Best Author Websites of 2023 | 70+ Examples & Templates

1. Maria Felipe

URL: https://mariafelipe.org/

Maria Felipe is an author who writes about happiness. I love how she leverages a personal image above the fold, combined with a clear call to action. Not to mention her color theme of scarlet red and white that exudes vibrance and is quite appealing. Plus, lots of sharp visuals, a clean layout, and light animated features for the content that keep the website from being dull. Great website!

What you can learn from this great author website

• Nice color scheme
• Clear call to action
• Great images

2. Michael McLeod

URL: https://oddsocksweshallwear.com.au/

Melbourne, Victoria’s Michael McLeod became a children’s book author after challenging himself to write for his 7-year-old daughter. His website then captures the essence and feel of that book. I love how playful and happy this author website was designed that gives it more life. Very inspiring! I assure you, it’s one of the most adorable designs I’ve seen for a sock.

What you can learn from this great author website

• Unique design
• Awesome illustrations
• Happy color scheme

3. Om Swami 

URL: https://omswami.com/ 

Om Swami is a unique monk because he is also a best-selling author and successful businessman. Om’s website is entirely out of the ordinary, in keeping with his distinctive identity. It is one website you shouldn’t miss checking out because the homepage immediately piques your interest with a seamless cinematic video that looks like the start of a full-length animated video and only displays the word “Enter.”

What you can learn from this great author website

• Unique web design
• Great typography
• Relaxing look & feel

4. Ane Riel

URL: http://aneriel.dk/

Design by: https://rikkeekelund.dk/

Danish author Ane Riel has four international bestsellers with 14 nominations by various awarding bodies. Her novels have won seven literary awards in 2019. Her website then offers an English translation alongside its Danish-written content. Besides that, the website opens with an eye-grabbing full-page image of the author against a black theme. A very great way to grab the attention of your visitors!

What you can learn from this great author website

• Nice images
• Clear menu structure
• Lots of whitespace

5. Elsebeth Egholm

URL: https://elsebethegholm.dk/

Design by: https://rikkeekelund.dk/

Elsebeth Egholm, a journalist from Denmark, gained international recognition in 2011 with the TV series “Those Who Kill,” which made her one of Denmark’s most well-known crime writers. Her website’s content and visuals are well-organized, which is something I find appealing. The website’s black-and-white design also makes it simple for users to buy her books directly from her using its online shopping feature.

What you can learn from this great author website

• A clear focus on the book
• Nice website look & feel, which matches the book
• Clear call to action

6. Kiran Dellimore

URL: http://www.kirandellimore.com/

Design by: https://tribevisual.com/

Kiran Dellimore, a chemist and mechanical engineer in Utrecht, is from the Caribbean island of Barbados. He is a naturally creative person who has written three books, two about his personal journey and one for children. His website is visually appealing, with washed-out photo effects, pastel colors, and ample white space. It employs simple animation, large visuals, and simple text. By the way, good call-to-action!

What you can learn from this great author website

• Great images
• Nice color scheme
• Conversion-focused web design

7. Samantha Altea

URL: http://samanthaaltea.com/

Samantha Altea is a copywriter, author, journalist, and writer. Her credentials necessitate a large website in order to display everything. Samantha clearly understood the power of a clean website—literally, the power of words. As a background to her homepage, she created a word collage based on her scope of work. This is half-opacity, so it blends in with her white theme. It’s a fantastic author website!

What you can learn from this great author website

• Playful design
• Unique styling
• Bold and powerful design

8. Megan McDonald

URL: http://www.meganmcdonald.net/

American children’s book author Megan McDonald is renowned for the “Judy Moody” series. The Judy Moody series has received multiple awards and even was turned into a movie. McDonald’s website is creatively conceptualized for kids—a corkboard of various pinned-up items representing its various sections. I just love the playful visuals that mostly echo the persona of her book’s main character, Judy. Clever!

What you can learn from this great author website

• Playful design
• Really great fit with the target group
• Bold and powerful design

9. Amy Krouse Rosenthal

URL: http://www.whoisamy.com/

Here’s an interactive website that will undoubtedly inspire you to create your own author website. It’s simple in design but playful, allowing visitors to customize the ambiance of their website. It allows visitors to interact with an umbrella that opens and closes depending on the status selected. In addition to plain silence, users can choose to have a background sound of rain or instrumental music.

