beautifully simple and simply beautiful squarespace websites for…

✨ Trusted by 60+ authors, including many Sunday Times & New York Times bestsellers ✨

  • Laptop screen displaying a website. On the left, text reads "Will Dean is the award-winning author of 10 novels. He lives in a remote Swedish forest with his wife, son, Norwegian forest cat, and St Bernard." On the right, a black and white photo of a person with a beard, wearing a checkered shirt, sitting on a wooden deck next to a large dog.
  • Website homepage for author Beth O'Leary, featuring a welcome message and a photo of a woman standing by a door.
  • kit conway author website
  • A laptop screen displaying a website, featuring the name 'Elisabeth Elo' at the top. Below are two book covers: 'North of Boston' and 'Finding Katarina M.' Text on the right reads, 'Elisabeth Elo writes literary suspense novels set in faraway places.' Navigation and a 'Buy the Books' button are visible.
  • Laptop screen displaying Mel Pennant's website, featuring an author description and photo. The text highlights Mel as an author, playwright, and lawyer, announcing the debut novel 'A Murder for Miss Hortense,' published June 12, 2025.
  • Laptop screen displaying a website homepage for "CARI ROSEN" with navigation options including About, Editorial, Writing, Books, and Contact, featuring images like a typewriter and stacked books.
  • Laptop screen displaying a website with an illustration of a girl holding a jar of glitter and quote about finding calmness. Includes navigation links and a button to discover the book.
  • Website promoting the book 'The Festival' by Louise Mumford, featuring a cover image with people silhouetted against flames. Includes options to buy on Amazon or from an independent bookshop.
  • Laptop screen displaying Harriet Tyce's book "A Lesson in Cruelty" with pre-order information and release date April 11, 2024, on a green background.
  • Laptop displaying a website for author Catherine Law, featuring a stack of books on the right and website navigation options at the top.
  • Promotional webpage for the book 'The King's Mother' by Annie Garthwaite. Features a book cover with text about four historical figures: Cecily, Marguerite, Elizabeth, and Margaret, highlighting their maternal roles. Includes a release date of November 7, 2024, with a pre-order option.
  • Laptop displaying a website with a woman looking to her right, leaning on a railing. The top menu includes links to 'Books,' 'News,' 'Extras,' and 'Events.' The text below identifies her as a bestselling author named Lesley Kara.
  • Laptop displaying the homepage of Matt Graydon's website, featuring text about writing historical fiction. A silhouette of a person holding a toy airplane against a sunset background. Navigation links appear at the top.
  • Laptop displaying Paula Greenlees website with navigation menu; showing home, about, books, blog, contact sections. Background features a tropical plant in front of a light-colored door.
  • Laptop displaying Emma Christie's website featuring three book covers: 'In Her Shadow', 'Find Her First', and 'The Silent'. The background has a raindrop texture with text including quotes praising the books.
  • Website homepage showcasing "The Glass Woman" book by Alice McIlroy, featuring book cover and media reviews from The Guardian, New Scientist, and The Irish Times. Menu includes Home, Books, About, and News. Social media icons present.
  • Laptop screen displaying a website for author Julie Ma, featuring a red background, introduction text with a photo of an individual, and navigation links for "About," "Books," "Blog," and "Contact." Wooden utensils are pictured on the right.
  • Laptop screen displaying a website page for a contemporary fiction author. The page includes a photo of a woman sitting and smiling, alongside a text biography mentioning her novels and achievements. Menu options include About, Books, and Contact.
  • Laptop screen displaying a website homepage with "Stephen Barrett" written at the top. The background features skyscrapers, and the text "Welcome to my website and my books" is overlaid. The menu includes links to About, Books, Contact, and social media icons.
  • Laptop screen displaying a website for author Ruth Irons featuring her two psychological thrillers "The Perfect Guest" and "Home Sweet Home." Includes a brief description of the books' themes, such as moral dilemmas and toxic relationships, alongside navigation links and a "Buy the Books" button.
  • Laptop displaying Annie Murray's website homepage with a canal scene background.
  • Laptop displaying a webpage about Eleanor Anstruther's upcoming novel "In Judgement of Others", set to be published on January 28, 2025. The page includes links to sections like books, bio, and teaching, and features a book cover image.
  • Website homepage of writer Tony Kent, titled "Boxer. Barrister. Thriller Writer." It features a quote comparing him to Baldacci, a brief biography, a photo, and links to books and contact information.
  • Laptop screen displaying a website for Jacquie Bloese, a writer of historical bookclub fiction. The site features a header with navigation links, a brief author bio, and images of three book covers: 'The French House,' 'The Secret Photographs,' and 'The Golden Hour.'
  • Laptop displaying a webpage about Michael J Chaplin, a British author. The page includes a navigation menu with links to About, A Fallen God, Chaplin | Spirit of The Tramp, and Contact. The text describes Chaplin's background, noting he was born in California in 1946, grew up in Switzerland, enjoys traveling, and that 'A Fallen God' is his debut novel.
  • A laptop screen displaying a website for Sophie Haydock featuring four art illustrations of women by Egon Schiele. The site promotes Haydock's debut novel, 'The Flames,' about the muses who posed for Schiele. The page includes menu links for 'About,' 'Books,' 'Contact,' and social media icons for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A button labeled 'Discover the Book' is also visible.
  • Laptop screen displaying an author's website with a black and white image of the Eiffel Tower. The screen features text about an award-winning historical crime fiction author, with navigation links at the top.
  • Laptop displaying Freya Sampson's website, featuring a welcome message, author introduction, and navigation links.
“Charlotte is well worth the investment”
— Lesley Kara, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
“Charlotte made it all so easy”
— BETH O'LEARY, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

