I recently finished my latest Grok topic: the basic setup for an author website. It was a broad topic, but here are the main notes and recommendations Grok provided.
The Most Important Thing When Starting an Author Website
The single most important thing is building an email list.
Set up an automated opt-in form that collects readers’ email addresses. Social media platforms can disappear, ban your account, or become restricted in your country — but your mailing list will always belong to you.
Because of that, your email list should be your top priority from the very beginning.
Btw, here is my mailing list setup: Sign up and get a free book
Start With a Free Website
There’s no need to spend a lot of money right away. You can even start with a free website or blog on platforms like:
You should also add Google Analytics (free) to track visitors and site performance. Here is a tutorial about that:
Buy Your First Website
The first thing worth spending money on is your own domain name. Ideally, use: YourAuthorName.com
You can redirect the domain to your free website at first. If you can afford hosting, buy the domain directly through your hosting provider.
Use Your Author Name
Stick with your real author name instead of keyword-heavy domains. Readers searching for you online will usually type your name, not something like: SciFiStoriesAboutRobots.com
Using YourName.com is the standard and most professional approach.
Use a .com Domain
The internet’s primary language is English, and .com domains still carry the most authority and recognition. If possible, secure: YourName.com
Only consider alternatives like .net if the .com version is unavailable.
Which Hosting Service Should You Use?
According to Grok, Hostinger currently offers one of the most competitive beginner-friendly hosting plans.
Use WordPress
WordPress has its flaws, but it’s still the easiest CMS for beginners to set up and manage. Benefits include:
- A huge library of free themes
- Thousands of plugins
- Beginner-friendly customization
- Strong long-term flexibility
Starting with WordPress is usually the best choice.
Essential Pages for Your Website
Your website should include:
- Home
- Books
- About
- Blog
- Contact
- Newsletter / Mailing List Signup
Learn From Successful Authors
It’s smart to study what successful authors are already doing. Grok recommends looking at these author websites for inspiration:
What to Analyze on Other Author Websites
Email List Strategy
- Do they offer a freebie?
- Where is the opt-in form placed?
- How often do they promote the newsletter?
Book Pages
- How are the books presented?
- What makes the sales page effective?
Blog
- How often do they publish?
- What topics and categories do they cover?
About Page
- Structure
- Author photo
- Personal story or career timeline
Footer
- Social media links
- Disclaimer
- Terms of Service
- Contact information
Goals for Your First Year
- Build a professional website with an email list
- Grow your list to 500 subscribers
- Create dedicated book pages
- Drive organic traffic through quality blog content
- Build community through your About page, contact form, and social media integration
That said, 500 subscribers is an ambitious goal. If you’re starting from zero, even reaching 50 subscribers in your first year can already be a solid achievement.
Improving Your Website Over Time
Personal vs. Corporate Branding
Stay personal. Being yourself is one of the biggest advantages you have as an indie author. Don’t only write about writing — occasionally share your hobbies, interests, and parts of your personal life.
Even George R. R. Martin writes about football from time to time.
Create a Personal Design
Make your website feel authentic by:
- Using real photos instead of stock or AI-generated images
- Writing in first person
- Using a conversational tone
- Choosing a simple, clean theme
- Sharing honest updates and thoughts through your blog
Authenticity matters more than perfection.
Creating Better Book Pages
Your book pages should include:
- The book cover
- A short 100-word blurb
- One-click retailer buttons (Amazon, Kobo, etc.)
- A few strong reviews (2–3 are enough)
You can also offer sample chapters through your mailing list. Feature your newest releases prominently and create a general reading order page for your catalog.
Examples of Strong Book Pages
Use Affiliate Links
You can add affiliate links for your books or recommended resources on Amazon. Readers pay nothing extra, but you earn a small commission — creating an additional income stream.
About Page Tips
You do not need a professional photo. If you can afford one, great. If not, even a simple smartphone selfie is better than having no photo at all. Readers want to know who you are. Your About page should include:
- Your personal story
- Why you write
- What you enjoy reading
- A mailing list signup link (Example: “Sign up for updates, giveaways, and new releases.”)
Add a “New Here?” Page
As your website grows, create a dedicated “New Here?” or “Start Here” page. This helps new visitors quickly understand:
- Who you are
- What you write
- Which books to start with
Create a Resources Page
A resources page can include:
- Writing tools you use
- Marketing resources
- Recommended books
- Authors and websites you like
This can help readers while also generating affiliate income and improving SEO.
Social Media Links
Add clean, visible social media icons. At minimum, place them on:
- Your About page
- Your sidebar (if your theme includes one)
Terms of Service and Disclaimers
You need both. Here’s a free Terms of Service generator: Termly Terms of Service Generator
Important: Amazon affiliate disclaimers must appear on every page containing affiliate links, or you risk violating Amazon’s guidelines.
Blogging on Your Website
Blogging is still valuable. According to Grok, blogging is far from dead. Social media should ideally direct readers back to your website, where you publish weekly or bi-weekly articles.
What Should You Blog About?
Specific topics:
- Your writing process
- Upcoming releases
- Writing tips
- Personal updates
- Behind-the-scenes insights
- Meetups and conventions
- Marketing experiments
General topics you can always write about:
- Your daily writing routine
- Progress reports
- Craft lessons
- Books you’ve read
- Publishing experiments
Publishing Excerpts From Your Books
Be careful with Amazon Kindle Unlimited rules. If your book is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, you generally cannot publish the same content elsewhere online. However, you can publish:
- Side stories
- Character backstories
- Deleted scenes
- Editing breakdowns
- Explanations of creative decisions
Publishing Short Stories on Your Website
Standalone short stories can work as free “entry points” into your work. If readers enjoy a free story, they may become paying readers later.
Blogging Best Practices
- Write longer articles (1,000–1,500 words) for guides
- Publish shorter opinion posts and updates regularly
- Link directly to your website instead of using Linktree whenever possible
Technical Setup
Some advice on blog-tech:
Getting Indexed by Google
- Set up Google Search Console
- Create and submit your XML sitemap
- Use the URL Inspection Tool to request indexing
- Make sure
robots.txtallows crawling and remove accidentalnoindextags - Publish fresh, original content regularly
This video shows you the basic process:
Improving Website Speed
- Test your site using Google PageSpeed Insights
- Compress images using (here is a free compressor: CompressJPEG)
- Enable browser caching and a CDN
- Minify CSS and JavaScript files
- Upgrade to faster hosting if necessary
- Enable lazy loading for images
Useful WordPress Plugins
- Yoast SEO — on-page SEO optimization
- Elementor (Free) — landing page builder
- Contact Form 7 — contact forms
- Jetpack — security and statistics
- Smush — image compression
- MailPoet — newsletter signup forms
You can install all of these directly through the WordPress plugin search bar.
To Conclude
This is the basics of starting your own author website – according to Grok. If you go through it step by step, you will have set up a good indie author website within a couple of weeks. Once set up, you can finally focus on the fun part again: Writing!
