Showcase of Beautiful Book Authors Websites

Authors are the masters of language, but most are not on the Web. Many authors do not emphasize on having a strong web presence, usually falling back on static sites that lack design and optimized navigation. But times are changing and as more and more modern authors hit the big time, many of them are starting to realize the importance of that having a nicely designed, interactive (and really cool) site.

The Internet space offers great opportunities for bestselling authors to become close to their readers, to tell them more about their life, their aspirations, their books and their plans for the future. It is also a great place to gain feedback and appreciation from their loyal readers. And what better way is there for fans to indulge further into the fantasy world that these writers have created in the pages of their writing.

We take a look at the websites from 10 great authors to illustrate this point. Do click into their pages to check what other surprises they have in store for fans.

#1 – Dan Brown “The Da Vinci Code”

Dan brown’s website meets you with the Mona Lisa painting, a reflection of the genre of his books. Navigating through the site is an experience by itself as the designer utilized parallax scrolling with well-fitted bits and pieces from the book The Da Vinci Code to make visitors stay and explore.

#2 – J. K. Rowling “Harry Potter”

Always an agent of change, J.K. Rowling’s own website is very different from most you have come across. Take a journey through the site’s timeline to go back to where it all started, live though all the tiny stepping stones Rowling stepped upon to get to where she is today. The eye-candy clean style design and convenient navigation were a sure bonus.

#3 – Haruki Murakami “1Q84”

Murakami’s interactive website features a background that moves with your cursor and fits all its pages inside a moon. A simple and effectively designed site that illustrates the author’s fascination with his story elements and atmosphere.

#4 – EL James “Fifty Shades of Grey”

The landing page of EL James’s site is full of passion words and hidden desires, like those from her books. Just move the mouse like a flashlight in a dark room to illuminate all the secrets. Press the button to enter and peep into the world of Erika Mitchell James.

#5 – Rachael King “Magpie Hall”

Rachael King’s book touches on tatoos and taxidermy, secrets and relationships, part of which you can clearly see in the site’s design. Navigation is kept simple but if you want more from Rachael King, there is a link to her blog which exudes more of her personality.

#6 – Amy Krouse Rosenthal, a series of children’s books

Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a children’s author, so her website is funny and cheerful. The umbrella changes form when you pick the ambience of the site: rainy, sunny or windy. And you can even pick a background atmosphere to explore the site in: raindrops, waves or a very relaxing tune. Explore the world of Amy Krouse Rosenthal and the quirkiness behind this ‘ordinary’ author.

#7 – Carlos Ruiz Zafan “The Shadow of the Wind”

Acclaimed Spanish author of the series that revolve around the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Carlos Ruiz Zafan has a few sites to his name, including this one which is in Spanish. Click here to start exploring and have a look at his masterpieces that have been translated in over 40 countries.

#8 – Lauren Weisberger “The Devil Wears Prada”

Here’s a classy fashion-driven, shoe-stopping landing page of the author to The Devil Wears Prada. Each shoe corresponds and fits the style of each romantic novel by Lauren Weisberger. Mouse over each shoe to reveal their personality.

#9 – Chris Van Allsburg "The Polar Express"

Chris Van Allsburg’s site is a cool Flash game. Don’t be surprised, but you can follow a dog which is a guide with funny accent to use the site. Click chaotically on different things you see in the window to watch their reactions.

Here’s more:

Here are 7 more out-of-the-ordinary author sites that exude personality, style and attitude.

Cassandra Clare “City of Bones”

A menu with cursive, handwritten fonts and a bookshelf on the background in a candle-lit library, doesn’t this feel like that special place you want to stay in and just read forever? Aspiring authors can also find a section dedicated to writing advice for beginners. It’s a nice way to connect with readers.

Nicole Krauss “The History of Love”

It’s all in the presentation (I guess). A piano is lifted up beyong the somewhat towering skyscraper, serving as a preloader for the Flash animation that follows and ends quickly. The style reminds you of a Great Gatsby feel and everything is kept simple and unintrusive.

Lauren Oliver "Delirium"

Lauren Oliver’s world where love is considered as a disease falls back on the use of a dark and scary forest as a background for her website. Her series of books are chiselled into the bark of the trees and the site header depicts her writing with her typewriter in the same dark forest. So that’s where she meets her muse.

Jonathan Safran Foer "Eating Animals"

New Jonathan Safran Foer’s book “Eating Animals” is represented with minimalist illustrations, hairy cutlery and equally hairy title.

Ian Fleming, the "James Bond" novels

The perfect suit is a main component of James Bond’s style, is it not? So, Ian Fleming appears in an amazing black suit and a bow-tie on his site.