Yes. AuthorLoft has a free plan that never expires — no credit card required. You get your own author website, book catalog, and subdomain at no cost. Upgrade to Standard or Premium when you're ready for direct sales, a custom domain, or advanced features. Learn more about AuthorLoft.

Can I sell books directly through my AuthorLoft website?

Yes. Standard and Premium plans include a built-in direct sales storefront powered by Stripe. You can sell eBooks and PDFs directly to readers, with secure checkout and instant download links delivered automatically. Learn more about direct book selling.

Do I need coding or technical skills to use AuthorLoft?

None at all. AuthorLoft is built specifically for authors, not developers. You can set up your site, add your books, and go live in under five minutes using a simple admin panel — no code, no agencies, no waiting. Walk through building your first site in our step-by-step guide.

Can I use my own custom domain?

Yes. Every author gets a free subdomain instantly (e.g. yourname.authorloft.com). If you want to use your own domain (e.g. www.yourname.com), that's available on Standard and Premium plans. See our guide to publishing your site and connecting a custom domain.

How do I organise my books by series or genre?

AuthorLoft has built-in series and genre hierarchy — you can group books into series, assign genres and sub-genres, and readers can browse and filter your catalog. There's no limit to how deeply you can organise your titles.

Can I capture newsletter subscribers through my author site?

Yes. AuthorLoft includes a built-in newsletter capture form. Readers can sign up with their email, and you can optionally collect category preferences. You can export your subscriber list at any time to use with Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or any other email tool. Learn how to build your first author email list.

How many books can I add to my catalog?

The Free plan supports a generous number of titles — up to 5, a good starting point for most authors. The Standard and Premium plans support larger catalogs: 20 and then unlimited. You can find the exact limits for each plan on the Pricing page.See exact plan limits on the Pricing page.

Can I try AuthorLoft before committing to a paid plan?

Absolutely. The Free plan is fully functional — you can build your complete author site, add books, and share it with readers at no cost. There's no time limit and no credit card required, so you can explore everything before deciding to upgrade. If you decide to leave, just let us know. You can delete your account, or we can do that for you.Learn more about what AuthorLoft includes.

What happens to my site if I cancel my paid plan?

If you downgrade from a paid plan, your site stays live on the Free plan. You won't lose your content — your books, pages, and subscriber list remain intact. Any features exclusive to paid plans (like ARC Management or a custom domain) will be paused until you re-upgrade. Some limitations may apply.Compare what's included on each plan.

Is using AI tools in writing ethical, especially for literary novels?

Yes, it can be ethical, and in many cases it already is. The bigger question is how AI is being used, not simply whether it is used at all. Writers have always used tools and outside assistance. Editors shape manuscripts, ghostwriters contribute ideas, research assistants gather facts, spellcheckers clean prose, and software suggests grammar changes. AI sits somewhere on that spectrum, depending on how much creative control the human keeps. Here’s where most readers, publishers, and authors tend to draw the line. Generally considered ethical Brainstorming plot ideas Naming characters or places Research assistance Outlining scenes or chapters Fixing grammar and pacing Generating alternative phrasings Helping overcome writer’s block Acting like a developmental editor Helping with marketing copy, blurbs, ads, and metadata In these cases, the author is still the creative force making decisions, shaping voice, theme, emotion, and story direction. More controversial Having AI generate large sections of prose with minimal human revision Publishing AI-written books while implying they were fully human-crafted Flooding marketplaces with low-effort generated novels Training models on copyrighted works without permission Mimicking a living author’s distinctive voice too closely This is where people begin debating authenticity, disclosure, artistry, and ownership. What readers usually care about most Most readers are not conducting a purity test. They care about: Was the story emotionally engaging? Did the author put genuine thought and effort into it? Does it feel original? Was the audience deceived? If an author uses AI as a collaborator but still creates something meaningful and personal, many readers accept that. If it feels mass-produced and soulless, readers tend to reject it quickly, regardless of the tool. Literary fiction vs commercial fiction The ethics conversation becomes sharper in literary fiction because literary novels are often valued for: unique voice lived experience emotional depth stylistic craftsmanship If AI replaces those elements entirely, critics argue the “human art” aspect weakens. But using AI as a thinking partner while the author still supplies the insight, pain, humor, worldview, and final language is increasingly viewed as legitimate. Current publishing reality Major publishers, indie authors, and screenwriters are already using AI in some form: outlining research editing translation support metadata and SEO marketing audiobook prep Even highly respected professionals quietly use AI-assisted workflows now. The stigma is shifting from “AI exists” to “was it used responsibly and transparently?” A practical way to think about it A useful test is this: Does the AI replace the author, or extend the author? If it extends your creativity, sharpens your storytelling, and helps you finish stronger work, most people would consider that ethical. If it replaces the creative process entirely while pretending otherwise, that’s where trust issues begin.Read our full guide on writing with AI.

You wrote the book. They keep the reader.Take it back.

your storefront ·your audience ·your revenue ·your rules

Every sale through someone else's storefront is a reader you'll never hear from again. You don't get their name, their email, or a way to reach them next time. AuthorLoft gives you your own site, your own list, and everything you earn. It's free to start and takes about fifteen minutes to launch.

