Designing a Magical Author Website: From Palette to Pages

Lia Lun
Aug 17
2 min read

Updated: Aug 23

Excerpt: Your website is your home base. Here’s a simple, beautiful way to choose colors and fonts, arrange pages, and add the essentials—without getting stuck on design.

Start with Purpose

Ask: What should a visitor do in the first 10 seconds? (e.g., view your book, join the newsletter, or read a featured post.) That answer drives every design decision..

Pick a Color Palette That Fits Your Story

Core: 1 primary + 1 secondary + 1 accent.

Neutrals: 1 light background + 1 dark text.
How to test: Apply the palette to a single page and check contrast. Does text pass accessibility (dark on light or light on dark)?

Fantasy-friendly ideas: deep emerald, soft teal, twilight blue, warm gold accents; or moonlit navy with silver and opal.

Choose Readable, Characterful Fonts

Headings: A display serif or elegant sans (used sparingly).
Body: A clean, readable sans or serif.
Limit to two families: Too many fonts feel chaotic.

Must‑Have Pages

Home: Hero image, one-line promise, featured book, primary call-to-action.
Books: Covers, short descriptions, retailer links, formats (eBook/print/hardcover).
About: Friendly photo, short bio, why you write.
Blog: 1–3 featured posts, categories.
Contact: Simple form and social links.

Images That Glow

Use consistent art direction: similar lighting, color tone, and mood. Prefer high-resolution images with breathing room (white space). Avoid busy backgrounds under text.

Layout & Flow

F‑pattern scanning: Place important items top-left to mid-page.
Sections, not walls of text: Headings every 2–3 paragraphs.
Buttons: Clear verbs (“Read a Sample,” “Join the Newsletter”).

Essential Extras

Newsletter signup above the fold and in the footer.
SEO basics: Unique page titles, meta descriptions, descriptive alt text.
Accessibility: Sufficient contrast, keyboard-friendly navigation, descriptive link text.