Building an Online Home: A Historical Fiction Writer’s Customized Author Hub

With hundreds of themes on WordPress.com, writers have many options to build a space for their work. Action-adventure historical fiction writer Julian Stockwin uses the Profile theme to create a personalized author hub.

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As a child, novelist Julian Stockwin dreamed of venturing out to sea. At 15, he joined the Royal Navy, and in his naval career, he saw the world. Much later, Julian discovered his potential as a writer and realized there were things from his time in the Navy — small but evocative details — that he wanted to bring into his stories: “a shimmering moonpath glittering on the water, the sound of voices from invisible night watchkeepers, the rich stink of land after months at sea, the comfort of a still hammock when the ship rolls about . . . ”

Art from Julian Stockwin’s novel, Inferno, used for the header of his website.

It’s no surprise, then, that Julian’s website evokes this life at sea. He uses Profile, a premium theme ideal for building a professional presence — a website, landing page, portfolio, or even an online resume. “When I became a published author, my editor told me the most important promotional tool is an author’s website, so I put some effort into selecting one,” says the Devon, England-based author.

Julian can change his profile image in the Customizer. Read more about Profile’s options.

Julian displays his social media links front and center, promotes the latest book titles in his Kydd and GameChangers series on his front page, and displays a custom menu that directs readers to his posts, news, and online shop for signed books and merchandise. Above his social icons, a circular profile image — a detail of a sword from the cover of his book Inferno — visually sets the tone.

The profile image and social icons on Julian Stockwin’s website.

Go to My Sites → Customize and click on “Colors & Backgrounds” or “Header Image” to add your own. If your theme does not support a header or background, you can browse themes that do!

Like many of our themes, Profile lets you display a custom header image and custom background. “I change the background artwork regularly to reflect my latest book,” says Julian. His current full-width header of a fleet of ships is a flipped version of the imagery on Inferno’s book cover, while his faded vintage map background is reminiscent of an epic voyage. These simple customizations transform his site, which he can update at any time.

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Love this look? Get inspired by other sites using Profile, like The Gluten Free Lifesaver and Nice & Knit.