Tips & Tricks from Romance Authors

Let's play a fun game called "Why Can't Anyone Find My Books?" You Google your author name. Your Amazon page shows up first. Your Goodreads second. That questionable photo from your cousin's Facebook wedding album third. Your actual website? Page two. Maybe three. Possibly in the shadow realm with all those lost socks. Cool. Cool. Cool. Meanwhile, that author who started publishing after you? Their website pops up for every romance-related search in your subgenre. They're get

Real talk: That DIY author website you cobbled together at 2 AM between drafting chapters? We see you. We've been you. We respect the hustle. But we need to have an honest conversation about whether that WordPress theme you bought for $47 in 2018 is still serving you — or if it's actively sabotaging your author career. Because here's the uncomfortable truth: Your DIY author website might be the reason readers are choosing literally any other author instead of you. Ouch. We k

Okay, we need to talk about the glittery, wing-having, shadow-daddies who have taken over romancelandia. Romantasy is eating everything. Your BookTok FYP? Romantasy. Barnes & Noble's front table? Romantasy. That reader group you're in? Discussing whether the shadow prince or the golden retriever fae deserves the girl. Meanwhile, you're over here writing small-town romance, wondering if you should just give your construction worker hero some wings and call it a day. Please don

Okay, let's address the book boyfriend-sized elephant in the room. You've been thinking about romance author merchandise for months. Maybe you've got a Pinterest board titled "Merch Dreams" with 847 pins. Perhaps you've designed seventeen different "Book Boyfriends Are Better" t-shirts in your head. But you haven't pulled the trigger because: "What if nobody buys anything?" "I don't have money for inventory" "I'm an author, not a retail store" "My five-book series barely cove

Deep breath. Your October romance release is coming in hot, your ARC team is assembled, and you've got that perfect book boyfriend everyone's going to obsess over. But here's the thing that might make you spit out your pumpkin spice latte: Your romance book launch website might be actively working against you. We're not trying to add to your pre-launch panic (promise!), but after building websites for romance authors for over a decade, we've seen these same seven mistakes ta

Why Tropes Aren’t Selling the Way They Should You’ve nailed the trope. The story hits. The characters ache. The heat? Perfect. But your sales? Flat. Your preorders? Low. Your site? Getting traffic but not converting. Let me tell you the truth most authors don’t want to hear: Your branding doesn’t match your trope. And it’s costing you. When readers land on your site, they expect a vibe. They want your visuals, voice, and layout to feel like the story you’re selling. When th

Readers Are Judging You (Harshly) Let’s not pretend. Romance readers are visual . They know what they like. And they know when something feels… off. That vibe your cover gives off? That cozy/sinful/smart energy in your books? If your website doesn’t match it? You’re done. They’ll click away before they even read your blurb. And yes—ugly website problems are the silent killer of indie author credibility. But the good news? Every one of these is fixable. Let’s burn the deadwei

Why Preorders Matter (More Than You Think) Here’s what most romance authors don’t realize: Your preorder page isn’t just a placeholder. It’s a sales page . And right now? A lot of them suck. No energy. No urgency. No hook. If your preorder page feels like a sad little announcement rather than a full-on seduction, you’re leaving money—and future readers—on the table. Let’s fix that. Here are the 5 preorder page features you need if you want to turn browsers into buyers. The

Why Your Website Matters More Than You Think Your book might be a masterpiece. But if your website looks like it time-traveled from 2014, readers won’t stick around long enough to find out. Let’s be real. Readers judge . And they judge fast. Your website is your author brand’s first impression—and too many authors are quietly killing their book sales with simple, fixable mistakes. Today, I’m breaking down 7 of the most common website mistakes I see with romance authors. These

You’re writing the books. Building the brand. Getting readers to care. But if your website looks like it was built in 2013—or worse, on a free template you found at 2am—it’s probably doing more harm than good. Let’s fix that. This post breaks down the 10 biggest mistakes we see romance authors make with their sites—and how to avoid every single one. Why Author Website Design Still Matters in 2025 Your author website is your HQ. Social media can boost visibility. Retailers can

