How to Add Retailer Links to Your Book Website (Complete Guide)

Why Retailer Links Matter for Your Book Website

You've built your author website. You've written a compelling book description. Now comes the critical next step: making it easy for readers to actually buy your book.

Retailer links are the bridge between your website and the platforms where readers shop. Without them, visitors land on your book page, read about your work, and then... leave to search for your book elsewhere. That's a missed opportunity.

When you add retailer links directly to your book website, you remove friction. Readers click once and land on Amazon, Apple Books, or their preferred store. You also signal to search engines that your book is legitimate and widely available—a subtle SEO boost.

In this guide, we'll walk through how to add retailer links to your book website, which retailers matter most, and how to organize them for maximum conversions.

Which Retailers Should You Link To?

Not every retailer is equally important. Focus on the platforms where your readers actually shop. Here's the priority order:

Must-Have Retailers

• Amazon — Controls roughly 50% of ebook sales and significant print-on-demand market share. Non-negotiable for most authors.
• Apple Books — Growing steadily, especially among readers with iPhones and iPads. Strong in literary fiction and romance.
• Audible — If you have an audiobook, Audible is where most people buy. Link separately from the ebook version.

Strong Secondary Options

• Barnes & Noble (Nook) — Still relevant for print and ebook sales, particularly in the US.
• Kobo — Popular in Canada and growing internationally. Often favored by indie readers.
• Google Play Books — Reaches Android users and integrates with Google's ecosystem.

Niche or Format-Specific

• Goodreads — Not a retailer, but essential for discoverability. Readers use it to find and review books.
• Direct from Your Site — If you enable your own bookstore (available on HostingAuthors.com's Established Author plan), you can sell ebooks and print books directly and keep 100% of revenue.
• eBookIt — Smaller platform, but good for authors selling direct or using distribution partners.

The key: link to formats you actually offer. If you only have an ebook, don't add a paperback link to Amazon. If you haven't released an audiobook yet, skip Audible until you do.

How to Find Your Retailer Links

Before you can add retailer links to your website, you need to find them. This varies by platform.

Amazon

Search for your book on Amazon.com (or your regional store). Copy the URL from your book's detail page. It will look something like:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0XXXXXXXX

You can use the full URL or create a shorter Amazon affiliate link if you're enrolled in the Amazon Associates program. The affiliate link earns you a small commission on purchases made within 24 hours.

Apple Books

Search your book on books.apple.com. Once you find it, click Share and copy the link. Apple Books URLs include a unique ID that ensures you get proper attribution.

Audible

Search on audible.com for your audiobook. Copy the product URL. Audible links are straightforward and don't require special formatting.

Other Retailers

For Kobo, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, and others, the process is similar: find your book, copy the URL. Most retailers make sharing easy with built-in Share buttons.

Goodreads

Create a Goodreads author account and add your book. Your book will have a unique Goodreads URL you can link to. Goodreads also lets readers add your book to their shelves and leave reviews, which drives visibility.

Adding Retailer Links to Your Book Website

How you add these links depends on your platform. On HostingAuthors.com, the process is built into the book editor.

Step-by-Step on HostingAuthors

1. Log into your Author Portal and open the book you want to edit.
2. Scroll to the "Retailer Links" or "Buy Links" section (exact naming depends on your plan tier).
3. Select the retailer from the dropdown menu (Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, etc.).
4. Paste the URL you copied from that retailer.
5. Choose how you want it displayed: as a button, a text link, or part of a "Buy Now" section.
6. Save your changes. The link goes live immediately.

HostingAuthors automatically formats these links nicely, so they appear professional and are easy for readers to click on mobile devices.

On Other Website Builders

If you're using a generic website builder (Wix, Squarespace, etc.), you'll manually add links in the text editor or button component. Here's how:

1. Open your book page for editing.
2. Add a button or text link where you want the retailer link to appear.
3. Paste the retailer URL into the link field.
4. Label it clearly: "Buy on Amazon" or "Listen on Audible."
5. Save and publish.