What you can learn from this great author website

• Fun design
• Playful typography
• Very unique website

10. David Sedaris

URL: https://www.davidsedarisbooks.com/

David Sedaris’s titles include Champion Storyteller, Master of Satire, and Multi-Awarded Bestselling Author. This American author has written a number of books for children and adults based on his personal experiences. His website carefully presented his various works and even provided an entire section on Frequently Asked Questions about him, despite his many credentials. This author is unique in that he has an app! Examine it out!

What you can learn from this great author website example

• Clean design
• Lots of whitespace
• Great structure

11. Brad Thor

URL: https://bradthor.com/

The author’s website of Brad Thor is a great illustration of a conversion-oriented website. The website has vibrant, full-page images and enticing call-to-action messages. For those who are curious about CTA buttons, it is motivating. People with disabilities and those who prefer to listen to books when they “read” them will find the audio example provided on the website to be a good lead magnet strategy.

What you can learn from this great author website

• Clean design
• Great focus on conversions
• Great pictures

12. Frogburps

URL: https://www.frogburps.com/

Frogburps is a brand founded by author Patrick Stemp and illustrator Anita Soelver with the goal of providing high-quality books for children through educational yet entertaining stories. The website is fun because it features many colorful illustrations from their books. The short stories and printable coloring pages are sure to please children. They filled the website with great cartoons and definitely match the target audience!

What you can learn from this great author website

• Incredible fun design
• Awesome animations
• Great touch with the target group

13. J.K. Rowling

URL: https://www.jkrowling.com

J.K. Rowling—the only one! This author’s website should definitely be on this list because it employs a different technique than the others. The goal of this website is to provide content based on the visitor’s age. As a result, it asks the visitor on the landing page whether they are younger readers or adults. While the Grown Ups subsite contains news articles about JK Rowling, her blog, and her biography.

What you can learn from this great author website

• Playful design with an amazing background
• Unique design
• Simple yet effective design

14. Sandra Brown

URL: https://sandrabrown.net

Sandra Brown understands the power of personal branding. The image of Sandra on the homepage overlaying a time-lapse video of passing clouds is right above the fold and grabs one’s attention. Right below it, one finds Brown’s latest book, the latest news about it, other books she’s written, and a collection of videos about her and her works. Click the link to learn more about the use of white spaces and branding.

What you can learn from this great author website

• Lots of interactive effects
  
• Clear call to action above the fold
• Nice and big images of the author help the visitor to connect

15. Nicole Laidler

URL: https://www.spilledink.ca/

Nicole Laidler is an author with a different kind of approach. She packages herself as “Spilled Ink,” a company that provides writing services from magazine articles to marketing copy. Thus, its tagline is “Writing & Wordsmithing.” A clever way to brand what she does! Instead of showcasing her work, she focuses on converting website visitors to become paying clients. I love this sentence: “My name is Nicole Laidler, and your words are my business.” Great stuff!

What you can learn from this great author website

• Lots of whitespace
• Clear call to action
• Images that make the design more personal

16. Jake Knapp

URL: https://jakeknapp.com

Software Engineer Jake Knapp–inventor of Gmail and Microsoft Encarta—is a product designer and product strategist for various multinational companies. An author on his free time, it comes as no surprise that he has one of the cleanest and minimal-designed websites I’ve ever seen. If you’re into simple yet effective design, I’m telling you to click the link and learn from Jake’s web design. What are you waiting for?

What you can learn from this great author website

• Simple yet effective design
• Lots of white spaces
• Great social proof

17. Pierre Thiam

URL: https://www.pierrethiam.com/

Pierre Thiam is a full-time chef, part-time author, and social activist on the side. This New York-based five-star chef is internationally famous for his West African cuisine being a native of Senegal. He has three cookbooks that highlight Senegalese food using organic produce and narrates the culinary journey he took. His website then displays his culinary prowess, products, and advocacies in a clear and clean layout. Visiting his website will make one drool for it uses macro shots of sumptuous food alongside videos on it.

What you can learn from this great author website

• Cool background image
• Great copywriting, turning visitors into potential buyers
• Clear call to action at the bottom of the page

18. Francesca Serritella

URL: https://www.francescaserritella.com

Francesca has a very personal website filled with personal images. It’s a great way to connect with your website visitors. Great approach! Like Francesca, personal images are important because how we think about ourselves affects how we feel and interact with others and the world around us. A positive self-image can boost our physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

What you can learn from this great architecture website

• Engaging background image
• Lots of white spaces
• Clear call to action throughout the design

19. David Bach

URL: https://davidbach.com

David Bach has a professional and conversion-focused author website. The website is filled with a great call to action and personal images. Well done! David Bach is one of America’s most trusted financial experts and bestselling financial authors of our time. He has written ten consecutive New York Times bestsellers with more than seven million books in print, translated in over 19 languages.