You don’t need more tech. You need the tech you already have to actually work together. If you’re tab-hopping, pasting links, manually emailing bonuses, or double-entering anything… you’re wasting time. Let’s fix it. Here’s what to connect—and why it matters. What Are Multi-Platform Sales? It’s the difference between a scattered mess and a system that makes you money. When your platforms talk to each other, you get: Fewer steps for your readers Fewer tasks on your plate More

Your direct sales strategy doesn’t start with a pretty storefront. It starts with knowing your numbers. If you’re guessing at prices, winging promos, or relying on discounts to push sales…you’re leaving money behind. Let’s fix that. You’re getting 7 proven pricing moves that romance authors use to turn browsers into buyers. Plus, a free calculator to stop the undercharging spiral. And if you’re done stitching your author biz together with Notion, Airtable, Google Drive, and a

Romance readers devour stories in the summer. Poolside, beachside, holed up in AC with a glass of wine and a steamy read—they’re not just looking. They’re buying. If your book isn’t showing up in their feed, inbox, or TBR? You’re missing the season’s biggest sales moment. Here’s how to fix your summer book marketing. And yes—you’re getting a free set of summer promo templates to help you do it faster. Why Summer Book Marketing Matters Summer isn’t just “another quarter” for a

What Even  i s a Romance Author Platform? You’ve heard it a hundred times: “You need a strong author platform.” But no one ever tells you what that actually means. Let me fix that. Your romance author platform isn’t just your website or your Instagram feed. It’s the full ecosystem of how readers discover you, connect with you, and decide to stick around — or not. And if yours isn’t set up to convert casual browsers into loyal fans? You’re doing way too much work for way too

What Makes a Website Work in 2025? Let’s be real — pretty isn’t enough anymore. In 2025, your romance author website needs to do things . It needs to sell your books. Grow your email list. Make readers fall in love with your brand before they even hit page one. If your site isn’t checking these boxes, you’re already falling behind. But don’t panic — I’ve got you. Here are the 7 must-have features your site needs this year to stay relevant, make sales, and feel like you . Wan

What Does Your Branding Say About You? Your covers are hot. Your blurbs? Sharp. Your social media… passable. But what about your brand? If your visual identity is all over the place — or worse, forgettable — you’re making it way harder for readers to stick around, remember your name, and click “buy” the next time they see your book. Branding is more than a logo or color palette. It’s your voice. Your energy. The entire vibe you give off before a reader ever opens page one. Re

Is your website working for you — or against you? Be honest: when was the last time you took a hard look at your site? Not a casual scroll. Not swapping your header image or tweaking a blurb. A ruthless, no-bullshit check to see if your site is helping you sell books… Or quietly pushing readers away. If you’re trying to grow as a romance author, your website is either building your brand — or sabotaging it. There’s no middle ground. Here are 10 signs it’s time for a romance a

Website design mistakes cost you more than traffic—they cost you trust. Readers decide in seconds whether they’ll stick around. If your site still looks or acts like it’s from 2010, you’re not just turning them off—you’re sending them to someone else. Here’s what you’re doing wrong. And exactly how to fix it. Want a Free Fix-List? Before we dive in, grab your FREE Website Checklist — made to help you cut these mistakes and build a site your readers actually want to stay on.

Romance author email marketing isn’t optional—it’s the difference between a forgettable one-book stand and a loyal series superfan. A reader finishes your book at 2 AM, desperate for more. Are they left wandering through endless Amazon searches—or did you capture them with an irresistible email offer? Email is where casual readers become obsessed superfans. Romance readers are 64% more likely to buy directly from author emails than from social media. If you’re not building t

As a romance author, you’ve mastered the art of crafting unforgettable characters and heart-stopping plots. But connecting with your ideal readers? That’s the real plot twist you didn’t see coming. It’s time to skip the guesswork and build a Romance Reader Social Media Strategy that puts your books in front of the people who are most likely to fall in love with them. Before we dive into the details, grab your free resource to fast-track your results: Romance Reader Social Me