it’s time to take control

of your author website!

Let me guess, you…

→ Hate tech?

→ Want a website that does your writing proud?

→ Tried to build your own author website but got completely stuck?

→ Set your website up in 2011 and haven’t touched it since?

→ Need a website that’s easy to update in the future?

→ Would rather be writing your next book than spending hours on (unhelpful) help chats trying to fix issues with your website?

You’re in the right place!

Author website designer Charlotte Duckworth using a laptop, wearing a pink blouse, sitting on a couch.

Author websites, made by an author

Hello! I’m Charlotte, I’m a 7x traditionally published author myself and I help authors get to grips with their websites so that they can focus on doing what they do best – writing… 🖊️

More about me →

my author website design services

for authors in need of a new website

AUTHOR WEBSITE IN A DAY

from £1450

 

My flagship design service

Let me design a beautiful, fully bespoke, customisable website for you in just ONE day.

More info →

 

for authors with existing websites

AUTHOR VIP DESIGN DAY

£800

 

Want some help with your existing site?

Book me to work on your author website for an entire day and I’ll power through your to-do list!

More info →

 

for authors who want to DIY

THE DIY AUTHOR WEBSITE COURSE

£295

Will Staeger built this website himself, using my course!

 

Expert help with building your site

Build your own author website on Squarespace with my comprehensive step-by-step course.

More info →

 

author websites, made by an author

Author website designer Charlotte Duckworth holding a book titled 'The Sanctuary' in one image, and sitting next to a stack of books titled 'Unfollow Me' and 'The Rival' in another.

I’m an author too!

My psychological suspense novels are published by Quercus in the UK & the US.

I also write bookclub fiction under the name Charlotte Rixon, published by Bloomsbury (UK) and St Martin’s Press (US).

Before my first novel was published, I worked as an online journalist for more than a decade and also ran my own digital marketing agency.

I set up my web design business 6 years ago, and use all my experience of the web to design beautiful websites for fellow authors, to ensure their online presence reflects their unique creativity.

More about me →

kind words from past clients

  • “I absolutely love my new website. It has exceeded my expectations and I've had lots of very positive feedback on it. Charlotte is well worth the investment. She is extremely responsive to your individual requirements and gives expert advice. She is skilled at interpreting your needs and creating the website you always wanted.”

    – LESLEY KARA, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE RUMOUR

  • “It's been great working with Charlotte and I'm delighted with the end result. It's an investment worth making as the websites that Charlotte produces look really professional and eye-catching, and are easy to navigate. I was particularly happy with the walkthrough of the site before it went live and it's great that I can be in touch in future if I have any problems.”