What you can learn from this great author website

• Great background image
• His call to action is a perfect way to connect with your audience
• Lots of social proof

20. Meg Medina

URL: https://megmedina.com

Are you looking for a more playful author website example? Have a look at Meg Medina. Meg Medina is an award-winning New York Times best-selling author who writes picture books and middle-grade and young-adult fiction. I love the color scheme and the typography throughout the website since it creates a personal touch on it. Make sure to visit the website now!

What you can learn from this great author website

• Unique style
• Great menu hierarchy
• Big images of the author help the visitor to connect

21. Dan Pink

URL: https://www.danpink.com

Daniel Pink has a professional and clean website. They filled the website with articles written by Daniel, yet the website doesn’t feel ‘too much’. Great balance! Daniel H. Pink is the author of five other New York Times bestsellers. Dan’s works have sold millions of copies worldwide, garnered numerous prizes, and has been translated into 42 languages. Job well done!

What you can learn from this great author website 

• Great color scheme
• Unique design
• Lots of white spaces

22. Jerry Jenkins

URL: https://jerryjenkins.com

Jerry Jenkin’s website is a conversion monster! The call-to-action buttons above the fold are almost impossible to ignore. Jenkins knows what works and what doesn’t for his target audience, from taking a free writing assessment to using lead magnets like free ebooks. If you want to learn how to use white spaces, I strongly advise you to look at this design right away!

What you can learn from this great author website

• Great call to action above the fold
• Lots of white spaces
• Great social proof by adding testimonials

23. Daniel Oliver Bachmann

URL: https://danieloliverbachmann.de/

Storytelling is what Daniel Oliver Bachmann is all about. As such, his website brings to the fore the various stories about him–from recent engagements, newly-released titles, and upcoming workshops. The website is made eye-catching through engaging photos and unique color scheme of black, light blue, and white. This renowned German author, who specialize in writing memoirs, has also written travel articles alongside filmed several documentaries.

What you can learn from this great author website

• Rich content
• Eye-catching photos
• Unique color scheme

24. Moira Young​

URL: http://moirayoung.com/

This Canadian author, who attributes her love of storytelling to her father, has won numerous literary honors for her books aimed at young readers. Through the design of her website, which is quite amazing because it inspires fear, she conveys a similar narrative and feel. The pages’ background illustrations and paintings of the sections’ eerie scenes really catch the eye. Download the media pack for Moira for more details.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Sensational depiction of background 
• Great combination of greyish brown 
• Simple design that provokes an emotion

25. Dave Asprey

URL: https://daveasprey.com/

As evidenced by his New York Times bestselling books and Webby Award-winning podcast, “The Human Upgrade,” Dave Asprey is a proponent of a healthy lifestyle. Driven by the desire to inform people about how to become “Super Humans,” his books present scientific developments on everything from fasting to better sleep. His website has an interesting use of typography to convey strong messages, such as the large and difficult-to-miss call-to-action to subscribe to his newsletter that loads in his homepage.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Good copywriting
  
• Irresistable call-to-action messages
  
• Compelling visuals
  

26.  Sasha Maslov

URL: https://sashamaslov.com/

Sasha Maslov is the author of the book, “Ukranian Railroad Ladies,” which is a photo project on female Ukrainian railway workers released in 2020. A photographer and photo storyteller, Maslov has captured a number of US and European leading publications with his visual narratives of daily life. His website is uniquely visual and interactive. Something best to experience by clicking the link to it now!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Uniquely interactive
  
• Highly visual  design
  
• Sophisticated photography

27. Nicole Lapin

URL: https://nicolelapin.com/

As soon as this website loads, you’ll be greeted by the cheerful smile of this New York Times bestselling author. Various engaging effects, like cascading photos and scrolling text messages, keep you feeling good as you browse her website. With its distinctive use of color, typography, and call-to-action messages set against a black and white theme, the layout has a pleasing appearance.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Personal pictures
• The white bold font on black walls is amazing 
• Professional web writeup with a nice interface

28. Woo Hyon Kang

URL: https://woohyon.com/

Woo Hyon Kang is the author of “Point Story,” which details how he converted Korea’s Nami Island into an extraordinary tourist destination using his concept of “one simple point.” Kang believes that everything is made by a series of points connected together, forming shapes that become objects, face, and people. His website amazingly presents his creative perspective of life and his imaginative prowess against a black background matched with numerous special effects. I assure you, this website is full of creativity. If you want to see something unique, this is the one!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Aesthetically designed 
• Classy writeup with the white-colored font on black 
• Quite a decent layout with pictures 

29. Ryan Vet

URL: https://ryanvet.com/

What an amazing gliding slide changing white color to bright yellow! Added with the picture of a person smiling gives more exciting vibes and enthusiasm. The other sections are crafted in different ways showing pictures and seminars. For those interested, Ryan Vet is an innovative business leader, American entrepreneur, speaker, author and investor. His life’s goal is to inspire others toward a positive change. 

