Not sure where to start building online platforms for authors? Here’s a no-fluff guide to the must-have tools for authors—without tech overwhelm.
You wrote the book—or you’re working on it—but now people keep telling you to ‘build your author platform.’ What does that even mean?
That doesn’t mean you need to set out to be an influencer and start doing dances on social media. You don’t need to be everywhere or do everything at once.
But you do need to have things set up so it’s easy for readers to find you.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the essential platforms to consider and where to start based on your goals.
What Is an Author Platform, Really?
An author platform isn’t just a website.
It’s not just social media accounts.
An author platform is your combined online presence – how you connect with readers and how you show up. It’s the ecosystem you create where people find you, your book(s), your work, your community, your events. You invite them into the space you’re making to promote and connect. That is your platform.
What makes this special is that you get to decide what this looks like based on your interest as an author. Your platform should reflect you, not what other authors do. Taking inspiration from how other people – not exclusively authors – build their platforms is a great way to be excited about what you could create.
The purpose of your author platform is to have your online space as an author for visibility, communication, and conversation.
The Core Platforms Every Author Needs
Your online platform may consist of many pieces, but we will start with the basics. Think of these as the foundation of your platform.
1. A Website
- It’s your digital home and builds professional credibility.
- You own it (vs. social media)
- What to include:
- Author bio
- 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
- Book reviews
- Links to your social(s)
- Contact info
- Tool options: MailerLite, Squarespace, WordPress
Explore the best website builders for authors here.
2. An Email List
- Your most important long-term asset
- You own it (vs. social media)
- Tool options: MailerLite, ConvertKit, Flodesk
- Check out why I suggest MailerLite as the best email marketing tool for authors here.
- Pro tip: Start building early—even if you don’t have a book yet!
3. One Social Media Platform
- Choose where your readers actually are – Instagram, TikTok, BlueSky, YouTube.
- Pick ONE.
- You don’t need to do it all!
- Focus on engagement, not just promotion.
- This is the lower priority of the three. You do want to connect with people, but you’re not here to be an online content creator or influencer. And you’re not there to scroll all day.
Choose Tools Based on Your Author Goals
What makes this more complicated than copying and pasting what someone else has created is that you need to tailor your platform to what you want to do.
How you build your platform and show up should be tied directly to your goals. Let’s look at some examples.
Goal: Build a following
Purpose: Get visibility, connect with potential readers, and grow an audience that cares about what you’re creating.
Key Tools:
- Blog (on your website): Great for SEO, long-form storytelling, and establishing your voice. Ideal for world-building extras, behind-the-scenes posts, or writing process updates.
- Note: a blog won’t be the best fit for all authors because it’s more written content you have to create that takes away from your time writing books. These are also items that could go into a newsletter or onto social media.
- Newsletter / Substack: Your most valuable asset for direct communication. Newsletters build trust and deliver value, while platforms like Substack offer built-in discoverability and monetization options.
- Social Media (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.): Meet your readers where they already hang out. Use short-form content to entertain, inform, or inspire. Each platform has different vibes—BookTok is hot for fiction, Instagram for aesthetics and reels, etc. You can also explore collaborations with people who create book content to share about your work.
Bonus Strategy: Repurpose content. One blog post can become 3 social posts and a newsletter. Use tools like Notion, Trello, or Asana to manage your content calendar across channels. A Google Doc or Sheet can work, too, if you’re trying to keep it simple.
Goal: Grow an email list
Purpose: Own your audience and communicate without relying on algorithms.
Key Tools:
- Lead magnets: Free stories, sneak peeks, writing prompts, or checklists offered in exchange for an email. Delivered as a direct download from your email marketing tool (MailerLite, ConvertKit, Substack, Flodesk) or via BookFunnel.
- Sign-up forms: Can be embedded on your site (via MailerLite, ConvertKit, Substack, Flodesk, etc.) or hosted as their own web pages.
Growth Tip: Promote your lead magnet on your blog, social posts, in your books, on podcasts, at any online or in-person events you attend, and even in your email signature.
Goal: Build community
Purpose: Foster deeper connections with readers and superfans through exclusive content, conversations, or collaborative spaces.
