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Guides • Book Marketing

Last updated on Oct 25, 2022

13 Author Websites That Get It Right

Most professional authors will have their own website , both as a way to market themselves and connect with their readership. It's the one corner of the internet that the author fully controls — without interference from publishers or social media rules.

In this short guide, we'll show you some examples of effective author websites before giving you a step-by-step process for building your own. By the end, you'll be ready to take on the world (wide web).

Here are 13 examples of excellent author websites: 

1. Austin Kleon

New York Times bestselling author Austin Kleon identifies himself as “an author who draws” and uses his website to talk not only about his own books, but also about art and writing in general, offering creative inspiration to fans and casual visitors alike. 

Simple to navigate, and signposting all the relevant information — from blog posts, to his books, a newsletter mailing list , an author bio , and contact information — one of the main advantages of Kleon’s website is that it’s kept up-to-date with seasonal posts and frequent life updates. 

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Takeaway: Keep your website up-to-date

Knock, knock. Who’s there? You should be. Unless you’ve got a ghostwriter on your team or you can uncannily churn out quality books constantly, you probably won’t always have new bookish updates. However, when people visit your site, you don’t want it to seem like it’s been idly collecting dust for years between publication dates. You want it to seem as though someone is home.

Austin Kleon’s website achieves this with fresh blog posts displayed front and center. Straight away, you know that he’s active behind the keyboard. Not only does it feel like he’s talking directly to you, but it also incentivizes you to come back, which can be handy for your next book launch . Studies confirm this: businesses that run blogs have 55% more website visitors than those that don’t.

Something as simple as an up-to-date Twitter feed or a list of upcoming events can keep your website fresh and show that you’re committed to interacting with your readers. If you're able to blog regularly, all the better! If your blog gets popular enough, it could become the foundation for your next book . 

How to Build an Amazing Author Blog

10 lessons to help you start your blog and boost your book sales.

2. Rupi Kaur

You’d expect nothing less than a well-designed website from the queen of Instapoetry herself, Rupi Kaur . Her elegant homepage immediately exudes “Rupi Kaur” and the message she wants her readers to receive. It’s on brand — aesthetically pleasing, with short guiding phrases, and creative with form (here through typography ) — and much like her poetry, it sticks to the essentials to deliver a core message in just a few words.

But make no mistake; this is no minimalist, bare-bones version of a website. With customized stickers, an integrated webshop for merchandise, and links to both an Amazon Prime special and a world tour, it’s clear that Kaur has invested some time and dollars on making this a comfortable browsing experience for her readers.

Takeaway: Invest in branding and user experience

Granted, not every author can inject cash into a website like social media sensation Rupi Kaur. However, her online presence features several practices that are good takeaways for any author website. Kaur, for instance, doesn’t send her subscribers “newsletters” like Kleon does. Instead, she sends “love notes”. Readers can also follow the journey of her third book, Home Body , as it travels across the US, “sisterhood of the traveling pants” style. These touches make her website feel authentic and true to her brand. 

Paying a bit extra to get a custom-made website that fits your needs perfectly and appeals to your target audience can improve user experience significantly, making it not only pleasing to the eye, but also easy to navigate.

Tell us about your book and we'll match you with a website style!

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You can make your website stand out from the crowd by adding dynamic and interactive elements, and self-published author LJ Ross is no stranger to this strategy. Just like in her bestselling mystery series DCI Ryan, LJ Ross’s website takes inspiration from the atmospheric landscape of Lindisfarne (also known as Holy Island), located on the northeast coast of England. 

This eye-catching website is brought to life with some well-chosen dynamic elements: a bird flying across the landing page, mist rolling in as you hover your cursor, and a hamburger menu that folds out to direct you where you need to go, to name a few. 

LJ Ross also gets a bonus point for subverting the expectations for what a crime and mystery author’s website should look like, with a sunny background picture and a lighter color scale throughout the site. 

Takeaway: Bring your site to life

If your site is a pretty-but-static thing, you may be missing an opportunity. With some simple dynamic elements that draw the eyes, you can elevate your website and give visitors a reason to extend their session on your site. And the longer they stay, the more likely they are to engage with what your website offers. 

Start by capturing people’s attention with cool visuals, highlighting what you want visitors to see first (in this case: Ross’s different books series and a link to an audio drama production on Audible), and then invite them to engage by linking to your social media.

4. Miquel Reina

Another author who incorporates some movement into their author website to really bring it to life is Miquel Reina . This can be a risky maneuver — more often than not, flashy gifs and scrolling text scream “tacky.” But when it pays off, it creates a beautiful effect that will impress and entrance readers who stumble upon your page.

Upon first glance at the homepage of Miquel Reina's author website, nothing appears out of the ordinary... until the first image begins to change. As you can see, each translation ( and gorgeous new cover ) of Reina's book Lights on the Sea morphs into the next, providing a beautifully comprehensive sense of his accomplishments.

If you’re not a web designer , this tactic could easily go awry, but Reina ensures that all his images are carefully sized and timed to create a calibrated effect. The transitions are calmly paced to give you enough time with each cover, but not so slow that you risk missing the effect entirely. He also wisely avoids cluttering the rest of his homepage with additional text and images, so the viewer focuses solely on the slow-moving book covers.

Takeaway: Keep it simple (but sophisticated)

Again, it's easy to go overboard with this tactic; you don't want your author website to look like a carnival. To keep things interesting yet professional, bring your site to life with just one or two smoothly transitioning GIFs.

Fun fact: You can find Miquel Reina, who designed his own website (!), right here on Reedsy. Click here to check out his other projects .

💡Pro tip: Keep site speed in mind! On the technical side, a simple setup will help your site load faster. Heavy images will slow a site down and frustrate visitors. They came to find out about your book, not wait around watching their fingernails grow.

5. David Sedaris

Authors sometimes make the mistake of thinking that people visit their websites just to read their bio. Are you, the author, important? Sure, but your books are way more important. Let people know they’re on an author’s website by making your product the star of the show, as David Sedaris does. A minimalist setup makes it impossible not to notice the main event: Sedaris’ newest book.

Takeaway: Put your book front and center

If a reader visits your site and doesn’t immediately realize that you’re an author with a book to sell, you’re probably doing something wrong. Placing your book front and center announces that, whatever else you may be offering through your site, you’re first and foremost an author who wants to share their stories with the world. 

Also important: are the buttons that urge people to buy your book and steer folks to their retailer of choice. To build the perfect author website , it’s important to generate retailer links to your books and make sure people can easily add them to their basket.

6. Brit Bennett

Another author who has embraced the idea of putting their book front and center is Brit Bennett . Her hugely successful upmarket fiction novel The Vanishing Half is clearly the star of the show as you enter her landing page, and unlike David Sedaris’ lengthy book description, Bennett focuses on some strong endorsements in the form of quotes to sell her book. 

Takeaway: Include testimonials and reviews

There’s nothing quite as effective as word-of-mouth marketing when it comes to book sales. With a well-chosen quote from the right person, you may see your book sales soar, so it would be wasteful not to use the prime real estate of your website to let others highlight your writing prowess through testimonials and reviews. 

💡Pro tip: Testimonials and reviews are a great way to market your work and authorship so make sure to leave some space for that on your website.

For more marketing insights, check out our course on the fundamentals of book marketing:

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Learn seven tried-and-true strategies for boosting book sales.

7. Lesley M. M. Blume

When you first land on Lesley M.M. Blume’s website , you are met with an old, faded picture of an atomic bomb, held up by tape and a short journalistic description This documentary approach quickly envelopes readers into the topic material that Blume — an award-winning journalist — has written about in her latest book, Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-up and the Reporter Who Revealed it to the World . 

Within moments of arriving on Lesley’s site, you become aware that she is a writer and journalist. This quick preview of her book grabs your attention and sets the tone.

Takeaway: Give readers a visual taste of your book

As an author, your medium of choice is often the written word, but your website is an excellent opportunity to expand on the imagery you’re trying to capture and make your messaging more vivid. By focusing on the visual aspects of your website rather than the textual, you allow readers to get an idea of what your book is all about straight off the bat — and you can present it in a way that is quicker and easier to consume than a full synopsis. 

Is your book a fluffy romcom, or is it hard facts? Offer a glimpse of what readers can expect of your writing, and don’t fall for the temptation to clutter your website with too much text; instead, use the power of images to elevate your message.

8. Maggie Stiefvater

Your author website should always include a good reason or two for visitors to offer up their email addresses. When you navigate your way to Maggie Steifvater’s website , you’re immediately presented with the opportunity to sign up for her newsletter. But the opt-in choices on her email list are plenty. For instance, you can sign up for an 8-hour seminar to improve your writing craft, led by Stiefvater herself! 

In marketing, this is known as lead magnets 一 offering something of genuine value in return for an email address — a marketing strategy we highly encourage authors to use..

Takeaway: Use a lead magnet

In publishing, a lead magnet usually means offering free content in exchange for an email address, such as downloadable PDF prints, exclusive interviews, or bonus chapters of your upcoming release. This helps you build your mailing list so that when you publish another book, you already have a group of people to advertise it to. 

💡Pro tip: A free sample does more than just incentivize people to offer their contact info. If you’ve read our Reedsy Learning course on how to run a price promotion , you’ll know that offering a free book is also a great way to hook readers and create a loyal fanbase for future publications. A free preview can work similarly, giving readers a commitment-free chance to get drawn into your book, leaving them more likely to pay to read the rest.

9. Megan McDonald and Peter H. Reynolds (Judy Moody)

Using images is perhaps even more essential when you’re in the picture book genre. The illustrative style on the Judy Moody website gets the brand across almost immediately: fun children’s books! And if there were ever any doubts, it cements the message that the best author websites are extensions of the author’s novels and wider brand. 

The creators of the website know the Judy Moody audience, with nudges and winks in the direction of teachers and parents, as well as younger readers with playful phrasing such as “Way-Not-Boring Stuff,” which links to several fun lead magnets, in the shape of games and downloadable PDFs, perfect for kids’ birthday parties. 

Takeaway: Speak to your target audience

When designing your own website, some of the questions you should ask yourself, like Judy Moody’s publicist clearly has, are all about personal branding: 

• Are you branding yourself or a series? 
• What’s the voice and tone of your book?
• Who is your target audience ; and 
• Would your site resonate with them? 

Judy Moody's authors have chosen to highlight the eponymous character of the series rather than themselvces, but whichever way you lean, there should always be a recognizable red thread that runs between your books and your website. Keep the voice and tone of your website distinctive and consistent, so people immediately recognize the relation to your work. 

🎨 If you’re thinking about how you can develop your own author brand, check out this article about how Lara Coates enlisted a Reedsy designer to help establish hers.

10. Fonda Lee

One way to ensure that you’re speaking to your target audience is to match your website to the genre you’re writing in. Fonda Lee leaves no room for doubt with her Y2K style logo and dark color pallet. But just in case you missed it, she makes sure to signpost herself as a “science fiction and fantasy author,” and uses a gallery of pictures to highlight her catalog of published works. 

Takeaway: Signpost your genre

While many visitors to your website may already know what genre you’re working in, it’s always a good idea to make sure you match your website to the content you’re publishing. This goes hand in hand with author branding, but the visual elements of your website can also add another dimension to the worlds you’re building in your books. 

11. Neon Yang

Whether you’re a maximalist or a minimalist when it comes to design, the use of bold or contrasting colors is another way to make your website pop and highlight something particularly important you want to draw attention to. And you don’t have to have a name like Neon Yang in order to do so. But choose your colors wisely, and stick to one or two for the best effect.

Takeaway: Be selective in your use of colors

The psychology of color can have a big impact on how people perceive something, but don’t make the mistake of trying to catch ‘em all; using all of the colors of the rainbow together at once is unlikely to have the desired effect of drawing the eye to one thing. Instead, too many colors can be distracting and more confusing than helpful, making the message you want to communicate murky and sometimes even hard to read. 

When using bold colors, one or two is enough to draw visitors’ focus toward the most important things. Neon Yang fittingly uses neon lime green to contrast against a darker background, which effectively highlights key information, fits their unique brand, and adds a tongue-in-cheek touch to the whole website. 

💡Pro tip: When using accent colors, choose them carefully, and avoid writing huge chunks of texts in colors that are hard to read to make your website more accessible to all visitors.

12. Brené Brown

Speaking of accessibility, no matter how beautiful and well-crafted your homepage is, or how nicely your logo fits on the corner of that picture you’ve chosen, here’s your official reminder to make your website compatible with all types of devices. Brené Brown has made sure her website will meet everyone’s needs, regardless of their browsing weapon of choice:

Takeaway: Optimize for mobile navigation

Nothing is as frustrating as a clunky website that you can’t read, especially when you’re on the go. Today mobile traffic accounts for almost 60% of all web traffic , so your website should be made to fit all devices to make it as easy as possible for visitors to explore.

13. Angie Thomas

Finally, one of the biggest reasons people visit author websites is to get a better sense of who the person behind the words on the page is, so don’t be afraid to show your face. Angie Thomas goes straight for the kill with a beautiful, professional headshot that is both inviting and confident. This, paired with some hand-picked words to the left, is a strong introduction to Thomas both as a person and as an author. 

Takeaway: Show your face

Whether you want your brand to focus on you as an author or on your books, it’s a good rule of thumb to use your website to introduce yourself to the world. Unless, of course you’re a ghostwriter or writing under a pen name and prefer to work in anonymity. But even then, your writing website should include an avatar at the very least.

You don’t have to place your author photo front and center, but your site should contain some indication that your work was written by an actual human and not an AI . Your ‘About’ section is a good place to start, but sprinkling a few photos that show who you are throughout your different sections is a good way to make your readers feel connected to you. 

In the next part of this guide, we'll show you how to create your very own website using some of the most popular tools in the internet.

11 responses

Brent Jones says:

02/06/2017 – 12:29

Well, never did I ever think I'd appear on the same list of authors as JK Rowling for something. Wow! You guys over at Reedsy made my day. Thanks!

Kristen Steele says:

21/06/2017 – 15:29

Great examples! Branding is a powerful element, but works best if all of your books follow a specific theme.

arushi says:

30/08/2018 – 05:47

Nice Article www.booksoul.in

Zain Khan says:

06/12/2018 – 09:28

Thanks for the awesome blog post. keep it up. Recycling Media

Michael Barrett says:

05/03/2019 – 15:00

mbbarrett.com

christopher sparacino says:

08/05/2019 – 12:28

I wrote a book i'm trying to get out there, feel free to read it! it's free, about 70 pages... http://bit.ly/evolveordiebook enjoy

Oohgirlbybk says:

Good info! Thank you! My website is live, but I will be contacting my web designer :)

Sayli@digitalmarketing says:

22/05/2019 – 10:25

This the list every digital marketer and web designer should have! Thanks for this amazing list!

Paul Nieto says:

23/05/2019 – 17:00

Thank you for the ideas and examples. I signed up for the checklist also.

amber says:

05/09/2019 – 09:50

wow, what a great example. branding is the most powerful tool. I am also an author

David Evans says:

17/11/2019 – 10:05

The Lesley M. M. Blume site and the Austin Kleon site are pretty good , i often find that alot of sites go for design over typography which mostly doesnt work , your right about having blog posts front and centre , problem is most authors ive encountered never want that ( customer is always right etc ) .. which is a shame

Comments are currently closed.

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33 Best Author Websites Examples (2024 Update)

February 2024.

