How to Build an Author Website for a Multi-Book Series: Wix vs WordPress for Authors
If you have written more than one book, your author website should do more than display your biography and book covers. It should help a reader discover the right book, understand where it fits in your series, move naturally from one book to the next, and give you a place to build a relationship with readers that does not depend entirely on a single retailer.
If you are managing a five-book series, WordPress is usually the better long-term choice—but Wix can be the better option if your priority is simplicity, quick setup and minimal technical maintenance.
The important point is that you are not really choosing between two website builders. You are choosing how you want to manage your author website, five individual book pages, series reading order, book sales, email subscribers, blog content, SEO, reader resources and future books.
A website for one book can be relatively simple.
A website for five books is different.
You need a structure that allows a reader to discover Book 1, understand the correct reading order, move naturally to Book 2, find Book 3, sign up for your reader list, read related articles and eventually buy another book.
That is why I would not make this decision based only on which platform has the prettier templates or the easier drag-and-drop editor.
I would make it based on what the website needs to become three or five years from now.
After publishing and selling books on Amazon KDP for about five years, I received the email many authors never want to see: my KDP account had been terminated for suspected attempts to manipulate Amazon’s services.
I appealed. Nothing changed. Then something happened that changed how I thought about author websites.
After my books disappeared from Amazon, someone contacted me through Facebook. They told me they had been searching for one of my books, noticed that it was no longer available on Amazon, and wanted to know where they could buy it.
I had no good answer.
The book existed. I was still the author. People were still looking for it. But the platform where I had built the sales presence was no longer available to me.
That experience pushed me to build my own author website.
I did not build it because I suddenly became interested in web design. I had started learning website development as a Computer Science student, so I already had some technical background. But building my own author website made me see something differently:
An author website is not simply an online business card. It can become the home of your entire book catalogue.
That becomes even more important when you are writing a multi-book series.
Instead of sending readers to a retailer and hoping they figure out what to read next, you can build a deliberate journey:
Discover the author → discover the series → choose a book → read about the book → buy/read → discover the next book → join the reader list → return for the next release.
That is the architecture I recommend.
What Should an Author Website Do for a Multi-Book Series?
A common mistake is to think about an author website in terms of pages:
- Home
- About
- Books
- Blog
- Contact
Those pages are useful, but they don’t explain how the website should actually work.
For a multi-book author, I prefer to think about the site as a reader journey.
A visitor may arrive because they searched for your name.
Another person may find a blog article through Google.
Someone else may click a link from Facebook or YouTube.
Another reader may already know Book 3 and arrive directly on its page.
Your website needs to accommodate all of these visitors while still helping them understand what to do next.
A practical structure is:
Homepage → Series Page → Individual Book Page → Next Book → Reader Signup → Future Release
Around this sits your blog/resource centre and your internal links.
This creates a website that grows with the author instead of becoming a collection of disconnected pages.
The Five-Part Architecture I Recommend
For a five-book series, I would build the website around five major components:
- Homepage
- Series page
- Individual book pages
- Blog/resource centre
- Reader journey
The important part is that these should be connected.
Your website should not look like five books sitting beside each other.
It should feel like one publishing ecosystem.
1. The Homepage: Introduce the Author and the Reading Journey
The homepage is not supposed to contain everything.
Its job is to answer three questions quickly:
Who is this author?
What do they write?
What should I read or do next?
For an author with five books, I would structure the homepage something like this:
Hero section
Your name.
A short positioning statement.
A strong photograph or author-brand image.
Your most important book or series.
A clear button such as:
Explore the Series
or
Start Reading
Don’t make visitors guess what the website is about.
Featured Series
If your five books belong to one series, introduce the series early.
For example:
The [Series Name]
Five books exploring [short description of the series].
Start with Book 1 or explore the complete series.
Then show the five covers in reading order.
Each cover should link to its own book page.
This creates your first important internal-linking structure.
About the Author
Keep this relatively short on the homepage.
You can have a full About page, but the homepage should give readers enough information to establish who you are.
For example:
- Author
- Genre or subject
- Number of books
- What readers can expect
- Relevant professional or personal experience
Then link to:
Meet the Author
Latest Book or Recommended Starting Point
If you have five books, don’t necessarily present all five with exactly the same visual weight.
You may want to identify:
Start Here
or
Latest Release
depending on how the series is structured.
For a chronological series, Book 1 may be the logical starting point.
For interconnected standalone books, the latest release may be more appropriate.
The website should tell the reader this rather than making them work it out.
Reader Signup
Your homepage should also give readers a reason to stay connected.
Instead of:
Subscribe to my newsletter.
Try something specific:
Get updates about new books, exclusive content and future releases.
