Want a simple, budget-friendly author website? Learn how to create a one-page author website using MailerLite or Carrd—perfect for showcasing your book and building an email list.
Why Authors Need a Website (Even Just One Page)
Anyone wanting to be found online needs a place to call your home online – a website. That includes authors. An author website is the best place for people to learn about you, your books, any events you have coming up, and join an email newsletter to stay up to date.
With websites today, you don’t have to be good at coding to have a beautiful and functional website, but some of these platforms come with a pretty high cost. And it can take time to build that website.
Don’t let either of those things deter you. I have a solution that is ideal for authors, especially ones just starting out with limited time and budget.
The one-page website. If you want to read more about one-page websites, I have a dedicated post about why I love one-page websites for authors here.
This post will discuss two tools you can use to create your one-page website. These platforms offer easy, affordable, and totally doable one-page options for an author who doesn’t have much time or money to dedicate to a website but still wants a beautiful end product.
What to Include on Your One-Page Author Website
Knowing what you want to include on your site will make the rest of the process easier.
Here is a list of what to consider including:
- Your name
- Your tagline or a note about what you write
- Your author bio
- Your books – include blurbs and links to purchase
- An email newsletter opt-in form – bonus if you have a freebie that people receive when they join
- Upcoming events
- Book reviews
- Links to your socials
- Contact Info
You don’t have to have all of these sections to have a great one-page author website. You can always add more information and depth later!
Exploring the tools
MailerLite
- What It Is: Email marketing platform with a free landing page builder.
- Pros:
- Free for up to 1,000 subscribers.
- Drag-and-drop editor.
- Built-in email form & automations.
- Custom domains available in the p
- Drawbacks:
- To use a custom URL (like caseybertelsman.com), you have to have the upgraded version or use a link cloaking tool.
- Ideal For: Authors who want to build their email list and keep everything in one place.
Carrd
- What It Is: A minimalist, fast website builder perfect for simple one-page websites.
- Pros:
- Clean templates.
- Super easy to set up (20 minutes max if you have all of your information collected).
- Affordable: Free for basic, $19/year for Pro (for custom domains and form embeds).
- Will function with any email tool of your choosing if MailerLite isn’t your choice for an email newsletter.
- Drawbacks:
- Must have the Pro plan to embed email forms from MailerLite, ConvertKit, etc. on your page
- Must have the Pro plan to use a custom URL (like caseybertelsman.com)
- Ideal For: Authors who want a sleek website but already use an email marketing tool. Or for authors who want to utilize the custom URL at a lower cost.
A Comparison of MailerLite and Carrd
Both platforms are easy to use and affordable. To have full functionality, you’ll like
Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of MailerLite vs. Carrd for setting up an easy author website.
| Feature | MailerLite.com | Carrd.co |
| Price | Free for the basics $9/mo+ for upgraded | Free for the basics $19/year for pro |
| Email Tools | Built-in | External (embed required and only available on pro plan) |
| Ease of Use | Beginner friendly drag-and-drop builder | Beginner friendly drag-and-drop builder |
| Basic SEO Functionality | YesExplore more on MailerLite SEO functionality here. | YesExplore more on Carrd SEO functionality here. |
| Templates | Section templates available to put your one-page together Full templates available on pro version only | Easy to use templates available in both free and premium tiers |
| Custom Domain URL | Yes (Upgraded plan) | Yes (Pro plan) |
| Best For | Authors looking for one tool for both their email list and their website page for easy integration | Authors wanting a very specific style for their page and are willing to pay for the email opt-in functionality integration |
Tips for Making Your One-Page Site Shine
- Write like you speak—warm and friendly wins.
- Use a professional author photo (or your fave headshot).
- Add a simple call-to-action: “Join my reader list,” “Get the first chapter free,” etc.
- Keep mobile users in mind—test on your phone!
Looking for a little more direction?
Check out the full one-page website walk-through I did with MailerLite here.
The TLDR: Launch your One-Page Author Website
You can have a professional online author presence without a multi-page website. Having a website where readers can find you is key to building your online platform as an author.
- Carrd is ideal for making a one-page website for authors who want a sleek site but already use an email marketing tool or who want to utilize the custom URL at a lower cost.
- MailerLite is ideal to make a one-page website for authors who want to build their email list and keep everything in one place.
You’ve got this.
