Purchasing a New Domain

Every published website is required to have a domain—that's the URL or web address that identifies your website. It's what users will type into their address bar to visit your site, and labels the space as uniquely yours (because no two sites can possess the exact same domain).

Every domain is hosted by a provider of some kind. You might be familiar with some of the larger ones like GoDaddy or HostGator, but as a website-building service, The Bookshelf also functions as a domain seller and host so you can keep your website-related activities all in one convenient platform.

Note: First-year-free domains hosted by The Bookshelf are only available with a yearly subscription to the platform. If you subscribe as a monthly user, you will still be able to purchase a discounted domain via The Bookshelf, but your account won't qualify for a free domain. You can also connect a preexisting domain to your Bookshelf website or use a subdomain as a monthly subscriber.

How It Works

When you create a new Bookshelf account, the very first thing we'll ask you to establish is your domain. If you already own a domain from a different provider, we can help you connect it to your Bookshelf website when you're ready to launch. But if you don't already own a domain, you will either need to purchase one or use a free subdomain. A Bookshelf subdomain will always include "thebookshelf.io" as part of your web address. For example, your subdomain would appear as "authorwebsite.thebookshelf.io." You can learn more about subdomains in this article.

If you're not quite ready to register a new domain—maybe you're not sure what you want your domain name to be, or you want to try using a subdomain first—you can simply select "Use a Subdomain" when first prompted, and type in what you'd like to use. If at any time you change your mind and are ready to purchase a domain, just click "Domain & Email" in the left-side main menu in your Bookshelf account.

From there, you'll click on the "Purchase Domain" button to officially start the process. The Bookshelf offers most domains free for one year as part of your subscription. Some "specialty" domains that cost more to host may still be available, but at a discounted price rather than for free.

To see what domains are available, as well as which ones might not be available for free as part of your subscription, type your preferred domain into the search tool on the page:

Be sure to type in the full domain and the domain extension you want to use (e.g. ".com") as part of your search to pull up accurate availability results. Also be sure to double check your domain for accurate spelling.

The most common types of domain extensions are .com, .net, and .org. If your preferred domain uses one of these extensions, it's more likely to be provided as free for one year with your subscription. But if you opt to use a less common extension, such as .io, .shop, or .author, you can likely purchase it at a discounted price for the first year, but it won't be included for free.

The Bookshelf's domain search function will display whether or not the domain you've entered is currently available for use. If it's not, it will provide a list of similar alternatives that are available.

To see whether a domain is included in your subscription as free for the first year, click "Show Price." The cost or "Free" indicator will populate right where you've clicked:

You can do as many searches as you'd like with this tool, so feel free to take your time and explore what domain will work best for you. When you've found one you'd like to purchase (or register for free), just click the "Purchase" button. Don't worry, you won't be automatically charged—you'll be taken to a new page first.

If your domain is free, the next page will show the details of what the domain will cost when it renews in one year's time. You will also be prompted to fill out some registration information before clicking the "Confirm" button. If your domain requires payment, you will also need to input credit card information before you can click "Confirm."

Please Note: Once you click "Confirm," whether you're using a first-year=free domain or not, domains are nonrefundable. If you decide to cancel your Bookshelf subscription within our refund window, your refunded amount will be lesser the cost of your domain, which includes a $20 cost for any free domains. This keeps the domain in your possession for one year so you can use it elsewhere.

Once confirmed, your site's domain also cannot be changed (and will incur additional fees to do so) without help from our support team. So just be absolutely sure you're satisfied with the domain you've selected (and triple check that it's been spelled correctly) before clicking "Confirm."

Email Configuration

On the same page where you're registering/purchasing your domain, you'll see a section for "Email Configuration," which you can learn more about in this article on author emails.

The Bookshelf offers one free author email configuration with all Bookshelf accounts, whether you're using a new domain or one you already own. This gives you the ability to send and receive emails at an address directly related to your selected domain, which provides a professional touch to your author business and helps to instill connection and confidence in email interactions with your readers.

When creating an email address, the selection will default to using your domain as the main web address. All you need to decide is what name prefix you would like to use. We suggest something recognizable, like your author name or imprint name, or something generically approachable, like "hello" or "info."

Bookshelf Subdomain

Below the email configuration section, you'll see another section titled "Bookshelf Subdomain." Even though you're registering a domain for your site, you will create a subdomain to also be associated with your website.

As long as your "real" domain is live, registered, and paid for correctly, your subdomain does not need to be shared publicly or used to access your site, though you can access it this way as well if you would like to. The subdomain primarily serves as a backup for potential situations an author may encounter with their site or billing. For example, if you decide to renew your Bookshelf subscription, but no longer want to renew your domain, your site can default to your subdomain instead, without your site ever needing to be taken offline.

You can learn more about subdomains here. For the purposes of finishing your domain setup, we suggest making sure your subdomain name matches your regular domain. For example, if your registered domain is "authorwebsite.com" we suggest naming your subdomain "authorwebsite.thebookshelf.io."

If you have any questions about selecting or registering a domain in your Bookshelf account, or would like to link a domain you already own to your Bookshelf website, please reach out to our team at support@thebookshelf.io.