Learn how to choose and set up the perfect website domain for your author brand. Follow this step-by-step guide to get your site online today!
Your domain name is the URL where your website lives. It’s where people will go when they want to learn more about you, buy your books, sign up for your newsletter, and reach out about events, features, or interviews.
Here’s what we’re diving into today:
- Should your domain name be your name or your book title? There’s a clear winner—but the best strategy might be to grab both.
- Your book’s domain name is valuable, but do you really need a separate website? Here’s a simple trick to make sure readers can always find you.
- A custom email address makes you look more professional. (And it’s easier to set up than you might think!)
Choosing Your Website Domain Name
The biggest question for many authors is what should that domain name be – name or book title?
If you can get yourname.com, that is the best starting option, whether your name or your pen name. This makes it easy for people to find you, no matter how many books you have.
For example, I own caseybertelsman.com. If you’re thinking, well, yeah, Casey, that’s because you don’t have a common name, I have been told that there is another Casey Bertelsman who lives in the city I grew up in because a friend’s sister happens to work with her. We are even the same age.
If YourName.com is already taken, look at another variation before choosing a .net or .co ending. We are so conditioned by our exposure to the .com ending that there is more inherent trust behind those website URLs.
We can add ‘books’ or ‘author’ to the URL’s end of the URL. It might look like:
YourNameBooks.com
YourNameAuthor.com
If you still can’t find an available domain, look at the other optional domain extensions (.com, .net, .org, etc.).
What if I Already Use my Domain for Another Website?
If you’re like me and you use your website for another personal or professional website, there are two options.
The first is to buy the domain name that combines YourName with ‘books’ or ‘author’ in the title, like the YourNameBooks .com variation.
You can also set up a subdomain, such as Author.YourName.com or Books.YourName.com. Setting this up can be tricky, but I recommend checking your name register for directions to make it easier.
I haven’t decided which one I’ll choose yet, but I’m leaning toward the subdomain because it means I only have to pay for one domain name instead of two!
What About My Book Name?
If your YourBookTitle.com is available as a domain name, you can buy this also.
The best practice here is to redirect this website URL to your main author website so that when people search for the book, they still find you without creating more than one website.
Checking Domain Name Availability
You can use any domain register to check for domain availability. Here are a few that I’ve either worked with or heard great things about:
Navigate to any of those sites and search to see if your desired domain is available. If not, try some other variations until you find one you’re happy with that is available. It will tell you the cost of the domain for the year, and you can purchase it before anyone else does.
Side note: When I purchased my domain, it was with Google Domains, which no longer exists because of a partnership with Squarespace. I’m planning to transfer my domain out of Squarespace later this year. I’ll probably transfer it to Bluehost because I already use it to host my business website. Otherwise, I would choose PorkBun because it is easy to navigate.
Set Up Your Personalized Email
Your domain name allows you to create a personalized email address. After you purchase your domain, you’ll want to set up your custom email address—something like YourName@YourDomain.com.
Some domain providers offer email functionality for a few dollars per month. I find it worthwhile to spend a few extra dollars to have Google Workspace. I pay about $6/mo for the basic plan, which includes email and all other services you have with a Google account.
This email is also the foundation of your email for your mailing list, so be sure to connect it to MailerLite or whatever email newsletter tool you’re using!
Your Turn: Grab That Perfect Domain for Your Author Website!
Your domain name is more than just a URL—it’s your online home as an author. Choose wisely, set it up professionally, and make it easy for readers, media, and industry professionals to find and connect with you.
Looking for the TLDR Version?
1️⃣ Check availability: Use Namecheap or another domain registrar to see if the domain you want is available. Looking for YourName.com or a similar variation.
2️⃣ Purchase the best option: Domains typically cost $12–$20 per year (ignore overpriced domains—there’s always another equally awesome option).
3️⃣ Set up your personalized email: Once you own the domain, create a custom email address (e.g., YourName@YourDomain.com). Google Workspace or your domain provider can help with this.
4️⃣ Redirect secondary domains: If you purchase a book title domain, set it to redirect to your main website.
5️⃣ Link your domain to your email marketing tool: Your email newsletter has to come from a custom email address, so make sure to connect the email server, whether you use MailerLite or another platform.
Need help setting up your domain, website, or email? Let’s chat—contact me here!
This blog post was inspired by a recent email newsletter from Allison at lanelit.com.
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