WordPress Author Websites: What It Takes — and an Easier Alternative
Should you build your author website on WordPress?
WordPress is a powerful, flexible platform used by many authors — but it can be complicated to set up, requires ongoing maintenance, and the costs (for hosting, themes, plugins) add up. If all you need are book pages, a mailing list sign-up form, and links to retailers, a platform built for authors like Author Websites by BookBub can save you both time and money.
What building an author website on WordPress really takes
Here's what a typical self-hosted WordPress author website actually costs — in money and in time.
Bottom line: a fully-functional WordPress author website with email marketing capabilities can cost $20–150+ per month — plus the time spent building and maintaining your website instead of writing.
WordPress vs. Author Websites by BookBub
| WordPress (self-hosted) | Author Websites by BookBub | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 10–40 hours | Under 30 minutes |
| Author-specific templates | Generic themes; customization required | Dozens, designed to showcase books and authors |
| Book data import | Manual entry or paid plugins | Built in — and automatically creates pages with covers, descriptions, and retailer links |
| Email collection | Requires plugins (often paid) | Built in, with unlimited email collection |
| Email sending | Not included | Included, with 10k deliveries per month |
| Hosting, security & updates | Your responsibility | Handled for you |
| Total monthly cost | $20–150+ (hosting + plugins + email) | $9.99/month |
| Support | Community forums | Email the book-marketing experts at BookBub |
Which should you choose?
When WordPress is the right choice
- You want full design control over every pixel and template
- You're building a complex blog, membership site, or store
- You enjoy tinkering — or have a developer on call
- You need niche functionality only WordPress's plugin ecosystem offers
When a dedicated author website builder is better
A platform like Author Websites by BookBub is the right call if:
- You'd rather spend your time writing than running a website — hosting, security, and updates are handled for you
- You want to be live this week, not next month — pick a template, import your books, done in under 30 minutes
- You want one predictable bill — $9.99/month covers your site, email marketing, and landing pages, vs. $20–150+ for a comparable WordPress stack
- You want the author essentials without assembling plugins — book import with retailer links, reader magnets, sign-up forms, series display, and pre-built Blog and Press Kit pages are all built in
Moving your author site is easier than you think
Looking for WordPress themes for authors?
Consider a simpler route: Author Websites templates include everything you'd expect from an author WordPress theme — book covers, series pages, retailer links, and mailing list forms — without the installation or upkeep.
Frequently asked questions
Is WordPress good for author websites?
WordPress is flexible and powers millions of sites, but it wasn't built for authors. Expect to assemble hosting, a theme, and plugins yourself, and to maintain them. If your site's job is showing books, collecting emails, and linking to retailers, a dedicated author website builder gets you there faster for less.
How much does a WordPress author website cost?
Typically $20–150+ per month all-in: hosting ($5–25), plugins for sign-up forms, security, and backups ($0–30+), and email marketing ($15–95+), plus a theme (free–$100) and a domain (~$15/year). Author Websites by BookBub is $9.99/month flat, with email marketing included and a free domain the first year.
What's the easiest alternative to WordPress for authors?
An author-specific website builder. Author Websites by BookBub imports your books automatically, includes mailing list tools and email sending, and gets a professional site live in under 30 minutes with a 30-day free trial.
Can I move my WordPress author site?
Yes. If you're moving to Author Websites by BookBub you can keep the domain you own, rebuild your pages in minutes with automatic book import, and point your domain to the new site.
Do I need a website as an author?
A website is the one channel you own: it's where readers, agents, and media expect to find your books, your bio, and a way to join your mailing list, independent of any retailer or social platform.