I am going to show you EXACTLY how to create your own best author website.

We will address for you the “Dos” and “Don’ts” of creating an author website.

Examples of effective and ineffective author websites will be shared and how to improve the ineffective components as well. 

In the end, you will know for certain that you can create an effective author website that will enhance your image and branding!

The Purpose of this Article

In this article, we will see some nicely done author websites. These websites can provide inspiration and guidelines to make the best author websites.

By the way, to learn how to create, manage and market your author website, you have to read more articles on our blog .

Characteristic of best author websites

These are the things your author site must have no matter what genre or type of writer you are.

Your Website’s Landing Page Should :

• Include a list of your published work (books, novels, eBooks, articles etc)
• Promptly shows upcoming and new releases
• Have a separate page about yourself
• Provide a way to contact you or hire you.
• Include links to your social media accounts.
• Easy to navigate
• A blog to showcase your personality and/or writing process
• Has a unique, clean and eye-catching design
• Must run perfectly on Mobile and PC

We analyzed 500+ authors’ sites!

We have analyzed more than 500 author websites on the net to write this article.

We update this post in the future by adding new author sites to this list. We may remove some of them though. There’s no guarantee!

But did you really analyze 500+ sites?!

Yes, we did. Here’s the proof!

Let’s start with the list of best author websites

Simple and minimal examples of authors websites, lindatharpink.com.

Linda Tharp

Children's Books

Shadows Into Light, Karla

What they did well:

• She utilizes an attractive background.
• The minimalist design keeps the user focused on the imagery and tab options.
• Website upload speed is quick, allowing for ease of use. (the image speed is different)
• Author name is the central focus of the page driving her brand.
• Her bio adds to the focus of her branding.
• The focus lies on the author and not the books.
• Upcoming works are included leaving the reader in anticipation of the next book.
• Blog section is included allowing for media integration.
• Social media is included at the bottom of the website.
• Along with social media is a contact me section located in the same area.

What to consider changing:

• The format is best for authors: more than one book published and established fans.
• Books published are limited in their appearance on the site.
• If a new author, not having books advertised can be hurtful to your branding.
• There’s no link to buy books on Amazon or other book stores.
• Blog isn’t up-to-date.

shelsilverstein.com

Shel Silverstein

Children's Books and Poetry

Bookman Old Style, sans-serif

• The design according to book types plays in favor of the author’s theme.
• Library editions and hardcovers available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.
• Image gallery on about page enhances the appearance.
• Logo could be at the center of the header on the desktop version.
• No contact form nor social media links on the site. (The author died many years ago though.)
• CTA buttons should be in red as this draws the focus.
• Book reviews can be added to the books pages.

annvoskamp.com

Ann Voskamp

Parenting & Families and Religion & Spirituality

Cinzel, Merriweather, Montserrat

• Theme of the author is conveyed.
• Background provides a feeling of this being an author’s website.
• Promotes current work and upcoming books.
• Interactive tabs for short reading material/blog posts to pull in new audiences.
• Seamless and fluid transitions from one section of the website to the next.
• Author bio could include a bit more information about the genre of writing.
• Images start to blend together, it could use fragmentation for easier reading and interpretation.

william-golding.co.uk

William Golding

Literature & Fiction

Merriweather, Flareserif 821

• Minimalist website at its best.
• Interpretation of author is easy with less to navigate.
• Menu tab allows for seamless navigation.
• Limited menu options allows for quick decisions on where to next travel to.
• News and articles section can be easier to navigate as it is based on date of news.
• Social media links need to be more noticeable, the gold blends in with the white.

rolfpotts.com

Playfair Display, Lato

• Minimalistic design of the website filled with informative blogs make this website a perfect Author website.
• The About Me and Bio link is present on the Homepage of this website which helps readers to have a full understanding of the author.
• Direct purchasing links are present on each section of the book plus the audiobook format is present along with translated versions and international orders.
• The speed of the slider on the home page is not smooth and the quality of images aren’t captivating to make viewers enamored.
• The footer doesn’t have navigation links to Homepage, Contact, Books.

jackkerouac.com

Jack Kerouac

Biographies & Memoirs, Fiction, and Poetry

Futura, ITC Clearface

• Website domain name is the same as the name of author and the overall style is smooth, pleasant.
• The site has browser push notifications plus a newsletter signup option.
• More navigation links can be added to the footer.
• The homepage doesn’t have any information related to the books.

Jamesclear.com

James Clear

Continuous Improvement, Decision-Making, and Habits

Europa, Minion Pro

• Bewitching website with fluid UI design filled with attractive colours and font style.
• Numerous articles are present on the website , divided into respective categories which are really helpful for readers to feed minds with proper information.
• Testimonials are uploaded for books and those can be purchased directly from different platforms in numerous languages.
• Smart email marketing strategy by sending a free chapter of the book to visitor’s email address.
• Contact page is not present which is a must for an author website.

sallythorneauthor.com

Sally Thorne

Playfair Display, Avenir, Lato

• The website domain is on the same name of Author, Sally Throne.
• Colour scheme and loading speed are well maintained.
• Books can be purchased from different platforms including Amazon and reviews are also given on the website.
• The Blog Section isn’t present on the website . Footer does not contain the navigation menus.
• Homepage is very short and it doesn’t have any info about the author, Sally Throne.
• The newsletter sign-up form can be added to the footer.

jenniferlarmentrout.com

When you talk about contemporary romance and adult fantasy, you cannot miss out on mentioning Jennifer L.

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Young Adult

Raleway, Suranna

• The books section is very simple yet attractive. It gives you an easy browning experience.
• A good range of “where to buy” platforms are incorporated with the description of each book.
• The homepage says nothing about the author herself. It may leave a not-so-good impression on the potential buyers.
• The website should include an active contact page to reach out to the author.

veronicarothbooks.com

Veronica Roth

Science Fiction & Fantasy and Young Adult

Montserrat, Roboto Condensed

• A website for a book should always have the latest release on the homepage like this website.
• The homepage shows the author signing a book copy at an event which feels so wonderful.
• The books could be displayed in a more appealing manner.
• The biography of the author should be a little more detailed.

jasonwritesbooks.com

Jason Reynolds

Fiction and Poetry

Futura PT, Minion Pro

• The contemporary design of the website is very eye-catching and interesting.
• The initials of the author’s name look very classy on the main page.
• The best websites for authors like this should avoid lengthy descriptions.
• Social media links should be more noticeable with bigger fonts or icons.

oceanvuong.com

Ocean Vuong

Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry

Georgia, Palatino

• The sections for novels and poems are displayed individually, making it one of the best book website samples.
• There is a reading tour for the book time is a mother, which all author websites should have.
• The homepage is only limited to the information of one book, which is not taken as a good impression for websites for authors.
• The lack of literature gives the initial impression that this might not be an author’s website.

timothykeller.com

Timothy Keller

Christian and Religion & Spirituality

Proxima Nova, Adobe Garamond

• The loading speed and the layout are well maintained.
• Books are placed individually instead of creating categories which is a less-seen thing among other websites for authors.
• There is no navigation menu at the footer, and the social media links are also missing.
• There should be a newsletter sign-up option at the end of the website.
• A contact page is necessary for all author websites.

angeladuckworth.com

Angela Duckworth

Decision-Making and Self Help

• The author’s interpretation is placed with the video on its left, making it a great book website sample.
• The homepage layout is very basic and needs a lot of work.
• The purchase option of the books is missing on the homepage.

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Modern, graceful and iconic author website examples, miriammonfredo.com.

The first look on Miriam Monfredo’s website shows a picture of a dark forest with mist surrounding the area. This gives a sense of mystery to the reader and tells the writing style of the author. The first image on the landing page is the most important. It can be a slider but most often we see a still image. Marketing experts’ advice for authors is to set the mood of the website according to their writing style.

Miriam Grace Monfredo

History and Mystery & Thrillers

Barlow, Open Sans

• Miriam provided an excellent background in hero which sets the mood and tone for mystery as her focus is on historical mysteries.
• The layout is easy to follow and flows from the reader’s perspective.
• The tag line for Miriam within the hero is excellent and provides a succinct summary of her work.
• Miriam draws the reader’s attention to the books by utilizing images
• Economy of language is utilized well here.
• There’s a specific page for each book with reviews and links to buy the book on Amazon and Smashwords.
• 3-D book design enhances website appearance, drawing attention to her books.
• There could be a greater focus on the books that Miriam has produced as its location is distant from the focal point of the website.
• Website upload speeds can be improved with limited images and features. Miriam’s books could also be larger in their image and her about me section should follow.
• The focus needs to be on promoting a book or books in general.
• Miriam should promote an upcoming book if she has one in the works because this will build anticipation for her fans and audience.
• She must keep the blog up-to-date.

seussville.com

• The background design is visually appealing and speaks to the brand.
• Navigation Links draw the user to the characters, books, and experiences tabs.
• The news & events add more extensions to interact with the author’s works.
• The shop option allows for further advertising and exposure of the author.
• Parents and Educators have a special link just for them.
• The design is cluttered, this works for this author as it is characteristic of them.
• The books and author are not the focus and the focus is entirely on the brand.

peterrabbit.com

Beatrix Potter

• The flow of design is key and this site has a natural flow from start to end
• The minimalist design in the beginning sets the tone for a children’s book
• Four navigation links makes choosing simple and direct
• Highlights special events/topics such as nature events linking kids to nature.
• Highlights upcoming book as well as film giving fans excitement for what’s to come.
• Social media is linked at the end of the site with contact information as well.
• Bring the focus of upcoming works to the beginning as this is an established author.
• The crafts are a fun concept but should be placed after upcoming work.
• Meet the characters could also be placed higher up to draw in more fans.

loislowry.com

Children's Books, Literature & Fiction, and Young Adult

Playfair Display, Open Sans

• Beautiful design in the beginning which draws you in with slides of new events.
• Highlights upcoming works and also includes netflix adaptations of books.
• Navigation links are in a proper sequence of importance with contact being last.
• The books section uses the covers in a collage formatting to draw in readers.
• Biography section is detailed and styled well conveying a sense of familial ties.
• Welcome section is very plain and uninviting even though she is inviting us in.
• Welcome section could be improved with warmer text.

raybradbury.com

Ray Bradbury

Horror, Literature & Fiction, and Science Fiction & Fantasy

• Including a banner helps to promote the author and works.
• Sectioning of the website allows for the transition from one part to the next.
• Theme of the author is conveyed throughout using the orange writing and images.
• Scrolling banner is often confusing and takes up far too much space.
• Scrolling banner content should be conveying the author or the product.
• There is randomness to the sequence on the website content on the homepage.
• The navigation bar needs to decrease options.

ransomriggs.com

Ransom Riggs

Arts & Photography, Mystery & Thrillers, and Young Adult

Europa, FilosofiaOT

• Background is beautiful and leads to the author’s adventure and explorer genre.
• Navigation bar is specific in where the user will be taken and less options is better.
• Footer contains social media links.
• Slow upload speeds for both computers and mobile devices.
• The home page lacks advertisements of upcoming books and past works.
• Very minimalist and lacks conveying this as author’s website instead of personal blog.

taylorjenkinsreid.com

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Tungsten Comp A, Georgia, Gotham SSm A

• Advertising of upcoming books is phenomenal and eye-catching.
• Author’s name is the first segment of wording to be seen by the viewer.
• Navigation bar is easy to use, simplistic but efficiently directs the user.
• Shopping access for the books is easily seen below the upcoming book’s intro.
• Social media links are included at the bottom of the site and accessible.
• About the author is short, succinct, and complete.
• Negative space is used perfectly to bring focus to the key elements of the site.
• Excessive book advertising by including the “Also from Taylor” section on homepage.
• No blog post is on the website and no links available to a blog site either.

ynharari.com

Yuval Noah Harari

History and Nonfiction

• Very inclusive of the various aspects of Yuval Noah Harari.
• Rolling banner allows for continual advertising of Yuval and his events and books.
• Social Media is easily accessible next to the navigation bar.
• Upload speeds are quick for desktop and mobile versions.
• Events are provided in chronological upcoming order.
• The homepage is cluttered and starts to blend together not in a cohesive manner.
• Initial impression is not that this is an author’s website due to the lack of literature.
• Books are not presented in any particular order.
• No upcoming books are being advertised, only events are current.

stephenking.com

Stephen King

Horror, Literature & Fiction, and Mystery & Thrillers

Source Sans Pro, Spectral

• Scrolling banner advertises upcoming works and other events.
• Navigation bar provides key choices to navigate to.
• Background is changeable in the bottom right corner from light to dark to set the mood.
• Mood of the webpage is consistent with Stephen King’s persona and works.
• Upload speeds on both mobile and desktop are very fast allowing for ease of use.
• The background of the site is relatively simple and could have more to draw in a reader.

maggiestiefvater.com

Maggie Stiefvater

Exlibris, Mackinac, Avenir

• Blog section is added in the website which contains some phenomenal content to feed the brain and get pleasure.
• Direct link for purchasing Novels is available which is an admirable functionality to save time for readers.
• The layout of the website is great and all of the books are classified into different genres.
• The News section isn’t up to date and readers really want to listen, grasp their favorite Author’s newest updates.
• T he loading speed of the website isn’t fast enough which can be more fluid and responsive.
• More testimonials or reviews can be uploaded as readers can have a look at those reviews and finalize if they want to purchase the Novel or not.

Brenebrown.com

Brené Brown

Health, Mind & Body, and Nonfiction

Helvetica Neue, Georgia

• The loading speed is really negligible though so many books, podcasts, and blogs are running on the website.
• Visitors can purchase their favorite books easily by using the drop downs in the hero.
• Some brilliant videos are also present on the website including TED TALK and many other inspirational programs.
• Novels aren’t divided into respective genres which is a downside for visitors coming to take a look at numerous books/novels.
• Blogs aren’t regularly updated.
• There’s no contact form on the site.

msrachelhollis.com

Rachel Hollis

Chick Lit, Cookbooks, and Self Help

DIN Condensed, Essonnes, PT Sans Narrow

• This author website has a proper format in respect of colour and section-wise breakdown of topics in each page layout.
• Rachel has uploaded lots of blog posts on different niches which are great to read.
• Sticky social media links on all pages of the site helps followers to get engaged with Author.
• Top Menu Bar can be well-formatted , make brighter and font size should be increased.
• The promotion of books isn’t admirable with respect to other author’s sites.

chrismcdougall.com

Christopher McDougall

Roboto Slab, Roboto Condensed

• There is a picture of the author that makes it more interesting as compared to other authors’ websites.
• About section of the website does all the justice to the writer.
• It could be made the best author website design with a books relevant theme.
• There is a lot of blank space on the home page that could be otherwise utilized beautifully.

awtozer.org

Christian and Religion

• The quotation of the author on the main page makes it a captivating website for a book.
• The color scheme of the website is very soothing to the eyes.
• There’s a large picture of the author in the hero section on the home page.
• The email newsletter is not visible in the footer and it pops up by clicking on subscribe link which isn’t good for conversion rate.
• The contact details and social media handles are missing.

markwaid.com

The website can be counted as one of the best author websites 2022 for comic fans.

