AuthorLoft

· Author Courses ·

Your expertise is worth more than one more book sale

Build a course from the knowledge you already have, host it on your own site, and sell it direct — no course-platform cut, no separate login for your students.

Every author knows something worth teaching, whether it's the craft itself or the subject matter behind the books. A course turns that knowledge into income that doesn't depend on your next release. AuthorLoft courses live on your own site, next to your books, sold through your own Stripe account — so a reader who trusts your writing can buy your teaching without ever leaving your world.

Structure a real course, not a PDF

Organize your material into modules and lessons, with the media each lesson actually needs.

  • Course → module → lesson structure, reorderable as you build
  • Rich text lessons with headings, lists, images, and links
  • Embed video from YouTube, Vimeo, or any external host
  • Attach a downloadable worksheet, slide deck, or cheat sheet per lesson
  • Save as a draft and publish only when the whole thing is ready

Sell it your way

Free, paid, or discounted — with the money going straight to your account.

  • One-time purchase through your own Stripe account, no platform fee
  • Offer a course free to grow your email list instead of your revenue
  • Discount codes for launches, bundles, and newsletter subscribers
  • Every student is captured as a subscriber you own and can email
  • You're notified on every enrollment, free or paid

A student experience you control

Enrolled students get a real learning environment, not a folder of links.

  • Dedicated lesson viewer with module-by-module progress
  • Access tied to enrollment — no shared links, no leaked content
  • Students can print or save the full course for offline reference
  • Optional listing in the AuthorLoft Bookstore to reach new students
  • Course categories and star ratings help the right students find you

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from Teachable or Thinkific?

Your course lives on your own author site, at your own domain, alongside your books — and payment goes directly to your Stripe account with no platform commission. Students don't create an account on someone else's platform to reach your material.

Can I import a course I've already built?

Yes. The bulk course importer accepts a CSV with one row per lesson and builds the full module and lesson structure for you, landing as an unpublished draft you can review before going live.

Can I host video lessons?

Courses embed video from external hosts like YouTube and Vimeo, including unlisted videos. AuthorLoft doesn't host video files directly, which keeps your storage free for the downloadable resources that accompany your lessons.

Can I give a course away for free?

Yes. A free course is one of the strongest email-list builders available — students enroll with their email address and are added to your subscriber list the same way a paid buyer is.

Which plan includes courses?

Courses are available on Standard (up to 20 courses) and Premium (unlimited). The Free plan includes up to 5 courses.

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Join thousands of indie authors building their platform on AuthorLoft — free to start, upgrade when you're ready.

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