welcome…

…to all my secrets on life as a published author

(I’m 7 traditionally published books in and I’ve learnt some stuff 😉)

I blog weekly about author websites, newsletters and life as a writer…

New posts published every Monday 😊

Want to learn more about me and my own publishing journey first?

(includes info on how I landed one of those mythical six-figure book deals!)

Read all about my own journey to publication →

Or scroll down to read all my other posts!

most popular posts

Blog

Some honest thoughts on the book that nearly broke me

Some honest thoughts on author publicity

Behind the scenes: a mid-year update 2025

Some honest thoughts on social media for authors

most recent posts

Charlotte Duckworth 6/28/21 Charlotte Duckworth 6/28/21

5 things every author website needs

So, you’ve decided to get your author website sorted! Well done! But now you’re wondering what exactly you need to include on it? Let me run you through the basics…

Charlotte Duckworth 5/18/20 Charlotte Duckworth 5/18/20

The A-Z of website jargon

It’s easy to forget when you work with tech every day, that not everyone knows what all the endless jargon you spout actually means! I do find when I chat to potential clients that I’m (ignorantly) assuming they know what SEO stands for, and more to a point – what it actually means – when why would you if you’ve never worked in digital marketing?

Charlotte Duckworth 3/23/20 Charlotte Duckworth 3/23/20

Why responsive web design matters

Something I talk about a lot with clients is responsive web design. Sometimes when I send websites to clients for their feedback, I get comments back such as: ‘Can we make sure the title of my novel doesn’t break over two lines in the header?’ and ‘I can’t see the whole of the banner image when I look at my site on mobile – can you fix it?’

Charlotte Duckworth 1/4/20 Charlotte Duckworth 1/4/20

Give your author website a new year refresh

Happy New Year! I hope you are as excited about 2020 as I am. I love this time of year – all the optimism and renewed energy and promises to make positive changes! Much as I LOVE Christmas (like really, really love it), I also love it when the Christmas tree comes down and suddenly your house looks about ten times bigger.

Charlotte Duckworth 12/16/19 Charlotte Duckworth 12/16/19

2019 web design studio round up

I can’t believe it’s just a few days until 2020! The past two months have been probably the busiest months work-wise since I went on maternity leave. In that short time I’ve completed two intensive training courses, set up my design studio and worked on four websites for others, all of which are now live.

Charlotte Duckworth 12/9/19 Charlotte Duckworth 12/9/19

What to ask a website designer

Thinking of working with a web designer for your author website? I understand that the prospect can be a bit daunting. Your website is such a personal thing, and choosing someone to build a visual representation of you, your books and your career often feels like a tricky task.

Charlotte Duckworth 10/27/19 Charlotte Duckworth 10/27/19

How to build your author mailing list (without a website)

How soon should you start building your email list as a debut author? Once you start writing? Once you’ve landed an agent? Once you’ve signed the contract for your publishing deal? Once your book is released?