Comics & Graphic Novels

Oswald, Raleway

• This author’s website has a huge variety of content which is always updated from time to time.
• The most important pages of the site are visible in the hero on the home page.
• The footer has no newsletter forms, quick links, or social media buttons.
• The layout is very common among author website examples.

becomingmichelleobama.com

Michelle Obama

Biographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction, and Social Sciences

GT Eesti, Earth Rich

• The word “Becoming” is so beautifully incorporated throughout the website.
• The most unique thing about this website is it includes an audio clip which is found very rarely on authors’ websites.
• The website is more focused on the books than the author.
• She could consider shortening the paragraphs on the main page of the website.

helenhoang.com

Helen Hoang

Chick Lit and Romance

Montserrat, Lora

• The Author’s signature added more value to the page.
• The boxed layout made this website different from other authors’ websites.
• The site includes links to all translations of the books.
• There are no blog posts or any links to the blog site available on the website.
• A contact form works better than sharing email addresses.

Beautiful Dark Authors Websites for Inspiration

Radical.net.

David Platt

Montserrat, Roboto Mono

• Video banner draws the audience in with an easy to access video.
• The navigation bar stands out using the white text against a dark background
• Consistent color patterns created continuity on the site.
• Mobile and PC upload speeds remained consistent and high.
• The focus of the website is evident, it is a site for christian fellowship not just books.
• Accessibility and navigation on the site is easy to follow and natural for the user.
• Books could be advertised more if that is the focus, but here it is not.
• The theme of this does not appeal as an author site.
• Imagery is portraying an experience, in this case a christian experience.
• The focus of the site is not on literature or the author.

annefrank.org

Biographies & Memoirs

Graphik, Merriweather

• Simplicity in design is used well as the images are the navigation bar.
• As a Holocaust icon , having a change language option is crucial.
• Color use keeps with the theme of history and feeling of the holocaust.
• Limited information is provided on the website’s homepage.
• As a minimalist style , it is missing substance to draw in new audiences.
• For an author’s website it does not advertise any text such as her famous diary.

robert-galbraith.com

Robert Galbraith

Crime, Suspense, and Thriller

Merriweather

• Homepage is well-made in a very creative manner and while using this website viewers will feel like they are flying in the sky due to the smoother experience.
• Newsletter section is present at the bottom with social media links too .
• Website domain is created according to his name , where he has described different characters too which make his website unique from other author websites.
• The news section is not up to date.
• Placement of purchasing links for books is troublesome.
• The contact page is absent.

hawking.org.uk

Stephen Hawking

Nonfiction and Science

Bebas Neue, InterFace

• The animation of the book covers makes this website one of the best author website designs.
• The website is very easy to use and has no unnecessary options.
• The background of the site is relatively very dark and gloomy.
• The menu options should be made brighter, and the font size of the text should be increased a little.

After Thoughts

These were some great looking best author websites which can provide inspiration for your future websites. Check out our more helpful guides to learn how to make your author website from scratch or about important ingredients to rank it on top of Google. Furthermore, you can contact us, our skillful team can help you design and market a perfect author website for you.

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You have chosen some beautiful author websites! As I looked through many of them, it’s interesting to note the difference in style. Your website style will depend on what type of books you are selling and who your audience is that you are marketing to.

I also found some new authors I want to check out! Thanks for sharing this.

The kevin hearne site is close to being perfect except for a couple of issues like the logo top being cut off on opera browser , great image though and a nice example of design apart from that

Love the tigner site too , nice to see people having well designed sites and no the usual garbage , nice list

Excellent looking sites and reflect on the quality of the author and writing skills. Besides a beautiful site, good reviews are essential and a critique of the author would be good to post on the first page. TeamGolfwell does free book or author reviews > https://www.teamgolfwell.com/free-book-reviews.html

Your activity and inspirational work are good. Authors have to see this article only once to increase their knowledge of writing skills.

Hi How can we improve this site and what would be the cost. Thank you. Mary

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

• 19 Author Website Tips To Earn Money - Situdio - […] this is not a hard and fast rule to be always simple, it depends what type of author you…
• Website For Authors: The ultimate guide for 2022 - Situdio - […] not an easy task at all. Because it depends on the genre of the books. The best thing you…
• 15 Best Author Websites of 2022 | Complete Guide to Creation | Templates - […] situdio.com/ […]
• author website design – dataala - […] 33 Best Author Websites Examples (2022 Update) – Situdio […]
• Preparing to Build a Brand-New Author or Illustrator Website – Susan Uhlig - […] Do you like simple, whimsical, serious, modern, retro, silly, or ? Here’s a great article analyzing 33 author websites.…

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15 Fantastic Author Websites To Inspire You

If you’re an author — or on your way to becoming one — you’ve probably heard a lot about author websites and the importance of a stable online presence.

After all, you can’t assume that your presence on other platforms — Amazon, social media, other people’s blogs — is going to last.

And a well-designed and regularly updated website does more for your author brand than any of these.

But what does your author website really need to have?

If only you had a selection of writers websites to look through to help you decide what features you want to focus on, what first impressions you want your readers to get, and what on earth you’re going to blog about to keep your readers interested.

Welcome to Authority.pub!

We’ve been where you are now. Read on to explore 15 fantastic author website examples.

Why Authors Need A Website Platform

1. stephen guise, 2. marc & angel hack life, 3. meera kothand, 4. honoree corder, 5. patrick king consulting.

• 6. Zoe Mckey

7. Barbara Markway, PhD

8. quiet revolution — with susan cain, 9. jocelyn k. glei, 10. art of productivity with damon zahariades, 11. sally ann miller, 12. annie f. downs, 13. hal elrod, 14. develop good habits with steve (s.j.) scott, 15. live bold & bloom with barrie davenport.

If you’re an author hoping to get the word out on your books, to sell more copies , and to build on them to grow your author business and create other passive income streams, an author website is essential. Consider the following reasons:

• To build a fanbase of people excited about your books
• To establish your credibility and expertise as an author
• To connect with your readers
• To remain up-to-date and competitive in a growing pool of published authors
• To receive valuable feedback from your readers
• To provide content for future books and book-related projects

Don’t make the mistake of leaving your author cred in the hands of Amazon or your social media accounts. And if you’re looking to build an email list of devoted readers (and you should), an online hub is critical to your success.

15 Best Author Websites for 2021

The first thing you’ll see when you check out Stephen Guise’s website is a chance to download — for free — his “best content,” which includes a sampling of his ebook, Mini Habits ; his ebook, Stress Management Redefined ; a Focus Wallpaper set; and his Tuesday newsletter.

His site also has a blog and a page titled, “Living Smarter,” where you can sign up to receive his free content on living a less stressful and more meaningful life.

Marc and Angel Chernoff have created a website that not only advertises their book, Getting Back to Happy , but also offers a life-changing course based on that book. They also blog on topics related to their mission of helping their readers live happier more fulfilling lives.

Forbes magazine has recognized this site as “one of the most popular personal development blogs.” Check it out and see a perfect example of what mission plus passion plus writing skills could do for your author website.

The free courses alone are worth the visit, especially if you’re still a newbie to email marketing, blogging, or product development. Meera’s “Start Here” page introduces you to someone who remembers what it’s like to be a newbie but who has learned what authors need to know to build a successful online platform.

Her site also introduces you to her books, which are well-designed and thoughtfully created to serve her mission of helping fellow online business owners grow and thrive.

Honoree Corder writes books to help her fellow creatives go from starving artists to prosperous authors with life-changing businesses. Her layout is simple, with a smiling photograph just below the header, and it gets right to the point of what she offers. A pop-up window offers a free sample of her book, You Must Write a Book.

Her site offers personalized author coaching and detailed information on her “Empire Builders Mastermind,” as well as on her books and her You Must Write a Book Live Coaching Course. If you’re an author and want to grow your business, you’ll find ideas here on how to do that.

The first thing you see on Patrick King’s site is a chance to sign up for his free cheat sheet on 7 steps to effortless and engaging conversation (even if you’re a “paralyzed social recluse”).

As the author of The Art of Witty Banter and Bulletproof Confidence (among many others), Patrick leads with his free content and social proof (links and testimonials) and leads you to two options: “Read the Blog” and “Get my newest book.” Try both to get the full experience and learn what you can about how to make the most of this website model.

6. Z oe Mckey

If all you really want to do is display your books and offer visitors a chance to download a freebie (in exchange for their email address), Zoe Mckey gives a good example of this on her author site. At first glance, you see a landing page offering you a “Free Unbreakable Confidence Checklist” and “Daily Makeover Cheatsheet.”

Scroll down to see a line-up of her books and a link to see more information on each one. Click on that link to check out her online “bookshop” for ideas on how to set up your own.

At the top of Dr. Markway’s site, you see a banner ad for her “Self-Confidence Workbook.” As you scroll down, you see a warm, personal message from her to her visitors, followed by information about her and her practice, followed by social proof and a chance to sign up for her newsletter.

Her book page displays her published content to advantage, advertising the fact that she’s sold over 100,000 copies and making it easy for visitors to buy her books on Amazon.

Her blog covers related content, displaying each post as an excerpt with a relevant image against a clean, white background. You don’t see any ads on this website.

Susan Cain is the author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking , and this site explores the revolution her work has started. It also introduces her readers to her blog and podcast , along with free resources for parents, schools, and businesses.

The first thing you see here is a calming image with a Q like the one you’ll see on the cover of her most well-known book. Once you scroll down, the image fades to reveal her website’s calming minimalist layout. At the top, on the right-hand side, you’ll see an invitation to join her newsletter. Below, you’ll see links to free resources, Susan’s keynote talks, and a personality test: “Are you an introvert or an extrovert?”

This website for the author of Unsubscribe begins with a question: “Do you want to find more creativity and meaning in your daily work?” Your answer to that question determines whether you’ll sign up for her newsletter and read on to explore her RESET course, her Hurry Slowly podcast, and her articles.

Glei’s mission is to help others choose a heart-centered approach to their work and to productivity. The layout is clean and minimalist with large, readable type.

One of the first things you’ll see here is an ad on the right-hand side offering a free 40-page book, Catapult Your Productivity , to new subscribers, which is an immediate eye-grabber.

Among the menu headings, you’ll see “Free Gift,” “Start Here,” and “My Books” — in that order. Within seconds of clicking on “Start Here,” you see a large pop-up inviting you to subscribe in order to receive a free copy of the same book advertised on the home page.

This is the third time you’ll be tempted with the free offer, and since the pop-up hides the page content, there’s nothing to distract you from typing in your name and email address, if the book looks like something you’d want to read.

If this approach works on you, it might work on your website visitors, too.

With its calming color scheme and crisp, white background, Sally Ann Miller leads the eye of her visitor from her logo to the words “Proft from Your Passion” and a pitch for her free “Passion Challenge workbook.”

She makes her mission obvious: help her readers make money from home doing what they love — including this message in her brief “About” blurb and then repeating it in a large quote block.

Her “Books” page displays all her published content on Amazon and Audible, providing links to make it easy for visitors to buy them. Her “Courses” page lists her own course, Author Success Blueprint , at the top, with a link that takes you to a great example of a course sales page.

With a large smiling photograph, Annie first introduces you to herself — as a best-selling author, nationally-known speaker, podcast host, and loud laughter.

Scrolling down, you see a line-up of her books, (all linking to her “Books” page), then the four most-recent That Sounds Fun podcast episodes, followed by a series of images from her Instagram timeline.

Her “About” page describes and links to each category of her content — books, public speaking, and podcast episodes — while also giving you a glimpse into her background, priorities, and personality.

If you want some pointers on how to design a website that will get your visitors excited about your content and message, check out Hal Elrod’s.

The energy on this site is contagious, and it begins with a video, the offer of free access to his “Miracle Morning Crash Course,” and his clearly-stated mission of “Waking people up to their full potential.”

Just below that, you’ll see an uncluttered advertisement for his life-changing book, The Miracle Morning . From there, you can scroll down to learn about the next Best Year Ever Blueprint (BYEB) experience, sign up to have Hal speak at your next event, or enjoy one of his podcast episodes.

Steve Scott is a great example of a prolific and versatile author whose blog content led to book ideas that sold well.

On this site, you’ll see a variety of blog posts related to his books on healthy habits, with large, readable type and a right-hand column that lists previous posts and advertises other content — including a free book, The Morning Routine for Peak Performance.

The sharing buttons on the left make it easy to share his content in a variety of ways, and while the Google Ads do take up some space, they also help the author earn some passive income.

The menu headings for Barrie Davenport’s blog focus on the topics she covers, rather than the typical page selections. Her final menu item, “Free Gifts,” is tantalizing, but it serves as more than click-bait.

The free ebooks offered on this page make it clear how the author wants to improve the lives of her readers. She offers “5 Free Motivating Guides” focused on personal growth, powerful habits, and loving relationships.

On the right-hand side of her main page, you’ll see a listing of her most popular blog posts — as well as the most recent — and Google Ads for relevant business services.

At the bottom of the home page, you’ll find links to her catalog of self-improvement books and her various online courses.

More Related Articles:

31 Ridiculously Simple Tips For Writing Your Next Book

How To Start Writing With a Daily Writing Habit

9 Creative Writing Exercises To Awaken Your Inner Author

Did you find some useful author blogs?

After looking through each website listed above, I hope you picked up some ideas for your own author website. Maybe you already know what you want and what you don’t.

The important thing is that you have an author platform that gets your readers excited about your books and gives them a place to read more of your content and keep up to date with your progress on new projects.

And who better to learn from than authors who are already rocking it with their websites, while refining their message and reaching more and more of their ideal readers?

I hope you enjoyed this tour of some of the best author websites. It was a pleasure to share them with you.

And may your creativity and thoughtfulness influence everything else you do today.

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BUSINESS STRATEGIES

10 best author websites for inspiration

• Jenna Romano

Get started by: Creating a website →  | Getting a domain →

Never judge a book by its cover—but as far as we’re concerned, judging by the author’s website is just fine. Of course, we’re kidding, but deciding to create a website for your readership is an important professional step as an author, even in a world traditionally dominated by print.

Whether you’ve already been published or you're in the middle of working on your masterpiece, this article will guide you in creating an author website of your own (if you're not sure if you need one, check out does my business need a website ). We’ll briefly go over what purpose author websites serve and what should be included in one. Hint: You'll need a professional bio , and some testimonials and an RSS feed of your most recent posts can't hurt either. Plus, we’ll show you 10 examples of author websites to inspire your own website design.

Read Also: How to make a business website

What is the purpose of author websites?

As hard as it is for bibliophiles to admit, every author needs an online presence. An author website leads visitors to accessible information about you and your work - which they can then use to view your published books and learn more about your accomplishments. In this way, having a website improves your visibility and cements your professional reputation.

In addition to providing background information to visitors, author websites create opportunities for increasing interest in your work and building a base of avid readers. While word of mouth never goes out of style, your online presence will put you on the map, and improve your methods for promoting upcoming books or events.

Finally, author websites can streamline the sale of your books. Adding an online store to your website means you can sell your books directly to interested readers. Alternatively, if your book is on a platform like Amazon or Kindle, your website can direct visitors straight to your account. By leveraging sales with a good online marketing strategy, you might just bring yourself to the top of the bestseller list.

10 examples of author websites

Before you design your own site, take inspiration from this list of the best author websites made by Wix users. These examples include all the key elements listed above, and then some:

Romi Neustadt

Jessica Winter

Taylor Tyng

John Clarkson

Trevor Cosson

Alan Allinger

Ajinkya Dharane

Crawford Content

01. Romi Neustadt

Romi Neustadt is an entrepreneur who shares her professional wisdom with the world. Her latest book You Can Have It All is an encouraging piece, guiding readers to live an authentic and fulfilled life. Romi’s author website certainly has it all. It communicates her mission as an author immediately, using impeccable personal branding and key elements that lead her to show off her mission and accomplishments.

