Build an Author Website

Build a complete author website using WordPress with this free beginner-friendly course. Attract your audience, grow your mailing list, and drive book sales!

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Course Curriculum

This course is designed as a beginner-friendly, step-by-step guide, requiring no prior knowledge of web design or WordPress. It’s divided into eight comprehensive modules, each focusing on a key aspect of building a professional and successful author website. Here’s what you’ll learn:

01. Build a Starter Website for Authors

Learn how to build a secure, fast, high-performing, and SEO-friendly foundation for your author website. We’ll start by streamlining your WordPress installation, stripping it back to the essentials, applying optimal settings, and adding only the plugins you truly need.

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02. Brand Your Website

Module 2 teaches you to create a cohesive, professional brand for your author website using Breakdance. Learn to customise colours, typography, and global settings, craft a Style Guide, and design presets for consistent, user-friendly layouts that reflect your unique author identity.

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03. Header & Footer

Module 3 teaches you how to create a professional header and footer for your author website. You'll build a responsive header with a logo and menu that enhances branding and navigation. You'll also build a multi-column footer layout, adding links, calls to action, social media links, and copyright information.

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04. Books Custom Post Type

Module 4 shows you how to create a Books Custom Post Type with ACF, adding dynamic layouts, star ratings, and series details for professional, SEO-friendly book pages.

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05. Single Book Template

Module 5 teaches you to build dynamic book templates with Breakdance, featuring hero sections, ratings, CTAs, reviews, and post loops to showcase books and boost engagement.

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06. Book Archive Templates

Module 6 guides you to create dynamic genre, series, and book archives in Breakdance, enhancing navigation, SEO, and reader discovery on your author website.

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07. Forms for Authors

Module 7 covers creating contact and newsletter forms, thank you pages, and email integrations to boost reader engagement, grow your audience, and increase conversions.

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08. Essential Web Pages

Module 8 covers creating a privacy policy, About page, and homepage to build trust, engage readers, and boost conversions.

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Try out a lesson

Style Global Buttons for Your Author Website

Stephen Gordon 23/11/2024

Learn to style global buttons for your author website using Breakdance, ensuring consistent branding, seamless hover effects, and professional design across all pages.

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Optimise Above-the-Fold Layouts for Book Posts

Stephen Gordon 09/12/2024

Learn how to optimise the above-the-fold layout for book pages using WordPress custom post types to enhance engagement and streamline updates for authors.

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Set Up a Books Field Group in ACF for WordPress

Stephen Gordon 09/12/2024

In this lesson, we set up the Books field group in ACF for author websites, associating it with the Books custom post type ready to add our custom fields.

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Create a Contact Thank You Page for Your Author Website

Stephen Gordon 11/12/2024

Build a dedicated contact thank you page to reassure readers, set clear expectations, and boost engagement, enhancing your overall author platform.

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Build a Dynamic Genre Archive in Breakdance

Stephen Gordon 11/12/2024

Learn to create a flexible genre archive template in Breakdance, displaying books by category dynamically for better navigation, SEO, and user experience.

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Build a Reusable Book Listing Block in Breakdance

Stephen Gordon 10/12/2024

Create a global block in Breakdance to display dynamic book listings, streamline updates, and improve SEO across your author website’s custom templates.

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Create a Series Taxonomy for WordPress Book Posts

Stephen Gordon 09/12/2024

In this lesson, learn how to create and associate custom taxonomies in WordPress to better organise books for authors. Enhance book discoverability for readers and search engines.

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Dynamic Book Layouts with WordPress Custom Post Types

Stephen Gordon 09/12/2024

Create dynamic WordPress book layouts with custom post types and templates. Automate CTAs, series updates, and styling to save time and engage readers.

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Privacy Policy for Author Websites

Stephen Gordon 07/11/2024

Learn why a GDPR-compliant privacy policy is essential for your author website. This lesson includes an example policy to help you meet legal data requirements and build trust.

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Writers Building Websites

Writers Building Websites

Build an Author Website

Course Curriculum

Try out a lesson

Style Global Buttons for Your Author Website

Optimise Above-the-Fold Layouts for Book Posts

Set Up a Books Field Group in ACF for WordPress

Create a Contact Thank You Page for Your Author Website

Build a Dynamic Genre Archive in Breakdance

Build a Reusable Book Listing Block in Breakdance

Create a Series Taxonomy for WordPress Book Posts

Dynamic Book Layouts with WordPress Custom Post Types

Privacy Policy for Author Websites

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