How to Sell Books Without Building a Website

Building an author website takes time, money and upkeep: design, hosting, payments, file delivery, security updates. For many authors, especially early on, it is a distraction from writing. The good news is that the jobs a website does can be done without one. This guide shows how.

What an author website normally does

Before replacing a website, list its jobs. For most authors, a website does five things:

1. Shows readers all your books in one place.
2. Lets readers buy, or sends them to where they can.
3. Collects newsletter sign-ups.
4. Tells readers who you are.
5. Gives you one link to share everywhere.

Each of these can be covered without building a site.

Job 1 and 2: show and sell your books

An author page in a bookstore shows every book you have published under that name, with covers, prices and buy buttons. On BooksOasis, each author name has a page like this, and each publisher or imprint has one too.

• Readers can buy ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers from each book's page.
• Ebooks open instantly in Oasis Reader, so you never deliver files.
• Series have their own pages, where readers can buy the first books or the whole series.
• Prices show your promotions, with the regular price struck through.

Your retail listings (Amazon, Apple, Kobo) also serve this job, but each only shows the books you publish there, and each keeps around 30% of ebook sales.

Job 3: collect newsletter sign-ups

Every major email service provides a hosted sign-up page with its own link. You don't need a website to use it.

1. Choose an email service.Many have free plans for small lists.
2. Create a sign-up pagewith a short promise: what readers get and how often.
3. Offer a reader magnet.A free short story, novella or bonus chapter gives people a reason to join.
4. Link to it everywhere, especially at the end of every book.

Job 4: tell readers who you are

Readers want a short, human introduction. Use the author bio fields on each platform, keep one consistent bio and photo, and include your newsletter link. Your social media profiles and your email service's sign-up page can carry the same bio.

Job 5: one link to share everywhere

A link-in-bio page (from any of the many free link-page services) gives you one short link listing everything: your author page, retail links, newsletter sign-up and social profiles. Put that link in your social profiles, email signature and printed materials.

Make the first button the one that pays you most, such as your author page on a full-margin store, and put retailers underneath.

Writing an author bio that sells

Without a website's About page, your bio does more work. A good one is short, specific and reader-focused:

• Lead with what you write, not your life story: "writes cosy mysteries set in coastal Maine."
• Add one or two human details readers can connect with.
• Mention credibility only if relevant: expertise for non-fiction, awards, or number of books.
• End with an invitation, such as joining your newsletter.

Keep a 50-word and a 150-word version, and use them consistently everywhere.

Back matter: your most valuable page

The last pages of your book reach readers at their most engaged moment. Without a website, back matter is your main sales page. Include:

1. A short thank-you and a request for a review.
2. The next book in the series, with a direct link.
3. Your other books, grouped by series.
4. Your newsletter invitation and reader magnet.
5. Your one link-in-bio address, for everything else.

QR codes for print books and events

Print readers can't click. A QR code on your back page, bookmarks, flyers and event table sends them to your link page or author page in one scan. Most link-page services generate QR codes for free. Test the code with two different phones before printing.

A no-website setup, at a glance

Other ways to sell without a website

Direct platforms

Books.by gives you a branded bookstore for a yearly fee; Payhip and Gumroad give you a simple shop for a percentage of each sale. They work without a website, though you drive all the traffic. See Books.by alternatives.

Retailer author pages

Amazon's Author Central and similar tools on other stores let you create an author profile listing your books there. Useful, but tied to that store.

In person

Book fairs, markets, talks and signings sell print copies directly. A card reader and a sign with your link-in-bio QR code are all you need.

Social commerce

Some authors sell through social platforms' shop features or by linking directly from posts. Keep one destination link so readers aren't confused.

Pros and cons of skipping the website

When a website becomes worth it

• You have several books or series and want to present them your way.
• Your newsletter is growing and you want dedicated landing pages.
• You run ads and need detailed tracking.
• You want to sell merchandise, signed copies or special editions.

Even then, many authors keep their bookstore author page and link to it from the website, so readers can buy with a familiar checkout.

Setting it all up in an afternoon

1. List your bookson BooksOasis (and retailers, if you haven't), with good covers, descriptions and categories.
2. Check your author pageto make sure every book appears under the right name.
3. Create a newsletter sign-up pagewith a reader magnet.
4. Build a link-in-bio pagewith your author page first, then retailers and newsletter.
5. Update your social profilesand the back matter of your books with the new links.
6. Buy your own book onceto test the reader's experience end to end.

A weekly routine that replaces a website

A website works while you sleep, but so can this simple routine, in about an hour a week:

Keeping readers' trust

Readers buy from authors they trust. Without a website, trust comes from consistency: the same name and photo everywhere, honest descriptions, clear prices, and books that are easy to buy and read. A reputable store with a clear refund policy and a smooth reading experience does much of this work for you.

Pen names and imprints without a website

If you write under more than one name, a website per pen name multiplies the work. On BooksOasis, a subscribed account can create unlimited author names and imprints, each with its own page, and readers only see the public identity you choose. See publishing under a pen name.

An example setup

Imagine a debut fantasy author with a three-book series. Her setup, done in one afternoon:

• The series listed on BooksOasis and Amazon, with a series page on BooksOasis for readers who want all three.
• A free prequel novella offered through her email service's sign-up page.
• A link-in-bio page: "Buy the series" (her BooksOasis series page) first, then Amazon, then "Get the free prequel".
• Back matter in every book pointing to the next book and the free prequel.

She has no website yet, and every job a website would do is covered.

Common mistakes

• Too many links. A link page with twenty buttons confuses readers; keep it to the essentials.
• No newsletter. Without one, readers who love your book have no way to hear about the next.
• Inconsistent names and bios. Use the same author name, photo and bio everywhere.
• Forgetting back matter. The end of your book is your most valuable page; put your links there.

In short

A website is nice to have, not a requirement. An author page in a bookstore handles showing and selling your books, a hosted sign-up page builds your newsletter, and a link-in-bio page gives you one link to share. Set it up in an afternoon, then spend the time you saved writing your next book.

Curious how readers find books? Browse our reading guides on the BooksOasis store.