Take a look, for instance, at the strong first impression she creates. A customized slideshow on the homepage features two powerful images. Romi’s headshot is confident and warm, embodying the vision of an author you’d like advice from. This is followed by a quality image of her latest book, which is accompanied by a short description and a strategic call-to-action button that states “Order Now”—making it easy for visitors to purchase a copy.

02. BB Writer

BB is a fiction and non-fiction writer from Boston with a sincere message and a visually pleasing website. The minimalist design and color scheme gives her website a clean feel, while the addition of images and an inspiring quote about writing enlivens the site and strengthens the writing theme.

Scrolling down BB’s author website, you’ll come upon a short “About Me” section, which allows visitors more insight into BB’s background as a writer and provides a space for her to write about what she’s currently working on.

You’ll also see that she’s added a customized logo to the site. Creating your own logo is a good idea as a writer, since it strengthens your personal brand.

03. Jessica Winter

Authors who want to showcase a specific book should turn to Jessica Winter’s website as an example. Jessica does an impressive job highlighting her latest novel by placing a high-quality image of the book’s cover strategically on the homepage. Alongside this image is a positive book review from another author, which gives an enticing description of her book as sassy, sarcastic and wonderful. Sounds like something you’d want to peruse, right?

Adding a well-designed website footer to her author website leaves Jessica ample space for a contact form. While the footer is generally the last thing people see, it’s a strategic place to encourage people to sign up to your mailing list.

04. Taylor Tyng

Anything from typical, Taylor Tyng’s well-designed author website makes for a pleasant browsing experience that keeps users engaged. High resolution animated images add a unique and exciting effect, telling the visual story of the writer’s journey. These colorful images provide a powerful visual contrast to the dark grey background and white text.

Using a hamburger menu allows Taylor to collapse the navigation bar of his site - ensuring users have a clear path to the important sections of his website while allowing more real estate for the visual attraction of his homepage. Another clever element is Taylor’s incorporation of a lightbox —the pop-up window grabs users’ attention and encourages them to sign up to the mailing list.

05. John Clarkson

The thrilling nature of John Clarkson’s novels is made palpable by his website’s visual theme. Its cohesive design theme includes a bold color scheme and the cover art taken from his book covers. As users scroll down the homepage, parallax scrolling gives the site a sense of depth and sophistication.

John’s homepage’s content is impressive while a clear navigation menu links users to even more information. Here, we have a spotlight on his latest book, reviews from critics and readers, a short bio and strategic calls-to-action placed through the page. Clearly visible links to his Good Reads and Amazon accounts encourages site visitors to purchase his work.

06. Trevor Cosson

Trevor Cosson’s site design is minimalistic, using lots of negative space to bring the user’s attention to the text featured throughout. As viewers navigate the site, they’ll be brought to different samples of his work, including his blog and examples of both creative writing and copy. With such a strong focus on text, you should choose a font that reflects your personality and is consistent with the rest of your website’s visual style. In this case, Trevor’s use of a simple serif font enhances the site’s classic feel.

Trevor’s website header also includes links to his various social media accounts. This is a strategic way to build your following as an author, helping increase your visibility and consistently engage with your readership.

07. Alan Allinger

Alan Allinger uses one of Wix’s templates to create a customized author website. The video box featured in this template perfectly embodies the goals of this crafty design element, which allows you to add overlays to your own video and frame it with customized shapes. In this case, a moving image of clouds inside of a quotation mark alludes to both the inspirational and practical aspects of writing.

Overall, the dynamic template showcases Alan’s work and experience quite well. Plus, the addition of a blog gives him the opportunity to share even more great content with his online community.

08. Ajinkya Dharane

Ajinkya Dharane’s powerful website exemplifies a design that’s daring while simultaneously adhering to the web design rules of thumb. A large, high-quality image dominates the background of his homepage, instantly catching the eye. The visual hierarchy and organized structure of the site are also on point, thanks to the use of boxes and strips added throughout the page.

We also love the subtle branding incorporated throughout. The repeated use of his logo’s elements and the inclusion of a favicon are both skillful ways to strengthen Ajinkya’s brand and bolster the professional appearance of the site.

09. Crawford Content

Here’s another example of a Wix website template that’s just perfect for showcasing your work as an author. In this case, the Crawford sisters work as a team, customizing this elegant design by including their own logo, images and text.

Their sophisticated style is further emphasized by the use of light colors and traditional fonts. Their one-page website makes it easy to scroll through their site, and is a web design trend that's sure to impress.

10. Icon 303

Icon 303 is an artist and writer whose multi talented character is perfectly rendered on this website. The homepage is simple but visually potent—including an applied filter effect to the background image, a rousing quote, and an easy-to-navigate menu so visitors can check out his work.

Each page of Icon 303’s site has its own visual theme—a daring example of how your website does not necessarily have to be uniform. In fact, we’re seeing more and more web design trends that lead to a “more is more” mentality. While the shifting of color palettes, imagery and fonts might be too busy for some, it’s a compelling way to distinguish certain facets of your career on a single site.

What should an author website include?

Websites are personal in the sense that they reflect your distinct taste, so the design and content of each site varies depending on the author. Start by choosing a web hosting platform  and choose a template  that incorporates the features you want to include. Keep in mind that you can always customize these templates to evoke the style of your written work.

Once you’ve set up your foundation, be sure to include the following elements on your website.

A professional domain name

First, choose a domain name  that’s professional and easy for visitors to remember. It’s good practice to stick with something short and on brand. For example, you might choose to include your name and perhaps the words “books” or “author."

Pro tip: Try to use your author name instead of the title of one of your books. That way, if you plan to create new work in the future, you won’t need to worry about changing your domain. This is also helpful when establishing your brand identity  as an author.

An About page

An About page gives you the chance to tell visitors about yourself, your professional accomplishments, and your sources of inspiration as a writer. Here, you’ll want to include a headshot of yourself, a list of notable awards you’ve won over the course of your career, and of course, a professional bio . We’re not talking about a full-length novel—keep your bio short and sweet. For many visitors, this page will be their first impression of you and your work.

Perhaps this goes without saying, but you should dedicate a section of your website to your books. The purpose here is to give visitors an overview of your writing and entice them to purchase something. Include a high quality image of each book’s cover, along with a succinct description of its contents. The best author websites we’ve seen also incorporate excerpts from the book itself, which further entice visitors to read.

You can also set up an online store to sell your books directly from your website If you do this, you’ll want to set up your website in a way that encourages visitors to purchase. Adding call-to-action buttons such as “Buy Now” and linking them to your shop is a seamless way to create an easy buying experience.

Read Also: How to start a business

Should you include books that you haven’t finished writing yet? Absolutely. If you have a title already and can create a preview of what the book is about, this will generate hype around its upcoming release.

Positive reviews

Be sure your website incorporates positive feedback about your work—either from readers, notable publications, or other writers. Adding reviews and testimonials  to your website is not only encouraged—it’s expected. Books with reviews are more likely to be read, since they familiarize potential readers with your book’s content and exhibit the general reaction of those who have already finished it. An author website is the perfect place to amplify positive responses and prove your book is worthwhile.

Add a contact form

As an author, you want to keep your fans updated on your career, book releases or special events surrounding your work. In order to do this, you need to capture their contact information and steadily build your mailing list. Help users sign up by adding a well-designed contact form  to your website and use effective email marketing  to increase engagement with your readership.

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Top 20 Author Websites Every Author Must See (in 2024)

Getting readers to notice you in a sea of online sameness is hard. An author website helps you stand out online while positioning you as a writer worth reading.

But creating an engaging, professional author website isn’t easy. And a website that makes you look like an amateur, can be worse than no site at all.

A great author site needs to be:

• appealing to your audience
• quick-loading
• mobile-friendly
• and designed to grow your readers

To give you some direction and inspiration, we’ve put together a list of our top 20 favorite author websites in 2024. Take a page from the book of these authors and give your website the literary love it deserves.

Author Website Examples:

1. Chunka Mui 

Carry your book branding into your website.

chunkamui.com

We had the pleasure of building this website for Chunka and I think it sells his platform perfectly. Not that my opinion is skewed or anything…

What makes this author website stand out is the bold colors contrasted by the white space design. It emphasizes the author’s brand and the content laid out.

There is plenty of useful, groundbreaking content for readers to learn more about Chunka and his work.

Actionable Tips: If you have a book that you want as the main feature, consider using the style and colors from the book cover to dictate the design of the website. And if you have information to share about your cause or core message, make sure to give that content plenty of room to breathe on the page.

2. Leigh Bardugo

Create rich, fan-focused content.

leighbardugo.com

Leigh’s site has got that rich graphic novel-type feel.

The use of illustrations, textures, decorative fonts, and fan resources all come together really well and complement her edgy fantasy brand.

It’s engaging and well-made, catering to her fans and encouraging readers to jump on board and become fans.

Actionable Tips : Planning an intricate universe for your novels? Use what you have to create some fun resources for your fans to explore on your site.

3. Austin Kleon

Keep your website fresh and worthy of revisiting.

austinkleon.com

Austin Kleon’s blog is the main focus of his author website. This makes his website feel fresh all the time because he literally posts almost every day! 

His books are also tastefully displayed in the sidebar. The longer you’re on his blog the more likely you are to check them out.

What makes his blogs successful is that he links to other resources and encourages others to link to his site. His blog is one of the most respected in the author blogging field – so what he’s doing is definitely working.

Actionable Tips : If your platform thrives on blogs, podcasts, and other content media, then we suggest building your website with those elements at the forefront. Don’t forget to keep it up to date! Your website will garner visitors that are super into your work and you can promote your work to them conveniently.

4. Helen Hoang

Make it easy for all types of people to read your books.

helenhoang.com

Helen has a tab on her menu just for translated editions of her books. They come in many languages, catering to a wider audience.

Her website carries her book branding nicely into an online format. Similar feminine color schemes with white space, yet still punchy and fresh. 

Actionable Tips : If your book covers stand out, then let your website design sit in the background as a supporting character. Keep your books in the spotlight.

5. Mike Michalowicz

Build a lovable personal author brand.

mikemichalowicz.com

Mike pulls off what few business authors can: a cheeky, enjoyable brand of business education that makes you want to dive deeper.

Hover over his books on the home page and he transforms accordingly. And scroll to the bottom and click “I can’t stand this guy” for a laugh.

Actionable Tips : Let your website match your personality if that’s your selling point. Excite visitors with an online experience that makes them stay on the site longer, like fun animations, quirky pictures of yourself, and content with a friendly tone.

6. T.A White

Showcase your series.

tawhiteauthor.com

This is another one of our own author websites. We concentrated on representing each of her book series while keeping the main mystical feel. 

The blend of fantasy and Sci-Fi is seamless with the genre-specific, clear fonts and color palette.

There are even a few deleted scenes for fans to sink their teeth into. 

Actionable Tips : You could frequently change your intro image to fit your latest book release, but have an overall design theme that suits all your potential genres. Be sure to leave room for each of your series to be displayed without overshadowing any of them.

7. Mark Dawson

Focus on growing your email list.

markjdawson.com

More than anything, Mark wants you on his mailing list. It’s hard getting readers to take the leap and just purchase a book.

Mark believes he can convince readers over time, through his author newsletter. And with a glowing opt-in box, and nothing else much to do on the home page at first glance, it’s hard to resist the urge to put your email in!

When it comes to the design of his author website, it’s characterized by high contrast and dark, moody pages that fit his genre.

Actionable Tips : If you want to focus on growing your mailing list, it needs to be front and center on your website. But you can still give your books the stage they deserve by featuring them on other pages of your website. This is a great way to have each portion of your website fulfill a specific purpose.

8. Miki Taylor

Showcase your illustrations.

mikitaylor.com

With characters as cute as Miki’s, we had to use them on her author website.

Even though the website is designed with children in mind, adults will have a blast exploring it, appreciating the conversational, quirky tone used.

The menu style is accented by colored bubbles, emphasizing the playfulness of this author website.

Every little extra has a story behind it, giving more value to kids.

Actionable Tips : Your cute illustrations with unique designs and colors should be celebrated on your website! From the backgrounds to the intro imagery, and even your menu design – you can stray from the conventional while creating a succinct online experience for your readers.

9. Mark Manson

Let your content do the talking.

markmanson.net

Mark’s site is fun! Much like his writing in general, you just kind of love his insouciant attitude and the website reflects this well while still being quite organized. 

He has clearly worked out his funnel very well, both in terms of customer journey and SEO. There are various tiers of membership to his content. 

He’s getting an estimated 250K organic visits a month! He definitely understands SEO and content marketing. All-round this is a brilliant site that is no doubt a huge success for its author.

Actionable Tips : If you want readers to enter your funnel, you should provide as much gripping, premium content for them to subscribe to. Utilize SEO and other content marketing strategies to make your site a hub for gathering interested readers for your platform.

10. Daniel Gibbs

Bring your books’ world-building to life online .

danielgibbsauthor.com

Another one of our author websites! Daniel Gibb’s site loads with an engaging full-screen background video.

Daniel went to a huge effort to create a fully fleshed-out world for his readers using interactive star maps and ship diagrams. He’s even got a full-on encyclopedia of his universe!

His author funnel is very slick, offering books for both his series. With such professionally produced high-value lead magnets , his email list grows rapidly.

Actionable Tips : Create an intro that is as action-packed as the novels you’ve written. And if you have a complex universe, laying out timelines for your books will give fans and newcomers a better understanding of your world. They’ll also feel more confident that they’re in the right place – given that this genre is their jam!

Want To Give Your Readers An Engaging Online Experience?

Get an author website that showcases your books, grows your list, and attracts publishers and promoters.

11. George Weigel

Organize your content better than a news site ever could.

georgeweigel.com

We think the author website we designed for George aligns well with his genre and work as an author. It is content-focused, holding true to the message it is getting across. 

This is a great balance to achieve on a website as less is more and you allow your work to speak for itself.

Actionable Tips : If you have heaps of content to display, don’t be afraid to let less important site features like CTA’s play second fiddle. You need to decide what you want out of your website and let the rest become neat peripherals.

12. Brené Brown

Engage with your community.

brenebrown.com

This website is well-designed, easy to navigate, and feels smooth and sleek. High-quality photography helps sell the value behind the words. Has a ton of great-looking downloadables and shareables.

Actionable Tips : You can professionally display your works while still keeping your personality vibrant throughout the website. Keep the language conversational and the colors warm and welcoming.

13. Charlie Cochet

Display your massive collection of books and related content.

charliecochet.com

We built this behemoth of a website for Charlie. Her website is jam-packed with books and content yet a breeze to navigate through. 

There’s no shortage of things to see with the exclusive content like playlists, signed copies of books, interviews, etc.

Not to forget the mix of stand-out and cursive fonts with bright colors that keep the eyes entertained.

Actionable Tips : Fans of the romance genre don’t shy away from the seductive and quirky, so neither should you. Let your genre dictate the atmosphere proudly. And if you have merchandise to sell, you can include a Shop page to display it.

14. Wilbur Smith

Use your books’ themes to create ambiance.

wilbursmithbooks.com

The homepage you land on is fantastic with striking colors and clean navigation. 