The downside: you're managing each link manually. If a retailer URL changes or you update your book, you have to edit your site. Platforms designed for authors handle this more smoothly.

Best Practices for Displaying Retailer Links

Organize by Format

If your book is available in multiple formats, group links by type:

Ebook: Amazon Kindle | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play

Audiobook: Audible | Apple Books

Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

This helps readers find the format they prefer without confusion.

Use Clear, Consistent Labels

Avoid vague labels like "Buy Here." Use the retailer name: "Buy on Amazon," "Listen on Audible," "Read on Apple Books." Readers know these brands and trust them.

Add Retailer Icons

Visual icons (Amazon's smile logo, Apple's apple, Audible's A) make links instantly recognizable. Many website builders and platforms include these automatically.

Keep Your Call-to-Action Above the Fold

Don't bury retailer links at the bottom of your book page. Place them prominently, ideally near your book cover and description. Readers should see where to buy within the first few seconds.

Test Links Regularly

Retailers sometimes change URLs or remove books temporarily. Once a month, click through your retailer links to make sure they still work. Broken links frustrate readers and hurt your credibility.

Advanced: Creating a "Buy Now" Button

Some platforms let you create a single "Buy Now" button that links to multiple retailers. Clicking it opens a page where readers choose their preferred store.

Tools like BookLinks.io and Linktree let you build this kind of hub. Paste your retailer links once, get a unique URL, and embed that URL on your website. Readers click "Buy Now," see all options, and choose.

The advantage: one link to manage instead of five. The disadvantage: it adds an extra click before readers reach the retailer. Test both approaches to see what works for your audience.

Tracking Which Retailers Drive Sales

Once your links are live, you'll want to know which retailers are sending you the most traffic and sales.

Use UTM parameters. Add tracking codes to your retailer links so Google Analytics can show you where clicks come from. A link with UTM tracking looks like:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0XXXXXXXX?utm_source=mywebsite&utm_medium=book_page&utm_campaign=launch

Check retailer dashboards. Amazon, Apple Books, and Audible all show you sales and page views in your author dashboards. Cross-reference this with your website analytics to understand the full picture.

Ask readers directly. In your author newsletter or social media, occasionally ask where readers prefer to buy. Their answers guide where you prioritize retailer links.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Linking to the wrong edition. Make sure your Amazon link points to your actual book, not a similarly titled book by someone else. Double-check ISBNs.
• Outdated or broken links. A link that worked six months ago might not work today. Test regularly.
• Too many retailers. More than six retailer links clutters your page. Stick to the ones where your book actually sells.
• No Goodreads link. Even if you don't sell on Goodreads, linking to your Goodreads page drives reviews and discoverability.
• Forgetting mobile users. Make sure retailer links are easy to tap on phones. Buttons should be large enough and spaced apart.

Making It Easier: Let Your Platform Handle It

Manually managing retailer links gets tedious, especially if you write multiple books. That's why platforms like HostingAuthors.com let you add retailer links once and display them consistently across all your book pages.

When you upgrade to the Established Author plan, you can manage up to 10 books with pre-formatted retailer link sections. The platform handles the layout, mobile responsiveness, and design. You just paste the URLs and publish.

If you're managing a writer portfolio website with several titles, this kind of built-in retailer management saves hours of manual work and ensures a professional appearance.

Conclusion: Retailer Links Are Your Sales Bridge

Adding retailer links to your book website is one of the highest-impact, lowest-effort things you can do to boost sales. Every reader who lands on your site is a potential customer—if you make it easy for them to buy.

Start with the retailers where your book is already listed (Amazon, Apple Books, Audible). Get those links live. Then expand to secondary platforms as your book gains traction. Test different layouts and track which retailers send the most sales. Over time, you'll build a retailer link strategy tailored to your readers.

The goal isn't to link to every retailer—it's to link to the ones where your readers actually shop, and to make those links impossible to miss.