Book a free callBook a call
Book cover designCovers made for your genre · from $599Book formattingPrint + ebook interiors, fixes, editing · from $249Children's & coloring booksPicture books, coloring books, activity books · from $1,499Book illustrationLine art, ink, color, maps · from $99Book trailersShort films for your launch · from $399Author social mediaPosts that look like your book · from $349Author websitesA home for you and your books · from $899
Why does KDP say content is outside the margins when nothing is there?Why does KDP keep rejecting my cover?Why did IngramSpark reject my cover again?Can I use my paperback cover file for the hardcover?Do I need to buy an ISBN for KDP and IngramSpark?Can I publish the same book on both KDP and IngramSpark?

All answers →

Is an author website necessary for a first-time author?

Updated · 2 min read ·

Short answer

You can publish without one, but a simple author website is strongly recommended because it's the one place you control: your book links, mailing-list sign-up and press details keep working if a store or social account changes. It also gives readers, reviewers, bookshops and search engines one page with your bio, every book and where to buy it.

What it costs with me, Jooneyd: My one-book site is $899, a 5-page author website $1,449, and a custom motion site of up to 8 pages $2,449.

Why it matters when you sell on Amazon

Stores, social networks and ad platforms can change their rules or close an account. Your own site stays put, with your links and mailing list in one place. The top answer in a busy author thread says a website isn't necessary but is recommended, for exactly that kind of control.

It also anchors your name online. Google's Article markup has an author URL field for “a web page that uniquely identifies the author”, and your website is that page.

What a simple author site needs

This is practical advice, not a platform rule.

  • One page per book, with links to every store: Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble and shops supplied through IngramSpark.
  • The series reading order.
  • A mailing-list sign-up.
  • Your bio, a press kit and contact details.

What authors pay for one

Reedsy puts a designer-built author site at about $1,740 on average. The EFA's 2026 survey shows a website design median of $500 (mean $513), from a small sample. Both figures are in US dollars.

Common mistake

Relying only on a store author page or a social profile you don't control.

Need it done?

I design author websites with a page for every book and every store link. Author websites from $899.

Book a free call See author websites →

Related answers

Are book trailers actually worth it?When a book trailer pays off and when it doesn't: reader survey data, Amazon's video ads for authors, and the Should covers be consistent between books in a series?Why series covers should look like a set, what to keep the same and what to change per book, and the print detHow much is reasonable to spend on a book cover?What self-published authors pay for a professional book cover, using published 2025–2026 market data, and whatHow much does an author website cost?What an author website costs to build yourself or hire out: yearly domain, website builder and newsletter fees

Sources

  • r/selfpublish: Do you need an author website?
  • Google Search Central: Article structured data
  • Reedsy: Cost to self-publish a book (Aug 2026)
  • Editorial Freelancers Association: 2026 rate chart