Turn your site into a reader magnet with these essential pages—plus the one page most authors completely overlook.
Your author website is more than a digital business card. It’s a reader gateway. A sales engine. A brand experience.
But too often, authors build a website that’s just… meh.
A home page. A short bio. A couple of buy links.
That’s not enough—not in a world where attention is currency and connection sells books.
Whether you’re indie or traditionally published, these six pages are non-negotiable if you want your website to work for you.
And that seventh one? It’s the secret weapon most authors don’t even know they need.
Let’s break it down.
Home Page – The Hook
Your homepage is the first impression—and it needs to deliver.
What to include:
- Eye-catching tagline or book hook
- Your latest release (with a strong CTA)
- Newsletter/freebie offer
- Simple navigation to explore more
🔥 Pro Tip: Think book aesthetic meets sales page. It should be visually immersive and emotionally compelling.
About Page – The Connection
Your About Page isn’t a résumé—it’s your origin story and it’s where readers meet the human behind the books.
- Use your voice.
- Share your why.
Give them a taste of what drives your stories—your favorite tropes, your go-to genre, your emotional fingerprints.
Drop a personal detail or two to keep it human. Relatable but don’t overshare—this isn’t your diary.
If you’ve been published, hit a list, or built a loyal following? Mention it—but keep it humble.
Most importantly: Let them know what to expect. The tone. The tropes. The kind of emotional havoc you’re here to wreak.
Then invite them to stay—follow, subscribe, stalk your socials. Make it easy for them to connect.
Books Page – The Library
Your most important sales page. Period.
Your book page is where curiosity becomes commitment. It’s the moment casual browsers decide whether to buy, binge, or bounce.
Think of it as your personal bookshop—organized, enticing, and built to convert.
There are a few options how you can showcase all your books.
- Display all your books on a single page and separate the series by sections.
- Each series/genre has its owns page, so everything is neat and organized.
Personally, I prefer each series having its own page. I don’t like dumping a bunch of books on a single page and then separating it by sections.
Why each book series having its own page works? This helps readers easily navigate your catalog, whether they’re discovering you for the first time or returning for their next fix.
But Here’s Where the Real Magic Happens:
Each book listed on your main books or series page should link to a custom spotlight page—a dedicated space that does one thing, and does it well:
Sells that single book.
What to include on your spotlight page:
- Covers, blurbs, and buy links for each title
- Series grouping with clear reading order
- Tropes, teaser quotes, or reviews to build interest
- Optional: quick “Start Here” guide for new readers
Don’t bury the good stuff—make it bingeable.
And naturally, once you add dedicated series pages and individual spotlight pages for each book, your website will grow beyond just six core pages—creating an even richer, more irresistible experience for readers.
Contact Page – The Bridge
Make it easy for fans, bloggers, or event hosts to reach you.
Include:
- Contact form or public email
- Optional: rights contact or media inquiries
- Links to press kit, newsletter, or socials
Newsletter Signup – The Gateway
You should have your newsletter form on your home page and if you want, an extra page dedicated ONLY to your newsletter. I like to add it on the About and contact pages as well.
Your email list is gold. Treat it that way.
Additionally, you can create a page called ‘Bonus’ and here is where you post all your free chapters, or novellas. The catch if readers wants to download and read the content, they need to subscribe to your mailing list.
This should be handled through Bookfunnel.
Use:
- A dedicated signup page and opt-ins across the site
- A strong offer (free novella, spicy extra scene, bonus POV)
- Clear benefit: “What do they get for subscribing?”
Make joining your list feel like getting access to an exclusive club.
Bonus Feature Page – The Experience
This is where most authors play it too safe.
The truth? Your website should do more than inform—it should entice.
That’s where the Bonus Pages comes in and we already covered one version above, offering free books via Bookfunnel.
👉 My client, Julie Christianson—and many of my Rom Com authors—love using these bonus pages, and honestly, I can’t blame them. When you visit her Bonus Page, you’ll see she’s offering free bonus epilogues in exchange for an email address.
It’s a brilliant strategy because she’s giving readers exactly what they want and growing her email list organically.
Plus, she knows these readers are true fans—after all, why would they download a bonus epilogue if they didn’t already love her books?
Other options to ‘Bonus’ pages:
- A “World of” page with lore, playlists, moodboards
- “Meet the Book Beaus” with character bios, tropes, and quotes
- A bonus content vault for newsletter subscribers
- An audio page with sample chapters
- Behind-the-scenes extras or fan art gallery
This is the page readers never forget—because it’s where they fall deeper into your world.
🚀 Ready to go even deeper?
If you’re serious about turning your website into a true reader magnet, don’t stop here.
👉 Learn exactly which tools, plugins, and strategies I recommend to build a stunning, high-converting author site from scratch.
🔗 Read: Build an Irresistible Author Website
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Turn your stories into an unforgettable online experience!
At Crown Nine Studio, we build immersive, branded author websites that don’t just look beautiful—they work.
From homepage to hidden bonus content, we create the full reader experience.
✨ Stunning homepage design
✨ Interactive character pages
✨ Direct shop + BookFunnel integration
✨ Bonus vaults + steamy dossiers
✨ Custom book pages that convert
👉 Explore our services: www.crownninestudio.ca
