How to Get Your Author Website Ready for Your Second Book
If you’re like many authors, your website has been a proud showcase for your first book. But now, you’ve got a second title coming (congrats!), and you wonder how to refresh your website to welcome it.
As enticing as it might be to put that new book front and center, there are a few important strategies to keep in mind so your website continues to work well for you and your readers.
Make the new book the star … but don’t bury your first
With a second book coming, it’s natural to want to highlight it prominently on your homepage. A fresh banner image or feature section specifically for your new book is a great start. Make sure you also add all the relevant details: cover, description, links to purchase (or pre-order), and endorsements or early reader praise.
However, don’t completely sideline your first book. Many readers discover authors through earlier work, so it's good to have a clear menu or section where both titles have a home. Think of your site as a small library where each book deserves a spot on the shelf, with the latest release front and center.
(Fun fact: my debut novel, Saving Saffron Sweeting, was far and away my most successful, so I definitely want readers to be able to see and recognize it, when they visit my author website.)
If you haven’t already, establish your visual branding
If you’re reading this well ahead of your second book release, this is the perfect time for me to remind you that if your book covers share branding elements (like colors, fonts, image style or photography style) then the job of turning your website from “debut author” to “established author” becomes dramatically easier. Make sure you ask your publisher how they plan to continue your author brand. Or, if you’re publishing independently, be sure that your chosen cover designer takes your previous title into account.
(Insider tip: if you simply go to a budget-priced freelancer site and pick a different book cover designer each time, your covers are very unlikely to be cohesive.)
As your website designer, my heart sinks if you bring me book covers that are completely different from each other.
Sometimes indie authors do miss the mark with their first book cover, but — especially for your ebook — it’s not a big deal to change the cover, once you understand more about your author brand and what your ideal reader expects to see.
(Probably) create a dedicated website page for each book
If your first website was built around one title, consider reorganizing your navigation to accommodate multiple books. That might mean adding menu items under "Books" that list each title separately, or creating individual landing pages for each book with full info—like reviews, sample chapters, or discussion guides.
This approach helps readers easily find what they’re looking for and keeps your website looking neat and professional.
Depending on your genre, a separate page for each book may be a big help to your visibility to search engines (SEO) too.
As your number of titles grows, at some point it’s no longer practical to give each book its own page, but for your second book, this approach is ideal.
Update your author bio and other details
Having a current bio shows visitors you’re an active and engaged author. When preparing your website for your second book, review your bio for any updates—new awards, events, or services you offer.
Plus, if you’ve stated anything like children’s ages or number of pets you own, these details can get out of date fast!
This is also a great time to check your contact info, social media links, and newsletter sign-up process to ensure everything is fresh and functional. Test your contact form too, especially if you’re open to collaborations and event invitations.
Use your website as a hub for your Advance Reader Campaign
Did you know that some of your most powerful website pages are the ones that not everyone can see? My most savvy clients ask me to create additional (hidden) pages to coordinate their advance reader campaign, so that they can gather early reviews and even grow a “street team” to help spread the word about the book as soon as it’s released.
Learn more: hidden website pages that every author needs.
Checklist of items for your author website ahead of your second book release
New book cover
New book description, plus trailer if you have one
Pre-order links
Early praise and/or endorsements for your forthcoming title
Blog posts, supporting articles, or behind-the-scenes content related to the new book
New book club questions or other resources
Advance reader campaign pages (including application form, insider freebies, and email automations)
Check and update your bio
Check and update your current social media links
Learn more: which social links to addCreate or update your media kit
Test your contact form and email list signup
Don’t forget to update your announcement bar, scrolling text, or other highlight area, to tease the new book. Test your website in an incognito window, if you’re not sure what a brand new visitor actually sees
Make sure you’ve set SEO meta data (like page titles, page descriptions, and image alt tags) on any new pages. You might need to refresh your SEO site description too.
Learn more: find some beginner SEO tips hereCreate url redirects, if you move any pages
Learn more: How to set up Squarespace redirects, and why you shouldRun a dead link checker - this is not the time to send your readers down dead ends! (Bonus points: check and update your 404 Not Found page, just in case)
After making lots of changes like these, don’t forget to check mobile view. Much as a love Squarespace, I do see many DIY website owners with errors in layouts, when I visit their website on a mobile phone.
You might need to make these additions and updates in phases
For example, your new book cover might be available long before the book itself can be pre-ordered, or before you have reader praise to show.
By making smart updates to highlight your new release while preserving the strengths of your existing site, you’ll create a welcoming, professional home for your growing catalog—and keep your readers coming back for more.
Want some help with all this?
I recently added a second book to my client Leland Shipp’s author website and I made updates on almost every page.
So I understand this can feel like a big task!
That’s why, if your author website uses Squarespace, I now offer a service where you can book me for an entire day.
Not only will I take care of every item in the above checklist, I’ll make sure your website has the highest level of professionalism and visual appeal, maximizing your chances of selling more books.
Learn more and request your Author Website Glow Up here:
Popular resources for a powerful author website
50 step author website checklist (aka, 50 reasons to hire me to do it for you!)
Save 10% off your first subscription for a Squarespace website by using the code PAULINE10
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