Inside this Article
What We Look For in the Best Website Builders for Authors and Writers1. Wix: An Easy-To-Use Builder That Can Foster Your Creativity2. SITE123: Perfect for Authors Who Want to Get Online Quickly3. Squarespace: Stylish Templates and Outstanding Marketing Tools4. Webador: Amazing Tools to Boost Reader Engagement5. IONOS Website Builder: A Professional Author Website on a Budget6. Shopify: Best for Selling Your Work OnlineHow to Build Your Author WebsiteDedicated Website Builders for WritersSome Final Thoughts on the Best Website Builder for AuthorsFAQ
It pains me to say it, but fan mail is mostly a thing of the past. These days, if you’re looking to establish a connection with your audience, a strong online presence is the way to go. But unfortunately, many authors – even renowned ones – have websites that look uninspired or outdated.
Sure, maybe Zadie Smith can get away with a so-so website, but most authors really need a website that can attract new readers and pique the interest of existing fans.
That means you need a website builder with high-quality templates and design tools that reflect your genre. The best builders also offer features that cater to your unique needs as a writer, like a blog or newsletter, SEO and marketing capabilities, or even direct integrations with Amazon and QuickBooks.
I tested the major site builders on the market to see which ones offer the best features for authors. In the end, I found 6 builders that are bound to be ideal for at least one kind of writer. Wix strikes the perfect balance between ease of use and creative freedom, making it a great option for most types of writers. You can try Wix for free or read on for more author-friendly recommendations.
Short on Time? These Are the Best Website Builders for Authors and Writers in 2023
- Wix – The most versatile customization features and seamless integration with Amazon.
- SITE123 – An incredibly simple editor with advanced language features
- Squarespace – Elegant, attractive website templates and top-notch marketing tools for writers
What We Look For in the Best Website Builders for Authors and Writers
There are plenty of good – and even great – website builders out there, but many don’t have the specific tools that authors and writers need to cultivate their online presence. In order to narrow down the list, I made sure to only select builders that met these essential criteria:- Quality templates. Whether you’re looking to sell your newest book or just keep your fans updated, your website is going to reflect your brand. I only included builders with high-quality and professional-looking templates.
- Customization features. As a creative, it’s important to have the final word over your website, and templates can only get you so far. I chose builders with customization tools that will make your site stand out from the crowd.
- Ease of use. Most writers aren’t also designers and coders in their downtime (although kudos if you are!). These builders give you the tools to easily create your site with no prior experience.
- Ecommerce. Though I can’t overstate the value of a good portfolio, you might want to use your website to do more than just showcase your work. These builders include tools to help you set up an online shop for anything from paperbacks, to merch, to e-books.
- Extra author features. The builders on this list offer tools that, while not absolutely essential, are certainly convenient. Think blogging, reader reviews, and the ability to create newsletters.
Why You Shouldn’t Use a Dedicated Website Builder for Writers
Choosing a specialized site builder for writers might seem like a good idea, but you should be aware of the downsides. These builders are usually focused on portfolio display or lists of publications, but they don’t give you a fully functional website with room to grow. Your portfolio is important, of course, but all the website builders on this list have the ability to create a great one – along with many additional useful features for your site. The last thing you want is to have to rebuild your website from scratch later on when you realize you’ve totally outgrown the limitations of a dedicated website builder for authors. Still, if you’d like to check out this route, jump down to see which specialized builders I recommend.1. Wix: An Easy-To-Use Builder That Can Foster Your Creativity

Features
- Extensive app market. Not only is Wix one of the most feature-packed builders on this list, it also offers over 240 apps and integrations that allow you to connect directly to your Amazon page, display real-time reviews, and more.
- Personalized SEO. Wix comes with an AI-powered SEO (search engine optimization) wiz designed to give you personalized tips to help you rank higher on search engines.
- Outstanding contact forms. Do you want fans to contact you through your website? How about press inquiries? Wix comes with tons of pre-made contact forms to help you interact with visitors on your terms.
- Separate mobile editing. Wix’s templates are what I would call semi-responsive. This means that Wix automatically resizes certain aspects of your site to work on mobile screens, but you can edit the mobile version separately for an even greater degree of creative control.
Free plan available? | ✔ |
Mobile responsive? | To a degree. It comes with a dedicated mobile editor. |
Cheapest e-commerce plan | Business Basic |
Starting Price | $16.00 |
2. SITE123: Perfect for Authors Who Want to Get Online Quickly