Start free →See a demo author site →

↳ your readers, always yours↳ zero platform fees↳ live in 15 minutes

Your Profit

The old way

Retail publishers take most of your profit

With AuthorLoft

You keep 100%

Your Readers

The old way

Their email list, their rules

With AuthorLoft

Your list, nobody can take it

Your Analytics

The old way

No idea who your audience is

With AuthorLoft

Full audience analytics, always

Your Platform

The old way

Paying for 5 tools that don't connect

With AuthorLoft

One platform, everything built in

Your Brand

The old way

Their storefront, their brand

With AuthorLoft

Your domain, your design

For Authors

The old way

Amazon owns your readers

With AuthorLoft

Sell direct, own your readers

Your Profit

What actually changes

Here's exactly what you get back.

Here's what's actually different from the moment you switch, without the vague promises.

Right now

With AuthorLoft

Who gets paid

Retailers keep 30 to 70% of every sale. You get a payout and a mystery: no idea who bought, or why.

Who gets paid

You keep 100% of what you earn. The only other cost is Stripe's standard card fee, the same one every online business pays.

Who owns your readers

Their platform, their rules. Followers can vanish overnight if an algorithm changes, an account gets banned, or the app just dies.

Who owns your readers

Your email list belongs to you, not a platform. Export it anytime and take it anywhere; no one can rent it back to you.

How many tabs you need open

A website here, an email tool there, checkout somewhere else: five logins that don't talk to each other.

How many tabs you need open

One dashboard runs your site, your store, your list, and your numbers, all for one price.

See it for yourself

See the actual product.

These are real screenshots from a live AuthorLoft site. Nothing here is a mockup or a stock photo.

This is an author's actual AuthorLoft site, live right now, not a template preview.

Your dashboard shows books, subscribers, and sales on one screen instead of five different tabs.

AuthorLoft theme picker with genre palettes

Pick a theme built for your genre, and change it anytime without a developer.

From the founder

“

I'm Anthony Bedford — Yes, I am a real author and I am the person who built this platform for all authors to use. I've spent over thirty years in building software platforms before I ever published a book. One of the first thing I learned as an indie author is that nobody builds full platforms with tools for us. So, I did. I built the one I actually wanted. It hosts and showcases most any type of created media; from books to courses, and even music files. It is self-administered: one dashboard, one login, with many customizable features. Now every reader who buys from me stays with me. It's a work in progress, I need your help. Sign up, use the platform and suggest / help me build the perfect platform.

”

Anthony Bedford

Thriller Author · AuthorLoft Founder

See my site →

The Indie Author Playbook

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Pricing

Start for free, and scale up when you're ready.

No credit card required. Upgrade when you're ready for direct sales or a custom domain.

50%off

🎉 Founding Member Offer

Founding member offer: 50% off your first 12 months

MonthlyAnnual save 20%

Starter Package

Free

$0/month

This is a FREE plan that limits users to minimum functionality.

Start for free →

Up to 5 books
Up to 5 courses
Up to 50 blog posts
AuthorLoft subdomain (yourname.authorloft.com)
Standard customizable pages
Newsletter campaigns
AuthorLoft Bookstore listing
Achievement Badges
Media kit
ePub Converter
Contact form
100 MB storage

Most Popular

Standard

$19.99/month

This plan is for beginner authors who may not have many books to advertise or who are just starting.

Start free — Standard →

Up to 20 books
Up to 20 courses
Up to 100 blog posts
AuthorLoft subdomain -OR- your own Custom domain
Customize page & themes
Newsletter campaigns
Direct digital sales (Stripe)
ARC management
Achievement Badges
Email Integration
ePub Converter
Contact form
5 GB storage

Unlimited Features

Premium

$59.99/month

This plan provides complete access to all tools and features, offering a full author web presence with a variety of shareable assets.

Start free — Premium →

Unlimited books
unlimited courses
Unlimited blog posts
AuthorLoft subdomain -OR- your own Custom domain
Customize page & themes
MP3/WAV narrations & excerpts
Newsletter campaigns
ARC management
Email Integration
AI assistant / SEO audit
Direct digital sales (Stripe)
Flip book Integration
Analytics dashboard
Achievement Badges
Contact form
ePub Converter
50 GB storage

Stripe fees apply to direct sales · 30-day money-back guarantee · cancel anytime

Stripe fees apply to direct sales · 30-day money-back guarantee · cancel anytime · Full plan comparison →

Your audience
is waiting.

Every sale through a middleman is a reader you'll never reach again. Start free today and keep what you build.

Start your business, free →Browse the bookstore

No credit card. No lock-in. No middleman.

You wrote the book. They keep the reader.Take it back.

Here's exactly what you get back.

See the actual product.

Grow your readership without losing the readers you already have.

Get AuthorLoft News in your inbox

Start for free, and scale up when you're ready.

Free

Standard

Premium

Your audienceis waiting.

Your audience
is waiting.