Are you a self-published author, or thinking of going the self-published route? One of the first things to realize is that you’ll be doing most, if not all, of your own promotion and marketing.
As an indie author, it’s that much more important to have a great author website.
Not only will readers Google you, but influencers and bigger platforms will check you out before featuring you on their channels. If your website makes your work look amateur or uninteresting, you’ll have much fewer marketing opportunities.
But websites are complex beasts, where do you even start?
To give you some ideas and inspiration, we’ve listed some examples of self-published author websites with a short commentary on why we love each one. We’ve also listed some big names in the self-publishing world that share valuable resources for you as an indie author.
But why trust us?
At Rocket Expansion, we’ve built 100+ high-performing author websites that do more than just look good—they help authors sell more books, grow their email lists, and build thriving fanbases. We work with fiction and nonfiction authors across genres, optimising their sites for discoverability, conversions, and long-term success.
If you’re looking for a custom, done-for-you website, let’s build one together.
So now let’s get into the 13 self-published author websites that will get you inspired!
Jane Friedman
Although she’s written a ton of books herself, Jane’s website focuses more on providing guidance and information if you’re seeking to become a self-published author.
We love her author website as she moves with the times and in the direction of where writing and publishing are heading. Being in the industry for over two decades and being able to adapt so seamlessly is an incredible trait that makes her a relevant & trusted authority within the field.
Daniel Gibbs
In terms of user experience, this website we created for Daniel Gibbs takes it to another level and has features fans will absolutely love.
Key takeaways here to note for your website are how focused all areas of Daniel’s website are. It all comes back to his main theme and genre.
Daniel also showcases his books within each series really well. This allows new users and fans alike to navigate his work and understand where things fall and what relates to each series.
If you’re in the science fiction world, even more so on the military side of things as well, consider including fun and different extras on your website. This is especially beneficial as an indie author establishing your presence on the author scene and in the world of your genre specifically. Daniel’s site has interactive star maps, ship diagrams, a timeline to give relevance to his stories, as well as an encyclopedia of all things Gibbs.
The Creative Penn
Joanna Penn is a self-published author and so much more within the world of writing and publishing. Her website encompasses a variety of channels and elements, providing guidance in the form of blogs, courses, and podcasts.
Aside from this, her own work has a focused section on her general website, aptly named The Creative Penn, which can be explored and purchased.
Joanna also has a thriller fiction website jfpenn.com, as well as her own publishing, house curluppress.com, under which her work is published. Joanna is an absolute powerhouse within the field and is a great example to take notes from when it comes to a wide range of avenues in the world of writing.
Davis Ashura
An effective About page will make all the difference, and this was our focus when creating Davis’ author website. Stay true to the genre you’re writing. Include honest bits of your personal life that you’re wanting to share to connect with your fanbase on a more personal level.
Davis also has some awesome content such as maps and glossaries which allows readers to be fully immersed.
Another feature to keep in mind is how front and centre his work is, which is ultimately the focus of your website and why you would want users to be clicking onto it.
Mark Dawson
Mark Dawson is another self-published author that is not exclusively just that, expanding further to share his knowledge, experience, and expertise.
Mark offers courses, blogs, and podcasts all centered around guiding and advising authors on the route of self-publishing and how to best navigate it. This is all available on his other website selfpublishingformula.com focused on the self-publishing side of things.
Mark has a great website as it’s easy to navigate, being simple but effective with expansive menus to cover all the stops needed as a new or established author. His website holds true to his genre and the theme of his work, which is important as it further drives home his brand and how he wants to come across to his readers.
A takeaway from this website is the clear and bold opt-in that users won’t miss to stay in touch, as well as how bold and focused Mark’s branding is – two features to definitely keep in mind when creating your website.
LJ Ross
LJ Ross is a self-published author who has released a variety of standalone novels and collections all under her own publishing house called Dark Skies Publishing.
As an author, opting to go the self-publishing route allows you to remain more autonomous and have control over how, when, and through what your work is released.
Both her websites are user-friendly, allowing visitors to find exactly what they’re looking for and not feel overwhelmed by overloaded pages.
The main author website could be more genre-specific to LJ’s work but for what it is, it’s a great site.
Adam LG Nevill
Adam has done really well for himself, having started with self-published routes to now even having not one but two hit shows on Netflix based on his novels. This is the common scenario of starting off as an indie author and over time becoming more of a hybrid author.
He has his own publishing house called Ritual Limited, although some of his recent work has been published by other publishers.
This is a great situation to be in as you ideally can get the best of both worlds, having benefited from both the independent route of retaining control over your work and on the other hand, you have the backing of a great publishing house that gives you the social proof and standing to be recognized as a more established author.
Maria E Cantu Alegre
Maria E Cantu Alegre has an inspiring story, being an indie author from a minority background.
She took the publishing of her work into her own hands after it seemed the odds were stacked against her; similar to the story of Rupi Kaur and her journey into the world of self-publishing, to then becoming a worldwide success. With perseverance and determination, Maria published her first book and went on to write others, becoming very successful in the indie author scene.
Her website is a good example of one that has just enough but not too much in terms of pages and details.
A theme is clearly carried through from her work, which is clear as soon as a user lands on the site – which suits her recent books in historical romance.
The pages are easy to find and take the user to what they’re looking for. An amazing feature is the inclusion of Read From The Book button to read the first chapter.
Margaret Duarte
We’ve included Margaret’s website on the list as a very different example of an indie author website.
Compared to the others, it’s not as developed and the user experience isn’t as great. However, that said, as we mentioned before it is better to have a not-so-great site as opposed to no website at all.
This example would need a bit of work done, but as a starter website to at least establish a presence as a self-published author, it is good enough. The pages are well labelled and users will know where to click to find specific things. Her books are also well-presented, front and center on the landing page as users arrive which is a good feature.
We would suggest including some extra features for fans to dive into and feel like they’re getting a little bit more by visiting your website.
Lauren Eckhardt
Lauren is another hybrid author, being both an indie author and having her own publishing house called Burning Soul Press.
Her publisher website is great and really gets the ethos and brand of the company across successfully. This is important as users know exactly what they’re getting, something that can be applied in both the context of an author website in particular and to any website in general.
Starting out as a self-published author herself, Lauren knows what is necessary to be included and what is just simply not.
This results in a website that flows and has a great user experience, allowing visitors to find what they need and not feel overwhelmed. This is a key takeaway to be applied when creating any sort of website, but more specifically when creating an author website that needs to be personal, on-brand, and up-to-date.
Your Self-Published Author Website
We’re here for you if you need help creating an author website that looks professional, helps you grow your audience, and attracts publishers and promoters.
We have premium, done-for-you author website design services.
You can inquire here if you’re interested.
Conclusion
Taking the route of self-publication is no small feat so for those authors that have chosen to and have found success, well done! We hope you found this list of indie author websites helpful in the creation of your own author website.
If you’re looking for help in the process, why not get in contact with us and we can start yours today!
Build an Author Website Readers Love. Get Our FREE Author Website Playbook: 7 Steps To Turn Clicks Into Readers.
Join 10K+ authors growing their careers with Rocket Expansion’s best tips. Unsubscribe anytime… but why would you?
