Set Up an Author Site and Platform with 1 Week and $500
by emily piepenbrink
Right off the bat, I have to say that this might be a conflict of interest for me. Because I am a big ol’ reader, I have a vested interest in you getting your book published so that I can read it. But, let’s agree to look past that and walk through how to get your author website and platform set up in a week and for $500.
And, that’s not a mis-print. I mean it. And, I’m talking about a gorgeous, professional-looking website too. And, the tech set up to connect your ever-important email capture/newsletter service and your analytics.
You’ve done the seriously hard work of writing a book (or books!), don’t let a simple website hold you back from an incredible publishing deal and sales!
Setting Up an Author Website In A Week with $500
As a professional website designer, I have worked on sites on every major platform – Showit, Squarespace, Shopify, WordPress, Wix, etc. While there are occasionally reasons to use a different platform (I made a whole post about that here), I encourage all of my clients to use Showit as their website host.
Showit is freaking incredible.
- Cost effective. Showit is upfront about their pricing and it is competitive (and often cheaper) than most other website platforms. Plus, you can use my code here to get a free month!
- A TRULY EASY-TO-USE BACKEND. I cannot say enough words about how much I love the backend of Showit, aka the webpages you use to create, edit, and update your website. You can literally drag and drop elements across your website. Not a “drag and drop” grid style like some platforms (ahem, Squarespace), but a true click on something and move it exactly to where you want it.
- Showit’s simple, non-intimidating backend helps my clients feel empowered to do their own website updates if they want instead of having to always pay someone. And, I love that! It’s your website, you should feel like you can touch it and update it without stress!
- An incredible support team. If something every does go wrong, or seems off, or you can’t figure out why somethings not working, Showit has the best support team. They’re fast, helpful, and love a funny gif. Seriously, you’ll feel like you’re getting an entire tech support team.
Purchase A Domain.
A domain is the address of your website, i.e. thehappygingerco.com or emilypiepenbrink.com. You’ll need to own your domain name by purchasing it through a domain seller like GoDaddy.
If possible, try to get your name or pen name with dot com at the end. If that’s not an option try yournamewrites.com or authoryourname.com. While there are many dot variations (.travel, .org, .co) nothing beats the professionalism and trustworthiness of .com.
Purchase A Showit Subscription
So, your first step is going to be purchasing a Showit description – and you’re going to use my link to get a free month! Hooray for saving money.
The lowest tier Showit subscription will be all that you need if you’re looking for an incredible website that can build an author platform, sell books, and help grow your email list. For most authors, this seems to be the perfect fit. They want a place to set up an online home and be able to update it as needed when they have new books, go on tour, or offer a new freebie.
If you’re an author who is looking to share more on your website, like blogging to increase SEO rankings, you’ll need the Showit and Basic Starter Blog tier. A blog is a great way to grow, and if you’re a person who has a lot to say or wants to blog their author journey, then this is the perfect fit for you!
These are the two Showit subscription tiers that offer everything you need to get your author website up and running amazingly.
Caveat: While Showit does offer a final tier, Showit and Advanced Blog, this is more for larger brands who need to get into the weeds of their blog needs or who are selling digital products online. If you fall into that category, I recommend you reach out to me directly because that is going to take some heavy technological lifting and would be a custom website design.
Purchase A Website Template
Okay, so with approximately the first half of your $500, you’ve paid for a website hosting subscription from Showit. Woohoo! That’s like buying the land for your house. Now, we need to buy and decorate the house, aka your website template!
Website templates are the absolute, uncontested best way to get a gorgeous, designer-made website for the lowest possible price. So heck yeah, we’re going to take advantage of that. Showit has an entire shop of website templates (some of which are free) for a variety of different industries. You can absolutely look through these, and see if there’s something that speaks to you.
OR if you’re wanting something made specifically for authors, I have several templates for sale that I designed specifically with authors in mind! These are minimal page website templates that cover all of your needs (and a little more), so that you’re not paying for a fifteen page website template you’ll only use a fraction of.
You can check out my author website templates here:
Azalea Alcott
Birdie McBraeden
Tuesday Tucker
Pssst! And, if you sign up for my newsletter, you get a 25% discount code to use in the shop. Remember, we love saving money!
Customize Your Website Template
Yay, we made it to the beautification stage! Now is the time for you to update your template to reflect your author personality. Change the colors and fonts to fit your style, update the copy to share your store, and link all of your books to the template so you can start making sales!
Customizing a template in Showit is genuinely intuitive. You can also check out my tutorial library to get some video and written instructions on how to make these changes.
By DIY-ing your customization, you’ll definitely save money and be able to stick to the $500 budget. In order to stick to the one week timeline, I recommend gathering all of your website copy and photos first. That way when you sit down to customize, everything is at your fingertips.
If you decide that you loathe technology so much, I do offer a template customization service. You can find details about that here.
Add Your Email Capture
Wouldn’t it be a dream if you could just write books, and then they would magically sell? Man, what a nice dream. But, here in the real world, an email list still plays a massive role not only in sales, but often in landing a publication deal. Publishing houses and even literary agents want to know that you can and will help market your book. So we need to make sure your website is set up to grow your email list.
On your template, especially if you purchased one of mine, is a section that’s made for your lead magnet. A lead magnet is a freebie (a download, a coupon code, a quiz, etc) that you offer in exchange for people’s email addresses. So to get your lead magnet/email capture set up, you’ll need whatever lead magnet you’ve designed and an email newsletter service.
You can get a free starter account at BDOW. Remember, we love saving money. There’s no reason to be paying for an email newsletter service before you even have subscribers. That’s wild. So, a free account that you (hopefully!) will need to upgrade when you’ve reached a particular visitor threshold is great!
All you need to do is set up your BDOW account by following the set up instructions – they’ll walk you through it. Then, use their guide to make your first form and automatic email (that sends your lead magnet). Once, you’ve created that form, you’ll see a place to copy the embed code. Then, go back to the backend of your Showit website and paste that embed code into the black embed code rectangle in the lead magnet section!
Launch Your Author Website!
The best part! You’re finished! Your site is gorgeous, it’s ready to capture emails, it’s ready to sell books, it’s ready to make you a household name! To launch your website, Showit will walk you through the process, so don’t let that overwhelm get you.
This is Showit’s excellent tutorial that walks you through the launch process of your website!
Share Your Author Website
Honestly, while it may have only cost you $500 and a week’s worth of your time, your new author website is a massive financial investment in your business as an author. So give yourself a clap on the back or a drink or whatever you need to celebrate. Now, you just have to start sharing your website with everyone you know. Even me! Feel free to share your author website link with me so we can all check you out!
read the Most popular posts...
The Best Showit Website Templates for Interior Designers
entrepreneurship
DIY Scalloped Terra Cotta Flower Pot for Indoor Plants
DIY & crafts
A Hand Illustrated Brand Design With French Influence
ILLUSTRATION & Design
DIY Book Ornament Tree - Featuring My Love of Nancy Drew
Lifestyle
as seen in
see all press
Step into a joyful life fueled by your creativity.
I believe we are called to a life of creativity, and I’m trying to show up for that every day. When I’m not designing website templates, brands or illustrations, I’m getting my glitter shoes metaphorically muddy with my own artistic pursuits. I’m a maker, a quilter, a Christmas enthusiast, a baker, and a truly abysmal (but passionate) gardener.
Hi, I'm Emily.
join me in a life that is fun and fulfilling.
Check out my Creative Small Business Resource Library to access all of my favorite tools and programs that I use to run my business (and, let's be honest, my life). Just sign up for the newsletter below!
