Your manuscript is nearly finished, your publication date is coming into focus, and the last thing you want to think about is building a website. Most debut authors feel this way, which is exactly why so many of them launch their books without an audience ready to buy.
An author website builder is a tool that creates your professional author site from a description of your book, your genre, and your readers, then connects your email list, reader community hub, and book pages in one place. The right one has your platform ready well before launch day rather than scrambled together the week before. This guide covers what pages your author website needs, how to build one using GoDaddy Airo AI Builder®, how to connect MailChimp and Patreon to turn it into a reader acquisition engine, and what to look for when comparing your options. See the Airo AI Builder authors page for examples built for debut and self-published authors.
What pages does an author website need?
The pages your site needs depend partly on whether you write fiction or non-fiction, but every author website shares a core set of pages that readers and media contacts expect to find.
Pages every author website needs
- Home — your name, your genre, and a clear call to action (usually an email list signup or book preorder link)
- About — your biography written for readers rather than industry contacts; this is where readers decide whether to follow your work
- Books — a dedicated page for each title, with cover, synopsis, buy links, and reader reviews once they are available
- Contact — an email address or contact form for media inquiries, event organizers, and readers reaching out directly
If you have an email list, your Home page should make signing up easy and visible without scrolling.
Additional pages for fiction writers
Fiction readers want to go deeper into your world. Consider adding:
- Series page — if your books are connected, a single page explaining the reading order with links to each book page
- Book club resources — a downloadable discussion guide or reading questions; libraries and book clubs actively search for these
- Character or world-building page — popular for fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction authors whose readers enjoy the lore beyond the story itself
Additional pages for non-fiction writers
Non-fiction authors build authority as much as readership. Your site should include:
- Speaking or media kit page — high-resolution headshots, short and long bios, areas of expertise, and booking information; every media inquiry you receive will ask for exactly this
- Credentials or expertise page — relevant professional background, research credentials, or industry recognition that establishes why you are the right author for this book
How to build your author website — step by step
Jordan Reeves is finishing his first mystery novel and has about six months until his planned self-publish date. He is not a designer or a developer. He knows what his book is about, who he wrote it for, and the kind of author brand he wants to build. That is enough to get started.
Step 1 — Describe your book, your readers, and your author voice
Open GoDaddy Airo AI Builder and describe your book and audience in plain language, the way you would explain it to someone at a writers' conference. Jordan might write: "I write contemporary mystery novels for readers who enjoy fast-paced plots and small-town settings. My debut is called The Orchard Road Murders, and I'm targeting mystery fans aged 30 to 55 who read both indie and traditional authors."
Airo AI Builder understands everyday language and translates your description into a professional site, handling the design decisions so you can focus on the content. Before your first session, this overview of AI website design without a designer walks through how the conversational build process works.
Step 2 — Build your book pages and launch hub
Once Airo AI Builder generates your initial site, continue the conversation to shape your core pages. Ask it to add a Books page for The Orchard Road Murders with synopsis and a preorder link, an About page written for mystery readers rather than publishing industry contacts, and a Home page with a clearly visible email signup form.
For the launch hub, ask Airo AI Builder to create a dedicated updates page where you can post your cover reveal, ARC (Advance Review Copy) availability, preorder link, and launch date as they arrive. This page becomes the link you share across every reader-facing channel in the months before publication.
Step 3 — Set up your email list with MailChimp
Your email list is the most direct line to readers who have already said they want to hear from you. GoDaddy Airo AI Builder has a live MailChimp connector, so you can link your MailChimp account to your site without leaving the builder. Signup forms on your Home and Books pages feed your list automatically.
Jordan connects his MailChimp account, writes a short welcome message for new subscribers, and has a working reader email pipeline in place before his book is even finished.
Step 4 — Connect Patreon and social accounts for reader community
If you plan to offer early access, bonus content, or a membership community for your most engaged readers, Airo AI Builder's live Patreon connector links your Patreon page to your author site. Set this up early, even before you have Patreon tiers defined, so the connection is in place when you are ready to activate it.
For launch promotion, connect your Facebook and Instagram accounts so your social links are live and consistent from your first day online.
Step 5 — Review and publish your author website
Before publishing, preview your site and check: Is the email signup form working? Does the Books page include buy links or a "notify me" option for pre-publication? Is the About page written in your author voice rather than your resume voice?
When you are satisfied, publish. The Airo Starter plan publishes your site live with a subdomain, and you can attach a custom author domain later. To get the most out of your AI credits during the build, this guide on making your credits go further is worth reading before your first session.
Common mistakes on a first author website
- Building the site the week of launch rather than months earlier. Your email list has no time to grow when you start it at the same moment your book goes live. Readers who sign up months before launch are typically among the first to buy in opening week.
- Writing the About page in resume voice. Credentials tell industry contacts why you are qualified. Readers want to know why your book is worth their time and what kind of author you are to follow. Write for the reader, not for a bio field.
- Burying the email signup below the fold. If a visitor has to scroll to find your signup form, most will not find it. Place it above the fold on your Home page and repeat it on every book page.
- Waiting until the site is perfect to publish. A simple, working site launched early builds more audience than a polished site launched late. Add pages and polish after you are live.
Build your author website with GoDaddy Airo AI Builder® — free to try.
Start building at airo-builder.godaddy.com
Turn your author website into a reader community
A static author website shows readers your book. A connected one gives them a reason to come back.
