Before & After: Refreshing a Debut Author Website When the Book Cover Is Ready
This is a common dilemma for many of my author clients: we often design and launch their author website long before their first book is published.
And I love that!
If you’re a debut author, planning ahead gives you time to establish your online presence, start building an audience, and connect with potential readers well before publication day. But it also means we’re sometimes designing your website without one of its most important visual ingredients: the actual book cover.
When we first create the site, we can definitely establish your genre, personality, visual style, and preferred brand direction. But your book cover may still be many months—or even years—away.
Then the cover arrives. The publication date is set. Suddenly, your lovely “book coming soon” website needs to start feeling like the website of an actual published author.
There’s no hard-and-fast rule that your author website must match your book cover. But for a debut author, it generally makes sense for the website and book to feel like they belong in the same world.
That’s exactly what happened with my client DK Zier. When we first created her website, her debut novel was still in progress. Now, she has a publishing deal and a release date, and it was time for a gentle website refresh to bring the two together.
A mini refresh for Young Adult novelist DK Zier
I was so excited to learn that my client Deanna’s YA Paranormal Mystery, The Urban Legend of the Gold Key, will be published by She Writes Press in spring 2027. We had worked together several years ago to create her simple writer website, and it’s enormously satisfying for me to be able now to add a book cover and pre-order link!
BEFORE: Here’s how DK Zier’s author website looked last year:
Before the book deal: elegant and simple writer website
And here is the beautiful book cover that we were excited to add to the website.
As you can see, I felt there was a slight disconnect between the book’s vibe, and the existing author website branding.
What we did to bring this author website and book into perfect harmony:
Naturally, I added the book cover to DK Zier’s website home page, with a Call to Action to learn more!
The book also has its own page, complete with description, publisher information, and Order Now link. We updated some videos that take readers inside the protagonist’s world. In time, we’ll add reader praise and extra purchase links to this page.
I adjusted the existing orange accent color on the website to bring it much closer to the tones on the book cover. We kept the other colors, though, so that the book really pops.
We replaced some small flower graphics with a gold bobcat head instead, echoing the key on the book cover.
I added a link to Books Forward, who will be coordinating book publicity for this launch.
And Deanna requested more “wow” and some sparkle for her website header, which I created using a background video.
AFTER: And here is the result!
After: small adjustments to author branding work beautifully with the new book cover.
There was no need to tear this author website apart, or throw away every page and start again.
With a few carefully chosen changes, the branding that Deanna instinctively chose before her book deal still works beautifully.
After the refresh, she said:
“My website is like a beautiful jewel that reflects the spirit of my novel! Thank you for your expertise and artistic eye.”
About the Book
The Urban Legend of the Gold Key
Young Adult Paranormal Mystery; March 2, 2027; She Writes Press with distribution by Simon & Schuster
No social media, no internet, just your instincts and chance encounters—life played out in real time. Welcome to the '80s.
Cate Smith Cruz, an aspiring pop musician, is drawn to the mysterious things in life, such as the existence of ghosts, the complexity of love, and the power of creativity. Junior year at Merrick High is about promising prospects of forever friends, a breakout band, and finding one’s place. Instead, friendships are tested, secrets fall into the wrong hands, and forces threaten her family after she inadvertently wins a music award, a gold key with alleged magic. Unknowingly, Cate breaks the queen bee’s unspoken rules, casting her as a living dead. She plays a forbidden piano to escape trials and learns how music can resurrect the past and foretell the future. Somehow, music will guide Cate through the chaos, becoming Merrick High’s urban legend—an underdog story of overcoming obstacles in a power hungry world.
About DK Zier
On her tenth birthday, Deanna made a secret wish to understand the mysteries of love, angels, and ghosts. At the end of each decade, she attempts to answer her childhood desire in creative writing.Graduating with high marks from Emerson College with an MFA in Popular Fiction and Publishing, Deanna received a merit-based scholarship for her short story Evergreen.She is an advocate for animals and nature. Part of her life was spent in the business world, but she continued her love of dance and literature.Kōlīliko is her Hula Hawaiian name meaning "to sparkle."
Does your author website need improvements, before your book comes out?
If your author website is built using either Squarespace or Carrd, we can work together on an Author Website Glow Up. I’ll update your site, add professional polish, and set you up for a truly successful book launch.
More website resources for debut authors
How to use your author website before your book is published
Website tour: a memoir author website that builds connection
Multi-passionate questions: Should your author website be named after you, or your book?
Save 10% off your first subscription for a Squarespace website by using the code PAULINE10
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