If you write books, you need a website. Not a Linktree. Not an Amazon author page you don't control. An actual site where readers can find your books, read your blog, and sign up for your newsletter.
The problem is that most website builders weren't made for authors. They were made for everyone, which means you spend hours dragging boxes around a canvas trying to build something that a purpose-built tool could do in minutes.
This guide compares the five most common options authors use today, honestly, with real tradeoffs. Then it walks you through setting up a site with Zenpage, the only builder on this list that's both author-specific and completely free.
Zenpage
Free forever. No credit card required.
Built specifically for authors. You pick a template, import your books by ISBN, and publish. Your site comes with book pages, a markdown blog, an events calendar, newsletter integrations (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Substack, Beehiiv), and auto-generated SEO. No drag-and-drop builder to learn, no theme rabbit holes. The entire product is free, not a limited trial or a stripped-down tier. If you want a custom domain, you bring your own and Zenpage handles SSL. That's it. 15 minutes and you have a professional author website.
Tertulia
~$8-10/month after a 2-week free trial
The closest competitor to Zenpage, and a solid product. Also built for authors, also supports ISBN import, also has a blog, events, and newsletter signup. Tertulia is backed by Ingram, which means strong book distribution ties and a built-in reader discovery platform. The catch: it's subscription-based. After the 2-week trial, you pay $8-10/month. That adds up to $96-120/year for a site you could have for free. If the Ingram book discovery ecosystem matters to you, Tertulia has a unique angle. If you just need a clean, fast author website, it's hard to justify the cost.
Squarespace
$16-33/month
Beautiful templates, well-known brand. The problem: none of it is built for authors. There are no book pages, no ISBN import, no events calendar out of the box. You're paying $192-396/year for a generic builder that you then have to manually configure to look like an author website. If you already know Squarespace and want maximum design control, it works. But you'll spend hours on it, not minutes.
Wix
$17-36/month (free tier has ads and limits)
Similar story to Squarespace. Lots of templates, lots of features, none of them author-specific. The drag-and-drop editor gives you total control, which sounds good until you realize you're spending a Saturday afternoon adjusting padding on your book cover images. Wix sites can also be slower than purpose-built alternatives, which hurts both user experience and search rankings. The free tier exists but puts Wix ads on your site.
WordPress
Free (but hosting is $4-30/month, plus plugins, plus time)
The most powerful option if you're willing to invest serious time. WordPress can do anything, but that flexibility is also its weakness. You need to pick a theme, install plugins for book pages, SEO, events, newsletters, security, caching, and backups. Then you need to keep everything updated. For authors who enjoy tinkering with websites, it's great. For authors who would rather be writing, it's a time sink that never ends. The free WordPress.com tier puts ads on your site and limits customization.
How to Set Up Your Author Website with Zenpage
The whole process takes about 15 minutes. Here's every step.
Create your free account
Go to zenpage.io and sign up with your email. No credit card, no trial period. Your account is free and stays free.
Pick a template and color scheme
Choose from 5 templates, each designed after real professional author websites: Bold, Mythic, Solaris, Minimal, and Passion. Then pick one of 21 color schemes. Every combination works on phones, tablets, and desktops. You can preview each one live before committing.
Import your books by ISBN
Enter the ISBN of one of your books. Zenpage pulls your catalog from Google Books automatically: covers, descriptions, and buy links. If you prefer, you can add books manually instead. Each book gets its own page on your site.
Write your bio
Add your author bio and a photo. Keep it short. Readers want to know who you are and what you write. Two paragraphs is plenty.
Set up your blog
Zenpage uses markdown for blog posts. Write in a clean editor, save as draft, and publish when you're ready. Each post gets a clean URL on your domain. An RSS feed is generated automatically so readers can subscribe in their favorite reader app.
Add your events
If you have readings, signings, or virtual appearances, add them to your events calendar. Include the date, location, and a link to tickets or RSVP. Past events move to a separate section on their own.
Connect your newsletter
Zenpage integrates with Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Substack, and Beehiiv. Embed your signup form directly on your site so readers can subscribe without leaving the page.
Connect your domain (optional)
Your site works immediately at yourname.zenpage.io. When you're ready, connect a domain you already own. Free SSL is included. If you don't have a domain yet, registrars like Namecheap and Cloudflare sell them for $10-15/year.
Hit publish
Your site goes live instantly. SEO meta tags, OpenGraph cards, JSON-LD structured data, sitemaps, and robots.txt are all generated automatically. Share your link and it shows up with a proper preview card on social media.