The combination of an author site, a MailChimp email list, and a Patreon community is how self-published and hybrid authors build recurring reader relationships that outlast any single launch. Your site is the anchor: it is where new readers arrive from search results, social posts, and word-of-mouth recommendations. Your email list is where they opt in to hear from you again. Patreon is where your most engaged readers support your work and get content they cannot find anywhere else.
Airo AI Builder's live MailChimp and Patreon connectors make this system straightforward to build. Once connected, you can coordinate pre-launch campaigns, manage ARC sign-ups, and run reader outreach from one place rather than jumping between tools. For ideas on running effective campaigns once your site is live, this guide on marketing campaigns with Airo AI Builder covers the specifics.
What to look for in an author website builder
Evaluate builders on what you will actually need to do as an author, not on general template counts or generic design features.
| I want to… | GoDaddy Airo AI Builder |
|---|---|
| Describe my book and let the builder do the design work | Builds from a written description — no blank canvas to fill |
| Create a book page with buy links and future reader reviews | Included; shaped through conversation |
| Add a Goodreads author widget or profile link to my book pages | Supported via embedded link or element, built through conversation |
| Build a pre-launch countdown or pre-order hub page | Built through conversation; can be updated as launch date approaches |
| Connect my email list without a separate setup process | Live MailChimp connector included |
| Link a Patreon community as my readership grows | Live Patreon connector included |
| Start free and upgrade only when I am ready to publish | 50 AI credits free; paid plan required to publish live |
| Build my site visually with drag-and-drop templates | Better suited to a template-based builder |
| Best for | Debut and self-published authors who think in sentences, not design choices |
For authors who prefer building their site visually with templates and manual layout control, Squarespace and Wix are well-established options. Neither offers a conversational build experience or native Patreon and MailChimp connectors at time of writing.
How much does an author website cost?
Most author websites do not require a large upfront investment, but the total cost depends on how many separate tools you are managing.
| Plan | What is included | Publishing |
|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy Airo AI Builder — Free | 50 AI credits, full build and preview | Preview only — a paid plan is required to publish live |
| GoDaddy Airo AI Builder — Starter | 150 monthly AI credits, 1 published app with subdomain | Publishes your site live |
Pricing accurate for GoDaddy Airo AI Builder at time of writing, September 2026. Confirm current pricing at airo-builder.godaddy.com before subscribing.
The piecemeal cost adds up faster than most authors expect. A website builder subscription, an email marketing platform, and a community tool each carry their own monthly fees. The Airo Starter plan includes the website, while the MailChimp and Patreon connectors link to those tools' own free tiers, keeping your total platform cost manageable while your audience is still growing.
A custom author domain (such as jordanreevesbooks.com) is an annual fee through GoDaddy's domain registration and is worth adding once you are ready to publish, since a custom domain looks significantly more professional for media and reader-facing communications. A GoDaddy Professional Email address rounds out the credibility setup for any media or bookshop correspondence.
Once your site is live, this guide to analytics in Airo AI Builder covers how to track which pages are driving the most reader engagement.
Author website FAQs
Do I need an author website before my book is published?
Yes, and earlier than most debut authors expect. An author website lets you start building an email list months before your launch, which writing communities from Reedsy to the Alliance of Independent Authors widely describe as one of the most valuable preparations a debut author can make before release day. Readers who sign up before launch are among those most likely to buy, review, and recommend early.
What is the difference between an author website and an author platform?
Your author website is one component of your platform. The platform is the full set of channels where readers can find and follow you: your website, your email list, your social media accounts, any podcast or YouTube presence, and community spaces like Patreon or Substack. Your website is the hub that ties those channels together and gives you an owned space you control regardless of what any individual platform does with its algorithm.
Can I build an author website for free?
You can build and preview a site using GoDaddy Airo AI Builder's free plan, which includes 50 AI credits. Publishing a live site requires a paid Starter plan. MailChimp's free tier supports up to 500 contacts and 1,000 emails per month (as of September 2026; confirm current limits at mailchimp.com), so your email list can start growing at no cost before you need to upgrade either tool.
How do I start growing my email list as an author?
Place your signup form on your Home page and your Books page, above the fold on both. Offer something specific for signing up: the first chapter of your book, early access to cover reveals, or a free short story. Then mention your list in your social bios and in every author bio you write for guest posts, podcasts, or event programs. Every channel where you already have a presence is an opportunity to direct readers to a list you own.
Are Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress good choices for author websites?
All three are well-established options. Squarespace is known for clean design defaults and strong blogging tools; Wix offers more layout flexibility. WordPress is a widely used option for authors who want deep customization — you can install author-specific plugins for book pages and Goodreads integration — but it requires managing hosting, themes, and plugin updates yourself. None of the three offers a conversational build experience the way GoDaddy Airo AI Builder does. Squarespace and Wix do not include native Patreon or MailChimp connectors at time of writing; WordPress supports both via plugins, though those require separate installation and configuration. If your priority is getting a professional site live quickly without a technical setup phase, a conversational builder handles those decisions for you.
How long does it take to build an author website?
Your initial site can be ready in a single session with GoDaddy Airo AI Builder. Expect to spend a few hours building and refining before you are comfortable publishing. The practical approach is to launch a simple, working site early and add pages as your release date approaches, rather than waiting until everything feels complete.
Start building your reader platform today
The readers who pre-order your book, post opening-week reviews, and follow your next project are often the ones who found your author website before anyone else had heard of your name. Building that platform early, before the pressure of a launch is on, gives you time to grow it at your own pace.
Build your author website with GoDaddy Airo AI Builder — free to try.