    – HARRIET TYCE, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BLOOD ORANGE

  • "I love my new site! It's slick and professional but still feels like me. I was nervous about whether it would be worth the money but it was totally worth it - Charlotte made it all so easy and I know I've saved myself so much time in the long run by working with her. I feel so much more on top of my website and I'm now proud to show it to people!”

    – BETH O’LEARY, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE FLATSHARE

  • “Charlotte is so skilled, professional and insightful, that you really can’t fail to end up with the perfect website. It’s also an incredibly enjoyable experience, not only because Charlotte is such a pleasure to work with, but because it really took me back to the basics of what I wanted not just from the website but also from my writing in general.”

    — CHRIS LLOYD, AUTHOR OF THE AWARD-WINNING OCCUPATION SERIES

  • “Having seen Charlotte being recommended by so many authors when it came to creating a website, I knew there was only person I wanted to approach. And I am so glad I did! I particularly recommend Charlotte for her ease of communication, her organisation and the swiftness at which the site went up. I've worked with a few web designers, and it's never been as easy, as efficient or as pain-free as this.”

    — HANNAH GOLD, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE LAST BEAR

  • “I love my new site! I’m very proud of it. It captures exactly what I was trying to achieve... Because Charlotte’s an author she gets it. That’s important. As a debut author, there can be a lot of fear around the unknown and it’s reassuring to know that you don’t have to explain that to Charlotte. I’d say as an author looking to create a website, what Charlotte offers is so unique.”

    – MEL PENNANT, AUTHOR OF A MURDER FOR MISS HORTENSE

  • “The time it would have taken me to do what Charlotte has done would have cost me far more than the fee she charges. Charlotte was fully committed and invested in creating the website that I envisaged. The level of communication was very much appreciated and attention to detail second to none. I’m incredibly proud of my new site.”

    – SANDIE JONES, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE OTHER WOMAN

  • “I love my new site! It’s so impactful and reflects the book so well. Working with Charlotte was a dream. From the moment we engaged I could see she was an organised, meticulous detail person with a sound process complemented by a generous approach.”

    – ANNIE GARTHWAITE, AUTHOR OF CECILY

  • "Charlotte's approach combines friendliness with a high level of professionalism. She has an eye for design and a genuine desire to meet her client's needs which results in truly stunning work. She feeds back regularly through the process and she really did go over and above to make my website everything I'd hoped for - and more. It's been a wonderful experience. I cannot recommend Charlotte highly enough."

    – MARION TODD, AUTHOR OF THE DI CLARE MACKAY CRIME SERIES

  • “I cannot tell you how much I LOVE my new website! I am so grateful to you for creating something even better than I'd imagined. I’m so happy with it – it all looks absolutely fab. Hurrah. Thank you thank you!”

    – CLARE POOLEY, AUTHOR OF THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECT

  • "The incredible Charlotte somehow got into my brain and worked out exactly what I wanted, even though I didn’t really know myself! Charlotte made the whole process SO clear and fun, which was a complete revelation for a non-techie person like me. If you’re umming and ahhhing about getting a new website I cannot recommend Charlotte enough! Especially if you’re an author - as she’s an author too, and knows exactly what your website needs. She will walk you through the process and create something amazing with no fuss at all."

    – RUTH IRONS, AUTHOR OF HOME SWEET HOME

  • “Charlotte is a total guru and creative genius. Her expertise gave me the confidence to switch from Wordpress to Squarespace, and helped me turn my ideas into something that looks gorgeous and represents my different brands/pen-names. She combines fantastic technical and artistic abilities with the knowledge of what a website really needs to work.”

    — KATE HARRISON, AUTHOR OF THE HOUSE SHARE & THE 5:2 DIET BOOKS

  • “I absolutely love my new site! Easy to navigate, clean and fresh - it’s everything I wanted and more. Charlotte is a marvel. Fast, intuitive, enthusiastic, supportive and a total website goddess to boot. Can’t recommend her highly enough.”

    – KATIE MARSH, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE REST OF ME

  • “If you're looking for a web designer, look no further than Charlotte. She comes highly recommended, complete not only with excellent tech and design skills, but perhaps more importantly, a high level of tech-phobia associated hand-holding. If she can talk me through it, she can handle anyone.”

