How to Choose a Ghost Theme for Your Newsletter
A reader arriving at your newsletter website needs to understand the offer and find a way to subscribe. Some publications put that invitation first. Others introduce the writer or give visitors an article to read before asking for an email address.
Choose a Ghost newsletter theme around that first visit. The examples below compare four themes we make at Aspire Themes: Moshi, Petra, Ubud, and Siwa. Each takes a different approach to the homepage and signup form.
What your Ghost theme controls
Your theme sets the design of your website: the homepage, articles, and signup forms. The newsletters sent to subscribers use Ghost’s email template. You customize those emails separately in Ghost Admin, including their fonts and colors. See Ghost’s email design guide for those settings.
Compare the themes
| Theme | Choose it for | Homepage and signup |
|---|---|---|
| Moshi | A newsletter landing page | Arrange signup, introduction, testimonials, and recent-post sections. |
| Petra | A writer introduction with a post archive | Show an introduction, portrait, and signup form above featured and recent posts. |
| Ubud | A personal newsletter with a choice of homepage layouts | Choose a layout for your image and introduction, followed by featured posts, recent posts, and another signup form. |
| Siwa | A personal publication with several newsletters | Introduce the writer, feature stories, and let readers choose newsletters in a signup section. |
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
Moshi
Moshi suits a publication whose homepage should explain the newsletter before visitors browse its archive. You build and arrange the sections in Ghost Admin, so you can place the signup form, reader quotes, and recent posts where they fit your offer. The homepage is empty after installation; the demo content is not included. Read the Moshi setup guide to see how the sections are created.
Petra
Petra brings the writer’s introduction, portrait, and signup form together, then shows featured and recent posts. It gives visitors both a reason to subscribe and writing they can sample. The introduction comes from a page you create in Ghost Admin. Follow the Petra homepage guide for that setup, including the supplied routes file.
Ubud
Ubud suits a personal newsletter where readers meet the writer before exploring the archive. Choose from six homepage styles, with different placements for your image and introduction. Featured and recent posts follow, with another signup form at the bottom. Read the Ubud homepage guide for the layout options and setup.
Siwa
Siwa combines a personal introduction and featured stories with a newsletter section before the footer. Readers can choose from the newsletters you have configured in Ghost. The section can include your own image and description, and appears for signed-out visitors when Members is enabled and the newsletter page exists. The Siwa newsletter guide explains how to add it.
The demo screenshots show sample copy, artwork, and newsletter names. Replace them with your publication’s content.
Before you buy
- Check the homepage on your phone. The introduction and signup form should be easy to read and use.
- Open a full article. Check the text size, image layout, and links to other posts.
- Check the paid-content preview if you offer a paid newsletter. Open a restricted demo post to see the subscription or upgrade prompt.
- Read the setup guide. Check which homepage sections you must create and whether you need to upload a supplied routes file.
For more ways publishers combine signup forms with writing archives, see our newsletter website examples.