Key Tools:
- Discord
- Best for: Younger, tech-savvy audiences (YA, SFF, fanfic readers); real-time community engagement.
- Use it for: Live chat, themed channels (book club, fan art, writing sprints), voice/video hangouts.
- Caveat: It can feel chaotic without moderation or clear structure. Some readers may not be familiar with it.
- Free or Paid: Free (optional paid features, but not required for basic use)
- Slack
- Best for: Writing critique groups, accountability circles, or professional author communities.
- Use it for: Channel-based discussions, file sharing, event reminders, critique swaps.
- Caveat: Has a more corporate feel. Not ideal for casual reader communities.
- Free or Paid: Free (with limitations on message history)
- Facebook Groups
- Best for: Authors with audiences already active on Facebook or looking for low-barrier community entry.
- Use it for: Reader Q&As, discussion threads, beta/street team updates, polls, and live events.
- Caveat: Facebook’s algorithm may limit visibility. Some audiences are moving away from the platform.
- Free or Paid: Free
- Patreon
- Best for: Monetizing your community and offering exclusive access to superfans.
- Use it for: Early chapters, bonus content, voting on story elements, access to a private Discord or newsletter.
- Caveat: Takes a % cut + processing fees. Requires ongoing content creation to maintain patron value.
- Free or Paid: Free to join; Patreon takes a % of your earnings (5-12%)
- Circle
- Best for: Authors building a branded community space—ideal for courses, memberships, or fan clubs.
- Use it for: Private groups, AMAs, behind-the-scenes content, courses, or organizing a paid membership space.
- Caveat: Require more setup and a financial investment. Less discoverable than social platforms.
- Free or Paid: Paid
Community Tip: Start small. A newsletter or a dedicated Instagram Close Friends list can serve as the seed of a community until you’re ready to scale.
Goal: Sell your book
Purpose: Make the sale—pre-orders, signed copies, or digital versions. Drive traffic, boost discoverability, and get your book into readers’ hands using both organic and paid promotional tools.
Key Tools:
- BookFunnel: Delivers ARCs, reader magnets, and ebooks smoothly. Ideal for pre-release buzz and bonus content delivery. Also offers promo groups to grow your list or exposure.
- Amazon Ads: Run pay-per-click campaigns on Amazon targeting keywords, categories, or competing books to boost your visibility in the world’s biggest bookstore. Best used for Kindle and paperback books listed via KDP.
- BookBub Ads: Target readers by genre, author, or interest across BookBub’s massive user base. Especially effective for fiction authors. Note: Ads are available year-round; “Featured Deals” require a separate, curated application.
- Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram): Run paid campaigns to warm or cold audiences on social media. Useful for launch announcements, lead magnets tied to a book funnel, or retargeting previous website visitors or email subscribers.
- Goodreads Giveaways: Create buzz before your book launch by offering free copies to readers on Goodreads. Helps add your book to “Want to Read” lists and generate early reviews.
- Kickstarter: Crowdfund your book launch while offering tiered rewards—like signed copies, exclusive merch, or early access. Doubles as both a sales platform and a community-building campaign. Ideal for special editions or series pre-orders.
Balance Tip: You don’t need to use every tool at once—start with 1–2 that align with your budget, goals, and audience. Focus on building momentum with a strong foundation (like a great ARC campaign or targeted ad), then layer on additional tools as your launch timeline or readership grows. Strategic stacking beats overwhelm every time.
Goal: Sell courses, programs, or other resources
Purpose: Diversify your income by offering educational content, digital products, or services alongside (or beyond) your books.
Key Tools:
- Stripe: A payment processor that works behind the scenes on many platforms (like Kartra, MailerLite, and Shopify). If you’re building a custom checkout or using tools like Circle, Stripe is how you’ll collect payments and manage subscriptions.
- Kartra / Thinkific / Kajabi: All-in-one course platforms with landing pages, email marketing, and payment processing built in. Ideal for workshops, evergreen courses, or memberships.
- Email Marketing Tool Commerce: Simple tool to sell digital products directly from your email platform. You’ll find this option in MailerLite, ConvertKit, and Flodesk.
