Inspiration for Your Author Website: 4 Fiction Author Website Examples
You know you need an author website - you just don’t know where to start! You’re a great writer – you’re not expected to be a website designer, too!
Not convinced you need an author website? Read this blog post, 8 Reasons Why You Still Need an Author Website, for more information on why an author website is still critical.
Here are four fiction author websites to inspire you and identify features you may want to include in your author website.
In this blog post, you’ll learn about the following:
The importance of clear, highly visible CTAs
How to ensure your author website aligns with your author brand
Examples of adding creativity and personality yet still keeping the website professional
The ideal placement of an author’s latest/upcoming release
The importance of a clean, uncluttered layout
The types of pages every author website should have
Curtis Sittenfeld’s author website is colorful and clear
Colors on the author's website reflect the author’s brand and latest book.
Curtis Sittenfeld author website homepage
Curtis Sittenfeld’s author website has an on-brand home page. As you land on the homepage, you can immediately develop a sense of Curtis Sittenfeld’s creative energy and author brand, thanks to the high-contrast color palette that nicely complements her latest book cover. Sittenfeld’s use of color is true to Sittenfeld’s brand.
The author’s next book is clearly showcased above the fold on the author’s homepage
Next, notice that it isn’t necessary to go searching for Sittenfeld’s latest book. “Romantic Comedy” is Sittenfeld’s upcoming book, and it has a priority place on the home page above the fold (i.e., before scrolling).
The section about Sittenfeld’s latest book also includes the following:
Calls to action (CTAs) in the prime spot, below her book and above the fold, where the buttons are obvious
Two CTAs: a Learn More button and a Buy Now button in case readers want to learn more about the book before clicking the buy now button.
A brief elevator pitch for the book
Sittenfeld’s author website has a straightforward navigation
Curtis Sittenfeld homepage author website
Sittenfeld makes it easy to navigate her author website with clear directional guidance. You can quickly figure out where to find her biography (a must-have for every author site), upcoming events, other works, and contact page.
The navigation bar is at the top of Sittenfeld’s website and stands out against her backdrop, so it's easy to read. She also uses short and easy-to-understand terms to describe her navigation.
Sittenfeld has a clean books page
Curtis Sittenfeld book page author website
Shockingly, many authors don’t list all of their books on their websites! Perhaps it's because they don’t know how to list their books or what to include on the book page.
Luckily, Sittenfeld, a prolific author, has a books page that lists all her books. Sittenfeld doesn’t clutter her book page with lengthy descriptions. Visitors can take in the totality of her work without getting bogged down by the details.
When the reader clicks on the book, they’re transported to a specific book page with a synopsis of each book.
Sittenfeld’s contact page includes the relevant details about how to get in touch with her and her team
Curtis Sittenfeld contact page author website
Sittenfeld’s contact page includes the most relevant information – how to contact her agents for specific purposes (media inquiries and speaking opportunities).
Sittenfeld also uses gentle, good-natured humor to direct readers to contact her via Twitter rather than postal mail.
Consider what you like best about Sittenfeld’s author website and what lessons you might apply to your own author website.
Kristin Hannah has a robust author website meant to engage her reader
Meet Kristin Hannah—a fabulously successful and prolific author and best-selling author of The Nightingale. Hannah’s website is thorough, well-designed, and rich with multimedia content about Hannah and her books.
A CTA to Hannah’s newsletter is an announcement bar at the top of her website
Kristin Hannah homepage author website
Do you see the announcement bar at the top of Hannah’s home page to subscribe to Hannah’s newsletter? Right from the start, Hannah pushes reader engagement. Hannah has a CTA to her newsletter because about 94% of website visitors aren’t ready to buy during their first visit. Signing readers up for your author newsletter is a great way to slowly warm them up to your books and build lifelong communities of readers.
Like Sittenfeld, Hannah understands the value of placing her latest book front and center of her website above the fold and strategically inserting CTAs like “Order Now.”
Hannah incorporates a photo of her and social proof to build the know, like, and trust factor
When a reader lands on Hannah’s page, they know she is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. This trust signal lets readers know they won’t be disappointed if they buy her book.
Trust is something Hannah conveys quite well. She also places a photo of herself near the top of the home page. Notice how her chosen picture makes her look casual, relaxed, and personable.
Hannah’s personable photo and statement that she is a New York Times best-selling author help build the “know, like, trust” factor well. This is important because customers must feel like they know, like, and trust you before further engaging with you and especially before they’re willing to buy from you.
Hannah also builds social proof by showing all the praise for her latest release, “The Four Winds.” Not only does Hannah list all the places where the book has topped the best-seller list, but she also lists the praise for her book from well-respected publications and fellow authors.
Hannah uses a variety of reader engagement strategies
Kristin Hannah Four Winds author website
Hannah even goes one step further beyond the CTA and social proof. She offers several ways that readers can engage with her book and her to further build her know, like, and trust factor.
Hannah offers three types of reader engagement tools. First, she provides multimedia content about Four Winds. In addition to the standard excerpt visitors can read, Hannah provides an audio clip of the book and videos about Four Winds. There are discussion guides for book clubs, as well.
Second, readers have the opportunity to get to know Hannah better. You can also listen to an interview with her and a “bonus conversation.”
Third, readers can further engage with Hannah by adding her to your Goodreads list and subscribing to her newsletter.
Hannah makes it easy for her fans to share her book by providing detailed discussion guides
Every author wants their books to be frequently shared and discussed. Hannah makes it easy for the reader to share her book by cultivating offerings for book clubs. Hannah has a section on her navigation bar explicitly for book clubs. The Book Clubs page opens to discussion guides for each book.