    – ELEANOR ANSTRUTHER, AUTHOR OF DESMOND ELLIOT LONGLISTED A PERFECT EXPLANATION

  • “If you are worried about the technical side, have no fear, because Charlotte sets out everything logically and clearly. I absolutely love my new site. Charlotte's approach to gleaning as much information from me before we started meant that she knew exactly what I wanted. It has been a lovely creative project to work on and I highly recommend Charlotte’s services!”

    – CATHERINE LAW, AUTHOR OF THE FIRST DANCE

  • “Knowing Charlotte was an author herself, I felt I could totally trust her. Nothing was too much trouble and all queries were quickly answered. Where you don't know what you want, Charlotte has the expertise to advise you, both as an author and as an experienced web-designer. It is definitely worth the investment.”

    – LOUISE FEIN, AUTHOR OF PEOPLE LIKE US

  • “I'd highly recommend Charlotte for lots of reasons. From the very first phone call, I felt looked after and listened to. During the construction of the website Charlotte was incredibly quick to respond and also extremely calm despite the fact I made multiple changes, experimenting with different colours and layouts. I love my new site! It's exactly what I hoped for.”

    – EMMA CHRISTIE, AUTHOR OF THE SILENT DAUGHTER

  • "When I came across Charlotte's portfolio, I was immediately drawn to the visual simplicity and ease of navigation of the websites she had designed. The elements of a good website all seemed to be in perfect balance, so I knew right away I wanted to work with her. Charlotte was the perfect choice for me. She has a great design sense, she knows what a writer needs, her services are reasonably priced, and the process is very efficient. I spent less of my time on these websites than I had on my previous websites and the results were better!"

    – LIZA TULLY / ELISABETH ELO

READ MORE CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

 want to see my portfolio?

VIEW MORE OF MY AUTHOR WEBSITE DESIGNS

the latest advice on author website design, newsletters and life as a writer…

 
read THE author website blog
 

want to hear all my secrets from my own publishing career?

 
 
CLICK HERE FOR MY INSIDER SECRETS!

curious about my books?

click the covers to find out more

frequently asked questions

  • An author website is a website created by a writer to showcase their books, themselves and to connect with their readers. It's one of the most powerful marketing tools an author has to build an author brand and grow their audience.

  • Squarespace is the perfect web platform for author websites! It's easy to use, super secure, looks beautiful and provides the perfect platform to help you grow your author career.

    Find out more about why I recommend Squarespace for your author website >

  • Some essentials for your author website include: an engaging homepage, showcasing your latest book; an About page with some information about you and your writing journey; a Books page with links for readers to easily click through and buy your books; and a Contact page so that readers can easily get in touch. I also highly recommend setting up an author mailing list.

    I have a free Author Website Content Guide you can download that has more tips on what to include on your author website.

  • Yes! You can take a look at my Author Website Design Portfolio here >

    I also share recent author website designs on my blog >

  • Do you take your writing seriously? If so, then you need an author website!

    I've written extensively about why authors need websites here >

  • This can really vary! If you are building your author website yourself, then there are plenty of cost-effective options.

    I've blogged about 5 tips for creating an author website on a budget here >

    My author website designs start from £1450. Find out more about my Author Website in a Day package.

  • This depends on three things: 1) your budget, 2) your time and 3) how much you enjoy technology!

    These days, it's more than possible to build your own author website. I even offer a self-paced course, the DIY Author Website Course, to help with this.

    However, if you hate technology and would prefer to hand over the project over to a professional then using a website designer for your author website will ensure your website is created quickly and efficiently and works as hard as possible for you and your books.

  • I promise this is not a trick answer - there isn't one!

    If you want to find out why, I've written about how Squarespace templates work here >

  • I offer three services for authors looking for help with their websites:

    1) DIY Author Website Course - my self-paced course to help you build your own author website

    2) Author VIP Design Day - expert help for authors who already have websites

    3) Author Website in a Day - a brand new, fully bespoke author website designed for you in just one day

  • Take a look at my Author Web Design Services page to determine which offering would work best for you, then fill in my contact form and I'll be in touch!