An Independent Publisher’s Website: Materials and Weekly Checks

Decide first: a publisher profile or a store?

An independent publisher’s website can introduce its books and editorial identity, or it can also take orders. If your priorities are new-title announcements, a publisher profile, and inquiries, the Basic website option is a sensible starting point. If you plan to sell books on the site, consider the Standard store option. If you intend to present content in multiple languages for readers abroad, Premium offers a multilingual option. Before choosing, decide where you will sell the books and whether payment and shipping will be handled through the site.

Gather materials before building

No-code templates, AI chat, and visual editing let you get started without coding or design experience. However, these tools do not verify your publisher’s information or guarantee the finished result. Collect the following in one folder, and mark anything that is not yet confirmed.

• Publisher name, a short description, inquiry contact details, and the channel an owner will monitor
• For each book: title, author and translator, description, format, page count, and other verified bibliographic details
• Cover and interior images, confirmation of image-use rights, and any needed alternative descriptions
• Price, stock and order-handling approach for each title, delivery area, and shipping terms
• Original logo or color files and usage guidelines, if available

**Hypothetical example — Small Tree Press:** The home page introduces the press and features two new titles. Each book page includes its cover, description, and verified bibliographic details. The publisher initially handles inquiries; once ready to take orders directly, it reviews the store, payment, and shipping setup. This is a fictional example, not information about a real publisher.

A weekly review in a consistent order

Set aside a short review at the same time each week. First, check that book titles, descriptions, prices, stock information, and contact details still match the current facts. Second, view the site on a computer and a phone to make sure menus, images, paragraphs, and buttons are readable and work as intended. Third, if you take orders, review payment and shipping settings and the instructions shown to customers. Fourth, update announcements or titles that are no longer available, and make sure visitors can see what to do next to inquire or buy.

• [ ] Are book details and images current, with usage rights checked?
• [ ] Is the navigation and page layout easy to follow, with a visible way to contact the press?
• [ ] If books are for sale, do prices, stock, payment, and shipping information agree?
• [ ] Have you recorded what changed and what to review next time?

Practical limits and the next step

Payments, social login, domain connection, and shipping may require separate setup. Turning on a feature does not finish the work: review the live-facing pages and customer instructions after configuration. Search rankings, sales, unlimited free use, and a completely error-free result are not guaranteed. A realistic first step is to finish the materials checklist, choose Basic or the higher option you actually need, and build one book’s page, then review it on a phone.