Retailers are valuable, but they are not the author’s home. Social accounts can reach readers, but access, format and visibility can change without permission. A website is the place where the author controls the public record, the reader path and the relationship between one book and the next.
The objective is not a decorative biography. It is publishing infrastructure.
An author website has six jobs
- Identity: confirm who the author is and distinguish the correct person or pen name.
- Orientation: show which books exist, what they are and where a new reader should start.
- Conversion: make samples, buy links, events and contact routes easy to use.
- Authority: host accurate biographies, press material, articles and source information.
- Relationship: allow readers to subscribe or contact the author directly with proper privacy controls.
- Continuity: preserve a stable address when retailer pages, algorithms or social platforms change.
An author does not need every feature on day one. A fast, clear site with excellent book pages is more useful than an ambitious shop with broken checkout and no delivery information.
Use a small, legible architecture
| Page | Primary purpose | Required content |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Orient first-time visitors | Author identity, current book, short promise and clear next actions |
| Books | Show the catalogue | Covers, formats, status and links to individual book pages |
| Individual book | Convert interest into reading or purchase | Description, sample, formats, buy links and accurate metadata |
| About | Build trust | Relevant biography, professional photograph and chosen public boundaries |
| Resources or journal | Serve readers and search intent | Original, useful articles connected to the books or expertise |
| Media | Reduce work for journalists and hosts | Short and long bios, images, book facts, topics and contact route |
| Contact and legal | Make communication and data use clear | Form, privacy, cookies, terms and relevant sales policies |
Keep navigation language ordinary. “Books”, “About” and “Contact” are clearer than private metaphors. A poetic brand can still use functional labels.
What belongs on a professional book page
- Accurate cover with descriptive alternative text
- Title, subtitle, series and author name
- One-sentence orientation and full description
- Format, publication date, ISBN and publisher where useful
- Retailer and direct-purchase options labelled by format or region
- Readable extract or sample chapter
- Honest endorsements, awards and review sources
- Content information where readers reasonably need it
- Author note or background to the book
- Related interviews, articles, events and other books
- Last updated information where availability changes
Do not trap the cover inside a visual treatment that crops the title or makes the physical book look different. Use the final, authorised cover. Avoid invented mock-ups that alter awards, typography or proportions.
Buy buttons should state what happens: “Paperback at Amazon UK”, “Read a sample” or “Signed copy from the author”. “Discover” is not always a useful label when the reader wants to buy.
Build for readers, search and access at the same time
Google recommends helpful, reliable, people-first content and crawlable links. It also uses the mobile version of a site’s content for indexing and ranking. Those principles align with good publishing: clear titles, descriptive headings, useful copy, visible authorship and a fast mobile page.
On-page essentials
- One descriptive H1
- Unique page title and meta description
- Readable URL
- Descriptive internal links
- Image dimensions and alt text
- Book and author structured data where accurate
Access essentials
- Keyboard navigation and visible focus
- Good colour contrast
- Logical heading order
- Text alternatives for meaningful images
- Forms with labels and useful errors
- Layouts that work with zoom and small screens
Structured data can help search engines understand a page, but it must describe visible, accurate content. Do not mark up fabricated reviews, invisible awards or information the reader cannot verify on the page.
Direct sales and email create duties as well as opportunity
Direct sales can improve margin and allow signed copies, bundles or reader extras. They also make the site responsible for checkout, security, delivery information, customer support, cancellation and returns. Start with a hosted or well-maintained commerce system and display the terms before payment.
Email is valuable because the reader has chosen a direct relationship, but the address is personal data. State what the subscriber will receive, collect only what is needed, record consent where required and provide an effective unsubscribe route. Do not add manuscript enquirers or customers to marketing lists silently.
Separate the author, publisher and service identities
A pen name may be the correct public author identity while a publisher or sole trader is the responsible legal operator. The site should make the relationship understandable without exposing unnecessary private information.
For this project, RazMihal.com is the author site for Raz Mihal. Mystic Publishing is the publishing and website operator identity. Book pages can link between them, while privacy, terms and service representation remain with Mystic Publishing.
Own the parts that matter
- Register the domain in an account the author or responsible business controls.
- Keep hosting, WordPress and email access documented.
- Use named accounts rather than a developer’s permanent personal account.
- Maintain backups and test restoration.
- Update plugins, themes and legal information.
- Check forms, buy links and retailer availability regularly.
- Keep original images and editable source files.
- Export the mailing list and analytics data where lawful and useful.
- Review old biography, event and publication information at least twice a year.
A website earns authority by remaining accurate. Publish fewer pages, keep them alive and connect every article to a genuine next step. That is stronger than a large abandoned site built for launch week.