How to Write a Book

Set up the site and build the book catalog

1. Choose the main address for your author site. I used AuthorJonathanDavid.com as the home for my fiction. In the demo, a domain setup error held up my first choice, so I continued with my full author-name domain. If your address already forwards somewhere, check that forwarding and the hosting connection before installing WordPress.
2. Install WordPress on the intended HTTPS address. I added the domain in GoDaddy web hosting, chose to install the application later, then opened cPanel and installed WordPress there. I checked the domain and HTTPS settings during installation and opened the site afterward to confirm I could reach both the front page and the dashboard.
3. Set up the author branding. On the fresh installation, I cleared out the sample content, activated the Customizr Pro theme I use, and added my author branding. The header logo identifies the site on the page. The site icon is the small image readers see in the browser tab. Check both after making header changes.
4. Give each book one main page. Build the homepage around a grid of covers. Link each cover to its own book page, with a short introduction and clearly labeled reading, listening, and purchase options. I also used a book-specific category so related content could be grouped consistently as the catalog grew.

Decide what visitors and members can access

I used Paid Memberships Pro to set up a Digital Fan Club. Decide what your own membership includes before you write the signup page. An open introduction lets readers try the format, and a separate PDF purchase gives someone a way to buy one book.

• Set up the reader journey. Create the membership levels and connect the signup, checkout, and account pages. Use the level description to explain what readers get, then use the confirmation and account messages to tell them where to find it.
• Set access for each edition. Decide which chapters are public, which pages require a membership, and how a reader gets a purchased or member PDF. If a download is meant to be private, test the actual file link while signed out as well as the page containing it.
• Test both sides of the site. Open a private browser window to see the visitor experience. Then test with a member account and check that the promised books, players, and downloads are easy to find. Check the support contact, membership terms, and comment settings before launch.

Turn a manuscript chapter into three formats

1. Prepare the reading text. Work from your edited manuscript. Check the chapter title, paragraph breaks, and any scene dividers before putting the text on the page. I started with Chapter 0 · Intro & Credits so I could test the full workflow on a short recording.
2. Record the narration. Make a short test recording and listen back with headphones before reading a long chapter. I pay attention to breath and pacing during the read because cleaner takes make editing easier. For the video edition, I can talk directly to viewers and add commentary.
3. Export the clean audiobook edit. Keep a separate audio file for listeners who want the narration on its own. Play the export from the beginning and spot-check it later in the chapter for cutoffs, uneven levels, and distractions. Give the file a consistent name that includes the book and chapter so you can match it to the right entry.
4. Build one chapter accordion. Use the chapter number and title as the label. Inside, put the video narration first, the clean audio player second, and the chapter text third. Readers can open the chapter, choose how they want to experience it, and follow the text while they listen.
5. Use AI for the production work you assign it. I write and narrate my books. In the demo, I use ChatGPT to format the HTML and draft supporting copy. If you hand it a chapter for layout, tell it to preserve your text verbatim, then compare the formatted version with your manuscript before publishing.

Connect the players, purchase links, and homepage

• Test the video and audio separately. I worked with Spotify embeds for the video edition and a separate player for the clean audio. In the demo, a playlist embed didn’t show the actual video the way I wanted. Test the player on the published page. If you want readers to watch the narration, verify that the video picture appears and plays.
• Label the formats clearly. Give readers distinct links for paperback, hardcover, and PDF wherever those editions are available. I used an IngramSpark order link for print and Payhip for the standalone PDF purchase. The book page also points members to their download option.
• Check the page on a phone. Follow the homepage cover to the book page, open a chapter, play both media versions, and scroll through the text. Then try the purchase and download links. Check the video width, the player controls, and the text size at a narrow screen width.
• Make new work easy to find. I demonstrated submitting the site sitemap in Google Search Console and adding a short homepage update so readers know what I’m working on. Once the first chapter works, repeat the same structure for the next chapter. My plan was to work through one book at a time and add chapters as I finished them.