The website feels alive with the engaging animated elements, making you feel like you’re about to embark on an adventure of Wilbur’s choice.

Actionable Tips : Instead of a flashy intro, you can go for alive and realistic. And you can have each page have a theme that goes along with the specific book’s concept to serve as the gripping element.

15. The Winter Skye Series – Valencia Weaver

Create a vibrant playground for your younger readers.

wswbooks.com

When you get to make a fun site like this, you’ll enjoy every second of it. And we definitely did!

Amusing animations pop and excite across this website, making it an entertaining experience for the user. The extras for kids make your stay on this website rewarding.

Actionable Tips : If your books are vibrant, your website should be too. It gives readers an idea of what’s to come. And don’t forget to tailor your reader magnet offering to your target reader – like coloring pages for kids in the case above.

16. Gary Vaynerchuk

Showcase all the ways readers can stay connected.

garyvaynerchuk.com

Everything Gary is on his author website. It feels so easy to sink into his world and get engaged with his many facets of entertainment.

Fans will feel welcome here and newcomers will have a new obsession.

Actionable Tips : If you have many streams of media that some fans may not know about, create a user journey on your website to introduce them to it. You can expand your following in each venture by sharing it with your audience on your website.

17. R.J. Palacio

Let your book do the talking.

wonderthebook.com

A fun and cute layout, Palacio’s author site uses a simple color scheme to focus on her playful character art. She’s created a whole bunch of downloadable resources and even some merchandise.

Actionable Tips : If you have one successful book that you want every new reader to start with, make that the main focus of your website. This doesn’t make you a one-hit wonder (excuse the pun) but rather lets your best work strut and collect a following.

18. Tim Sullivan

Use video to set the right atmosphere to attract your target readers.

timsullivan.co.uk

This is another author website designed by yours truly. 

The background video creeps you out in the best ways possible. Plus, there are transitioning icons that continue the ominous atmosphere and keep the visitor on their toes. 

The dark colors with pops of blood-like pigments are enough to make your skin crawl, and that’s how you know you’re exactly where you need to be. 

Actionable Tips : If your intro creeps out a website visitor and they leave, they were never your target reader anyway. Embrace your genre completely when designing your website as potential readers that love your genre will eek with excitement when the find your site. And don’t forget to back your books up with stunning testimonials that sing your praises in a meaningful way.

19. Good Life Project – Jonathan Fields

Create an entry point to grow your community.

goodlifeproject.com

A site that stylishly broadcasts “feel good” vibes. Combines warm colors with professionally shot uplifting background video which gives it some class. 

This is an all-around very professional and engaging site. The Opt-in bar is perfectly aligned with what the book promises and sends you to a quiz. 

This site does all the right things and does them well while keeping true to its brand.

Actionable Tips : If you want to foster a community, then make sure your opt-in hints at the type of community it will be. You can use a quiz, like the example shows, to discover more about your audience and how you can make your community happier.

20. Maggie Carpenter

Let your genre and personality shine through.

maggiecarpenter.com

We’re in love with this author website…and not just because we built it!

Maggie’s author website has a tone that’s emphasized by the images that are revealed as you scroll. 

But what leaves a lasting impression is Maggie’s voice atop the sultry design.

She’s conversational, cheeky, and admirable. She knows the less desirable tropes that can be assimilated with her genre and she squashes them, saying you’re in for something even better with her books.

Actionable Tips: You can use your voice as the driving factor of your website, keeping the target reader locked in and enticed from beginning to end. Even if it’s in a genre like romance, you can still be friendly while maintaining the desired atmosphere.

Author Website Must-Haves

Your Author Website…

These stunning author websites weren’t built overnight. They took time, effort, and website-building expertise to get it just right.

If you don’t feel like figuring out how to build your own awesome author website yourself, then we can help!

We’re a professional web design agency that specializes in working with authors. Fill in this inquiry form and take one step closer to your dream online presence.

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Best story writing websites in 2022

What are the best storytelling websites? We’ve put together a selection of writing sites offering writing tips, help with plot and character, book publication and promo resources and more.

• Post author By Jordan
• 27 Comments on Best story writing websites in 2022

Need writing resources? Here are some of the best story writing websites. We’ve updated these resources to include writing tips, story plotting resources, publishing and book promo help, and more.

Fiction writing websites – categories

Writing tips and insights from authors, community and writing critiques, help creating plot and structure, advice on creating characters, worldbuilding and creating story settings, writing tools for planning stories, creativity, inspiration and writing prompts, editing and evaluating your writing, insights from and help finding agents, story and book publishing help, help promoting your writing, writing genres and genre-specific insight.

• Further writing resources and roundups

Let’s dive in and explore some of the best writing resources on the web. Use the links on the right (if on a desktop device) to go to the section that interests you:

The websites in this section aren’t so much story writing websites as resources offering a peek into authors’ writing process , inspiration sources and advice:

The Paris Review

The Paris Review’s ‘Art of Fiction’ series includes interviews with celebrated authors and editors.

Interviewed luminaries include Toni Morrison, Ernest Hemingway, Ray Bradbury and others. See, for example, Faulkner on why believing you can rewrite better is positive motivation for an artist.

The books section of NPR offers many interesting interviews, podcasts (with transcripts) and book picks.

The New York Times By the Book

The New York Times is an excellent website for writers generally due to the caliber of its writing. The ‘By the Book’ section of this writing website offers illuminating author interviews.

Read Ocean Vuong on bringing books to lunch dates , ‘just in case’. Although the NYT is paywalled, it’s one of the more worthwhile (and cheaper) sites to subscribe to.

Writers & Artists

UK writing platform Writers & Artists has many blog articles and interviews. Their ‘advice’ section is particularly helpful for writers.

See this article by author Michèle Roberts , Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. Roberts shares how to get over writer’s block.

The Writer Magazine

Founded in 1887, The Writer magazine offers many illuminating interviews with authors. Here, for example, author Emma Straub talks character development , writing routine, the writing process, and more.

Additional resources

Is there another website whose author interviews you love? Please share your favorites in the comments below. Read advice from eight Nobel-winning authors here .

Writing groups are a fantastic way to develop your story (as our Group Coaching writing course alumni attest). Here are places to get feedback on your writing:

We’ll toot our own horn here: Now Novel’s critique groups are home to first-timers and experienced writers alike. Members who earn our ‘top critiquer’ badge frequently and consistently give thoughtful, considered writing feedback. We’ve regularly featured in Reedsy’s list of top writing communities and other best-of roundups.

Read our article on how to give feedback that rocks here .

Develop Your Story With Support

Finishing writing is hard – get help and stay accountable to your goals.

The writing platform Medium is described as an open platform ‘where readers find dynamic thinking’.

You’ll often find interesting thought pieces, such as Katie Lawrence’s piece on writing a bestseller here , as well as readers’ engaging comments.

Absolute Write Water Cooler

Absolute Write is a free writing forum and community. Here, writers share tips on subjects from writing software to approaching agents and editors.

See the full list of writing forums , spanning basic writing questions, how to deal with having stories turned down for publication, and much more.

The /r/writing Subreddit

Reddit is the more verbal of all the social platforms, and thus a natural fit for writers. The /r/writing subreddit currently has over two million members, and there are daily discussions about writing tools and software, and weekly critique and self-promotion threads too.

Creating the plot and structure for a story is hard without a framework. The fiction writing websites below offer plot frameworks, ways to understand story structure, and tips for writing page-turning stories.

To get brainstorming stories right away, start with Now Novel’s browser-based story outlining tool , the Now Novel dashboard.

The Nashville Film Institute provides a useful breakdown of Dan Harmon’s ‘Story Circle’ plot structure template , which itself is derived from Joseph Campbell’s classic The Hero’s Journey story structure concept .

UC Berkeley teaching resources

UC Berkeley has a portal with resources for teachers that includes a wonderfully clear summary of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey . The resource includes deep dives into the hero’s journey in myth and film. Explore various ways this story pattern recurs in different media.

Screenwriting tricks for authors

Author and screenwriter Alexandra Sokoloff’s blog offers many tips on plot and story structure. See a plot structure series Sokoloff wrote for NaNoWriMo on three-act story structure, beginning with the inciting incident .

The Plot Whisperer

Author Martha Alderson offers plenty of advice on how to plot and structure stories on her Plot Whisperer blog.

See, for example, ‘ 15 tips to create a compelling plot for your story ‘.

Aerogramme Writers’ Studio

Although Aerogramme Writers’ Studio has been taking a hiatus since around 2020 from posting new content, there is still a trove of useful story plotting and structure info on this story writing website.

See teacher and author Kenn Adams’ breakdown of the ‘story spine’ , a simple, eight-step ‘fill-in-the-blank’ process to find the core focus of a story.

Plot generator

This plot generator tool churns out some pretty wild plot ideas (‘Bernadette is a killer fuelled by homophobia, who watches teachers and shaves them’.) You may find useful plot tidbits in the midst of the absurdity.

The Learning Network on the NYT

Another helpful part of the New York Times (apart from the author interview section linked above) is its learning network.

See for example 1000 writing prompts for students in this article. These could be interesting questions to ask your fictional characters, too.

The secrets of story structure by K.M. Weiland

Author K.M. Weiland’s blog has many helpful articles on story craft. Her fiction writing website includes multi-article guides such as ‘The Secrets of Story Structure’ here .

ChatGPT by OpenAI

This AI writing generator is a helpful tool for finding writing prompts, synonyms, creating permutations of lines and ideas, and more. See our article on 10 helpful uses of AI writing tools where we explore the tool’s uses and limitations.

Learning how to create characters in an ongoing process of writing, learning more about the psychology of goals, motivations, desires and conflicts, and reading great character studies. Read our best articles on creating characters , and find useful character creation resources below:

Writers Write

Writers Write, originally founded by Amanda Patterson, has many articles on character development. Read this blog post for 350 ideas for character traits .

Ian Irvine’s character how-to’s

Author Ian Irvine has a great selection of character-building advice here , which he has condensed from Writing for Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias .

Random motive generator

Random generators are hit and miss, but this character motive generator can give you some ideas for the motive part of goal, motivation and conflict.

See more tips on creating clear goal, motivation and conflict for your characters in this extract from our monthly writing craft webinars with Now Novel coach and HarperCollins-published author, Romy Sommer:

This person does not exist

This AI-driven image creation tool composites a massive sample of images to create images of humans who do not (in theory) exist, generating characterful new people from visual data . Try refreshing the page a few times, then write a paragraph of description imagining who the person in front of you is.

Live Write Breathe

Author Janalyn Voigt offers plenty of writing advice on her blog, including this characte-building worksheet .

Worldbuilding is vital for creating believable settings that feel lived in and plausible. Read our best articles on creating settings and find worldbuilding resources for stories below:

Azgaar’s fantasy map generator

Countless fantasy novels begin with front pages showing fictional maps. Create your own with Azgaar’s fun, free browser-based fantasy map generator .

TED-Ed is the American media organization TED’s (of TED Talks – ‘ideas worth spreading’) platform for educational materials. Among the resources shared, you’ll find this rap from YouTube creator Flocabulary on why setting in stories matters .

TV Tropes offers many succinct wiki-style pages on film, TV and book tropes (motifs or devices that recur in popular culture and literature). See a post on the ‘standard fantasy setting’ that also links to TV Tropes’ page on urban fantasy.

The British national archives

If you are setting your story in England in a specific historical period, the national archives are a great resource for finding information. The collection spans 1000 years plus, including subjects such as the military, census records, famous wills, photographs of famous prisoners and more.

Writing a story set in another non-fictive country? Google for digital archives that may supply texture and detail for your setting.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has many useful worldbuilding resources. See, for example, Patricia C. Wrede’s comprehensive list of fantasy worldbuilding questions .

Planning stories and creating outlines in advance is one way to ensure that you stay on track and don’t get stuck while drafting.

Read ways to use Now Novel’s story outlining tools and find more tools for planning stories below:

Several Now Novel members have mentioned that they use this well-known desktop-based writing software in tandem with Now Novel’s own online story brainstorming tools, as each compliments the others set of features. Read more about Scrivener’s features .

Although exclusive to Apple devices, this is a popular writing app that includes features such as word count tracking, as well as folders where you can organize writing project snippets by material integrated into your manuscript, material in review and process work or scrapped ideas.

Milanote is note creation tool pitched to story-boarders working in film, advertising and novel-writing as well . Like Evernote, it has a web clipper for saving snippets of articles you read to notes.

One stop for writers – timelines

In addition to offering helpful writing advice on their blog at Writers Helping Writers , Angela Ackerman and co provide a story tool with a timeline-creation tool that you may find useful if the sequence of events in your story is important.

Trello is a flexible browser-based project-management tool with a board-based interface (similar to Milanote) that you can use to organize scene summaries (much like our own Scene Builder, which is more story-oriented). Here’s an article from Trello’s blog on ways to use it to organize your story or story research.

How do you find a story idea ? The resources below include writing prompts, resources for finding story inspiration and more:

The Write Practice blog

The Write Practice has many helpful articles for writers on their blog, including this selection of writing prompts .

The Marginalian

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings) is Maria Popova’s fantastic blog about writers, inspiration, creativity and more. See for example how she unpacks complex ideas about inspiration from Ursula K. Le Guin .

Positive Writer

Bryan Hutchinson offers helpful personal accounts relating to writing and inspiration, such as how creative journaling helped his writing process .

Advice to Writers

Jon Winokur’s writing website offers ‘writerly wisdom of the ages’ in daily quotes, such as this one:

I’ve tried to figure out what good writing is. I know it when I read it in other people’s work or my own. The closest I’ve come is that there’s a rhythm to the writing, in the sentence and the paragraph. When the rhythm’s off, it’s hard to read the thing. Sebastian Junger, quoted by Jon Winokur.

Encyclopedia Mythica

Myths, legends and fables have always been fantastic sources of inspiration for new stories. Encyclopedia Mythica is a helpful wiki all about mythology and famous mythic figures.

Reedsy Plot Generator

Reedsy has a fun tool for generating plot ideas by genre that may help you find initial inspiration for something you can alter and make your own further.

Nonsense Generator

This is another idea generator tool that churns out absurd sentences. More silly than serious, you might find an image that strikes you all the same. Example generated: ‘Two-finger John set a treehouse on fire’.

Bookfox (formerly The John Fox) has many articles with writing prompts and inspiration. Here’s a list of how 50 authors prepare to write and get inspired.

Resources for editing stories will be more important to you perhaps if you are nearer the end of your manuscript. Find out about Now Novel’s editing services here and keep reading for helpful editing tools and resources:

Chicago Manual of Style’s shop talk blog

The Chicago Manual of Style is a trusted style and editing manual. Their ‘shop talk’ blog has helpful tips on grammar, style and punctuation. Also find articles such as this on using Word vs Docs to edit your manuscript.

ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid is ‘an AI-powered writing assistant’ that checks writing for style and grammar issues. See their article on why they’re a good choice of editing plugin to use with Now Novel .

Hemingway App

Hemingway is a simple, browser-based editing tool for checking paragraphs for issues such as sentence structure, reading level, and grammar.

Grammarly is another style and spelling checker that is widely used.

Oxford grammar practice resources

Practice your grammar online with these basic, intermediate and advanced lessons from Oxford University Press.

Grammar Girl

Grammar Girl is a resource that’s part of Mignon Fogarty’s ‘Quick and Dirty Tips’ network. It’s a useful resource for brushing up on grammar. Read about the different types of nouns and their uses , for example.