If you have a useful free resource, offer that instead.
The goal isn’t simply collecting email addresses.
The goal is building a way to communicate with readers without depending entirely on a retailer or social-media platform.
2. The Series Page: The Most Important Page for a Multi-Book Author
If you have five books in a series, I would not simply create a generic /books/ page and put five covers on it.
Create a dedicated series page.
This page should answer:
What is this series, and where should I begin?
A good series page can contain:
Series title
Short series description
Explain:
- what the series is about
- who it is for
- what readers can expect
- whether the books must be read in order
Then show:
Book 1
Cover → title → short description → Read More
Book 2
Cover → title → short description → Read More
Book 3
Cover → title → short description → Read More
Book 4
Cover → title → short description → Read More
Book 5
Cover → title → short description → Read More
Each book should have its own dedicated URL.
For example:
yourauthorwebsite.com/series-name/
then:
yourauthorwebsite.com/series-name/book-1/
yourauthorwebsite.com/series-name/book-2/
and so on.
The exact URL structure can vary, but the hierarchy should be logical.
Why the Series Page Matters
Imagine a reader discovers Book 4 through Google.
They like the description but don’t know whether they should start with Book 1.
If the Book 4 page links back to the series page, the reader can immediately see the complete reading order.
That is much better than expecting the reader to search Google again.
The series page becomes the central navigation hub.
3. Individual Book Pages: Don’t Make Them Simple Product Pages
This is where many author websites waste an opportunity.
They create a page containing:
- Book cover
- Title
- Buy button
That’s not enough.
Your individual book page should answer the questions a potential reader has before buying.
I recommend this structure:
Book cover + title
One-sentence hook
Who the book is for
What the reader will discover
Book description
If you struggle to turn the basic synopsis into persuasive sales copy, a useful starting point is our [Book Description Generator for Amazon KDP], which is designed specifically around improving book descriptions rather than simply summarizing a manuscript.
What makes this book different
Table of contents or sample chapters where appropriate
Reviews/testimonials where legitimately available
Formats available
Buy buttons
About the author
Where this book sits in the series
What to read next
Reader signup
The page should move from interest → understanding → confidence → action.
Include the Reading Order
If the book belongs to a series, make its position obvious.
For example:
Book 3 of 5 in The [Series Name]
Then:
← Previous: Book 2
Series Overview
Next: Book 4 →
This tiny piece of navigation can make a major difference to the usability of a five-book website.
A reader shouldn’t have to return to Google to find the next book.
4. The Blog Should Become a Resource Centre, Not a Random News Section
I don’t recommend creating a blog just because every author website is supposed to have one.
The blog should serve the reader and strengthen the author’s subject authority.
For example, suppose an author writes a five-book series about personal finance.
The resource centre could contain articles such as:
- How to Create a Personal Budget
- How to Start Saving When Your Income Is Small
- Common Money Mistakes First-Time Investors Make
- How to Prepare for Financial Emergencies
Each article can naturally lead readers toward the relevant book.
For a fiction author, the resource centre could be different:
- Behind-the-scenes research
- Character development
- Historical research
- Writing-related resources
- Reading guides
- Author interviews
- Discussion questions
- Bonus material related to the series
The important question is:
What information would someone who is interested in my books actually search for?
That’s a better starting point than:
“What can I publish this week?”
If you are also building the publishing side of your author business, your resource centre can eventually cover practical topics around writing, publishing and selling books. Our guide on [how to publish your first book] is an example of the kind of evergreen resource that can sit within that broader author-resource ecosystem.
5. Build a Reader Journey, Not Just Website Navigation
This is the part I consider most important.
Suppose someone finds one of your articles through Google.
They read it.
What happens next?
If the answer is simply:
“Nothing.”
then you have lost an opportunity.
Instead, the article should have a relevant next step.
For example:
Google search
↓
Resource article
↓
Related book
↓
Book page
↓
Buy / read sample
↓
Reader signup
↓
Future book announcement
That is a reader journey.
Another reader might enter through social media:
↓
Book 3 page
↓
Series page
↓
Book 1
↓
Book 2
↓
Reader signup
The website should accommodate both paths.
Internal Linking: The Hidden Architecture of a Good Author Website
Internal links are not just an SEO technique.
For an author website, they are navigation.
Your pages should constantly help readers answer:
What should I read next?
For a five-book series, I would create links in several directions.
From the homepage
Homepage → Series
Homepage → Latest Book
Homepage → About
Homepage → Resource Centre
From the series page
Series → Book 1
Series → Book 2
Series → Book 3
Series → Book 4
Series → Book 5
From each book
Book 1 → Book 2
Book 2 → Book 1 + Book 3
Book 3 → Book 2 + Book 4
Book 4 → Book 3 + Book 5
Book 5 → Series + related books
From blog articles
Article → Relevant book
Article → Series
Article → Another relevant article
This creates a connected website instead of isolated pages.