These aren’t lightweight, cursory discussion guides; the guides are in-depth and offer many questions for readers’ consideration. Even more thoughtfully, readers can view the question on Hannah’s homepage or download a PDF that readers can bring to their next in-person book club meeting.
Each discussion guide page includes links where the reader can buy the book. The links are sorted by medium so readers can buy the book in whatever format they like - a hard copy, an e-book, or an audiobook.
Rebecca Serle’s website includes many photos and has a fun, casual vibe
Rebecca Serle takes advantage of email marketing immediately
Rebecca Serle homepage author website
Before exploring Rebecca Serle’s home page, you’ll see a pop-up inviting you to join her mailing list. Pop-ups are highly effective at getting people onto your email list. About 11% of people respond to an email newsletter pop-up, a high conversion rate when industry standards are usually 1-2%.
As mentioned above, there’s a reason so many of these authors have a call to action for their newsletter. Sending a regularly scheduled newsletter is a relatively cheap and easy way to engage readers and cultivate personal and long-term relationships. It doesn’t have to be fancy – even a short newsletter about your daily activities, musings, or readings is fine. Your readers just want to hear from you.
And email marketing, i.e., sending newsletters, is one of the most effective marketing tools. Email is estimated to generate $36 for every $1 spent; social media generates a return of $3 per $1. Of course, having a large social media following is sexy, but an email follower is 12X as valuable as a social media follower.
Authors who want to sell more books should develop a robust email marketing effort.
Rebecca Serle’s author homepage has a short tagline that describes her work
Rebecca Serle hero image author website
Rebecca Serle’s landing page starts with a banner photo of her relaxing on a couch with a friendly smile.
The photo also has a short and clear tagline that describes her work as a producer, screenwriter, and author. Since Serle works in television, she is likely attuned to the importance of visual engagement.
Serle also includes a favicon on her website tab. The favicon is a bright red heart, which aligns with her main genres (romance and young adult). The favicon helps her website stand out in a sea of browser tabs.
Serle’s next book is prominently featured and offers multiple calls to action.
Rebecca Serle One Italian Summer Author Website
Immediately below the central banner image, Serle showcases her latest release.
Cleverly, Serle offers multiple calls to action to engage with her book. Here are her calls to action:
Pre-order a signed copy of the book
Download a corresponding playlist - very unique and clever!
Get information on her book tour
Get information on her
Serle includes many photos of her to build the know, like, and trust factor
Rebecca Serle photos author website
Perhaps fairly unusual for an author’s website, Serle’s website has many photos of her. So many authors want to hide behind their words and books, but adding pictures of yourself throughout your website is an excellent way to build the know, like, and trust factor.
The photos surrounding Serle’s brief bio are on-brand. Instead of choosing only formal pictures or photos of Serle doing writing-related things, Serle includes casual and relaxed photos. But, again, remember that Serle writes young adult fiction, so this personal image is on-brand for her as it connects her to her readers.
Serle has a well-developed events page
Rebecca Serle events author website
Serle’s Events page is particularly appealing, demonstrating her knack for visual elements. Instead of merely listing her upcoming events, she also put together an attractive flyer with imagery from her latest book cover. This makes the reader want to attend her events even more.
Chandler Baker’s website is professional and stylish
Full disclosure, we had the honor to work with Chandler and design this website for her.
Baker builds the know, like, and trust factor quickly with photos, reviews, and credentials
Chandler Baker hero image author website
When designing this website, we wanted Baker’s fans to trust her immediately. So we chose a photo that conveys warmth and taps into that “know, like, trust” factor that must be present before a reader engages, let alone, buys from anyone.
Next, Baker places her New York Times Bestselling Author credential in a highly visible place – on her homepage above the fold – to build credibility. She also included a review blurb above the fold from actress Reese Witherspoon, which instantly builds credibility.
Baker uses a hamburger menu to keep her website uncluttered
Baker has opted for a hamburger navigational menu. This hidden menu enables her home page (not to mention the rest of her website) to look clean and uncluttered.
Baker’s About page includes personal details
Chandler Baker about page author website
Baker’s about page is similarly uncluttered, with just enough information to give readers a sense of who she is, both as a professional and a person. There’s a photo of Baker, a professional biography, and a few details about her. Baker writes that she enjoys overspending at bookstores and obsessing over true crime. These details make Baker more relatable to her audience.
Baker’s website showcases all her writing
Chandler Baker The Husbands Book Page author website
Baker’s website lets the reader quickly access her writing, books, and essays via the navigation bar.
Clicking on an individual book allows the reader to read a compelling synopsis, see the colorful book cover, and buy the book via the buy now button.
Baker also includes the most notable award for each book right at the top, which further builds credibility. In addition, she’s added reviews and critical acclaim for each book.
Baker offers an option to schedule a video appearance for book clubs
Chandler Baker book club author website
Lastly, like many authors, Baker includes discussion guides for her books for book clubs. Baker’s discussion guide even offers recipes to go with her books.
Unlike many authors, Baker also includes a CTA to request a personalized video appearance to book clubs. Clearly, Baker is committed to going the extra mile for her fans!
This author website clearly illustrates multiple methods that authors can use to connect with their audience.
Summary
The author websites that we discussed above usually included the following elements:
Clear, highly visible CTAs to buy the author’s book, join the author’s newsletter, or engage with the author
Branding that aligned with the author’s books and style
Creativity and personality while still keeping the website professional
The author’s latest/upcoming release on the homepage
Clean, uncluttered design
Multiple ways for readers to engage with the author
What’s one thing you learned from this post? What tactic can you incorporate into your author website this week?
For more DIY help with your author website, check out these resources:
Here’s another post on the features your author website should include.
Here’s a homepage checklist you can use to audit your author homepage for these features.
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