Once you’ve finished writing a book and edited a draft so it is good enough to send off, where do you find help writing synopses or lists of agents open to submissions? Here are some helpful resources around representation and querying your manuscript:

Writer’s Market guides

Writer’s Market publishes useful annual guides on the publishing industry. You’ll find query letter templates as well as guides to getting agency representation packed with actionable advice.

The Query Shark

Janet Reid’s blog Query Shark provides excellent insight into the parts of query letters that work and pique interest.

Association of Authors’ Representatives

Many agents belong to associations such as the AAR. These agent listing platforms provide a useful way to search for agents interested in your genre and whether they are open to unsolicited submissions or require referrals.

Querytracker

This platform provides a useful list of agents as well as individual agent profiles where querying authors comment their experiences and whether or not they received full or partial manuscript requests. It’s helpful to determine which agents are active and which tend to be more responsive to queries in a specific niche.

Agent and publishing coach Rachelle Gardner

Agent and publishing coach Rachelle Gardner offers plenty of useful advice on writing and publishing, such as this article on whether or not you should write to market .

Curtis Brown Creative’s blog

Curtis Brown Creative, a London-based literary agency established in 2011, offers plenty of advice from agents and agent-represented authors on their blog. Founder and director Anna Davis offers some excellent advice on preparing to submit to agents .

Guide to literary agents

Writer’s Digest’s ‘Guide to Literary Agents’ blog section touches on querying, the importance of perseverance in getting published, and more.

NY Book Editors

NY Book Editors have an excellent blog – the linked article on writing query letters gives plenty of good tips as well as helpful examples of strong openings and more.

Poets & Writers agent database

Poets & Writers magazine has a helpful database of literary agents where you can find agents’ contact details, the genres they’re interested in representing, and further details such as their respective agencies’ websites.

Nathan Bransford’s blog

Nathan Bransford, an author and former agent at Curtis Brown, writes a blog where he offers tips such as how to write a query letter .

Evil Editor

Evil Editor breaks down synopses and explains pitfalls writers should avoid.

Publishing is a vast subject area, from choosing between indie and traditional publishing to understanding market, Kindle store categories, what the publishing process is like, and more.

Watch a video extract from our monthly webinars below where Romy Sommer explores paths to publishing. Then keep reading for useful publishing websites:

Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly is a great resource for all things publishing-related, including weekly information on recent book deals that will help you abreast of what’s happening in publishing.

Writer Beware (the SFWA)

Writer Beware , a subcommunity of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, offers a great resource on dubious publishing tactics and would-be agents and other pitfalls to keep aware of.

Publishers Marketplace

Publishers Marketplace is another useful publishing resource (particularly for US-based writers), including information on agents, their commission rates, recent book deals and more.

Jane Friedman

Jane Friedman’s blog focuses on the publishing industry and helping authors navigate processes such as starting out as an unpublished author. See her beginner’s guide to getting published .

The Creative Penn

Joanna Penn’s blog includes podcasts and interviews with specialists in a range of niches, including book publishing and promo. See for example this podcast interview on going wide with publishing consultant Mark Leslie Lefebvre.

Publishing Perspectives

This publishing portal offers news on recent writing prize winners, news round-ups about events in the book industry, and more.

Hawes Publications

This useful internet resource keeps an updated list of brief plot summaries (loglines) describing popular releases, a two-sentence plot summary or blurb . Reading over succinct summaries could help you tighten your own elevator pitch or logline.

Writing Cooperative

Writing Cooperative is home to many useful resources for writers, such as this list by Austin Hackney of 128 publications that pay for short stories.

BookBub’s blog often features helpful articles on publishing matters, such as this article ‘ 50+ Publishing Resources You Should Know About ‘ by Diana Urban.

Reedsy offers a comprehensive directory of publishers that have been vetted, including data such as location, size, what genres they publish, and whether or not they are indie and open to submissions.

Kindle Publishing Guidelines

If you’re planning to indie publish a book on Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing has a handy knowledge base with information on everything from cover image guidelines to enhanced typesetting tips.

Book marketing is something many authors find challenging. Reading the right resources and putting time into promoting your work (or rather, building relationships with future readers) is key to selling. Find useful resources for book promo below:

Penguin UK’s blog

Penguin’s blog has many articles offering succinct tips, such as this post on ways to promote your book (including video on what a book publicist does).

NetGalley is a book promo platform devoted to helping build your ‘street team’ – readers who may receive advance copies in exchange for honest reviews.

Smith Publicity

Smith Publicity is a book publicity agency that offers helpful guides to doing book promo. See these 110 tips for marketing your book.

Whitefox, a company offering publishing consultancy and other services relating to publishing and distribution, offers helpful tips on book promo on their blog. See this round-up, where nine book industry insiders give advice for creating pre-publication buzz.

Scribe Media

Scribe Media offer, among other services, book launch preparation and assistance getting media exposure. Read their helpful post on thirteen ways to get more exposure for your book .

Dave Chesson at Kindlepreneur

Dave Chesson provides useful introductions to book promo (pertaining to selling via Amazon’s Kindle store), such as this guide to choosing the right categories for giving your books maximum visibility.

The Book Designer

The Book Designer, in the same stable as Self Publishing School, has several helpful articles related to book promo, such as this one on how to get reviews for indie-published books .

Self-Publishing School

Self-Publishing School offers various tips on book publishing and promo, and this is a helpful round-up of free and paid sites where you can promote your latest publication .

There are many internet resources that provide insight and help specific to different writing genres. Find resources for romance, fantasy, mystery, crime, sci-fi, historical and more below:

Writing romance

Find our best romance articles here and extra romance writing websites below:

Write for Harlequin

Harlequin has long been a big name in romance publishing. On the ‘Write for Harlequin’ blog, the publisher frequently shares editors’ wish lists such as this summary of stories sought in the historical romance subgenre .

The Mills & Boon blog

Mills & Boon is another big name in romance publishing, and their blog features many interesting romance subgenre and trope discussions, such as authors on why they love writing the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope .

Diana Gabaldon’s blog

Diana Gabaldon, author of the successful romantic historical Outlander series, has an active blog where she shares interviews from the archives, news and more. Here’s an interview where Gabaldon speaks on writing an honest romance book that will ring true regardless of setting, time period, and how much (or little) autobiography it contains.

She Reads Romance Books

Review communities dedicated to specific genres are a great way to delve into the minds of readers in your target market and see what makes readers love the books they do. This romance-focused site offers round ups of the best romance books over the years and more.

Nicholas Sparks’ blog

Some of the tips on romance author Nicholas Sparks’ blog may read a little pat, but in the ‘advice to writers’ section of the author’s website there is this good advice:

Over time, quality work will lead to an audience for your work. In the end, readers always choose. Nicholas Sparks, author’s website.

Romance Writers of Australia

This Australian romance writers’ organization offers a fun ‘three things I learned writing …’ series where romance authors discuss three things they learned while writing their published books. It’s full of motivating lessons from romance writing such as ‘anything is fixable’.

Romance Writers of America

The RWA likewise has an archive of helpful articles on romance writing . Articles range from industry news to tips for building your newsletter.

Writing fantasy

Read all our most popular fantasy-writing articles here , and more on the genre below:

The SWFA’s blog

This has been mentioned already above in a different context, but in addition to its excellent guides and resources, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America also offers articles by guest contributors on topics such as walking the line between good style and too much fantasy jargon and slang .

Ursula K. Le Guin archives

The ‘about writing’ archives on Ursula K. Le Guin’s website are a great selection of the late fantasy and science fiction author’s musings on fantasy-related and more general writing topics. Here’s a good open letter on plausibility in fantasy with interesting discussion of the way Tolkien uses settings.

Neil Gaiman’s blog

Author Neil Gaiman’s career has spanned an eclectic range of genres and formats, from dark fantasy to sci fi, graphic novels and screenplays. The author’s blog is full of interesting insights into fantasy, such as an appreciation post for Sir Terry Pratchett or this essay on where Gaiman gets his ideas .

The Speculative Literature Foundation

The Speculative Literature Foundation is ‘a global nonprofit dedicating to promoting literary quality in speculative fiction’. Resources the organization offers include lists of grants for fantasy and sci-fi writers as well as interviews with speculative fiction writers and deep dives into writing matters .

Fantasy author Brent Weeks

The fantasy author Brent Weeks offers plenty of excellent advice on fantasy worldbuilding , magic systems, writing fight scenes and more on his personal blog.

Writing science fiction

Another complex speculative genre, science fiction has many fantastic writing organizations and story writing websites dedicated to the genre:

Neal Stephenson’s writing advice

Although not a separate story writing website, speculative fiction titan Neal Stephenson’s writing advice on the TED-Ed blog is simple and golden.

Galaxy science fiction magazine archives

Galaxy was a science fiction magazine published from 1950 to 1980 and is thus an interesting time capsule for SF writers. You can read stories by Ray Bradbury in its pages (including his story ‘The Fireman’ which later became his cult novel, Fahrenheit 451 ).

Philip K. Dick on androids and humans

One of the most influential sci-fi authors of all time gave a speech titled ‘The Android and the Human’ at the Vancouver Science Fiction Convention in 1972, available to read here .

Asimov Online

Isaac Asimov, one of the so-called ‘big three’ science fiction authors, is the subject of this internet archive of sci-fi resources , essays and more.

Arthur C. Clarke at 100

On the centenary of Arthur C. Clarke’s birth, Adam Roberts reflects on this ‘big three’ sci-fi author’s legacy and works such as Rendezvous with Rama (1973) and 2001: A Space Odyssey for The Guardian .

Tor, a speculative fiction publishing company, runs a blog featuring interesting science fiction reads such as this article by author Adam Oyebanji on how science ‘nudges fiction towards new frontiers’.

Locus Magazine

Billed as ‘the magazine of the science fiction and fantasy field’, Locus’ fiction writing website has speculative fiction publishing news, reviews, interviews, lists of sci-fi and fantasy conventions, and more.

Writing crime and mystery

The crime and mystery fiction writing websites below include writing organizations, useful crime-writing and mystery resources, and more:

Mystery Writers of America

The Mystery Writers of America writing organization describes itself as ‘the premier organization for mystery and crime writers, professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and folks who just love to read crime fiction’. See their list of vetted publishers of crime and mystery .

The Crime Writers’ Association

Another crime-writing organization based in the UK, member benefits include co-promotion of new crime novel releases, monthly crime fiction -devoted newsletters, and more.

International Thriller Writers

The International Thriller Writers organization like the CWA has a debut authors program , whereby you get extra help with launching and promoting your debut in return for membership.

Agatha Christie archives

This website devoted to the seminal mystery author’s life and work includes interesting information such as this article on how Christie wrote , along with bibliographies, reading lists and more.

Louise Penny’s author site

Mystery author Louise Penny offers tips and encouragement for getting published on her personal author site.

Crime Reads

A crime and mystery-writing website, Crime Reads offers blogs on mystery topics such as the ‘fine art’ of writing riveting plot twists .

Sisters in Crime

Founded in 1986 to advocate for women crime writers, Sisters in Crime offers writing webinars, resources for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, and more.

Jungle Red Writers

This blog helmed by seven women who write crime has many interesting reads, such as Hannah Mary Mckinnon’s article on embracing research .

Elizabeth Spann Craig

Cozy mystery author Elizabeth Spann Craig blogs about writing mysteries and also has an well-curated writing guide roundup she shares via Twitter called ‘Twitterific Writing Links’.

Criminal Minds blog

The premise of this story writing website is simple: ‘Each week, we respond to provocative questions about crime fiction, writing, publishing and life.’ Read crime and mystery Q&As .

Crime by the Book blog

Crime by the Book is ‘the result of one girl’s ongoing exploration of crime fiction from around the world’. You’ll find crime book reviews, recommended reading lists and more on this portal dedicated to the crime genre.

Crime Fiction Lover

This crime-focused writing site offers crime novel reviews, author spotlights and interviews, a virtual book club and more.

Author Bryn Donovan’s blog

Author Bryn Donovan offers helpful tips for mystery and crime writers, such as this list of 25 case-solving clues you could use in a story.

The unsolved mysteries subreddit

Reddit is full of interesting topic threads with deep dives and articles shares. A good subreddit or community for mystery authors is the Unsolved Mysteries subreddit .

Here, members discuss unsolved cases and their theories about what happened. [Note that stories may share disturbing elements relating to unsolved police cases].

Writing children’s and YA fiction

Writing for younger readers entails writing to specific reading age norms, knowing what is age-appropriate and more. Find useful writing websites for YA and kids’ lit below:

The Atlantic

The Atlantic is not dedicated to YA and kids’ lit, but has a helpful article here where YA authors share their best tips on writing for and about teens.

The YA Bookshelf

The YA Bookshelf is a useful website for YA book reviews and resources. See their roundup of YA book blogs , for example.

Hannah Holt’s blog

Children’s writer Hannah Holt has an interesting deep dive into YA author stats (though published in 2017, it has all kinds of insights into YA author advances, average submissions until being published and more).

So You Want to Write

So You Want to Write has a comprehensive guide to writing YA by YA fantasy author Mackenzie Belcastro.

John Green Q&A

It’s great when authors give concise answers to complex questions. YA author John Green’s writing FAQs on his website answers interesting questions such as ‘how do you write about adolescents when you aren’t one?’

Vlogbrothers

Writing for younger readers necessitates using platforms younger readers love well and meaningfully. See John and Hank Green’s vlog on YouTube for ideas of how to create meaningful video content for your YA readers.

Sarah Webb’s children’s writing tips

Children’s author Sarah Webb shares great advice for writing for children on her author site.

Michael Morpugo’s teaching resources

Sir Michael Morpugo, one of the best-loved children’s authors and author of War Horse , shares inviting question and quiz resources for parents and educators to go with his books via the author’s website. An inspiring ed-tech format to use with your own children’s writing.

Interview with Maurice Sendak

The Guardian has many fantastic articles mixing essay with interview, such as this biting and fascinating conversation with Maurice Sendak , author and illustrator of the beloved Where the Wild Things Are . His statement ‘I refuse to lie to children’ is an interesting maxim for writing for younger, truth-seeking readers.

The Federation of Children’s Book Groups

This helpful resource for children’s book writers and readers includes interviews with authors, information on the Children’s Book Award, and more.

Writing historical fiction

Writing historical fiction naturally involves research due to stories being based on real events. Here are some of he best internet resources for researching and writing historical books, including museum archives with digital collections and universities’ subject specialist research guides.

British Pathé archives

British Pathé is a fascinating resource for historical footage and photo collections. See, for example, their outline of key events from WWII.

The National Archives (UK)

The National Archives is a vast archive spanning 1000 years of UK history. The searchable collections have many photo albums and articles, on everything from coronations to crime and punishment in specific eras.

The Smithsonian Institute

Across the Atlantic, the Smithsonian Institute offers vast archives of research materials to do with American history, from conservation biology to art history.

National Archives of Australia

Writing books set in Australia? The National Archives of Australia provides research guides for subjects such as first peoples and colonial history, foreign relations, military history and more.

USC Latin America resource guide

The University of Southern California offers a useful, organized guide to resources on Latin American history and archives from this region as well as the Caribbean. Google ‘.edu’ and the area you’re interested in and ‘resources’ to find similar librarian-developed research resources for historical fiction.