For authors who are still learning the publishing process, it is also useful to have a clear [first-time author publishing checklist] that takes the reader through the practical stages from preparing the book to launch and post-launch activities.
What a Five-Book Website Could Look Like
Here is a practical architecture:
HOME
│
├── SERIES
│ │
│ ├── BOOK 1
│ │ ├── Buy
│ │ ├── Read Sample
│ │ └── Book 2
│ │
│ ├── BOOK 2
│ │ ├── Buy
│ │ ├── Book 1
│ │ └── Book 3
│ │
│ ├── BOOK 3
│ │ ├── Buy
│ │ ├── Book 2
│ │ └── Book 4
│ │
│ ├── BOOK 4
│ │ ├── Buy
│ │ ├── Book 3
│ │ └── Book 5
│ │
│ └── BOOK 5
│ ├── Buy
│ ├── Book 4
│ └── Series
│
├── RESOURCE CENTRE
│ ├── Article
│ ├── Article
│ └── Article
│
├── ABOUT THE AUTHOR
│
└── JOIN THE READERS
This structure can grow.
When Book 6 arrives, you don’t redesign the whole website.
You add Book 6 to the architecture.
Direct Sales: Don’t Build a Website That Only Sends Everyone Back to Amazon
There is nothing wrong with linking to Amazon.
Amazon remains an important retail channel for many authors.
But there is a difference between:
Having a website that links to Amazon
and:
Having an author website that can eventually sell directly.
My own experience is why I think this distinction matters.
When my KDP account was terminated, readers could still find my name and look for my books. The problem was that I did not have an independent place where they could go.
That experience changed my thinking about ownership.
An author website can eventually support:
- direct ebook sales
- signed books
- paperback sales
- bundles
- special editions
- downloadable resources
- courses
- reader bonuses
- mailing-list offers
The exact payment and fulfilment system will depend on the author’s country, products and business model.
The important point is architectural:
Build the website so direct sales are possible later, even if you initially send readers to Amazon.
That is much easier than building the website around Amazon and trying to redesign everything later.
For authors who are considering the financial side of direct publishing, a [KDP royalty calculator for estimating book earnings] can also help separate the retail price of a book from the amount an author actually receives per sale.
Your Website Should Not Depend on One Sales Channel
This does not mean you have to abandon Amazon.
In fact, I would generally recommend thinking in terms of multiple channels.
Your website can send readers to:
- Amazon
- another retailer
- a direct checkout
- a local payment option
- a physical bookstore
- a contact/order form
The website becomes the place where all those options are organized.
You control the presentation.
You control the navigation.
You control the content.
You control the reader relationship.
And, importantly, you control the domain.
WordPress describes one of its core principles as giving users ownership and freedom over their content and site, while its open-source architecture allows functionality to be extended with plugins.
That doesn’t mean a WordPress website can never have problems. Hosting, security, backups, plugins and maintenance are still your responsibility.
But it gives an author considerably more control over how the website develops.
Wix vs WordPress for Authors
Now we can get to the question many authors actually ask:
Should I build my author website with Wix or WordPress?
Both can work.
The better choice depends largely on what you want the website to become.
Wix: Simpler for Authors Who Want Less Technical Work
Wix is attractive if your priority is:
I want to build my website without dealing with much technical setup.
Wix provides a drag-and-drop editor, author-oriented templates, blogging functionality, forms, newsletter features and ecommerce capabilities. Its author website guidance specifically supports dedicated book pages, series pages, blogs, newsletters and contact forms.
Wix also provides built-in ecommerce functionality if you want to sell products directly through the website.
For an author who wants to concentrate on writing rather than managing website technology, this can be appealing.
Wix makes sense when:
- You don’t want to deal with hosting separately.
- You prefer drag-and-drop design.
- You want an easier initial setup.
- You don’t want to manage lots of plugins.
- You want blogging and basic ecommerce integrated into the same platform.
- You prefer a more managed website environment.
Wix currently offers a free starting option, while custom domains and payment/ecommerce functionality require paid plans; pricing varies by location and plan.
WordPress: Better When You Want the Website to Grow With Your Publishing Business
WordPress takes a different approach.
You generally obtain hosting and a domain, install WordPress, choose a theme or build your own design, and then extend the site with plugins and other tools.
WordPress itself describes the platform as extendable, with plugins available for things such as stores, analytics and newsletters.
That flexibility is particularly useful when your author website eventually becomes more than an author profile.