- ThriveCart + Learn: Powerful checkout tool with built-in course hosting via Learn. Excellent for one-time course sales or high-converting funnels with upsells and order bumps.
- Shopify / WooCommerce: Robust e-commerce platform best suited for authors with multiple product lines (books, merch, courses, etc.) who want a branded storefront.
Strategy Tip:
Before building a course or resource, validate interest with your audience through email polls, waitlists, or lead magnets. A warm list is more likely to convert—plus, their feedback helps you create something people actually want.
Tech Stack Starter Kits for Authors
I compiled some tech stack suggestions for different stages of an author’s career journey as a starting point.
The Newbie Stack:
Budget-friendly, low-effort setup for building your author platform from scratch.
Website: MailerLite One-Page Website or Carrd
Email Newsletter: MailerLite
Social Platform: Optional! Pick one where your readers hang out
Add-On: Community Focus
Want to connect with early readers or fans? Start small with:
- Discord – Great for casual, real-time chats with younger or genre-focused readers
- Instagram Close Friends List – A lightweight “inner circle” vibe without building a full platform
- Facebook Group – Free, familiar, and low-friction for most readers
The Growing Author Stack:
For authors ready to grow their platform, build their list, and start reaching more readers.
Includes everything from the Newbie Stack:
- Website: MailerLite One-Page Website or Carrd
- Email Newsletter: MailerLite
- Social Platform: Optional—choose where your readers are (Instagram, TikTok, etc.)
+ Additions for Growth:
- BookFunnel – For delivering ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies), reader magnets, and joining group promos to grow your list
- Ads of Your Choice – Start small with Amazon Ads, BookBub Ads, or Meta Ads, depending on your audience and budget
- Buffer or Publer – Light, user-friendly tools to schedule social posts and stay visible without daily effort
- Community Starter – Choose one, depending on where your readers hang out
- Discord
- Instagram Close Friends
- Patreon or Substack
The Entrepreneur Author Stack
For authors running a business around their books—courses, consulting, speaking, or coaching
Website: WordPress (with Elementor) or Squarespace
Email Marketing: MailerLite (with automations + product integration – this might require an upgrade) or Kartra for an all-in-one product
Sales Platform: ThriveCart or Kartra for digital products/courses
Payment Processing: Stripe (integrated into your platform of choice)
Scheduling: Calendly or TidyCal (for 1:1 calls, coaching, or podcast guesting)
Funnels & Lead Magnets: MailerLite, Kartra, or Thrivecart for landing pages
Optional Add-Ons:
- Community Hub:
- Circle – For memberships or program communities
- Slack – For mastermind-style peer groups
- Automation: Zapier or Pabbly Connect to automate systems and link platforms together
- Content Tools: Buffer or Publer to schedule social posts and stay visible without daily effort
Remember, you don’t have to use the exact tools I suggest, so don’t feel the need to migrate if you love the tool you’re using! The goal of the tech stack lists is to give you an idea of what you might put together and the functionality you’ll get from them.
Mistakes to Avoid When Building Your Author Platform
Before you get started, I want to give you a couple of tips to avoid the common pitfalls I see people encounter.
Waiting too long to start your email list: Waiting until publish day to start your email list means you won’t have anyone to email the day you publish! Building your list should be part of your publishing plan, but you can start even earlier by sharing about the book you’re working on.
Trying to be on every platform: Trying to be everywhere all at once takes a lot of effort – either your effort or someone else’s for you. That’s time you could spend writing. Pick one place to start and decide later if expanding is right for you and your goals.
Getting stuck in research or consuming mode: If you’re consuming, you aren’t creating. You could spend your time researching and learning until the end of time. Set a deadline for yourself to explore, and then pick something and go! You can always change later.
Final Thoughts: Start Small, Grow Smart
If you made it through this whole post, you really stuck with me; thank you!
If you’re trying to figure out where the heck to begin now, one thing. Whether that is buying your domain, setting up your simple website, or creating your email newsletter sign-up.
You don’t need everything to start. Just like writing your book was one word, one page, one chapter at a time, do this in phases, but make the time to actually do it. You can learn as you go – it’s the best way to make progress.
Commit and take your first action today. Then, reach out here to let me know what you’re tackling!
