Hello Creatives, I’m Joanna Penn, bestselling author of over 30 fiction and nonfiction books, podcaster and award-winning creative entrepreneur. I am an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author under J.F.Penn.
I’ve built a multi-six-figure business off the back of my author websites, so I know how important your site and email list are. Whether you’re just starting out with your first book, or you want to improve your existing author platform, this tutorial should help you along the way.
There are three videos and accompanying cheatsheets in this series:
- Tutorial 1: How to build your own author website within 30 minutes
- Tutorial 2: How to set up your website using the Author Pro theme
- Tutorial 3: How to set up your email list signup
Update June 2021:
The theme I use, Author Pro, has been withdrawn from public sale and is only available if you use WPEngine for hosting as they now own StudioPress.
I absolutely recommend WPEngine for hosting, but if you have already set up your account with Bluehost as per my previous video, then you can find other options for WordPress themes for authors here, and here.
Remember, once you install WordPress as my previous video, you can use ANY THEME you like. It's like a skin on top of the content. So you don't have to use Author Pro, you can use any WordPress theme.
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In this second tutorial, I’ll show you how to set up the Author Pro theme so you can change the look and feel of your site. My example site is https://jfpennauthordemo.com/ You can see the same design at www.PennyAppleton.com and www.JFPenn.com which all use Author Pro theme. I’ll take it step by step and you can follow along, so even if you’re not confident with technology, you should find everything you need.
This simple design will work for fiction or non-fiction as you can change the color scheme, books and more over time.
Watch below or here on YouTube.
Sign up below to get your accompanying PDF cheatsheet
[Please note: The links in the text and the video are affiliate links, which means I receive a small percentage of the sale but at no extra cost to you. I hope you find the video tutorial useful enough that you will consider using my links so I can continue to provide free information. Thank you!]
What is a WordPress theme? [01:23 mins]
A Theme is basically the design, the look and feel, or the ‘skin' of the site. What's brilliant about WordPress software is that you can change the Theme over time, but the content remains. I’ve changed Themes several times on The Creative Penn over the years and it's a perfectly normal part of developing your online presence on the internet.
This is also why I don't recommend paying someone thousands to set up a custom design because inevitably you will change it anyway!
You can get a Premium theme with SEO (search engine optimization) that’s mobile responsive for under US$100 and you'll also get a guide on how to configure your own site. Even if you're apprehensive of techy stuff, I would really urge you to give this a go. It is incredibly empowering to get to grips with your own website and it will save you a LOT of money and time going forward.
I use and recommend StudioPress themes: www.TheCreativePenn.com/studiopress
Why I use and recommend StudioPress [02:24 mins]
Studiopress have lots of themes. I use the Author Pro theme for JFPenn.com and PennyAppleton.com (which is my Mum’s site for her sweet romance). This is the theme I demonstrate in the video and it can be a basic set up with static pages or more developed with a blog or podcast, depending on what you need.
As I record this, I use Beautiful Pro Theme for TheCreativePenn.com and Modern Portfolio Theme for ArthurJPenn.com as my Dad is a printmaker.
StudioPress have a limited number of premium themes, which helps you make a decision, rather than spending days checking out tons of other options. The themes are all search engine optimized and mobile responsive, which means they look good on whichever device people are using.
The various themes run on the Genesis Framework – think of it like the architecture of a house, the bare bones. The Theme is the walls and the size of the rooms and the color of the paint, the look and feel. You can easily change the Theme later, so nothing is locked in forever.
Of course, there are many more Theme options out there. Just Google “WordPress themes” and you will come up with tons of them. If you set up your site through Bluehost, you will also be offered their designs.
My suggestion is to spend an hour or so looking and then make a decision. Don't let this lead to procrastination! You will likely change the design later anyway, so just make a decision and get building.
Author Pro Tutorial [04:42 mins]
If you’d like to continue following along with the tutorial, then go to www.TheCreativePenn.com/studiopress
Click Shop Theme Packages.
You can browse the Themes and see the prices – most are under $100. Yes, you can get a professional-looking site for under $100 these days! You do not need to spend thousands paying for a custom design, in fact, I urge you not to. Because you WILL change your mind 🙂 It’s inevitable.