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Features
- Advanced language features. If you’re a multilingual author, SITE123 offers easy-to-use tools to help you reach an international readership, like an automatic website translator and the ability to edit SEO tags in various languages.
- Easy contact forms. SITE123 offers pre-made templates for various types of contact forms, which can help you get in touch with different interested parties on your own terms.
- Affiliate marketing options. If you run a blog and you’re looking to make a little extra on the side, SITE123 offers affiliate marketing options to help you monetize your site.
- Plugin extensions. Even if SITE123’s tool catalog is somewhat limited, you can add tons of third-party plugins that you can use to add live chats, marketing features, and more.
Free plan available? | ✔ |
Mobile-responsive? | ✔ |
Cheapest e-commerce plan | Premium |
Starting Price | $12.80 |



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Features
- Squarespace Blueprint. If you have a specific design in mind, you can use Squarespace Blueprint to build your own template. This tool lets you pick pages, sections, and style options one at a time to create a unique look. Plus, you get expert design tips to guide you
- Effective analytics. With Squarespace, you can easily access important information such as bounce rate (what proportion of visitors leave before visiting another page), unique views, the devices that your site is viewed on the most, and more. This information can help you optimize your site to your specific needs.
- Simple yet powerful ecommerce tools. Squarespace’s ecommerce tab makes it easy to set up an online store for both digital and physical products. The friendly user interface makes personalizing your store surprisingly simple.
- Social media marketing. You can use Squarespace’s Unfold mobile app to promote your work on social media. This platform provides custom Instagram templates for photos and videos, plus a variety of fonts, filters, and stickers to elevate your content.
Free plan available? | ✘ |
Mobile-responsive? | ✔ |
Cheapest e-commerce plan | Business |
Starting Price | $16.00 |
4. Webador: Amazing Tools to Boost Reader Engagement

Features
- Multi-purpose templates. Webador offers 50+ mobile-friendly templates, but instead of categorizing them, it displays a variety of published websites that are currently using each template. That way, you can see how far you can go in terms of design.
- Grid-based editor. You can use Webador’s intuitive editor to drag and drop any element onto your page and it will automatically snap onto a grid. This ensures your layout stays clean and visually appealing.
- Excellent media streaming widgets. Webador offers media streaming tools such as audio and video players, which can help you promote your work.
- Easy SEO settings. Webador lets edit your site’s SEO settings easily by modifying page titles, meta descriptions, visibility on Google, and more.
Free plan available? | ✔ |
Mobile-responsive? | ✔ |
Cheapest e-commerce plan | Pro |
Starting Price | $4.00 |
5. IONOS Website Builder: A Professional Author Website on a Budget

Features
- Integrated photo editor. Enhance your photos by editing them directly in IONOS’s built-in image editor. You can add overlays and backgrounds, use Instagram-like filters, and more.
- Free business email. You get a free business email when you sign up with any IONOS plan. This feature is extremely useful for freelancers, copywriters, and any authors who want a professional contact email.
- Professional designers available. If you’d prefer to focus on your craft and leave the website building to designers, you can get one of IONOS’ professional designers to build a custom, fully-optimized site for you.
- Performance checker. IONOS includes a useful performance checking tool to help you diagnose your website’s responsiveness, loading speed, and security.
Free plan available? | ✘ |
Mobile-responsive? | ✔ |
Cheapest e-commerce plan | Starter (with a store) |
Starting Price | $6.00 |
6. Shopify: Best for Selling Your Work Online

