How to Set Up a Custom Domain

Laterpress enables authors to publish books and web serials directly to their own website domains, creating direct reader relationships while maintaining brand control — rather than relying on centralized platforms like Amazon, Patreon, or Wattpad.

You can combine this feature with other website builders. For instance, build your author site on www.example.com using WordPress or Squarespace, then host Laterpress books on a subdomain like “books.example.com” or “saga.example.com”.

Important Notes

• Setup is completely free, but you must own your domain (typically purchased through providers like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains).
• These tools don’t work with all DNS providers; contact your webhost if issues arise.
• Recommended providers: GoDaddy, WordPress, Squarespace, Google Domains.

Setup Instructions

1. Navigate to the Details tab for your collection or standalone book.
2. Click “Edit” under the Custom Domain section.
3. Enter your custom domain (cannot include “https://” or “http://”; must be a subdomain like www.example.com or books.example.com — not a root domain like example.com).
4. Click “Update.”
5. Wait for two CNAME records to appear; refresh the page if needed.
6. Add those CNAME records to your DNS provider.
7. Set TTL to the lowest possible number for faster propagation.
8. Allow 10-20 minutes for changes (up to 48 hours with some providers).
9. If using “www” subdomain, consider redirecting your root domain to avoid user errors.