Urban fiction and children's book author website example
Mell B writes urban fiction for adults and picture books for children under a Little Wings imprint. Her website carries both audiences on one warm terracotta layout, with a shop, an events page and a blog.
The homepage opens on an illustrated portrait framed by an open book, which sets the tone before any copy appears.
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Author website design
The palette runs warm throughout, terracotta at #cd665d in the header, brick at #84271c and gold at #b7922f for accents and outlines. Navigation sits in rounded pill buttons across the top, which reads friendlier than a plain text menu and suits the children's side of the catalog.
The hero is a single illustrated portrait lit by an open book and floating sparks, and it fills the screen with no competing text. Below it the page moves through books, the Little Wings imprint and events, each in its own band of color.
The author behind the children's book and urban fiction website
Mell B publishes urban fiction for adult readers and runs Little Wings, a children's line with two titles, Luna & the Library in the Clouds and Jasper & the Quiet Kite.
The children's books carry an educational focus, and the site gives them their own section rather than folding them into the main catalog. An After the Chapter page and an events page extend the site past the books into readings and community.
Who this website is a good example for
Authors writing for two audiences. Separate sections keep an adult catalog and a children's line from confusing each other. Visitors self select from the menu on the first screen.
Writers selling directly. A cart and an account login sit in the header, so books can be bought without leaving for a retailer. The eCommerce side runs inside the same warm design as the rest of the site.
Authors who run events. A dedicated events page turns a book site into a place readers check for dates. It gives the site a reason to be updated between releases.
Author website design ideas
Give each line of books its own section. Little Wings gets a menu item of its own, which keeps the children's titles easy to find and easy to promote.
Let one image carry the homepage. A single illustrated portrait does more for a personal brand than a row of book covers. It also gives the site a face.
Use rounded buttons for a friendlier menu. Pill shaped nav items soften a site that speaks to parents and adult fiction readers at once.
Keep the color family tight. Terracotta, brick and gold sit close together on the wheel, so the site feels warm without looking busy.
Add a page for what happens after the book. An After the Chapter section gives readers somewhere to go once they finish. That keeps them on the site instead of closing the tab.
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