For example, you may eventually want:
- a large resource centre
- advanced SEO
- email capture
- digital products
- direct book sales
- multiple payment options
- membership features
- downloadable resources
- lead magnets
- analytics
- custom landing pages
- multiple series
- author services
WordPress can accommodate that type of growth.
But there is a trade-off.
More flexibility usually means more responsibility.
You have to think about:
- hosting
- updates
- backups
- security
- themes
- plugins
- performance
- compatibility
This is the technical side many authors underestimate.
Wix vs WordPress for a Five-Book Author Website
| Requirement | Wix | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Easy initial setup | Strong | Moderate |
| Drag-and-drop building | Strong | Available |
| Dedicated book pages | Yes | Yes |
| Series architecture | Yes | Yes |
| Blog/resource centre | Yes | Yes |
| Newsletter | Yes | Yes |
| Direct sales | Yes | Yes |
| Design flexibility | High | Very high |
| Plugin ecosystem | More controlled | Very extensive |
| Technical maintenance | Generally simpler | More responsibility |
| Long-term customization | Good | Very high |
| Good for a simple author site | Yes | Yes |
| Good for a growing publishing business | Yes | Yes, especially where extensive customization is needed |
The important thing is not to turn this into a simplistic argument that one platform is universally “better.”
The website architecture matters more than the platform.
A beautifully designed Wix site with poor book navigation can fail the reader.
A badly structured WordPress site with fifty plugins can also fail the reader.
The question is:
Can the platform support the reader journey and business model you actually need?
The Technical Problem Authors Often Face
This is where I can relate personally.
I started learning website development as a Computer Science student, so the technical side was not completely foreign to me.
But even with that background, building a website that works properly is different from simply knowing how to create a webpage.
An author may understand:
- writing
- editing
- publishing
- book covers
- marketing
but not necessarily:
- domains
- hosting
- DNS
- SSL
- responsive design
- SEO
- forms
- email delivery
- website security
- analytics
- payment integration
- backups
That can become overwhelming.
And this is one reason we have helped authors build their websites rather than expecting every writer to become a web developer.
You do not need to become a web developer before you can have a professional author website.
You need to understand what the website should accomplish.
The technical implementation can then be handled with the appropriate tools or by someone who knows how to build it.
If you want to understand the wider publishing workflow before building the website, our guide to [self-publishing a book in Nigeria] covers practical considerations such as publishing costs, KDP setup and book preparation from a Nigerian author’s perspective.
Build for the Next Five Books, Not Just the Current Five
This is one of the biggest mistakes I would avoid.
Suppose you currently have five books.
Don’t design a website that can only accommodate five.
Build an architecture that can accommodate:
Book 1 → Book 2 → Book 3 → Book 4 → Book 5 → Book 6 → Book 7 → Book 8
Your navigation should not need to be rebuilt every time you publish.
Your series page should be expandable.
Your book template should be reusable.
Your blog categories should be organized.
Your email signup should remain connected.
Your internal links should be easy to update.
Your direct-sales system should be capable of adding another product.
This is the difference between building a website and building an author platform.
The Author Website I Would Build Today
If I were building an author website for a writer with five books today, I would start with:
Main navigation
Home | Books | Series | Resources | About | Contact
Then I would make Books or Series the centre of the publishing architecture.
Homepage
- Author introduction
- Main series
- Featured book
- Start-reading button
- Short author story
- Reader signup
- Selected resources
Series page
- Series description
- Reading order
- Five books
- Individual book links
- Series signup
Individual book template
- Cover
- Title
- Series position
- Hook
- Description
- Reader benefits
- Preview/sample
- Reviews where available
- Buy options
- Previous/next book
- Reader signup
Resource centre
- Search-focused articles
- Reading guides
- Bonus material
- Relevant educational content
Reader journey
Every important page should answer:
What should this reader do next?
That single question will improve the architecture of the entire website.
The Website Is the Home; Retailers Are Sales Channels
Amazon can be a sales channel.
So can other bookstores and retailers.
Social media can be a discovery channel.
Google can be a discovery channel.
YouTube can be a discovery channel.
Your email list can be a communication channel.
Your author website can sit at the centre of all of them.
That is the architecture I wish more authors thought about before they had five, ten or twenty books.
Olayinka Joseph is the founder, editor and lead practitioner behind Creativity Publications. He is a writer, publisher, web designer and digital publishing professional with a B.Sc. in Computer Science and postgraduate studies in Information Technology. His practical work spans book publishing, manuscript preparation, WordPress web design, SEO and digital content. He also writes beginner-friendly guides on web design, artificial intelligence and book publishing, drawing from his hands-on experience to help readers make informed decisions.
