Hello Creatives, I’m Joanna Penn, bestselling author of 25+ fiction and non-fiction books, podcaster and award-winning creative entrepreneur.
I currently write under three different author names, including one new pseudonym that I demonstrate in these tutorials.
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
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.
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. 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?
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 scared 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 Author Pro theme [00:25 mins on video]
I use the Author Pro theme for JFPenn.com and PennyAppleton.com. This is the theme I demonstrate in the video and can go basic with just static pages or more developed with a blog, depending on what you need.
I use Beautiful Pro Theme for TheCreativePenn.com and Modern Portfolio Theme for ArthurJPenn.com, as my Dad is a printmaker. These are also Studiopress.
Of course, there are many more Theme options out there. Just Google “WordPress themes” and you will come up with tons of them.
My suggestion is to spend an hour 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.
I use and recommend StudioPress themes: www.TheCreativePenn.com/studiopress
They 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.
Purchase and download the Theme [03:03 mins on video]
If you’d like to continue following along with the tutorial, then go to www.TheCreativePenn.com/studiopress and then click Shop for Themes.
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 a 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 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 Author Pro Theme. This will then give you options to view the setup instructions and download the theme.
In my demo, I step through a basic setup, 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 [06:29 mins on video]
In the last video, I demonstrated how to set up your basic WordPress site using Bluehost. 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 [08:55 mins on video]
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.
Add a Book to your site [10:56 mins on video]
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. I use www.BookLinker.net for my geographical store redirects for Amazon.
Click Save Draft while you set it up, and when you’re ready, click Publish.
You can see examples at www.EmmaJBenson.com [which is an example website] and also at www.PennyAppleton.com and www.JFPenn.com which all use Author Pro theme.
Set up an About Page and any other pages you want on your site [17:25 mins on video]
Go back to your Dashboard. Then click Pages -> Add New.
These are the more static pages that people will visit the most e.g. About the Author, Contact, Book List, Email Signup Page etc. You can update them over time, but they are not blog posts or regular articles.
I demo setting up the About Page and advise using a picture of your face if you can, although if you use a pseudonym, then use something else. For Penny Appleton, I’ve been using flowers.
The Featured Image will show on the front page so make sure you upload your chosen picture there. Once complete, click Publish.
Set up the Home page of the website [20:01 mins on video]
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 book into the Front Page, click the little down arrow to open up Front Page 1 widget, then click and drag Genesis Author Pro – Featured Page from the left-hand side into the box.
Then pick the book, the size of the image, alignment and the text you want to show. Click Save and then Done.
You can add a Page in the same way, just add Genesis Featured Page into the next widget area, choose the settings and then Save.
Go back to the front page and you’ll see that it has changed. (You might need to refresh the screen on some browsers.)
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.
Change the color and design of the Theme [22:40 mins on video]
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.
So use Canva to create your Site Icon and any other images you need, then upload them back into your site.
Choose the Colors for your site next. Hopefully, you will 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 (as I ended up doing in the tutorial!).
Then set up your Menu. The Header Menu will appear at the top of the page as in the example of www.EmmaJBenson.com and you can pick which Pages you would like to appear there.
Click Publish when you’re happy.
Add Social Media links to your site [27:21 mins in video]
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.
Then 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.
Drag it into the Widget and then 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.
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
