How to choose a Ghost theme for your newsletter

A new visitor needs to understand your newsletter and know how to subscribe. Some sites put that offer first. Others introduce the writer or give visitors an article to read. Those sites ask for an email address later.

I make these four themes at Aspire Themes: Moshi, Petra, Ubud and Siwa. The examples below compare them.

Website and email design

Your theme designs your website: the homepage, articles, and signup forms. Newsletters use Ghost’s email template instead. You change email fonts, colors, and other settings in Ghost Admin. See Ghost’s email design guide.

Homepage choices

Moshi lets you set the order of a newsletter landing page. Petra and Ubud put the writer, image, and signup before the posts. Siwa has several article layouts and a dedicated signup section. Readers can choose from several Ghost newsletters there. Ghost handles multiple newsletters; that feature is not exclusive to Siwa. Keep that distinction in mind as you compare the examples. Consider how much space your own content needs.

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Moshi

Moshi lets you arrange the signup form, reader quotes and recent posts. You can place them around your newsletter offer. You must create those sections. The homepage is empty when you install the theme. Demo content is not included. The Moshi setup guide explains the setup.

Petra

Petra brings the writer’s introduction, portrait, and signup form together. Featured and recent posts follow. Visitors get a reason to subscribe and writing to sample. Petra gives these parts a set order. Moshi lets you arrange sections yourself. Choose Petra when its order fits your publication. Its homepage guide covers the introduction page and supplied routes file.

Ubud

Ubud lets newsletter readers meet the writer before browsing the archive. Choose from six homepage styles. Each places your image and introduction in a different way. Featured and recent posts follow. Another signup form sits at the bottom. Choose Ubud when portrait or artwork placement matters more than section order. Moshi gives you more control over the sequence of landing-page sections. The Ubud homepage guide shows the choices and setup.

Siwa

Siwa opens with a personal introduction and featured stories. A newsletter section sits before the footer. Readers can choose from newsletters you have set up in Ghost. The section can use your own image and description. It appears for signed-out visitors when both conditions hold:

• Ghost Members is enabled.
• The page for the newsletter section is published and set up.

The Siwa newsletter guide explains those requirements.

The choices help when readers can select distinct newsletters. If you offer one newsletter, judge Siwa by its introduction and story cards. Check where the signup section sits, rather than focusing on extra choices. Ghost handles multiple newsletters. This example shows how Siwa presents them.

The demo screenshots use sample copy, artwork, and newsletter names. Compare the space your own introduction and offer would need.

Before choosing

Once the homepage fits your offer, use the theme buyer’s guide. Check installation, article pages and support before you buy.

If these approaches do not fit, explore the newsletter website examples. Try other layouts before you settle on a theme.