Hosting is the part of building an author website most writers put off until the week before launch, and then rush. It does not need to be complicated. Here is what author website hosting actually involves, in plain terms, and what I offer if you would rather not think about it at all.
First, your domain: the address you own
Your domain is the web address readers type to find you. Hosting is a separate thing, and the two get mixed up constantly. You register the name, ideally one that matches your author brand, and pay a small annual fee to keep it yours. That renewal is what keeps the address in your name rather than someone else’s, so it is the one bill on this list you never want to miss. Pointing a domain at a site is its own short job, and I walk through it in how to point your domain.
Then hosting: where the site actually lives
Hosting is the server that stores your website’s files and serves them to anyone who visits. Every live site needs it. The cheap shared plans put your site on a server with hundreds of others, which is fine until a neighbor’s traffic spike slows your page down. I host the author sites I build on a dedicated setup for $30 a month, all-inclusive, so your site is not competing for resources and the load times and uptime stay steady.
What managed hosting actually buys you
The reason most authors do not want to self-host is not the money, it is the maintenance: the updates, the security, and the sinking feeling when a page goes down and you have no idea why. On my hosting I monitor the sites around the clock, and if something breaks you hear from me directly, usually before you would have noticed, rather than filing a ticket into a queue. You get a person who knows your site, not a support line.
Email on your own domain
If you want a professional address at your domain, one that reads as yourself rather than a free inbox, I can set you up on Google Workspace, which adds custom-domain email alongside documents and the rest of the Google tools. It is optional, and worth it the first time you email a bookseller or a reviewer from an address that matches your website.
If you would rather have the whole thing handled, from the domain to the server to the day it inevitably needs a fix, get in touch and I will set up hosting that fits your site and stays out of your way. You write the books, and I will keep the address they live at online.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a domain and hosting?
Your domain is the web address readers type to find you, kept with a small annual renewal fee. Hosting is the server where your site’s files live and are served to visitors. You need both for a site to be live, and they are usually paid separately.
How much does author website hosting cost?
My hosting is $30 a month, all-inclusive, on a dedicated setup so your site is not sharing resources with hundreds of others. That keeps load times and uptime steady, which matters more than it sounds when a reader lands on your book page.
What happens if my author website goes down?
On my hosting the sites are monitored around the clock, and if something breaks you hear from me directly, usually before it becomes a problem, rather than waiting in a support queue. You deal with a person who knows your site.