The website should be ready before people start looking for the author.
Publicity often begins before publication. Advance copies go out, podcast interviews are recorded, event conversations start, early reviews appear, and the author begins talking publicly about the book. If those activities happen before the website is ready, interested people may search for the author and find an incomplete or outdated presence.
A useful launch timeline works backward from the earliest moment someone outside the project may search for the author or book. The website does not need every future feature at that point, but the core positioning, book information, contact path, and email capture should already be stable.
A practical author website launch timeline
Before publicity begins
Get the domain, core branding, author bio, book page, contact information, and basic search setup in place before interviews, advance reviews, or media outreach create demand.
During preorder
Add retailer links, preorder messaging, endorsements, bonus offers, email signup, event information, and any campaign specific landing pages.
Launch window
Keep purchase paths obvious, update reviews and appearances, publish launch content, and make media assets easy to find without changing the site's fundamental structure.
After launch
Shift from launch urgency toward long term discoverability, evergreen book content, reader growth, speaking, media, and the author's next project.
What should be live first
If time is short, prioritize the pages people are most likely to need during early discovery and publicity.
Home and book page
Give visitors a clear explanation of the author, the book, the audience, and the purchase or preorder path.
Author bio
Provide a concise public biography plus a more complete author story that can support interviews and search visibility.
Contact and media path
Make it obvious how journalists, podcasters, event organizers, readers, and partners should reach the author or team.
Email signup
Start building the audience before launch so early interest is not lost after one visit.
Do not wait for publication day
- Launch the core author website before meaningful publicity begins.
- The site can evolve during preorder and launch without needing to be perfect on day one.
- Post-launch, keep the website useful as an author platform rather than freezing it as a launch campaign.