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 have 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 host so you can keep your website-related activities all in one convenient platform.
The Bookshelf offers all "basic" domains hosted through us completely free as long as you're subscribed to an annual Bookshelf plan. This applies to any domains registered as brand new through your Bookshelf account, or any domain that you transfer over to be hosted by The Bookshelf from a different host. And that's free for the lifetime of your annual subscription from the date you register or transfer your domain.
"Basic" domains are most often those that end in .com, .net, or similar—more complex domains with different suffixes (like .io, .author, or .store) will have fees associated with them, which you can often get through The Bookshelf at a discounted rate.
Note: If you subscribe to The Bookshelf on a monthly plan, you will still be able to purchase a discounted domain, but your account won't qualify for a free domain. You can also transfer or connect an external, preexisting domain to your Bookshelf website or use a subdomain as a monthly or annual subscriber. To transfer or connect a preexisting domain, reach out to our team at support@thebookshelf.io.
Start With Account Setup
When you create a new Bookshelf account, one of the very first things we'll ask you to establish is your domain. If you already own a domain from a different provider, you can skip this step and we'll 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 register one now, or temporarily use a subdomain if you're not ready to register a full domain.
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. You can still publish your website live under a subdomain at any time.
Searching for a New Domain
When you're ready to register for a new domain, click on the Settings menu item from your main Bookshelf dashboard, then click on the "Domain & Email" tab at the top of the page. Click on the blue "Purchase Domain" button to start the process.
A new window will pop up where you can search for the domain you'd like. Be sure to include the full suffix you'd like to have, e.g. the ".com" part of your URL, as you search. The Bookshelf will let you know whether or not the full domain is available for use.
It's most common for authors to use their full name, pen name, or imprint name for their domain. If none of these are available on their own, you can always try adding "author" or "writes" onto the end of it as a clear and unique clarifier.
As you search, The Bookshelf will also populate additional suggestions and ideas related to your searched domain that you can explore. To see whether a domain is free, just click "Show price" to the right of it. When you find a domain you'd like to register, click its Purchase button.
Don't worry, you won't be charged for anything just yet—you'll be taken to a new page where you'll register your domain and, if required, pay a registration fee. If the domain is free, you'll still need to register it, but won't pay anything to do so.
Registering Your Domain
After you've selected your domain, the next page will ask you to register it to yourself, set up your email and subdomain details, and confirm and complete the process. These steps are all required whether your domain is free or not.
Be sure to fill out each section fully and thoroughly, noting that there are additional sections below the "Address Information" section that you'll need to scroll to see and complete.
When adding your email address in the "Personal Information" section, be sure you add an address that is active and accessible to you. Once you complete this domain confirmation process, you will receive an important email to this address requiring you to verify the domain you just registered as a last step. If you don't complete this email verification step, your domain may be be marked as "inactive" until you do, meaning you won't be able to use it for your website.
On the right side of the email registration screen, you'll see a cost breakdown of the domain you've selected. If you've selected a free domain, it will show the domain as free for the year, as well as the discounted price the domain would be if you were purchasing it. This section will also show you the renewal price you would be paying each year if it were not included free. But again, as long as you're on an annual Bookshelf subscription, your domain will re-register each year at no additional cost to you.
Email Configuration
On the same page where you're registering 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 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."
The password you add in this section will be the password you use to access your author email inbox, which is a separate platform outside your regular Bookshelf account (but which you will still be able to access from this page after your domain setup is complete). So whatever you input here, be sure to save it somewhere you can reference and use as needed.
Bookshelf Subdomain
Below the Email Configuration section is the Bookshelf Subdomain section. Even though you're registering a "real" domain for your site, you will create a subdomain to also be associated with your website.
As long as your "real" domain is registered and live, 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 it 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."
Please Note: If you decide to cancel your Bookshelf subscription within our 30-day refund window and have already registered a domain during that time, your refunded amount will be lesser the full, non-discounted cost of your domain. For "free" domains, this is a minimum of $20.00 USD. This policy is in place because domains cannot be cancelled or refunded once registered, so this fee keeps your domain hosted and usable for one year even without a full annual Bookshelf subscription. This way you can also still use it on another platform if needed, or simply choose to let it expire after one year.
Once confirmed, your site's domain cannot be changed (and will incur additional fees to do so) without help from our support team. So just be sure you're satisfied with the domain you've selected (and triple check that it's spelled correctly) before clicking the "Confirm" button in the lower right corner.
If you have any questions about selecting or registering a domain in your Bookshelf account, or would like to transfer or link a domain you already own to your account, please reach out to our team at support@thebookshelf.io.