Work · Author · Concept build for a fictional brand. Names, prices and numbers are illustrations.
Mara Ellison Books
A seven-page site for a mystery novelist with two series and a standalone, built so every new reader finds the right book one, gets it free by email and is walked straight to book two.
What novelists tell us
“Readers finish book one and never find book two.”
What this build moves: read-through from book one to book two
“Every launch flops because my list has gone cold.”
What this build moves: preorders and day-one sales per 1,000 subscribers
“Amazon gets every sale and I own none of my readers.”
What this build moves: direct sales as a share of revenue
What this build has that a typical author site doesn't
- A 'Where do I start?' finder across all seven books that ends in a free first book by email
- A reading order on one page, with the next book marked once you've read one
- A seven-page sample chapter reader you can turn with a thumb
- A preorder page with a live countdown and every store for every format
- A signed bundle sold direct, packed in Portland, with an inscription field
- Content notes and trope tags on every book, plus a filter for gentle reads
- The welcome letters written out in full, from the free book to the early reader invite
- A drawn map of the fictional town, with the places from each book
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The series finder
Three questions on mood, length and series or standalone. The shelf pulls the matching books forward as you answer, then hands over the first book, the reading order and book one free by email.
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The website
7 pages built around how people choose a author. Every page leads to one next step.
Mara Ellison BooksQuiet mysteries on the Maine coast.- HomeWho she is, the finder, the town, the series in order, the preorder and book one free
- BooksBoth series and the standalone, with a filter for series and gentle reads
- Book pageEvery store and format, content notes and chapter one to read
- Start hereThe finder, the full reading order and a map of Wren Harbor
- Free bookBook one free by email, and every letter that follows
- PreorderCountdown, retailers and the signed bundle
- Events and lettersReadings, the Fog Letter, the early reader team and book clubs
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The email and SMS flow
What every lead receives, in order. Tap a message to read it, or send one to yourself.
You'll get this email, then two short notes from Jerome. Unsubscribe in one click.
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The quiz funnel
Sorts every visitor into a type, shows a result they want to read, and sends the right follow-up.
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The calculator
Put in your own numbers. Change any assumption.
What better read-through is worth
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The CRM pipeline
Every lead has a stage, an owner and a next step, so nobody sits forgotten.
Tap a card to move it to the next stage, the way the automation does.
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The monthly report
One page, once a month: what moved and what's next.
Mara Ellison Books · Monthly report · Sample, month 6
Book two sales per week
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The receptionist chat
Answers the questions people ask most, at any hour, and offers real times to book.
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The teardown
What a typical site in this industry looks like, and what we'd change first.
Welcome to the official website of author Mara Ellison
News, books, and more.
Click hereQuiet mysteries on the Maine coast.
Find your first book- A bio-first homepage became a three-question finder that hands every reader the right book one.
- The newsletter box became a free first book, delivered in a minute, then a six-letter welcome that leads to book two.
- Launch-week posts became a preorder page with every store, a live countdown and a signed bundle sold direct.
Built to respect
Early reader copies are never conditioned on a positive review, and reviewers are asked to say their copy was free (FTC Consumer Reviews Rule). No invented reviews or bestseller claims. Books stay off KDP Select so direct ebook sales are allowed. Sales tax is collected on direct digital and print sales.
Get this built for you.
Website $4,500 · Full suite $9,500. Half of any build fee is credited to your first month if you continue on a Marketing Ops Lead plan within 30 days.
Built on real work
382,540 impressions and 8,596 new followers in 12 months from one content system. Media brand.
See the results