Yale’s European history library guide

Yale University has a fantastic library guide to historical research resources about Europe . Includes resources for general Western European history and medieval, early modern and modern Europe.

The Historical Novel Society

Founded in 1997, this organization is devoted to historical fiction and offers a quarterly magazine, information on historical fiction conferences, member directory and more.

A Writer of History by M.K. Tod

Historical fiction author and blogger M.K. Tod shares many interesting historical fiction discussions and interviews on her blog. For example, this deep dive on behind-the-scenes facts from WWII .

Africa is a Country

Africa is a Country (the title is ironic) is a fantastic resource for nuanced journalism and contemporary, left-leaning analysis of African culture and politics, reviews of books about African and diasporic issues, and more. A good research resource for studying African issues and debates.

English Historical Fiction Authors

This history writing blog began in 2011 and shares all kinds of interesting micro history accounts by historical writers from various periods of British history.

Queen Anne Boleyn blog

This site devoted to historical fiction and named after the famously executed second wife of Heny VIII has many interesting blog articles. See, for example, where history authors weighed in on casting decisions and the question of race and representation in adapting historical stories for film and TV.

Jane Austen’s World

This blog offers thought-provoking deep dives into Austen’s writing , the Regency period (such as social customs of the time) and more.

Further writing resources

Mcsweeney’s internet tendency.

A long-standing humor site that publishes biting satire and parody, such as ‘If people talked to other professionals the way they talk to teachers’ by Shannon Reed . A good regular read for aspiring humor writers.

Quora is often a very useful resource when you have a specific writing-related question you’d like to crowd-source answers for (for example, ‘ What is plot development? ‘).

Chuck Wendig’s Terrible Minds

Chuck Wendig’s Terrible Minds blog is full of interesting and profanity-laden articles about the writing process [not for the expletive-squeamish] and now features guest articles on topics such as ‘five things learned while writing a book’.

Writer’s Digest

Writer’s Digest is one of the longest-standing writing sites on the web, with WD having been founded long before the interne in 1920. They offer fiction and non-fiction writing resources, a very broad section on getting published and more.

National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo has a simple premise: Challenging writers to try produce a book draft in a month. Anyone who has written or attempted to write a book knows this is no time at all, but many authors use the write-a-thon as an exercise to see how much they can churn out of a manuscript within 30 days.

Writer Unboxed

This story writing website founded by Kathleen Bolton and current editorial director Therese Walsh offers an engaging blog and also published a writing manual , Author in Progress in partnership with Writer’s Digest. The manual is billed as ‘a no-holds-barred guide to what it really takes to get published’.

Literary Hub publishes a wide variety of material, but their ‘craft and criticism’ section is perhaps the most immediately useful. Read this article by author Vauhini Vara on how to keep a long project alive (with advice from writer and Emeritus Professor of English Tobias Wolff).

What are your favorite literary writing websites? Let us know in the comments below. Start writing a book with structured support and a caring community’s help.

Related Posts:

• Writing a fantasy novel: 34 must-visit websites
• Publishing a novel in 2022: 10 useful insights
• How to get your book published: Detailed 2022 guide
• Tags writing resources , writing websites

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

27 replies on “Best story writing websites in 2022”

Always great content on here! Really impressed at how in depth this list is. Bookmarking it for later.

Thanks so much, Ben.

Great content and we are really impressed with the way of presentations

This was such an awesome article. So awesome in fact I’ve featured it on my top 15 best articles on writing – ever! http://reflectionsfromaredhead.com/the-best-articles-on-writing/

Thank you, Janine! Have shared your post on social media.

That is quite an extensive list. Thank you very much for this comprehensive blog post.

Take a look at Writelight as well.

Thank you for the suggestion, Artem.

Hello, I Like your blog, I wanted to leave a little comment to support you and wish you a good continuation. Wish you best of luck for all your best efforts. Bonobology | Romantic Story

If this list gets update sometime, some sites for Writer Podcasts and Book Cover resources would be good addition.

Hi Adrijus, great suggestions. It’s on my list!

Happy to share some if needed.

P.S. Do you take guest posters on? 🙂

Hi Adrijus, we do when it’s good content relevant to aspiring authors primary challenges (e.g. craft, organization, publishing process, etc.) The best thing to do is submit a pitch to help at nownovel dot com via email including topic and title suggestions and we’ll see if there’s fit.

Thanks for asking.

Sounds good. Thank you!

Hi Bridget, you have done a great work here. I’m really impressed.

This was such an awesome article. You can also publish your story on https://highlightstory.com

Thank you! I’m not sure I’ll check out all these resources, but I’ve already found some useful ones for me. I find great support in writers’ blogs and the block with general tips is very useful for me. In addition, I want to share some interesting articles: https://stacitroilo.wordpress.com/2019/07/19/author-inspiration-writing-links-83/ I read this blog regularly as yours and find many useful ideas.

Thank you, Anna. Thanks for sharing helpful resources you’ve come across too.

[…] Novel: “Story writing websites and resources: 200 of the best,” a comprehensive resource divided into useful categories including everything from plot […]

Some of your links need to fixed. One’s like Deborah Bruch’s Plot Analysis Worksheet leads to a “Forbidden” access page, and you have Reedsy leads to the previous option of Nonsense Generator. You have a shit ton of great links, some just need to be cleaned up a bit.

Thank you, JD. Will do – this one hasn’t had some attention in a while. Thank you for reading our blog.

i love writing stories guys

That’s great, Larric – keep writing them 🙂

Nice collection Jordan! I also have a blog where I share my writing tips for story/book writing.

Hi Pauline, thank you for sharing that. I had to remove your link to your site as there is a lot of advertising on-page and the content that I read had several confusing paragraphs and would benefit from editing. Readers could thus see the site as spammy (a reason we don’t run third-party ads on this blog). I would suggest looking at those aspects if you want your readership to grow.

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Welcome to Fantastic Fiction

50 Websites That Pay You To Write Fiction (2022)

How many times have you found yourself with a polished piece of writing that you’d like to submit for publication, only to find it infuriatingly difficult to find the right market or outlet, especially writing sites that pay ? Once you’ve done the hard work of planning, researching, drafting, redrafting, and editing your fiction, you want to find it the perfect ‘home’, where it will reach your intended audience – and where you will get paid to write!

The trouble is, many listicles of websites that pay you to write fiction have become outdated since their publication. They can lead to dead-ends, links to since-closed submission pages, or even to writing websites that have since gone out of business. Even worse, they sometimes lead you to extortionate scams framed as “writing courses”, which offer you the privilege of paying money for the potential of being published. 

That’s why we’ve compiled an up-to-date list of paying markets for 2021. We’ve checked each listing for legitimacy, and it’s constantly being updated. We’ve also deliberately avoided adding any soul-destroying “content mills”. At the end of this list, you’ll find a great opportunity to get paid to write fiction online . You can even earn $200 – without doing any of the writing (scroll down to see it now!).

Relay Publishing

Relay Publishing is a multi-genre fiction publishing company that’s been in business since 2013. They have a catalog of more than 1,000 books in English, German and French, with their focus on romance, young adult fantasy, science fiction, thrillers, and post-apocalyptic fiction. 

There are so many advantages to ghostwriting for an agency like Relay, including a steady stream of long-term projects (no more juggling multiple clients!); in-house resources, outline writers, and editors to guide and support you; competitive pay; and the ability to earn money writing fiction online – from the comfort of your own home! There are a variety of exciting jobs available . Here’s what one freelancer had to say… 

“It’s great that Relay has up-to-date manuals and instructions for so many stages of their process. I love that level of investment. It’s very good to be able to get feedback after a project. It’s great for a company to value freelancer input, and treat all those involved as bringing something valuable to the project.”

Get Paid to Write Contemporary and Literary Fiction

AGNI is a literary magazine run out of Boston University. They champion emerging authors, meaning you don’t need an extensive portfolio or social media presence behind you in order for your submission to be considered. In addition to short contemporary fiction, they also accept poetry and critical essays. Their submission period is between September and May every year, and if your piece is selected for publication, they pay $10 per printed page for fiction, and $20 per printed page for poetry. They also throw in a year’s subscription to the magazine, and several contributor copies of the issue!

• Apparition Lit

Apparition lit is a themed quarterly literary magazine that specialises in pieces with a speculative slant. They publish short stories, poetry, and artwork, and ask for your best “strange” and “misshapen” tales. Apparition is a semi-pro rate magazine, paying $0.03 per word, with a minimum payment of $30.00 dollars for short stories and a flat fee of $30 per poem.

• Black Warrior Review

The Graduate English Department at the University of Alabama produces Black Warrior Review twice a year, and they pay a one-year subscription and undisclosed “nominal lump sum fee” for risky and diverse fiction. The magazine particularly welcomes writers from diverse backgrounds, including women, LGBTQ+ identities, BIPOC, and disabled contributors.

• Boulevard  

Boulevard is an award-winning publisher of literary fiction, including contemporary short stories, essays, and poetry. They have been operating since 1985, and are welcoming to new and previously unpublished writers. Their submission period is between October and May each year. Their minimum payment for prose is $100, and their maximum payment for prose is $300.

Carve is a good publication for writers who prefer traditional ‘literary’ stories – they don’t tend to publish genre fiction like romance, horror, crime, fantasy, or sci-fi. Editors typically respond with personalized feedback instead of form rejections, and they pay $100 per accepted story. 

• Craft Literary

Craft Literary is an online writing community offering publication and feedback through their website. While successful submissions don’t appear to be paid, they do hold several writing competitions a year, including a First Chapters Contest, a Flash Fiction Contest, and a Short Fiction Prize. Their most recent Flash Fiction Contest, closed on October 31, 2021, offers a prize of £1,000 for stories of up to 1,000 words. (This does, however, come with a $20 reading fee). 

• Fabula Argentea

Fabula Argentea invites writers to submit pieces of up to 8,000 words for their quarterly magazine. They publish in January, April, July, and October. Their submission guidelines have specific “likes” and “dislikes”, so be sure to have a thorough read through the expectations to ensure your story is a good fit. They pay $5 for pieces up to 1000 words, $10 for 1000-5000 words, and $15 for 5000-8000 words.

One Story publishes literary fiction between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They pay $500, and also provide 25 contributor copies in exchange for First Serial North American rights. They have a separate Teen imprint, “One Teen Story”, for writers between 13 and 19 years old. One Story’s current submission period is open between October 4 – November 14, 2021. 

• Ploughshares

Ploughshares is an award-wining, paying literary journal that’s been publishing since 1971. They produce four quarterly issues a year, and their literary blog features new writing every day. Since 1989, they’ve been operating out of Emerson College, in Boston, and their current submission window is open between June 1, 2021 and January 15, 2022. You can submit to their journal, to Ploughshare Solo Stories, to their Look2Essay segment, or to their Emerging Writers Contest, for previously unpublished authors.

• The Iowa Review

The Iowa review has been publishing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for more than 50 years. Each issue is indexed in international online interdisciplinary databases like EBSCOhost, JSTOR, and ProQuest, making it easy for readers to find you. They pay $1.50 per line for poetry ($40 minimum) and $0.08 per word for prose, with a $100 minimum payment. 

• The Missouri Review

The Missouri Review publishes quarterly, and they have an “open submission” policy, meaning that instead of holding specific reading periods, they welcome submissions all year-round. Each issue contains a mixture of poetry, short stories, and nonfiction, and they do not solicit specific writers or pieces. The website does not specify an amount, but “authors are paid per printed page.”

• The People’s Friend

The commissioning editors at The People’s Friend are up-front about the fact that they publish fiction espousing traditional, family-centric and marriage-positive values, and won’t accept work that doesn’t fit their distinctive style. They publish fiction, poetry, features, photography, and pocket novels. Their guidelines confirm that payment is upon acceptance.

• The Southern Review

The Southern Review’s current submission window is open: they are actively reading fiction between October 1, 2021, and January 1, 2022. Established at Louisiana State University in 1935, they publish fiction (up to 10,000 words), nonfiction, poetry, and translations, and pay $50 for the first printed page and $25 for each subsequent printed page with a maximum payment of $200, plus two copies of the issue in which the work appears, and a one-year subscription to the magazine. However, please note there is a $3 submission fee. 

• Threepenny Review

The threepenny review is open for submissions January through April each year. They publish literary and contemporary fiction, and pay $400 per story or article, and $200 per poem or Table Talk piece.

Upstreet publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, including an author interview each article. Their reading period is from September 1 to March 1. Fiction and nonfiction pieces must be 5,000 words or less in length, and the magazine will not accept any piece with partisan political themes or topics. Payment, upon publication, ranges between $50 and $250. 

Children’s Fiction and Flash Fiction

Zizzle Literary is an anthology book series with the aim of bringing children and parents together for a reading experience focusing on flash fiction. They pay a flat rate of US $100 for each accepted flash story, and a flat rate of US $250 for each accepted short story. Their separate annual flash competition has a first prize of $1,000, a second prize of $500, and an award of $150 each for the top three finalists. 

• SmokeLong Quarterly  

SmokeLong Quarterly pays $50 per published piece of flash narrative, and also offers editorial feedback in the form of general submission feedback, senior editor feedback, and an asynchronous 7-week course entitled The SmokeLong Quarterly Flash Workshop Online. 

• Vestal Review

The Vestal Review is the longest-running online publisher of flash fiction (up to 500 words), and they are currently open for submissions: their reading period is from August 1 to November 30, 2021. Their first 2022 reading period will be from February 1 – May 31. They charge a $3 reading fee, and pay successful contributors $50 upon acceptance. 

Make Money Writing Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, and Crime

• Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine

HHMM is one of the foremost publishers of short-form crime, suspense, and mystery fiction. They’ve been operating since 1956 and have won a plethora of awards in that time. Their rates are from $0.05 to 0.08 per word, “sometimes higher for established authors”.

Since it was established in 1930, Analog has published more than 60 Hugo and Nebula award-winning stories from the most prominent writers of speculative fiction in the world. The magazine itself has won more than 75 awards. They pay $0.08 to 0.10 per word for short science fiction (up to approximately 20,000 words), $0.06 per word for serials (40,000-80,000 words), $0.09 per word for fact articles, and $1 per line for poetry.

Apex magazine publishes original short science fiction of up to 7,500 words. Payment is up to $0.08 per word, with a minimum payment of $50. If Apex turns your story into a podcast, they will pay an additional $0.01 per word. 

• Asimov’s Science Fiction

Founded in 1977, Asimov’s pays $0.08 to $0.10 per word for short stories of up to 7,500 words, and $0.08 for each word over 7,500. They don’t often accept stories shorter than 1,000 words or longer than 20,000 words, and don’t serialize novels. They also pay $1 per line for poetry, which they say should not exceed 40 lines in length. 

• Black Static

Black Static is one of the most well-known publishers of short-form horror fiction. They are always open to submissions of up to 10,000 words. As part of TTA Press, they are a sister publication to Interzone, which publishes sci-fi, and Crime Zone, which publishes crime fiction, mystery, and suspense. 

• Clarkesworld

Clarkesworld publishes speculative fiction of both science fiction and fantasy bent. They have been putting out monthly issues since October 2006 and pay $0.12 per word for SFF stories between 1,000-22,000 words in length – no exceptions. They specify that they don’t accept horror, but dark SFF is okay. 

Crimewave is a sister publication to Black Static and Interzone, all of which are subsidiaries of TTA Press. They buy crime fiction of up to 10,000 words in length. 