I’ve been in online business since 2008 and I’ve changed my design, my branding, my author name, my genre – that’s life! I also run a multi-six-figure business from my website and I have never used custom design. I have only ever used Premium themes. So, choose a professional-looking premium theme that doesn’t break the bank and get on with creating!
Click See Details and Pricing.
Click the Live Demo option to see what the theme looks like on different devices. Once you’ve made a decision on the Theme, click Buy Theme and Framework Package. This will then give you options to view the setup instructions and download the theme.
In my demo, I step through a basic design, but you can always click the Setup Instructions button to read more.
Download the Genesis Framework AND the Author Pro theme. They will download as zip files.
Install the Theme on your WordPress site [09:37 mins]
In the last video, I demonstrated how to set up your basic WordPress site using Bluehost. The set up is the same if you have an existing site on another host.
To install the theme, log into your WordPress site so you are on the Dashboard.
Go to Appearance -> Themes on your WordPress dashboard.
Upload Genesis Framework and Activate it.
Upload the Author Pro Theme and Activate it.
You can always replace your current theme if you are on an old one that you want to change. The process is the same, although I’d recommend a Maintenance notice on your site while you set it up. Once the Theme is activated, you can customize it. Each Theme comes with a guide for how to make it look like you want it to.
You can always see what it looks like by going to Welcome -> Visit Site from the top of the page menu. As you make changes, you can refresh the screen and see what you’ve made. Exciting!
Install and setup the Author Pro Plugin [11:12 mins]
Plugins are like Apps on your phone. They are little pieces of code that do specific useful things. If you use WordPress and you want to do something, then usually there will be a plugin that will help you do it – a bit like saying, “there’s an app for that!”
The Author Pro plugin gives you a Library for your books and enables the front screen to be designed in an attractive way.
Go to Plugins -> Add New
Use the Search to find ‘Genesis Author Pro’ and then click Install Now.
There are a few more functions you need to know about.
Pages are static pages like About, Contact and your Book pages.
Posts are used if you are blogging or podcasting, but that isn't necessary for most authors when starting out. It's only if you want to produce regular content. I don’t use posts for PennyAppleton.com but I do on JFPenn.com and TheCreativePenn.com. You can always add them later.
Widgets are used for the design of the front page, sidebars, header and footer area and are important for anything extra you want to display.
Once you have Installed the Author Pro plugin, you will have a Library on the left-hand menu.
Set up your About page [11:37 mins]
Your About page is one of the most important pages on your site and of course, you will expand it over time. Just put in the basics today.
Go to Pages -> Add New
Now add your text and images and anything else you want people to know.
Click Save as you create it and then Publish when you’re ready for it to go live.
You can use this same process to create the other static pages that people will visit the most e.g. Contact, Book List etc.
Add a Book to your site [13:19 mins]
Click Library -> Add New Book to add your book details to the site.
Type in the information about your book. You can copy and paste in your book description and format it so it looks good.
On the right-hand side, you can add Author, Series, Tags, and add the Book Cover in Featured Image.
At the bottom, you can add SEO (search engine optimization) terms, then various useful things in the Book Details area e.g. ISBN, book sale links, editions, and more.
You can use www.Books2Read.com to create one multi-link for all sites.
Click Save Draft while you set it up, and when you’re ready, click Publish then View Book at the top of the screen.
Set up the Look and Feel of the website [18:20 mins]
Go back to your Dashboard and go to Appearance -> Customize. This is where you can change all the settings around color and associated images.
Go to Site Identity first and change the name and tagline of the site to suit you. The Site Icon is the little image that comes up on browser tabs. It needs to be square and at least 512 x 512 pixels.
Your secret weapon for all online image needs is www.Canva.com
I use Canva almost every day to create new images for my blog and social media. It’s free if you use your own images or they have a library of cheap images and designs you can use. They have templates for social media profiles and ads, as well as fliers, business cards and even ebook covers. You can also do custom dimensions, so it is an incredible tool and very easy to use.
Use Canva to create your Site Icon and any other images you need like the Header Image, then upload them back into your site.
Choose your Background Image or leave it a specific color. You might have certain colors that you regularly use for your book covers, or for your logo. If not, choose what you like and you can always change it later.
Set up your Menu/s [22:09 mins]
Create your Menu.
The Header Menu will appear at the top of the page. You can pick which Pages you would like to appear there. You can also create a secondary menu based on your book series or other criteria.
