Author Website Inspiration: Summer Colors
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In my experience, most writers get too anxious when choosing the color palette for their author website. Here’s another approach:
99% of the time, as an author, your book cover(s) set the direction for the colors we should use.
Assuming you (or your publisher) have invested in a top-quality book cover that is perfect for your genre and the tone of your book, then most of your hard work is done.
A professionally designed cover does much more than just look good—it serves as the first point of contact between your book and potential readers, instantly conveying the tone, genre, and quality of your work. When your cover designer truly nails the design, it sends the right signals to your ideal audience, helping you build trust and recognition as an author.
And when we also layer in an understanding of color psychology to the website design decision-making, we can create a site that complements your book perfectly. So although I’ll usually use your book cover as the jumping off point, it’s invaluable too, to consider the subtle messages that website colors convey. For this, I often turn to the insights of Fiona Humberstone (aka The Brand Stylist), whose work on the four seasonal personalities for business brands offers an excellent framework.
Understanding the core of your author brand and the key values you want to express about your work is a crucial milestone on your publishing journey, shaping how readers connect with your story and message.
Summer brands, for example, evoke a sense of calm sophistication, subtle elegance, and gentle warmth. Their color palettes are built around cool, soft, and muted tones—think quiet blues, delicate lavenders, and misty greys—creating an atmosphere that feels refined and approachable. Instead of harsh contrasts or deep, dark shades, summer brands rely on gentle colors with blue or grey undertones. Even the darker accents are softened, often using muted navy or charcoal rather than pure black. This harmonious approach results in a visual identity that’s inviting, tranquil, and effortlessly polished.
If all this leaves you curious, I warmly recommend Humberstone’s book, How to Style Your Brand : it’s both beautiful and informative.
Or, schedule an author website clarity call with me, and we’ll explore your brand season together.
Think your book(s) might lend itself well to summer branding?
Here, for inspiration, are some of my client websites that sit more or less in the summer family of colors:
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In terms of genre, summer colors are often ideal for literary fiction, historical fiction, sweet romance, memoirs, and non-fiction in the health and wellness genre.
Each author has a unique way of telling their story or presenting their message, and when I create your ideal website, I aim to capture that calm, thoughtful, expert vibe that a summer brand conveys.
For more seasonal inspiration, I also shared this spring collection, and previously, this autumn / fall inspiration collection, featuring more author websites I’ve created and launched.
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Are you ready to sell more books?
If you want an author website that not only showcases your book(s) with the right branding vibe but sets you up for business results, let’s design, build, and launch your online home using my smooth, efficient process.
Learn more, and then schedule a complimentary chat with me.
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