Ghost Theme — Authors
Norman
A stage for
your work.
One cinematic surface where your books, your voice, your story, and your readers all live together.
Download for $79 · Concierge setup from $325
The Tape Exchange Series
C.L. Williams
Fiction for the ones who never quite fit the map.
Works
Praise
About
Events
Links
The Stage layout
Author-first navigation
One surface, everything
The concept
Everything in one place.
Nothing in the way.
Most author sites scatter everything. Your books are on one page, your bio on another, your events buried somewhere else. Readers arrive, look around, and leave without knowing what to read first.
Norman is built around The Stage — a single-surface layout that puts you and your work center frame. Every zone has a purpose. Nothing competes for attention.
It works like a theater, not a website. Your reader sits down. The work comes to them.
Hero / Stage
Books & Works
Cover-first, scannable
Praise & Press
Pull quotes, attribution
About & Story
Voice, not resume
Events / Links / Connect
Always reachable
What's inside
Built for the way
authors actually work.
The Stage Layout
One-page architecture with distinct zones for each part of your story. Books, praise, bio, events — all in the right order, all on one surface.
Core layout
Books & Works
A dedicated books section with cover display, series grouping, and buy links. Works for a single debut or a full backlist.
Content blocks
Praise Block
Pull quotes with proper attribution, publication logos, and star ratings. The kind of social proof that actually moves readers.
Content blocks
Events & Appearances
Upcoming readings, signings, panels, and festival appearances. Automatic past/future sorting so you never have to clean it up.
Content blocks
Newsletter Built In
Ghost's native newsletter is wired in. Readers can subscribe directly from your site. No Mailchimp. No Substack. Your list, your readers.
Ghost native
Links & Press Kit
A clean links section for retailers, socials, and media contacts. Doubles as a press kit landing zone when you need it.
Content blocks
See it in action
Three views.
One coherent site.
The Tape Exchange Series
C.L. Williams
Signal Girl · The Archive Problem
Works
Praise
About
Events
Stage hero
Works
Signal Girl
The Archive Problem
Books zone
Praise
"Signal Girl announces a writer who understands that story is the only map that matters."
— Kirkus Reviews
"Couldn't put it down. Stayed up until 2am."
— Reader review
Praise zone
The platform
Built on Ghost.
Owned by you.
Norman runs on Ghost — an open-source publishing platform that gives you a proper CMS, a built-in newsletter, member subscriptions, and no algorithm standing between you and your readers.
No WordPress. No page builders. No plugins to maintain. Ghost is fast, focused, and built for writers.
- Your content lives in a clean, distraction-free editor
- Send newsletters directly to subscribers — free for the first 1,000
- Set up paid memberships if you want to monetize
- Your site, your domain, your data — hosted on Magic Pages or self-host
Norman — Spec Sheet
Ghost 5.x
Platform
Ghost 5.x on Magic Pages
Newsletter
✓ Built in
Members / Subscriptions
✓ Native Ghost
Custom domain
✓ We connect it
Mobile responsive
✓ Yes
Dark mode
✓ Auto-detects system
Hosting
Magic Pages (Concierge) or self-host
Domain
You purchase, we connect
Pricing
Two ways to get
Norman live.
Self-serve
Download
For the hands-on author who's comfortable with a little setup.
$79
One-time purchase · Lifetime updates
- Full Norman theme download
- Lifetime theme updates
- Setup documentation
- Email support
- Installation & configuration not included
- Content setup not included
Note: Hosting and a domain are purchased separately. We don't handle those with a Download purchase — but the docs walk you through it.
Get Norman →
Done for you
Concierge
We handle everything. You show up to a live, ready-to-use site.
$325
One-time · Theme included
- Norman theme included
- Magic Pages hosting setup & configuration
- Domain connected (you purchase it, we connect it)
- One onboarding session — we walk you through everything
- 30 days of follow-up support
Hosting & domain are separate charges — we set up your site on Magic Pages. Domain is purchased separately. We get everything connected and configured before your session.
Book Concierge →
Questions
Things people
usually ask.
Do I need to know how to code?
Not with Concierge. We set everything up and hand you a working site with a walkthrough. With the Download version, you'll need to be comfortable following documentation — no coding required, but some comfort with web interfaces helps.
What is Ghost and why does Norman use it?
Ghost is a focused, open-source publishing platform built for writers. It has a clean editor, a built-in newsletter, member subscriptions, and no algorithm. Norman is built specifically for Ghost because it's the right tool for authors who want to own their platform.
What hosting do you recommend?
With Concierge, we set everything up on Magic Pages — managed Ghost hosting with automatic updates. With the Download version, you can use any Ghost-compatible host. The docs cover your options.
Can I use Norman for a newsletter or paid membership?
Yes. Ghost has both built in. You can publish free posts, send newsletters to subscribers, and set up paid tiers — all from the same platform, no third-party tools required.
What if I already have a site on WordPress or Squarespace?
Content migration is available as a customized add-on. Mention it when you book and we'll include a quote — we can move your existing content over from WordPress, Squarespace, or other platforms and make sure nothing gets lost in the transition.
Is Norman only for published authors?
Not at all. If you're writing, building an audience, or just want a proper home for your work — Norman fits. The Stage layout works whether you have one book or ten.
Ready when you are
Your work deserves a stage.
We'll build it with you. One session, one site, one home for everything you've made.