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WordPress Guide → Theme → For Authors
7 best WordPress themes for authors: showcase your books and build a following
Your author website is more than a digital business card. It’s your portfolio, marketing hub, blog, and storefront all rolled into one. The right WordPress theme helps you build a professional presence that highlights your writing and keeps readers engaged.
These seven WordPress themes were built specifically for authors and book promotion—no generic templates here.
Comparison table: best WordPress themes for authors
| Theme Name | Best For | Book Showcase | Newsletter Integration | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Author Pro | Professional branding | ✅ | ✅ | $99 (Genesis) |
| Divi (Author Pack) | Visual customizations | ✅ | ✅ | $89/year |
| Astra (Book Author Starter) | Clean simplicity | ✅ | ✅ | Free/$59+ |
| OceanWP (Author Template) | Reader blogs + books | ✅ | ✅ | Free/$54+ |
| Ultra by Themify | All-purpose writers | ✅ | $59 | |
| Bookory | Self-publishing | ✅ | $49 | |
| Narrative | Storytelling sites | ✅ | $59 |
1. Author Pro by StudioPress
Author Pro is a classic author theme designed for serious writers, publishers, and literary professionals. Built on the Genesis Framework, it includes a custom post type for books, complete with fields for cover images, summaries, and purchase links.
The layout is elegant, responsive, and focused on showcasing your catalog in a way that feels polished and professional. It’s a great choice if you’re building your brand as a long-term author or working with a literary agent or publisher.
Unique features:
- Custom book post type with buy button support
- Minimalist design tailored for writers
- Genesis-powered for performance and SEO
- WooCommerce and newsletter plugin compatibility
Best for: Professional authors with multiple books
Starting at: $99 (includes Genesis Framework)
2. Divi (Author layout pack)
Divi is one of the most flexible WordPress themes out there, and its Author Layout Pack turns it into a powerful tool for writers. You can visually drag, drop, and edit anything on your site without touching code, making it ideal for authors who want a custom look.
The layout pack includes pre-designed pages for home, about, book listings, and contact. It’s a bit more hands-on than some other options but well worth it if you want full design freedom.
Unique features:
- Drag-and-drop visual editor
- Author-specific layout pack with 7+ pages
- Built-in A/B testing and SEO controls
- Integrates smoothly with email marketing and WooCommerce
Best for: Authors who want complete design control
Starting at: $89/year
3. Astra (Book Author starter site)
Astra is a fast, lightweight WordPress theme with a growing library of starter templates—including one for authors.
The Book Author template offers a clean homepage layout with space for book covers, blurbs, testimonials, and a call-to-action to buy or download. It’s designed to work with Gutenberg or page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder. If you’re just getting started or want something simple but functional, Astra is a solid choice.
Unique features:
- Lightweight and performance-optimized
- Book Author starter template
- Works with all major page builders
- Regularly updated and well-supported
Best for: Clean, simple sites that load quickly
Starting at: Free (Pro version from $59/year)
4. OceanWP (Author template)
OceanWP is a multipurpose theme with a Book demo that’s great for book promotions, blogs, and event announcements. The demo layout includes a hero section for your latest book, a grid of previous titles, and a blog-style homepage for updates or essays.
It’s WooCommerce ready and integrates with Elementor, so you can extend it however you need. It’s a great fit for writers who also want to maintain an active blog or fan community.
Unique features:
- Built-in Author starter template
- Elementor compatibility for layout editing
- WooCommerce and blog-ready
- Fast and SEO-optimized
Best for: Authors who blog or build communities
Starting at: Free (Premium from $54/year)
5. Ultra by Themify
Ultra is a versatile theme with a drag-and-drop builder and an Author skin among its many demo sites. The Author design is sleek and modern, offering home sections for testimonials, reader reviews, book excerpts, and mailing list signups.
With over 60 pre-designed layouts and smart animation effects, Ultra lets you create an immersive reader experience. It’s great for writers who want to experiment with layout variations and visual storytelling.
Unique features:
- Includes an Author demo skin
- Themify Builder with drag-and-drop controls
- Parallax scrolling and animation support
- WooCommerce, Mailchimp, and SEO plugin integration
Best for: Writers who want variety and control
Starting at: $59
6. Bookory
Bookory is a dedicated book-selling theme, perfect for indie authors and publishers. It includes pre-built templates for single-book promotion, book stores, and category pages.
With built-in WooCommerce styling, shopping cart support, and sample product descriptions, Bookory helps you turn your site into a professional-looking bookstore. It also includes preview modules so readers can flip through sample pages before buying.
Unique features:
- Dedicated book store and preview templates
- Modern layout with full mobile optimization
- Gutenberg and Elementor support
- Built-in SEO and structured data
Best for: Self-publishing authors with ecommerce needs
Starting at: $49
7. Narrative
Narrative is ideal for long-form storytelling and memoir sites. It supports rich media layouts, full-width image banners, subtle parallax effects, and typography optimized for readability. You can create individual pages for books or essays and add layered narrative sections with quotes, videos, and timelines.
If you’re telling a personal story or building a reader journey, this theme shines.
Unique features:
- Designed for memoirs and long reads
- Smooth scroll animations and full-screen layouts
- Clean typography and content-focused blocks
- Includes book product pages and bio sections
Best for: Story-driven author sites and memoirs
Starting at: $59
What authors should consider when building a WordPress site
Before choosing a theme or launching your homepage, it helps to think through how your website will support your writing career. Here are a few planning points that matter most to authors:
- Your primary goal. Are you building an email list, promoting a single book, selling a series, or just creating a professional web presence?
- Content cadence. If you plan to blog, post essays, or publish updates, your homepage should highlight that activity.
- Ecommerce needs. Want to sell books directly? Make sure your theme supports WooCommerce or easy integrations with payment processors.
- Event promotion. If you do signings or talks, consider a theme that lets you easily list appearances or sync with an event platform.
- Email capture. Many authors build long-term relationships through newsletters. Make sure your theme supports opt-in forms in key places (home, footer, book pages).
FAQ about WordPress themes for authors
Next steps for choosing a WordPress theme for authors
Choosing the right theme helps you build trust, sell more books, and attract the right readers. Whether you’re looking for simplicity or ecommerce capability, these author-focused themes give you a strong head start.
Take time to preview a few demos and match the tone of the theme with your writing style and goals.
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Additional resources
How to change WordPress themes the right way and avoid potential problems→
We’ll go over some reasons why you may want to switch to a new theme and how to prepare your website. Then, we’ll show you a few ways to change your WordPress theme.
Best free WordPress themes ranked by real performance →
We’ll show you how pairing the right theme with high-performance WordPress hosting – like the plans offered by Liquid Web – can transform your site into a speed machine!
5 awesome ways to customize a WordPress dashboard→
We’ll go over the importance of WordPress dashboard customization, how to do it, and the common challenges you might face.
Aaron Binders works as a Linux Support Technician at Liquid Web and focuses on resolving server-side customer issues. When not spending time with his family, he has a passion for sports such as football and boxing, as well as reading the latest ICT magazines.