions page (FAQ). You can visit it to find out why he became a writer, where he gets his ideas, and more.
12. Henry Neff
Henry Neff’s social media profiles are clearly found on the top right hand corner and encourage visitors to become a follower or fan. His website also features a robust “About Henry” section with his biography, events, press and interviews, and school visits.
13. Kelly Minter
Kelly Minter’s website has a beautiful picture of her and clearly conveys who she is: an author, speaker, and musician. The easy access to her bible study and email signup that lures visitors in with a free download definitely stand out.
14. Timothy Keller
Timothy Keller’s website revolves around one of his famous quotes and directs visitors to his bio. The top navigation is simple and only features four links: bio, books, sermons, and blog. Also, his black, white, and red color scheme is quite attractive.
15. JK Rowling
JK Rowling’s website is all about her new book The Christmas Pig. Visitors will notice her signature at the very top as well as a great picture of her. There’s also an ‘Answers’ page where JK Rowling answers frequently asked questions.
16. Julie Orringer
Julie Orringer’s website features pages for each of her books, which revolve around the experience of Jewish characters during World War II and current times. Each page includes a description of the book, reviews, and links that direct visitors to make a purchase.
17. Nicole Krauss
Nicole Krauss’ website is a real standout because the navigation is on the left rather than top of the home page. It also features pages that focus on each of her books about Jewish history, themes of identity, and family connections.
18. Savi Sharma
Savi Sharma’s website is bright, cheery, and all about her. We love the professional picture and media mentions at the bottom as well as the story of how she became a writer. Her site also encourages visitors to follow her on Instagram thanks to the icon on the upper right hand corner.
19. Janet Evanovich
My wife is a huge fan of Janet Evanovich and has read all of her books. On Janet’s website, her book “Game On” is front and center. The dark background really allows it to stand out. We also love the social media icons on the top left and subscribe button on the top right.
20. Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly’s website has a section that does a great job highlighting his key accomplishments. There’s also a space that informs and excites visitors for his upcoming releases and dedicated pages for events he’ll be attending and podcasts he’s been in
21. Nora Roberts
Nora Roberts’ website features a rotating banner that draws attention to the various books she’s written. The books section is made up of a release schedule and details on every book she’s written. We can’t forget the printable full book list.
22. Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson’s website is all about the latest book and gives visitors a status update on his projects. There’s also a robust blog and online library with sample chapters, free fiction, and annotations.
23. James Clear
James Clear’s website is dedicated to Atomic Habits, which is his top book. It allows visitors to download the first chapter for free so that they’ll hopefully be intrigued and purchase a copy eventually. Visitors can also subscribe to his weekly newsletter.
24. Jodi Picoult
While Jodi Picoult’s website is simple, it’s also attractive. The white background makes the teal social media icons and lovely picture of her stand out. There are also dedicated pages for all her books with a synopsis and video.
25. Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk’s website is simple, thanks to its black and white color scheme. The large text about his book, Crushing It really stands out. It features a link to learn more about VeeFriends, his collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
26. Michael Grumley
Michael Grumley’s website is unique because of its “Next Book Meter,” which informs visitors how far he is into his next book. It also offers a free ebook and shares information about how they can support St. Jude’s Research Hospital by buying his books.
27. Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss’ website is nothing short of thoughtful. He owns the phrase ‘FOUR HOUR’ as he is the author of The Four Hour Workweek, The Four Hour Chef and others with Four Hour in the title. In addition to the quality picture of him, there’s an embedded recording of the latest episode of his show. The search box and teal callouts that draw attention to his accomplishments are also noteworthy.
Why reinvent the wheel when you don’t have to? Look at these author websites or others to get an idea of what you like.