I Accidentally Built a Bookstore: tracywrightbooks.com Is Live!
It was kinda, sorta an accident.
Well, this wasn’t exactly in the plan.
One minute I was troubleshooting Amazon affiliate links in my Facebook ads, and the next thing I knew...
I had a website. With a shop. That sells my book.
Say hello to www.tracywrightbooks.com. It’s simple, it’s functional, and it works. And I built it in a single day.
Here’s how it all happened—and how you can do it too (on a budget, with only minor panic).
It Started With an Ad and a Mild Meltdown
If you read my recent post from yesterday, you know I joined the Amazon Associates program to track my Facebook ads. What I didn’t know is that Amazon doesn’t allow affiliate links in paid ads. Cue me frantically trying to figure out what to do with the now-useless link I had carefully placed in my Facebook ad campaign.
Also, Google searches and Reddit groups told me that Amazon Associates has been known to cancel accounts that violate this policy. Oops…
For about 30 minutes, I spiraled:
“Do I need my own website to sell my book instead?”
“Should I build a store…today?”
“Am I about to become a bookstore?”
Enter: My very patient husband, who calmly reminded me that I could still link directly to my book’s Amazon page—just without the affiliate tracking.
But by then it was too late. I’d already bought a new domain, logged into my dusty GoDaddy account, and committed to the full indie-author-on-a-mission experience.
What I Used to Build My Website
Domain & Hosting: I used GoDaddy to host the site and purchased a fresh domain: tracywrightbooks.com. The domain name was available and it cost me $65 CAD for three years. I did not need to pay for hosting because I was already paying to host another (unused account).
SSL Certificate: I had an active SSL certificate from a different (the unused) site and repurposed it—thanks to GoDaddy’s surprisingly helpful and responsive support team.
Website Platform: I chose WordPress (familiar and flexible).
Theme: I picked a free WordPress theme called “Author Writer” theme that is compliant with ecommerce plug-ins.
Ecommerce Plugin: This was my first time trying to build a store that can actually sell stuff (online store front, shopping carts, accepting payments, taxes, etc…) After comparing WooCommerce, Payhip, and Shopify, I went with WooCommerce. It’s free-ish (you pay a small fee per transaction), easy to use, and well-reviewed—and it integrated beautifully with the theme I chose.
The entire build took one day. I loaded three formats of Love at First Flight: The Story of Sophie and Daniel (EPUB, PDF, and paperbook) into the shop.
It’s super basic, yes. But it’s clean, it works, and it’s mine. I still can’t believe it works.
(Quick side note regarding Woocommerce fees: there’s no setup charge and no monthly fees. You pay 2.9% + $0.30 for each transaction made with U.S.-issued credit or debit cards. There’s an additional 1% fee for cards issued outside of the U.S.)
The Cool Part: I Can Sell My Book Directly
Once WooCommerce was installed and configured, my husband and I decided to test it. We went through the checkout process—just like a customer—and it actually worked:
Added the book to cart
Entered the email and shipping address
Chose a payment method (WooCommerce handles this securely) - we decided to go with the basic credit card option
The confirmation screen appeared (we got excited)
Followed by a confirmation email of purchase (got even more excited - it works!)
And I got an email letting me know a book had been ordered (mind blown - it really works)
That last part? The one where I get an email and I fulfill the order? Kind of magical. I officially became my own bookseller.
Why I’m Glad I Did It (Even If It Was Accidental)
I hadn’t planned to build my own website store this early. But now that it exists, I’m so glad I did. Here's why:
I own the experience. From branding to layout, this site reflects me.
I can direct readers somewhere that’s not a marketplace. (Especially helpful for signed copies, bonuses, or future merch.)
It gives me flexibility for future launches. If I ever step away from exclusivity on Amazon, I’m ready. (I’m in the process of trying to get my book on IngramSpark.)
It just feels cool. My pen name. My domain. My book. My shop.
Come Check It Out!
If you’d like to see the site—or better yet, buy a copy of my book and help me test the checkout again—you can visit: www.tracywrightbooks.com
And if you notice anything buggy, confusing, or even just slightly weird, let me know. I’m new at this, and I welcome all feedback. I want the experience to be as smooth for readers as it was for me clicking “Publish.”
—Tracy
P.S. Thinking of building your own author website and want a super simple step-by-step checklist? I’d be happy to share how I did it—plug-ins, theme, and all. Just say the word!
Go! Reclaim writer power over their work!