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Unique started page design 
• Nice interface 
• Good choice of colors and professional write-up. Amazing!

30. Katy Rose Pool

URL: https://katyrosepool.com/

Young adult fantasy author Kay Rose Pool is a nominee for the American Library Association’s William C. Morris Debit Award. Her website heavily emphasizes the branding of her “Age of Darkness” book series using black as its primary color. What I like best about her website design is how skillfully the social media platform feeds are incorporated and even elevated to a prominent position. Well done!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Strong branding
  
• Black theme
• Neat and organized

31. Shel Shilverstein

URL: https://www.shelsilverstein.com/

Shel Silverstein has a unique design in his website. It is filled with beautiful black and white illustrations taken from his books. I find most amusing the mouseover feature used in the website’s menu: different animated illustrations appear! Overall, the website basically looks like a book with its white background, clean interface, and distinctive features that are memorable to its target audience.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Playful design
• Impressive line art graphics
• Unique pop-up animations on the menu

32. Ann Voskamp

URL: https://annvoskamp.com/

This website has a great way of storytelling. The first thing I noticed on this website is its lovely color scheme–very soft, pleasing to look at, and it just emits warmth and healing. Next is the gold gradient color overlay on the texts which I think is very elegant. Lastly, a sentimental video just right below the blog section–very comforting. Great branding!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Soft color scheme
• Attractive accent fonts
• Captivating imagery

33. William Golding

URL: https://william-golding.co.uk/

William Golding, a novelist, playwright, and poet, has one of the most comprehensive and appealing websites. His one-page homepage highlights three of his website’s most important sections: information about him, his books, and resources; and photos. The website also includes an interesting Timeline about him and his works, complete with a year meter on the right side of the page that moves as one scrolls to the bottom, indicating the year he died.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Detailed information is provided
• Pleasing color scheme
• Interesting videos

34. Gabrielle Bernstein

URL: https://gabbybernstein.com/

Gabrielle Bernstein is a New York Times Bestselling author of self-help books for inner peace and healing. Her website is as daring and outspoken as the author’s persona. This profound welcome is overlaid on a black-grayish textured background that can be found throughout the website, along with a neon yellow green color theme. The overall layout of this website is easy to follow and draws the reader’s attention to the books and free resources.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Impressive and fun visuals
• Clear call-to-action buttons
• Persuasive copywriting

35. Situdio

URL: https://situdio.com/

The first look on this website’s landing page is an image of a person wearing a VR headset and a brief text stating the team’s vision and mission. This gives a sense of visual perception to its audience and tells the purpose of the website. This sets the mood, and with just a little bit of scrolling, voila!  Supporting information, images, and graphics further explains the services they provide.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Smooth scrolling animations
• Cool color scheme
• Clean font

36. Nemes P. Ferenc

URL: http://nemespe.hu/

Hungarian Novelist Nemes P. Ferenc, brings to life in his works his experiences until the age of 50. He has two books alongside a string of literary works from short stories to editorials and other writings. His website has a colorful full-page video on the homepage, which offers multi-lingual and music options. Besides an online shop, his website has a cool chat option that requires members-only login. Great stuff!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Nice concept 
• Informative website 
• Clean font

37. Mel Robbins 

URL: https://melrobbins.com/

One of the world’s most sought-after speakers, Mel Robbins is a podcaster and author of self-help top-selling books. The talk of the town is that Mel Robbins creates an emotionally and visually stunning experience for her audience. Was it all a ruse? I think not. Her website INSPIRES people and provides a wealth of information. Although the design looks typical for an author website, it’s definitely worth the visit! Yes!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Nice concept 
• Informative website 
• Clean font

38. Austin Kleon

URL: https://austinkleon.com/

The best author today is Austin Kleon. He encourages readers to engage with the material they are reading and take action on it. While his books have sold millions of copies worldwide and been translated into more than a dozen different languages. His website’s aesthetic appeal, organization, and liberal use of white space come as no surprise. Not to mention, for a black and white theme, large, vibrant images.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Lots of white areas
  
