How to Build an Author Website That Celebrates Your Unique Identity and Story

As an author, your website isn’t just a place to showcase your books—it’s an extension of your identity, your experiences, and the stories you bring into the world. For LGBTQ+ authors, female authors, and BIPOC authors, creating an online presence that truly reflects who you are can be both empowering, and impactful.

Why is this important? Diversity within the literary world remains a pressing issue. For instance, in 2019, only 11.9% of children’s and young adult books in the U.S. were written by Black or African authors, 8.7% by Asian authors, 5.3% by Latinx authors, and a mere 1% by Indigenous authors. (source) This underrepresentation highlights the need for LGBTQ+ authors, female authors, and authors of color to create online spaces that authentically reflect who they are, making their voices heard and stories accessible to a broader audience–and we want to help make this happen!

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to build an author website that authentically represents you and helps you connect with the right audience.

1. Define Your Personal Brand

Your brand as an author is more than just a logo or color scheme; it’s the essence of your voice, values, and unique perspective. Ask yourself:

• What themes dominate your writing?
• How does your background or identity shape your stories?
• What message do you want visitors to take away from your website?

For LGBTQ+, female, POC, and other marginalized authors, embracing your identity in your branding can foster deeper connections with readers who resonate with your experiences.

2. Choose an Inclusive and Professional Design For Your Author Website

Your website’s design should be as bold and unique as your writing. Consider these design elements:

• Color Palette: Choose colors that represent your brand and evoke emotion.
• Typography: Use fonts that are professional yet expressive of your style.
• Imagery: Feature high-quality photos of yourself and visuals that align with your identity and storytelling.

Our Done-for-You Author Websites can make the process easier, offering designs tailored for professional writers while ensuring inclusivity and accessibility. As a queer-owned design agency, we specialize in helping LGBTQ+ and minority authors tell their story through great web design.

3. Create an Authentic “About” Page

Your About page is where you introduce yourself and share your journey. As an LGBTQ+ author, female author, or POC author, this is your opportunity to own your narrative. Your author bio and about page should share:

• Your personal story and how it influences your writing.
• Your mission and what drives you to write.
• Any challenges you’ve overcome and how they shape your perspective.

Readers love authenticity, and your story could inspire other diverse readers who see themselves in your journey.

4. Showcase Your Books with an Easy-to-Navigate Layout

Your author website should make it simple for visitors to explore your work. Ensure that your website has:

• Clear book categories (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc.).
• Buy links to multiple platforms so readers can easily purchase your books.
• Book descriptions that highlight themes of diversity, representation, and unique storytelling.

If you sell books directly from your website, you want to ensure a secure and seamless checkout experience.

5. Start a Blog to Share Your Voice

A blog is a fantastic way to drive organic traffic and engage with your audience while improving your website’s search engine ranking. Blog topics could include:

• Behind-the-scenes insights into your writing process.
• Discussions on diversity and representation in literature.
• Personal essays on your experiences as an LGBTQ+, female, or POC author.

Your blog is also a great way to highlight upcoming book releases, events, and collaborations.

6. Optimize for Visibility (Representation Matters–and So Does SEO)

To attract readers and opportunities, your author website should be optimized for search engines. Use keywords such as:

• LGBTQ+ authors
• Queer authors
• Female authors
• POC authors
• BIPOC authors
• Authors of color
• Inclusive storytelling
• Diversity in publishing

Adding your genre of writing into the mix with these keywords is also a great SEO strategy to attract readers looking for what you have to offer.

These terms not only contribute to positive representation and visibility for marginalized communities, they enhance your website’s visibility too! Good SEO will help your site rank higher on Google, making it easier for your audience to find you.

7. Connect with Your Community

Your website should be a hub for interaction. Make sure to:

• Link your social media accounts for continued engagement.
• Have a contact form so readers and industry professionals can reach out.
• Encourage email sign-ups to build your newsletter list and keep readers updated.
• Consider offering a lead magnet or freebie that will resonate with diverse readers who want to support diverse authors like you

A professional website for diverse authors should not only showcase your books, but also create a space where your community feels seen and heard–because people want to read narratives they can relate to.

8. Work with a Minority Owned Design Agency Who Creates Done-For-You Author Websites 

If you’re not tech-savvy or simply want to focus on your writing, working with professional web designers (like us) can be a game-changer. Being LGBTQ+ ourselves, we love working with minority authors to build diverse and powerful brands that help them sell more books! The good news is you don’t need to know how to build an author website. Our affordable Done-for-You Author Websites make it easy for you to ensure your online presence is:

• Professionally designed and mobile-friendly.
• Optimized for SEO and book sales.
• Custom-tailored to reflect your identity and brand.
• Inclusive & accessible for readers of all walks of life.

Celebrate Your Identity Through Your Author Website

Building a website that celebrates your identity isn’t just about selling books—it’s about creating a space that represents you authentically and inspires your community. Whether you’re an LGBTQ+ author sharing untold stories, a female writer breaking barriers, or a BIPOC author amplifying diverse narratives, your website is a powerful tool to make your voice heard.

Ready to create a website that reflects your journey? Explore our Done-for-You Author Websites today and start building your digital home!