21 Aug Top 6+ WordPress Themes for Writers 2021
When it comes to being an author, the relative simplicity of setting up a WordPress website to just jump in and start writing and publishing online can be awesome, but some of the themes can also make it a pretty awful experience too.
I know what it’s like. I’m an author of sorts too. You just want to write, write, write and forget about everything else! And once you’re done, you want to see it in all it’s glory — like it used to be – on a nice plain, minimalist background … almost like words on the pages of a book. But ironically, despite WordPress being one of the original pure blogging platforms (back when it was ALL about writing, because you couldn’t do much else! haha), the vast majority of WordPress themes these days are insanely complex, cluttered and over-functionised (is that even a word?!).
So to help you out, I’ve taken some time to check out a whole bunch of WordPress themes suitable for authors and writers of all types. I’ve discovered some great new themes too, so it’s not just another regurgitated list of minimalist WordPress themes from 5 years ago! Here are some of the best available right now…
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Blog for Writers & Journalists with Bookstore
No, that’s not a typo, that’s actually what this writer-focused WordPress theme is called.
This theme is definitely one to check out if you’re a published author (or plan to be!), as it’s got some really impressive author and book feature areas on the homepage.
For me personally, it’s a little too busy, however if I had a bunch of books under my belt (which I wanted to sell to the world), I’d be considering this theme as a strong contender for the #1 spot.
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Typology: text-based, minimal WordPress blog theme
Man, I love this one. Right out of the box it’s super clear that this minimalist, one-column theme is ALL about the writing. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t have any images by default.
Stunning typography, bold colors and a simple, spacious layout makes your words the hero.
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Candid: a clean, content-focused theme for writers
As the Candid theme demo says: it’s storytelling made simple. Whilst this theme does require images (although not mandatory!) to look good out of the box, it’s another theme with stunning, top-notch typography. If you’re after a seriously sophisticated, yet totally understated theme, then this could be the choice for you. It’s very inviting. Definitely worth checking out, if nothing else.
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Jevelin: extremely versatile, stunning theme for writers
I must admit, this theme actually has a myriad of features and possible layouts which, if you’re not careful, could make it one of those nightmare setups … BUT if you use their one-click install feature and select either the full blog layout or the side-by-side layout (my personal favourite) for the homepage, you’ll be onto a winner!
It’s beautiful. Everything that you could want. The only downside is that if you go digging in the theme customization settings, you might feel a little overwhelmed — this could break you (and your site!!) if you’re not a little bit tech-savvy.
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CheerUp: plenty of options for authors & bloggers
OK, so this is another one that could potentially fall into the “too complicated” category if you try to get too tricky with it. But if you pre-select a main layout (from this theme’s huge selection of beautifully designed author-worthy homepages) and stick to the one-click demo install, you should be okay.
As a writer, what I love about this particular WordPress theme is that it feels spacious and relatively minimal and yet not at all “plain-jane” or boring in any way. It’s got just the right amount of variety in the design — but not so much that it overpowers the content itself. It’s probably not the top pick for a purist, but definitely a nice balance.
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Heron: elegant simplicity — a perfect theme for writers
The Heron theme offers a really thoughtful design aesthetic. It’s exactly the sort of beautiful simplicity many purists are looking for, but without looking “old-school” in any way. It’s modern, inviting and incredibly enjoyable to use and read.
If there is any downside about this theme, it is simply that it’s single-column, centered layout may be too restrictive if you wanted to add in a sidebar down the track. If you think you might do more than just writing and prefer a little more flexibility but still love this sort of ultra-clean, modern sensibility, I’d probably recommend you opt for the Candid theme (above) instead.
But, all in all, this is still worth considering.
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More WordPress themes that writers will love…
Here are some more awesome theme choices for writers, bloggers and authors that you should definitely check out as well…
Ink — a WordPress blogging theme to tell stories.
JRNY — a gorgeous, responsive theme for travel bloggers
Nord — similar to Heron, but more … well, manly!
Basic — an ultra-clean, classic distraction-free theme for writers.
The Novelist — a WordPress theme that looks like a book!
The Writer — cool homepage (it looks like a bunch of book covers).
*last updated 01/10/2021
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