Click Publish when you’re happy.
Add your About page to the Home page of the website [23:45 mins]
Go to Appearance -> Widgets and you’ll see that you can set up the home page as well as the sidebar, header, and footer areas with pre-defined things or you can include custom code.
But don’t worry, we’re going to keep it simple!
To put your About Page into the Front Page, click on the little down arrow in Genesis – Featured Page on the left-hand side into the box. Click Front Page 1 (or whatever area you would like it to go into).
Click Add Widget.
Complete the settings, then Save, Done.
[Note, you also need to set the front page as a static page! See 25:03 mins in the video!]
Go to Appearance -> Customize
Homepage Settings -> select Static Page
and use Sample page (or set up a blank home page first).
Click Publish.
You can see the changes to the site if you click Refresh on your browser. You can always change the settings.
Add your Books to the front page of the website [26:10 mins]
Go back to Appearance -> Widgets
Click on the little down arrow in Genesis Author Pro – Featured Book on the left-hand side into the box.
Select Front Page 2 and repeat the process for 3 books (or however many you want to include.)
For each Featured Book, pick the book, the size of the image, alignment, and the text you want to show. Click Save and then Done.
Go back to the front page, refresh, and you’ll see that it has changed.
If you spend a little time playing around with Widgets and setting up Pages, you will have your site looking great in no time! Taking some time to get used to the functionality will really help you become accustomed to the software and you’ll become more confident in time.
Add some more pages into your site [27:21 mins]
I talk about the Contact page as well as the books page — see the example at www.JFPenn.com/fiction
Update your menu to add those pages. Appearance -> Menus
Add a sidebar [29:40 mins]
If you want to add a sidebar to your site, it’s easy to set up. However, many sites are now designed primarily for mobile so don’t use sidebars. It’s completely optional!
Appearance -> Widgets
Set up the primary sidebar.
I demonstrate custom HTML for a picture with a link to my email signup. You can upload images by using Media -> Add New.
Add Social Media links to your site [31:57 mins]
You can add social links by using another plugin. In this example, I use Simple Social Icons.
Go to Plugins -> Add New.
Search for Simple Social. Install and Activate.
Go back to Appearance -> Widgets, you’ll find Simple Social Icons available to be used in the Footer or anywhere else you’d like it to appear.
Set up your Facebook page, or Instagram/Twitter etc. You can add as many as you like. You can add lots of different options into your Footer or Sidebar through Widgets e.g. on JFPenn.com, I have audiobooks, a search bar and Blog Topics (Categories). It’s all customizable.
[32:57 mins] If your sidebar is not appearing, go to Appearance -> Customize -> Theme Settings -> Site Layout -> Content, Primary Sidebar. Click Publish.
Add a Footer [33:29 mins]
You can use the same Appearance -> Widgets setup and add what you require to the Footer area.
If you need help with your privacy policy, check out www.TheCreativePenn.com/gdprhelp which is a special webinar on all the data protection regulations.
Add a Blog [34:41 mins]
If you want to blog or write regular content for your site, or podcast, you will need to use Posts.
Posts -> Add New
Set up your article. You can use the Embed function to easily add video, images, audio and more.
Publish now or schedule using the date function on the right-hand side.
Add the blog into the menu.
Go to Pages -> Add Page
Create a blank Blog page.
Go to Appearance -> Customize -> Home page settings -> Set the Posts page. Click Publish.
Go to Appearance -> Menus
Click the Header menu and add the Blog page into the menu. Click save and refresh and your site will be well on the way to looking fabulous!
Need more help?
If you need help with WordPress setup and design, I recommend NateHoffelder.com and also Robin at AuthorHelp.uk
CONGRATULATIONS! You now have your own customized author website!
This is an exciting step and remember, you can change the Theme later on. You are not locked in forever.
It’s easy to become paralyzed with the volume of choices available, but my advice is to choose something basic, get started and play with the details later.
In the next video, we’ll go through How to set up your email list.
Just a reminder, there are three videos and accompanying cheatsheets in this series. Just click on the link for the tutorial you need below:
- Tutorial 1: How to build your own author website within 30 minutes
- Tutorial 2: How to set up your website using the Author Pro theme
- Tutorial 3: How to set up your email list signup
Happy creating!