Features
- Multi-channel selling. In addition to your own website, Shopify lets you sell on other channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and Walmart. You can manage all channels from your Shopify dashboard.
- Built-in email marketing. Shopify’s native email marketing tool lets you send up to 10,000 monthly emails for free. You can send automated emails tailored to your readership, such as welcoming new subscribers, teasing upcoming projects, and offering discount codes to loyal customers.
- Extensive app market. Shopify’s robust app store has over 8,000 free and paid apps. You’ll find plenty of tools for independent authors, such as Lulu Direct for printing and shipping your books and Digital Downloads for selling e-books online.
- Shopify Payments. In addition to offering access to 100+ third-party payment providers, Shopify has an in-house payment solution, Shopify Payments, which eliminates transaction fees.
Free plan available? | ✘ |
Mobile-responsive? | ✔ |
Cheapest e-commerce plan | Basic |
Starting Price | $29.00 |
How to Build Your Author Website
I know, I know – you’re an author, not a developer! Don’t worry, you don’t need to teach yourself how to code to build a great website to boost your online presence. Just follow these simple steps: 1. Choose a website builder. As a writer myself, I recommend Wix. Wix gives you complete freedom to express yourself and comes with all the tools you need to promote your work, maintain your portfolio, host a blog, and more. 2. Design your website. Luckily, you don’t need to start designing from scratch unless you have a strong desire to do so. Instead, select a template that aligns with your personality and work. From there, you can make adjustments to the template’s design until you’re satisfied. 3. Add a blog. Blogs aren’t just a great way to share your thoughts with your readers – they’re also a great way to improve your website’s SEO. So, add a blog page and update it regularly to keep readers coming back. 4. Connect your domain name. Ensure your website stands out by having a unique domain name. You can either acquire one from your website builder (some packages provide them at no cost) or buy one individually.Dedicated Website Builders for Writers
- Journo Portfolio. Despite its name, Journo Portfolio offers users a significant range of features that go beyond simple portfolio presentation. The free plan allows users to create multiple pages, make use of tools to publish blog posts and articles, and choose from a variety of exceptional themes.
- Clippings.me. For a fast way to build your online presence as a writer, Clippings.me offers different themes, a section for your bio, and a place to upload and categorize your work. It’s still fairly limited, but it does give you a great-looking portfolio, and its paid plans offer advanced analytics tools, too.
- Booklaunch.io. If you’re an author looking for a way to showcase your published works, Booklaunch is a great place to start. It’s free for the first page, but if you opt to pay, you can create unlimited pages, build an email mailing list, and integrate with some third-party apps. Plus, you can build your pages using your books’ ISBN numbers to allow Booklaunch to pre-populate your pages with cover images, titles, colors, and more.
Some Final Thoughts on the Best Website Builder for Authors
Writers come in all shapes and sizes (and chances are, not one of them enjoyed that cliché), so the best website builder for you will come down to your specific needs. That said, although there are many author-focused website builders, none of them offer the creative freedom or advanced tools you can get with the best general purpose website builder.
Speaking of which, if creative freedom is what you want, Wix is my top recommendation. Its friendly drag-and-drop editor and myriad apps and features make it an incredibly versatile choice for getting the exact site you want.
If you want to get online as quickly as possible, SITE123 is a fantastic option. You can easily navigate its simple interface and add author-centric features to your website, including testimonials and reviews, a blog, event calendar, and more.
Finally, if you’re after a builder that will give you a slick site and simple yet powerful marketing tools, Squarespace is the way to go.
If you want to see how each builder stacked up, take a look at the table below:
Free Plan | Best Feature | Best For | Starting Price | ||
Wix | ✔ | Powerful drag-and-drop editor and hundreds of apps | Writers looking for full creative control | $16.00 | |
SITE123 | ✔ | Intuitive and fast website building | Writers who need to get online ASAP | $12.80 | |
Squarespace | ✘ | Over 140 visually stunning templates and powerful marketing tools | Writers who want a minimalistic site and a strong marketing hub | $16.00 | |
Webador | ✔ | Great audience engagement tools | Writers with a focus on blogging | $4.00 | |
IONOS | ✘ | Exceptional value for money | Contract writers on a budget | $6.00 | |
Shopify | ✘ | Extensive online store tools | Writers who want to manage marketing and selling from one place | $29.00 |