• Black and white theme
  
• Clean layout

39. Kelly Link

URL: https://kellylink.net/

Fantasy author Kelly Link, is renowned for her collection of short stories including “Get In Trouble.” She goes by the tagline, “Be Bold, Be Bold, But Not Too Bold.” Surely, her website displays such boldness with a spilled dark brown ink graffiti on a light brown wall for her background. An overlaying gray box contains her main content and visuals.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Appealing visuals
  
• Cool features
  
• Clean layout

40. Rupi Kaur

URL: https://rupikaur.com/

Elegant perfectly describes Rupi Kaur’s website, a mirror of her personality. Described as a literary phenomenon, this self-published author turned #1 New York Times Bestselling author is an artist, poet, and performer rolled into one. Her collection of poems have been sold in millions internationally at more than 43 languages. Thus, her website is visually appealing with generous white spaces matched with huge vivid photos of herself layouted aesthetically.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Appealing photos
  
• Artistic layout
• Generous white spaces
  

41. N.K. Jemisin

URL: https://nkjemisin.com/

N.K. Jemisin’s website is rather simplistic for a New York Times celebrated author on Science Fiction and Fantasy. A quotation from The New York Times tops this while they found three rectangular bright blue buttons underneath the author’s name. On mouse over, the buttons become the website’s section markers and turns black before drop-down listing of contents appear. It is a feature surely unexpected like the genre Jemisin is renowned for.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Minimalist design
  
• Unique features
  
• Bold typography
  

42. LJ Ross

URL: https://ljrossauthor.com/

Referred to as “the multi-million bestselling author” of mysteries, suspense, and thriller books, LJ Ross has an army of international fans glued to her “addictive storytelling.” As for her website, I particularly love how a variety of vector photos were paired as section backgrounds to the black-and-white theme in the homepage. Not to mention how these visuals appear once the website loads and expands on mouse over. Neat!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Cool animation and mouse over effects
  
• Vibrant imagery
  
• Clean layout

43. Joan Didion

URL: https://www.joandidion.org/

Joan Didion’s website is a tribute to the author who died in 2021. It contains her biography and memoir, essays, books, and current events on this nationally-awarded artist and screenwriter. Designed with a clean layout and simple animation, the website designer was able to retain a professional look worthy of the icon it immortalizes. It is also very informative and exhibits interesting photos and videos of Didion dating to her childhood. 

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Interesting photos
  
• Informative website 
• Clean layout

 44. Miquel Reina

URL: https://www.miquelreinabooks.com/

Spanish author Miquel Requina has achieved several awards as an advertising professional before he became a full-time filmmaker and part-time author. His website exhibits his artistic eye as it uses a clean layout, attractive typography, and colorful photos accompanying concise copy. The website has an online store that interestingly offers signed copies of his book. Go check it out!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Attractive typography
  
• Easy to navigate
  
• Clean layout

45. Malcolm Gladwell

URL: https://www.gladwellbooks.com/

Regarded by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People, Malcolm Gladwell has written five novels acclaimed as bestsellers by the New York Times. His website has nothing fancy with special effects but it implements the elements of a good design. That’s crisp visuals, lots of white spaces, a clean layout, and organized content. Truly a must-visit website!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Crisp visuals
  
• Minimalist design
  
• Clean layout

46. Brit Bennett

URL: https://britbennett.com/

Brit Bennett’s New York Times Bestselling novels on the American story and dream have won many hearts. Her website is straightforward but appealing, with a blue and white color scheme. Her most recent novel is featured on the homepage, with quotable quotes from various magazines placed in a circle around its photo. A one-of-a-kind design topped off with strong call-to-action messages to order, learn more about the book, or download the book club kit.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Good call to action messages
  
• Organized content
• Clean layout

47. Jonathan Fields

URL: https://www.jonathanfields.com/

Jonathan Fields offers personality development advice in his books on entrepreneurship, career change, and job satisfaction. The words powerful and compelling perfectly describe his website, which personifies his identity as the Good Life Guy. As his website loads, visitors are greeted by a close-up photo of him looking them in the eyes, with the words “I make things that move people” written in large white text above it. Look into it!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Clean layout

• Powerful visuals

• Compelling copy

48. Lesley M.M. Blume

URL: https://www.lesleymmblume.com/

Lesley M. M. Blume is fascinated by war and historical events, which she depicts in her writing, which has appeared in a variety of publications, including National Geographic. It’s no surprise that her website is as spotless as her reputation. Its font color is black, and all of its pages are white. Discuss identity consistency, which is an important aspect of website design.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Strong branding
  
