Clara Vargas
Poetry Publisher from Madrid, Spain
Poetry
Poetry Publisher from Madrid, Spain
Poetry
Clara published poetry collections and wanted to build an author platform to connect with readers and sell directly. She had no web design or coding skills. Hiring a web designer would cost €2,000-5,000. She tried using Wix and Squarespace but felt limited. She wanted something that reflected her aesthetic and connected to her book sales.
A fellow poet mentioned that Publisheds had a built-in Website Builder for authors. Clara was skeptical about a platform-provided template, but decided to try.
"I'm a poet, not a web designer. Publisheds gave me a beautiful site in hours, not weeks. Sales through my own site increased 35%."
Clara used Publisheds' Website Builder. She selected a poetry-focused template, uploaded her book covers, wrote a bio, and embedded her Publisheds store. The site was live in four hours. It automatically links to her books, shows sales, and connects to her newsletter.
Clara had always believed that poetry was about connecting directly with readers. The commercial side felt secondary—almost contradictory to the artistic mission. But she also believed poets should be compensated for their work.
For three years, she published on KDP and lived with the awkward truth: the only way readers could find her was through Amazon's search algorithm. She had no branded presence. No way to build a community. No way to sell directly at author events.
She wanted a website. Not because she was trying to be a marketer, but because she wanted a home for her work. A place where readers could learn about her, see all her books, and maybe buy directly (so she'd keep more revenue).
When she looked into getting a website built, the quotes were brutal. €3,000-5,000 to design something that looked professional. She was spending €5,000/year on book cover design and advertising. Adding €4,000 for a website felt excessive.
She tried building one herself using Wix. She spent 20 hours learning the interface, customizing templates, and troubleshooting. The result looked generic—like every other author website built on Wix. It didn't reflect her aesthetic.
Then she learned that Publisheds had a Website Builder built specifically for authors. She gave it a try, expecting more of the same generic templates.
She was pleasantly surprised.
The Website Builder had a curated set of templates designed for different author types. One was specifically for poetry publishers. Clara selected it. The template was clean, elegant, and had space for her book covers, a bio, and links to her work.
She filled in her information. She uploaded a beautiful author photo (from an Unsplash collection Publisheds recommended). She wrote a 200-word bio about her poetry. She added her books.
Four hours later, her site was live. It looked professional. It felt personal. It reflected her voice.
More importantly, it connected to her Publisheds store. When visitors clicked on a book, they could buy directly from her website. Because she was selling direct instead of through Amazon, she kept 60% of revenue instead of 35%. Even if direct sales were only 10% of her total, the margin difference was significant.
Within three months, her site had accumulated 1,500 visitors. Her conversion rate was 8%—much higher than KDP, where the conversion rate is less than 1%. She was making €1,000-1,500 per month in direct sales, compared to €200-300 before.
She started using the site as a hub for engagement. She posted new poems. Announced reading events. Built an email list. Readers could follow her journey.
Direct sales now represent 35% of her total revenue, even though they're only 10% of her audience. The margin difference means she's earning double on that channel.
Clara is now planning to connect the site to her newsletter, host poetry discussions, and eventually run an online community for her readers.
Join Clara Vargas and 1000+ authors growing with Publisheds.