Websites for Authors
Your book deserves a home of its own.
An author website is the one place online that you fully control: where readers find your books, join your list and buy from you directly. I design and build them, and I keep them running so you can keep writing.
What a good author site does for you.
Every author is different. These are the building blocks we choose from together.
Book pages that sell
A page for each book with the dover, description and clear places to buy.
Your story, told well
An About page that lets readers, librarians and event hosts get to know the person behind the books.
An email list you own
A signup form connected to your email service, so readers can hear about the next book from you.
News, events and press
A blog or news section, an events page and a press kit that make it easy to book you or write about you.
A store, if you want one
Sell signed copies, merchandise or other products directly from your own site.
Fast, secure, looked after
Hosting, security certificates, email deliverability and updates are handled for you.
A website is a foundation, not a marketing plan.
I build sites that are fast, polished and easy to find, but a new site will not bring in readers by itself. That takes ongoing work like email, social media, search and word of mouth. I will make sure your site is ready for that work, and tell you honestly what it will take.
What a website is made of, and what keeps it running.
A website is a few separate pieces, and some of them are paid for on an ongoing basis. Here is the plain-English version, so nothing surprises you later.
Your domain name
The address people type to find you, such as yourname.com. It is also called your URL.
How it is paid: renewed every year. If it lapses, your site and email stop working, and someone else may be able to buy the name.
Hosting
The always-on computer where your site's flies live, so anyone in the world can visit it an any hour.
How it is paid: an ongoing fee, billed monthly or yearly. If it is not paid, your site goes offline and your files may be deleted (and possibly unrecoverable).
Security certificate (SSL)
The padlock and "https" in the address bar. It protects visitors and keeps browsers from showing a warning page.
How it is paid: usually included with good hosting, and it renews automatically when everything is set up properly.
Software and plugins
Any site created by me will run on WordPress, plus add-ons for things like forms or a store. All of it needs regular updates to stay fast and secure.
How it is paid: I avoid paid plugins (since they usually require annual fees) unless one is truly needed, and I will tell you about any cost before it is added.
Email and mailing list services
Services that deliver your contact form messages and send newsletters to your readers, such as Brevo.
How it is paid: often free while your list is small, then a monthly or yearly fee as the list and the number of emails grow. It is possible on Brevo to purchase credits on a pay as you go basis.
Monitoring, maintenance and support
Someone watching that the site is up, keeping it updated and backed up, and fixing it if something breaks.
How it is paid: a monthly or annual charge, or included if I host your site. Either way, it is agreed before we start.
Two ways to host your site
Simplest
I host it for you
Hosting, monitoring, maintenance and support come together in one monthly or yearly charge. I keep your site online for as long as the hosting is paid. The price depends on your traffic and the hosting capacity your site needs.
More Hands-On
You buy your own hosting
You pay your host directly and are responsible for keeping the account paid and in good standing. If it lapses, your site goes offline. I will need access to manage it, and I can take care of monitoring, maintenance and support for a monthly or annual charge.
The domain is always yours.
The domain is registered in your name and you own it. I recommend buying it at wholesale price through Cloudflare and adding me as an administrator, so I can manage it for you without ever owning it. I can only manage domains and hosting on platforms I am able to work with, so if yours are somewhere else, I will help you move them.
Author Site
A debut novel needed a home.
D.J. Ciccarello is an Atlanta-based author who launched his debut novel in 2024. I designed and built his website, and I continue to maintain it.
I'm an author and artist too.
I wrote and illustrated a children's book, sell my own artwork online and write two blogs, so I know what it takes to put creative work in front of an audience.
The Outside Adventure of Liza & Louie
My children's book, written and illustrated by me
The Parodies
My online shop for original artwork and merchandise
Imitation of Mink
My magazine-style blog of essays, photography and commentary
One person, from first idea to launch day and beyond.
You work with me directly
No hand-offs and no account manageres. The person you talk to is the person who builds your site.
A career in IT behind the build
Years at IBM, Northern Trust, Coca-Cola and Sanderson Farms mean I think about reliability, data and security, not just looks.
Modern tools, used carefully
I use AI for quality assurance, technical accuracy and faster design and development, so your site is more thorough and gets done sooner.
Pricing based on your project
Every author site is different, so every quote is too. Tell me what you need and I will send a detailed quote.
Questions authors ask
Do I need a website before my book is out?
It helps. Having a home ready lets readers find you and join your list before launch day, instead of after.
Can I sell my books from my own site?
Yes, I can set up a store for signed copies or merchandise, or simply link each book to the retailers you already use.
Will the website sell my book for me?
Not on its own. A website gives readers a place to land; getting them there is marketing, and I will be upfront about the difference.
What does it cost?
That depends on what you need. Send a quote request and I will reply with a detailed quote for your project.
What does it cost to keep a website running?
Beyond the build, a site as ongoing costs: your domain name each year, hosting, and care such as monitoring and updates. See what a website is made of above.