• Compelling copy
  
• Moving visuals
  

49. Henry H. Neff

URL: https://henryhneff.com/

Henry H. Neff is a Chicago native who rose to fame with his epic novel series “The Tapestry.” This New Jersey resident’s website is simple but informative and vibrant. The design incorporates generous call-to-action messages that invite website visitors to learn more about his books, get “Signed Copies,” read his most recent blog post, or become an ambassador. Excellent work!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Simple but informative
  
• Good lead magnet strategy
  
• Lots of white spaces
  

50. Maggie Stiefvater

URL: https://maggiestiefvater.com/

Maggie Stiefvater’s website is filled with bold typography that complements the color scheme: yellow, orange, black, and white. A design geared toward its intended audience: children and teenagers. The unique feature of the website menu appeals to me. When you click the menu icon, columns with photos and overlay text on the section’s name fill the entire page like a deck of cards spread out on a table. Cool!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Unique menu feature
  
• Interesting typography
  
• Easy to navigate
  

51. Mike Michalowicz

URL: https://mikemichalowicz.com/

Mike Michalowicz preaches “Entrepreneurship Simplified” with a sense of humour. His personal advocacy to “eradicate entrepreneurial poverty” arose from his personal experiences with bankruptcy and depression as a result of his business ventures. Through its features and colorful theme, his website embodies his distinct and amusing personality. Aside from an audio feature for how to pronounce his name built into the top menu, the homepage changes content when the audio icon, tagline, and menu icon are moused over.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Professional with humorous touche
  
• Unique menu feature
  
• Interactive content
  

52. Fonda Lee

URL: https://www.fondalee.com/

Fonda Lee worked as a corporate strategist before becoming a novelist. Her website’s design reflects the genre of her literary works, with unique fonts for her name and a dark theme. The website also includes numerous call-to-action messages, embeds her most recent tweets, and prominently displays her social media platforms in the top righthand corner. I like the website’s organized layout, which is clean and simple to use.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Unique fonts
  
• Beautiful visuals
  
• Dark theme
  

53. Melissa McPhail

URL: https://www.melissamcphail.com/

Melissa McPhail’s website is exquisitely designed, with images from her book covers serving as the background while a 3D rendering of the book slides into the scene in the splash video. The map is cool because visitors can explore it—it zooms in to give a closer look at the terrain. Her website also includes a slider of her books, complete with thumbnails of the covers and story information.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Interactive features
  
• Strong branding
  
• Beautifully-crafted design
  

54. Neon Yang

URL: https://neonyang.com/

The website of Neon Yang contains strong branding elements, which designers should always incorporate during conceptualization and planning. Yang’s website’s color scheme was true to her name, as it used neon yellow paired with a dark greenish gray for backgrounds and fonts. They also used Asian visuals from her novel’s cover design on the website to emphasize Yang’s ethnic background.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Strong branding
  
• Funky color scheme and fonts
  
• Clean layout

55. Michael C. Grumley

URL: https://michaelgrumley.com/

Michael C. Grumley is a multi-genre novelist who focuses on human stories with unexpected endings. His website is mostly blue, with some white space and colorful buttons and images. Many things about his website appeal to me, including the FAQs on “Fact vs. Fiction,” the bar showing the progress of a book’s completion, which builds anticipation among followers, and the clean layout.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• FAQs feature
  
• Charitable cause
  
• Cool status bar on book writing completion
  

56. Brené Brown

URL: https://brenebrown.com/

Brené Brown is a New York Times best-selling author who has written books on topics such as courage, empathy, shame, and vulnerability. Her website conveys a powerful message in white font against a dark-blue background full-page photo of the author. They use a variety of colors and typography in the overall design of the website, which is balanced by plenty of white space.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Powerful copywriting
  
• Daring colors and typography
• Clean font

57. Timothy Ferris

URL: https://tim.blog/

To captivate visitors, Timothy Ferris’ website relies on the power of vivid full-page photos. The website opens with a full-page pop-up window that uses a lead magnet strategy to “unlock” an ebook on the 17 questions that change Ferris’ life. I also like how the website highlights the most recent podcast from “The Tim Ferris Show.” Excellent marketing strategy!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Vivid full-page photos
  
• Lead magnet in use
  
• Free content provided
  

58. Angie Thomas

URL: https://angiethomas.com/

Angie Thomas is a well-known author, producer, and public speaker. Thomas’ website opens with a video of large words describing the various hats she wears before displaying a photo of her with a beautiful smile on her face. I like how clicking on these big words transforms the page into an automatic slider that moves leftward to display the summary of a section’s content. Unique!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Unique interactive features
  
