Built a bespoke Webflow site for a ghostwriter and debut novelist launching her professional brand

Leslie B. Hinson is a ghostwriter, fiction editor, and debut novelist with a publishing deal at G.P. Putnam's Sons. She teaches at The Porch Writing Collective, is a member of Gotham Ghostwriters, and leads her own writing community. On paper, an impressive profile. Online, she had no presence that matched it.

A writer at this level — one actively seeking ghostwriting clients, book coaching students, and editorial work — needs a site that communicates authority and taste immediately. Generic templates don't do that. She needed something that felt like her: personal, travel-informed, grounded in story, and precise in its service communication.

She also had a debut novel coming. The site needed to be built to grow with that moment.

Goals established at the start of the project:

• Build a site that communicates professional credibility and personal aesthetic simultaneously
• Clearly present four distinct service offerings — ghostwriting, book coaching, editing, and long-form content — with rates and scope visible upfront
• Establish a visual identity rooted in Leslie's personal story and travel photography palette rather than generic creative-professional templates
• Create a platform ready to support the launch of her debut novel Salomé (G.P. Putnam's Sons, May 2026)
• Build in Webflow for long-term content flexibility without developer dependency

The brief started with almost nothing — a name, a concept, and a stock image of a keyboard key labeled ESC. That constraint forced the design direction to come entirely from understanding Leslie herself.

Discovery surfaced the through-line: Alabama roots, Nashville life, a deep love of travel. Her photography from those trips — deep teal coastlines, warm terracotta earth, cream and sand — became the entire palette. The colors weren't chosen from a mood board. They came directly from her world.

The visual language followed from there. Slanted panels that echo turning pages. A portrait that leads with her face, not her credentials. Subtle affiliation logos — Gotham Ghostwriters, The Porch — that signal legitimacy without over-explaining. Service cards built to give prospective clients enough information to self-qualify before they ever reach out.

Webflow was the right build environment for a solo creative professional: flexible enough to grow with a book launch, manageable enough that Leslie could update content herself, and design-faithful enough that the visual precision didn't degrade over time.

Full Webflow Build — Designed and developed from scratch. No template. Visual identity built from Leslie's personal travel palette and story.

Service Architecture — Four distinct service areas — ghostwriting, book coaching, editing, and long-form content — each with clear scope explanations and rates. Built to help prospective clients self-qualify before reaching out.

Brand Identity Direction — Color palette derived directly from Leslie's travel photography: deep teal, warm terracotta, cream. Typography and layout choices that feel literary without being precious.

Novel Launch Foundation — Site architecture built to support the upcoming release of Salomé (G.P. Putnam's Sons, May 2026) — a gothic reimagining of the biblical femme fatale, set in France.

Affiliation & Credibility Integration — Gotham Ghostwriters membership, The Porch Writing Collective teaching role, and Paper State Writing Club leadership woven into the design without overpowering the personal voice.

Contact & Inquiry Flow — Simple, on-brand contact form designed to convert the right clients, not every visitor.

The site gave Leslie a professional home that matches the caliber of her work and the ambition of her next chapter. It communicates authority through design, not just credentials — which is exactly what a ghostwriter needs when prospective clients are evaluating whether to trust you with their story.

• Four service offerings presented with scope and rates — reducing back-and-forth with unqualified leads
• Visual identity that's immediately distinctive and personal, not interchangeable with other writing professionals
• Platform ready to support the Salomé launch in May 2026 without a rebuild
• Site fully manageable by Leslie without ongoing developer involvement