• Daily Science Fiction

Daily Science Fiction publishes, well, every day! Despite the title, they also accept and champion fantasy stories. Submissions should not exceed 1,500 words in length, and they pay $0.08 per word. 

• Dread Imaginings

Dread Imaginings is a new online fiction magazine. Their editor wants stories of up to 4,000 words “that present your protagonist’s encounter with the horrific, disturbing, uncanny, weird, macabre, and/or grotesque.” Original monsters and concepts (rather than the familiar and well-trodden paths of vampires, werewolves, and ghosts) will likely be an easier sell than tropes already-established. The magazine pays $0.01 per word.

Throughout September and October 2021, Escape Pod is only accepting themed submissions that have to do with “Joy.” After that, they are returning to their general submissions schedule, which reopens November 1, 2021. Their primary format is audio, and they prefer stories of high clarity and tight-pacing to suit this format. They pay $0.08 per word for original science fiction. 

• Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine was established in 1941, and since then has published some of the most innovative voices in crime fiction. They accept stories between 2,500 and 12,000 words, but in the past have published stories as short as 250 words, and short novels as long as 20,000 words. However, stories outside of the average length are less likely to get accepted. They pay $0.05 to -$0.08 per word. 

• Fantasy & Science Fiction

Fantasy & Science Fiction publishes a wide range of speculative stories up to 25,000 words in length. They pay $0.08 to $0.12 per word upon acceptance. Founded in 1949, the magazine has published illustrious stories such as Stephen King’s Dark Tower , Daniel Keyes’s Flowers for Algernon , and Walter M. Miller’s A Canticle for Leibowitz .

• Fireside Magazine

Fireside operates on a guest editor model, and is open to submissions roughly once every three months. They accept stories of up to 3,000 words in length. Their guidelines state, “Our budget allows us to pay for up to 7,000 words per monthly issue of Fireside Magazine, which means we are always going to buy more shorter fiction than longer stories.” They pay $0.125 per word for accepted stories. 

• Giganotosaurus  

Giganotosaurus, named for what was “almost the largest carnivorous dinosaur”, publishes one mid-length speculative or SFF story a month. The rule of thumb is, longer than a short story, but shorter than a novel. Most acceptances range between 5,000 and 25,000 words. They pay $100 per story upon acceptance. 

• Interzone  

Founded in 1989, Interzone is the sci-fi wing of TTA Press, which also houses Crimewave and Black Static. They publish stories of up to 10,000 words that fall under the speculative or SFF umbrella. 

Nightmare publishes horror fiction and dark fantasy. They also publish horror-themed flash fiction, CNF, and poetry. While multiple submissions per category are not allowed, their submissions engine allows you to make one submission in every open category. They welcome stories of between 1,500 and 7,500 words, and stories of 5,000 words or less are preferred.

Founded in 2008, PodCastle is a weekly fantasy-themed podcast that produces audio performances of fantasy short fiction, including plenty of different subgenres of fantasy, such as magical realism, urban fantasy, slipstream, high fantasy, and dark fantasy. They open again for submissions on November 1, 2021, and generally accept stories of up to 6,000 words. You are able to submit one original story and one reprint at any one time. They pay $0.08 per word for original fiction, a $100 flat rate for reprints more than 1,500 words, and a $20 flat rate for flash fiction reprints (stories that are less than 1,500 words in length). 

Pseudopod champions genre fiction, primarily horror, in an audio format. Their guidelines say, “We’re looking for horror: dark, weird fiction. We run the spectrum from grim realism or crime drama, to magic-realism, to blatantly supernatural dark fantasy… what matters most is that the stories are compelling.” They are a sister to PodCastle and pay the same rates as listed above. They have a schedule available online detailing their reading periods and auditions for narrators. 

• PULP Literature  

PULP Literature embraces genre fiction in all its forms, including crime, mystery, thriller, and suspense. This quarterly book-length magazine (produced in print and digital editions) features short stories, novellas, novel and graphic novel excerpts, and graphic shorts. They accept stories of up to 20,000 words, though stories less than 5000 words have a better chance of being accepted. They pay $0.05 to $0.08  per word for short stories (to 7000 words) with adjusted pay scales for longer works. 

The editors are currently reading for Reckoning Issue 6, the deadline for which was September 22, 2021. They publish creative writing and art about environmental justice up to 20,000 words and pay $0.08 a word. 

• Strange Horizons

Strange Horizons will be open to submissions the entire month of November 2021. They want speculative fiction of up to 10,000 words, but generally prefer pieces that come in at less than 5,000 words. They pay $0.10 a word, with a minimum payment of $60. Their guidelines include a “stories we see too often” page, to give you an idea of what they are and are not looking for.

Terraform pays $0.20 a word for pieces of science fiction, or what they call “near future” fiction, that are 2,000 words or less in length.

• Weird Tales

Established in 1923, Weird Tales buys “prophetic tales of dark fantasy, cosmic horror, supernatural revenge, and the sorcery of terror.”  After a several-years-long hiatus, it returned in 2019. 

Write Romance and Erotica & Get Paid

• Bella Books

Bella Books publishes novel-length fiction celebrating women and diverse communities. They are interested in romance, mystery, thriller, paranormal, erotic, and LGBTQ+ stories. Their guidelines detail what your submission package should include. 

• Black Velvet Seductions

Black Velvet Seductions acquires book-length romance and erotica, including the subgenres of contemporary, historical, thriller, supernatural, fantasy, and more. 

• Deep Desires Press

Founded in 2016, Deep Desires Press is currently looking to acquire romantic and erotic manuscripts. The founders say that, ““At the core of our company, we have two primary objectives. The first is to provide a superior erotic reading experience. The second is to create a community of happy and successful authors, and this includes recognizing and celebrating an author’s success outside of their work with Deep Desires Press.”

• East of the Web

East of the Web publishes a wide range of short stories across many different genres, including romance (crime, sci-fi, fantasy, and children’s stories are also welcome). They state that romance stories here should include a thriller or mystery element, and previously published stories will be considered. They pay $0.05 per word. 

• Heroes and Heartbreakers

Heroes and Heartbreakers is an imprint of Macmillan, specializing in short stories and novellas in the romance genre. They pay a $1,000 advance against 25% royalties.

Mslexia is a feminist and pleasure positive publication and there are 17 ways to submit your writing to them. The deadline for submission slots for Issue 93 is January 10, 2022. They also run writing competitions and have plenty of resources for writers. Pay varies. 

• Shades of Romance

This quarterly print and digital magazine emphasizes diversity, including stories by and about people of color. It publishes short romance stories as well as tips and tricks about writing and motivational or inspirational nonfiction. Any genre of romance is acceptable, though erotica is not. They ask that writers query before submitting, and they pay flat fee of $25. 

• Totally Bound Publishing

Totally Bound Publishing is currently accepting Romantica, Erotic Romance and Sweet Romance manuscripts between 10,000 and 100,000 words – please see their website for a long list of acceptable subgenres. They have a series of themed calls for submissions currently running, as well as their year-round open reading window. Pay varies. 

The Best Paid Opportunity To Write Fiction In 2021…

As you can see, there are many ways to write at home , and in doing so, make money writing. Writing for money is a challenging but rewarding career path, and one of the best ways to make money writing online is to work for an agency like Relay. Instead of relying on Wattpad paid stories, or trawling through the hundreds of sites that pay you to write in order to find the right one, why not earn money writing online with one of the best paid and most consistent fiction writing jobs there is? Many ghostwriters for Relay , like Paula Hawkins, have gone on to have illustrious careers publishing under their own name. Best of all, Relay even offers a $200 finder’s fee for sending suitable applicants their way!

Harry  Wallett  is the Founder and Managing Director of Relay Publishing. Combining his entrepreneurial background with a love of great stories,  Harry  founded Relay in 2013 as a fresh way to create books and for writers to earn a living from their work. Since then, Relay has sold 3+ million copies and worked with 100s of writers on bestselling titles such as  Defending Innocence ,  The Alveria Dragon Akademy Series  and  Rancher’s Family Christmas .

Harry oversees the creative direction of the company, and works to develop a supportive collaborative environment for the Relay team to thrive within in order to fulfill our mission to create unputdownable books.

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The best new science fiction books of May 2024

A new Stephen King short story collection, an Ursula K. Le Guin reissue and a celebration of cyberpunk featuring writing from Philip K. Dick and Cory Doctorow are among the new science fiction titles published this month

By Alison Flood

A new short story collection from Stephen King, You Like It Darker, is out in May

Shane Leonard

Every month, I trawl through publishers’ catalogues so I can tell you about the new science fiction being released. And every month, I’m disappointed to see so much more fantasy on publishers’ lists than sci-fi. I know it’s a response to the huge boom in readers of what’s been dubbed “ romantasy ”, and I’m not knocking it – I love that sort of book too. But it would be great to see more good, hard, mind-expanding sci-fi in the offing as well.

In the meantime, there is definitely enough for us sci-fi fans to sink our teeth into this month, whether it’s a reissue of classic writing from Ursula K. Le Guin, some new speculative short stories from Stephen King or murder in space from Victor Manibo and S. A. Barnes.

Last month, I tipped Douglas Preston’s Extinction and Sofia Samatar’s The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain as books I was looking forward to. I can report that they were both excellent: Extinction was a lot of good, clean, Jurassic Park -tinged fun, while Samatar’s offering was a beautiful and thought-provoking look at life on a generation ship.

The Language of the Night: Essays on writing, science fiction, and fantasy by Ursula K. Le Guin

There are few sci-fi and fantasy writers more brilliant (and revered) than Ursula K. Le Guin. This reissue of her first full-length collection of essays features a new introduction from Hugo and Nebula award-winner Ken Liu and covers the writing of The Left Hand of Darkness and A Wizard of Earthsea , as well as her advocacy for sci-fi and fantasy as legitimate literary mediums. I’ve read some of these essays but not all, and I won’t be missing this collection.

Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen

This isn’t science fiction, not quite, but it is one of the best and most important books I have read for some time. It sees Jacobsen lay out, minute by minute, what would happen if an intercontinental ballistic missile hit Washington DC. How would the US react? What, exactly, happens if deterrence fails? Jacobsen has spoken to dozens of military experts to put together what her publisher calls a “non-fiction thriller”, and what I call the scariest book I have possibly ever read (and I’m a Stephen King fan; see below). We’re currently reading it at the New Scientist Book Club, and you can sign up to join us here .

Read an extract from Nuclear War: A scenario by Annie Jacobsen

In this terrifying extract from Annie Jacobsen’s Nuclear War: A Scenario, the author lays out what would happen in the first seconds after a nuclear missile hits the Pentagon

The Big Book of Cyberpunk (Vol 1 & 2)

Forty years ago, William Gibson published Neuromancer . Since then, it has entranced millions of readers right from its unforgettable opening line: “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel…”. Neuromancer gave us the literary genre that is cyberpunk, and we can now welcome a huge, two-volume anthology celebrating cyberpunk’s best stories, by writers from Cory Doctorow to Justina Robson, and from Samuel R. Delaney to Philip K. Dick. I have both glorious-sounding volumes, brought together by anthologist Jared Shurin, on my desk (using up most of the space on it), and I am looking forward to dipping in.

You Like It Darker by Stephen King

You could categorise Stephen King as a horror writer. I see him as an expert chronicler of the dark side of small-town America, and from The Tommyknockers and its aliens to Under the Dome with its literally divisive trope, he frequently slides into sci-fi. Even the horror at the heart of It is some sort of cosmic hideousness. He is one of my favourite writers, and You Like It Darker is a new collection of short stories that moves from “the folds in reality where anything can happen” to a “psychic flash” that upends dozens of lives. There’s a sequel to Cujo , and a look at “corners of the universe best left unexplored”. I’ve read the first story so far, and I can confirm there is plenty for us sci-fi fans here.

Enlightenment by Sarah Perry

Not sci-fi, but fiction about science – and from one of the UK’s most exciting writers (if you haven’t read The Essex Serpent yet, you’re in for a treat). This time, Perry tells the story of Thomas Hart, a columnist on the Essex Chronicle who becomes a passionate amateur astronomer as the comet Hale-Bopp approaches in 1997. Our sci-fi columnist Emily Wilson is reviewing it for New Scientist ’s 11 May issue, and she has given it a vigorous thumbs up (“a beautiful, compassionate and memorable book,” she writes in a sneak preview just for you guys).

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

Dr Ophelia Bray is a psychologist and expert in the study of Eckhart-Reiser syndrome, a fictional condition that affects space travellers in terrible ways. She’s sent to help a small crew whose colleague recently died, but as they begin life on an abandoned planet, she realises that her charges are hiding something. And then the pilot is murdered… Horror in space? Mysterious planets? I’m up for that.

In Hey, Zoey, the protagonist finds an animatronic sex doll hidden in her garage

Shutterstock / FOTOGRIN

Hey, Zoey by Sarah Crossan

Hot on the heels of Sierra Greer’s story about a sex robot wondering what it means to be human in Annie Bot , the acclaimed young adult and children’s author Sarah Crossan has ventured into similar territory. In Hey, Zoey , Dolores finds an animatronic sex doll hidden in her garage and assumes it belongs to her husband David. She takes no action – but then Dolores and Zoey begin to talk, and Dolores’s life changes.

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler

Davi has tried to take down the Dark Lord before, rallying humanity and making the final charge – as you do. But the time loop she is stuck in always defeats her, and she loses the battle in the end. This time around, Davi decides that the best thing to do is to become the Dark Lord herself. You could argue that this is fantasy, but it has a time loop, so I’m going to count it as sci-fi. It sounds fun and lighthearted: quotes from early readers are along the lines of “A darkly comic delight”, and we could all use a bit of that these days.

Escape Velocity by Victor Manibo

It’s 2089, and there’s an old murder hanging over the clientele of Space Habitat Altaire, a luxury space hotel, while an “unforeseen threat” is also brewing in the service corridors. A thriller in space? Sounds excellent – and I’m keen to see if Manibo makes use of the latest research into the angle at which blood might travel following violence in space, as reported on by our New Scientist humour columnist Marc Abrahams recently.

The best new science fiction books of March 2024

With a new Adrian Tchaikovsky, Mars-set romance from Natasha Pulley and a high-concept thriller from Stuart Turton due to hit shelves, there is plenty of great new science fiction to be reading in March

In Our Stars by Jack Campbell

Part of the Doomed Earth series, this follows Lieutenant Selene Genji, who has been genetically engineered with partly alien DNA and has “one last chance to save the Earth from destruction”. Beautifully retro cover for this space adventure – not to judge a book in this way, of course…

The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer

Two sets of people have had their minds uploaded into a quantum computer in the Ontario of 2059. Astronauts preparing for the world’s first interstellar voyage form one group; the other contains convicted murderers, sentenced to a virtual-reality prison. Naturally, disaster strikes, and, yup, they must work together to save Earth from destruction. Originally released as an Audible Original with Brendan Fraser as lead narrator, this is the first print edition of the Hugo and Nebula award-winning Sawyer’s 26 th novel.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

Just in case you still haven’t read it, Justin Cronin’s gloriously dreamy novel The Ferryman , set on an apparently utopian island where things aren’t quite as they seem, is out in paperback this month. It was the first pick for the New Scientist Book Club, and it is a mind-bending, dreamy stunner of a read. Go try it – and sign up for the Book Club in the meantime!

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