• Welcoming visuals
  
• Clean layout

59. Eric Ries

URL: https://theleanstartup.com/

Eric Ries is an author of entrepreneurship books. His goal, like mine, is to help startups succeed in business. His website is all about his book, “The Lean Startup,” from its domain name to content. Besides the sharp photos and clean layout, what’s nice about the website is it offers a lot of resources for entrepreneurs including software on Long-Term Stock Exchange.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Strong branding
• Informative website 
• Clean layout

60. Gary Vaynerchuk

URL: https://garyvaynerchuk.com/

Gary Vaynerchuk’s website tells his life story through a timeline of scrolling pictures with white text overlays that zoom in on mouse-over. On mouse-over, the menu illuminates each main section as a green box with white fonts and expands to reveal its subsections. I also liked how well-organized and diverse the content was, which included not only his books and projects, but also downloadable wallpapers and other freebies for visitors.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Organized content
  
• Cool effect on  timeline of scrolling pictures
  
• Black theme
  

61. Kylie Howarth

URL: https://www.kyliehowarth.com/

Kylie Howarth, author and illustrator of children’s books. Her workshops included interactive book readings to character design and live drawing demonstrations for kids and adults. Despite the simplicity of design being dominated by a white theme, her website offers cool content including downloadable activity sheets for children. She even offers an online session of how to draw her illustrations! Very child-friendly!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Minimalist design
  
• Cool downloadable stuff for kids
  
• Functional, user-friendly

62. Mark Dawson

URL: https://markjdawson.com/

UK’s Mark J. Dawson previously worked in odd jobs before he became a lawyer and novelist. His broad exposure and expertise has given life to his characters and novels, which mostly delve on suspense, mystery, and crimes. This focus on the complexities and darkness of life is presented visually in his website. I love how the website’s black theme is matched with black-and-white photos and contrasted with white fonts along with an overlay of colorful photos or sepia-toned ones. Truly inspiring!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Inspiring visual concept 
• Strong branding
  
• Good call-to-action messages
  

63. Michelle Douglas

URL: https://www.michelle-douglas.com/

Michelle Douglas’ website is a refreshing sight to behold. Curly fonts, vector graphics, lots of white spaces, and a pale pink background make it perfectly feminine and appealing to her target market. The website’s copywriting is direct-to-the-point but appealing–speaking the language of her readers. While her call-to-action messaging for her newsletter is very enticing since it offers freebies and connotes exclusivity for subscribers. 

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Enticing call-to action messaging
  
• Appealing copywriting
  
• Lots of white spaces
  

64. Dan Brown

URL: https://danbrown.com/

Who would not know the author of the #1 bestselling novel “The Da Vinci Code,” which has already become a movie. International bestselling author Dan Brown is a master of combining the paradox of science and religion in his written work. His website is as rich and intriguing as his masterpieces. Using an interplay of black, gold, and white colors for the fonts and visuals, the website uses several images and geometric illustrations used in his novels. Beautifully done!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Beautiful interplay of colors
  
• Strong branding
  
• Great visuals

65. Kimberly Stuart

URL: https://www.kimberlystuart.com/

Inspirational speaker Kimberly Stuart is much loved for her heartwarming and often humorous novels on parenting and motherhood. She has authored eight novels since 2006 and currently provides Executive Writing Coaching with New York Times Bestselling Author Bob Goff. Her website uses a black and white theme matched with vivid photos and easy-to-read typography. It uses good call-to-action and even implements a lead magnet strategy by offering a free book for its newsletter subscription.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Black and white theme
  
• Easty-to-read typography
  
• Good copywriting
  

66. Jose Lucio

URL: http://www.joselucio.com/

Jose Lucio is another children’s book author and illustrator. His website exhibits his penchant for fun and adventures as it uses the main character of his book–a violet-colored, eyeglasses-wearing bat named Morty–in various aspects of its design. Large images, soft color palette, various typography, and organized content makes his website not only inspiring but also easy to navigate. 

