What an author website costs depends mostly on how many books you have and how much you want to do beyond showing them. A debut novelist with one title and a bio needs very little, while a writer with a long backlist, a speaking calendar and a press kit needs more room to organize it all.
The price at a glance
Most authors fit Launch Website: $399 one-time for up to 5 pages, plus Website Care at $30/month for hosting, HTTPS, backups, weekly performance checks, A/B testing and up to 30 minutes of small edits each month. A typical author site covers Home with a featured book, Books, About, Events and Contact.
What changes the price for an author
- ✓Number of titles — Each book wants its own cover, blurb, excerpt and set of retailer links, so a ten-book backlist takes real layout time that a single debut does not.
- ✓Series and reading order — If your books belong to a series, readers need a clear order and a path from book one forward, which adds structure and extra pages.
- ✓Events and appearances — Signings, festivals and library talks need a page that stays current, and a long list of dates takes more setup than one launch announcement.
- ✓Press and media needs — Reviewers and podcast hosts look for a short bio, headshot and sample questions, and building a proper press area adds content that a reader-only site skips.
What keeps you in the smaller plan
A first-time author with one or two books can stay small by featuring the newest title on the home page and keeping a single bio. Link each cover straight to the retailer or bookshop where you want people to buy, and skip a separate events page until you have appearances worth listing. A simple contact form that works for both readers and press is enough at the start.
Costs that sit outside the website
- ✓Retailer and bookshop links — Buying happens on the retailer’s own site, so any fees or royalties there belong to that retailer and are separate from the website.
- ✓Newsletter tool — If you collect reader emails, the mailing service you pick has its own plan, and we connect it rather than replace it.
- ✓Cover and author photos — Professional cover files and a good headshot are usually supplied by you or your publisher, and licensed stock images, if you want any, are paid separately.
- ✓Domain and email address — Using your own name as the web address and a matching email is worth choosing early, and registration is billed by the registrar.
When it makes sense to step up
Move up once you have a series, several formats of the same title, or a regular run of signings and festival panels. A second pen name, a newsletter sign-up you actively use, or a media kit that journalists actually request are also signs that one slim site will feel crowded. If you sell signed copies yourself, a clean order path deserves its own space.
One example of what your site could look like
This is one sample we designed. Yours is built around your business, your photos and your words, and we have more examples if you want to compare directions.
What it costs
Websites are priced one-time by size, plus Website Care at $30/month for hosting, HTTPS, backups, weekly checks and A/B testing. Every package includes a consultation, mobile-friendly design, copy we write for you, a contact form, essential search setup and 10 revision rounds. Monthly SEO is an optional add-on when you are ready for it.
Optional add-ons, billed separately
The prices above are for your website. These two are separate monthly products you can add now or later. Neither is part of the website price.
Monthly SEO, from $50/month: new pages published on your site every month. See Monthly SEO →
Business Spotlight, from $30/month: articles about your business, labeled as paid, published on The Company Chronicle. See Business Spotlight →
How it works
1. Consultation
We learn your services, customers and goals, in English or Spanish.
2. We write and design
We draft the words and build the site around your business.
3. 10 revision rounds
You review and request changes until it is right.
4. Launch and care
We launch, then Website Care keeps it hosted, backed up, checked weekly and A/B tested.
Keep reading
Websites for authors · Launch checklist for authors · Website cost calculator · Small business website cost
