Your author URL is part of your brand. Sharing a link like yourname.com is infinitely more memorable and professional than a long, generic URL. Here's why custom domains matter and how to set one up.
First Impressions Matter
When you mention your website on a podcast, at a convention, or in your book's backmatter, what sounds better?
www.janedoeauthor.comwww.some-platform.com/users/12847/profile
The custom domain wins every time. It's easier to remember, easier to type, and signals that you take your author career seriously.
Benefits of a Custom Domain
Memorability. A clean URL is easy to share verbally, print on business cards, and include in backmatter. Readers can actually remember it.
Brand ownership. Your domain is yours. If you ever change platforms, your URL stays the same — no broken links, no lost traffic.
SEO value. A custom domain with your author name builds search authority over time. When readers Google your name, your domain appears.
Professionalism. It signals to readers, industry professionals, and potential partners that you're a serious author with an established brand.
Setting Up a Custom Domain
The process is straightforward:
- Purchase your domain from a registrar like Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Google Domains. Aim for a
.comthat includes your pen name - Point it to your author page by configuring a CNAME DNS record
- Verify the connection — most platforms will show you the status
StoryKeepr supports custom domains out of the box. You configure your DNS, verify the connection from your dashboard, and your author page is live at your custom URL within minutes.
Vanity URLs for Individual Books
Beyond your main author domain, consider creating clean, branded URLs for individual books. A vanity URL like storykeepr.com/author/yourname/your-book-title is cleaner and more shareable than a raw retailer link.
These branded URLs work perfectly for:
- Podcast mentions ("Find my book at...")
- Print book backmatter
- Business cards and bookmarks
- Social media bios
The Cost-Benefit Analysis
A domain costs roughly $10-15 per year. For that price, you get a permanent, memorable, professional URL that reinforces your brand across every marketing channel. It's one of the best investments you can make in your author career.