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Inspiring and beautiful visuals
  
• Easy to navigate
  
• Organized content
  

67. Mark Manson

URL: https://markmanson.net/

Mark Manson specilizes in self-help books on life coaching. His website bravely uses various typography in gigantic sizes to convey his unconventional approach as a life coach and author. Besides the unique color combination of grayish blue and chrome orange, the website has good call-to-action messages for free chapters, newsletters, and mobile app.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Unique color theme
  
• Good call-to-action messages
  
• Unconventional typography
  

68. Claudia Rueda

URL: https://claudiarueda.com/

Claudia Rueda is an author of various children’s picture books published in Spain, Mexico, and the United States. Her minimalist website is made colorful and attractive to children because of the illustrations on her various books, which are displayed in an organized fashion. Interestingly, the website also showcases the various workshops she offers.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Minimalist design
  
• Attractive illustrations
  
• Organized layout
  

69. L. Ron Hubbard

URL: https://www.lronhubbard.org/

The website of L. Ron Hubbard is a tribute to his life, which has touched many people through humanitarian endeavors involving civilization, literacy, and education. His website then highlights three aspects of his life: entrepreneur, humanitarian, and artist. An interactive splash that serves as a header is a cool feature of the website. On cursor, a tile of gold-bar-like graphics representing each section of the website moves like the keys on a piano.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• 3D graphics with cool effects
  
• Informative website 
• Organized content
  

70. Connor Grayson

URL: https://connorgrayson.com

Connor Grayson is a kids book author on fantasy adventures fueled by his childhood memories of playing Nintendo. He has 10 titles mostly under the series “The Adventures of Charlie” and rank a 5-star rating in Amazon.Com. Unlike his books, his website is pretty simple and straightforward. A dark blue background dominates his website since its focal point are 2D images of his books. What I like about his website besides its simplicity is the mouse over feature of the books, which enlarges it. 

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Simple layout
  
• Interesting mouseover features
  
• Attractive for kids
  

71. Rick Riordan

URL: https://rickriordan.com/

Rick Riordan began writing his novels while teaching history and English in various San Francisco Bay Area private and public schools. Though a static website, I enjoy how his website transforms into an exploration of his various books, which are linked by an animated line as one scrolls down each section of the page. I also like the colors used in the design—gold, black, and white—as well as the cartoon illustrations from his books.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Good color theme
  
• Interesting animation
  
• Very informative content
  

72. Daniel Gibbs

URL: https://danielgibbsauthor.com/

Daniel Gibbs’ passion for military and science fiction fiction inspired him to become a novelist in 2018. As the background of his homepage, a closeup 3D animated video of spacecrafts plays fluidly in full-page. While bold, colorful typography representing his “Character Driven” and “Military Science Fiction” personas overlay the video. The website is themed after the “universe” he created in his books and even includes an infographic-diagram of his Novels Timeline. Awesome!

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Seamless 3D animated backgroud video
  
• Strong branding
  
• Awesome concept
  

73. George Weigel

URL: https://www.georgeweigel.com/

George Weigel is a leading public intellectual and Catholic theologian in America. He is best known as the papal biographer of Pope John Paul II and the author of at least thirty other books. It’s no surprise that his website is packed with content—from an animated slider of his books to articles he’s recently written and video media interviews on current issues on YouTube—but it’s also beautifully presented and organized.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Well-planned layout
  
• Interactive features
  
• Strong branding elements
  

74. Ditter Kellen

URL: https://www.ditterkellen.com/

Florida-based Ditter Kellen, USA Today’s Bestselling Author, is renowned for Christian novels with an edgy, heart-pounding spin and unexpected endings. Her novels include the Elle Series and Quick Chronicles, as well as stand-alone Suspense Thriller novels. Her website is nothing gripping, however. It has a clean layout and a black-and-white theme coupled with large visuals, particularly the cover of her novels. Simple and straightforward, it employs call-to-action messages and interactive effects.

What you can learn from this great author website design

• Clean layout
  
• Black and white theme
  
• Vivid imagery
  

BONUS – Here is my favorite template

Author Website Template

URL: https://mycodelesswebsite.com/try-theme/author

Why this is such a great template

• Clean design, great to turn visitors into customers
• Wordpress compatible, easy to customize
• Free download if you’re a Divi member

🚀 Click on the blue button to download – or ask a web designer to help you

BONUS – Here is my favorite template

Ebook Author Website Template

URL: https://mycodelesswebsite.com/try-theme/ebook

Why this is such a great template

• Clean design, great to turn visitors into customers
• Wordpress compatible, easy to customize
• Free download if you’re a Divi member

🚀 Click on the blue button to download – or ask a web designer to help you

BONUS: Elegant Themes

URL: https://elegantthemes.com/

Although this one officially shouldn't be in this list - I couldn't keep this one from you. Elegant themes has amazing website themes and leads by example. Their own homepage looks stunning.

What you can learn from this great  website

• Playful design
• Clear call to actions
• Great user experience

About the author

My name is Ralph de Groot. I love excellent web design. In fact, you can wake me up at night if you find an inspiring website. Besides writing on My Codeless Website I also love to read and travel.

PS: If you decide to purchase a tool I recommend, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you.