Step by step tutorial to start a blog with Ghost for absolute beginners!

Share & showcase
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Hey Ghost community! :waving_hand:

I’m excited to share my new beginner-friendly guide—perfect for anyone starting from zero. It walks you through all the essentials starting a blog with Ghost CMS.

:link: Read it here: How to Start a Ghost Blog in 2025: A Beginner's Guide

:backhand_index_pointing_right: What’s covered:

  1. Introduction – Why Ghost is a great fit for beginners.
  2. Is Ghost Right for You? – Deciding if Ghost aligns with your goals.
  3. Choosing Your Ghost Hosting – Why Ghost(Pro) is stress-free and managed.
  4. Launching Your Ghost Blog in Under 10 Minutes – Sign up, pick a plan, and launch quickly.
  5. Your Blog’s Essential First Settings – Tweak important configs to get it publishing-ready.
  6. Choosing and Customizing a Theme – Pick the perfect look and personalize it.
  7. Writing and Publishing Your First Post – From drafting to hitting publish.
  8. Setting Up Memberships & Subscriptions – Unlock built-in tools to build your audience.
  9. Audience, SEO, and Monetization – Smart tips on getting noticed and earning.
  10. Essential Integrations for Your New Blog – Handy tools (SEO, analytics, email, etc.).
  11. What’s Next for Your Publication? – Next steps to grow, refine, and scale.

This guide is crafted to make the first blogging adventure with Ghost(Pro) smooth, straightforward, and beginner-focused, with no server hassle or deep tech setup required.

I’d love your thoughts:
:white_check_mark: Did I miss any critical beginner topics?
:white_check_mark: Which part was most helpful for you?

Thanks for reading—happy blogging! :rocket:

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Is this a thinly disguised way to get in them affiliate link clicks in the first couple sentences? Or is it mainly just for the free backlink?

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Hi @digitalresidue, thanks for sharing your thoughts — I genuinely appreciate the time you took to respond.

That said, I’d like to clarify a few things and also share how I felt after reading your reply.

First, there are no affiliate links in the forum post I shared. It’s a simple link to a detailed guide I wrote on Theme My Blog, aimed specifically at people who are brand new to Ghost or blogging in general. It walks them through everything step by step because I believe there’s a real need for that kind of approachable, beginner-friendly content.

I’m also running Theme My Blog on a private server, completely ad-free. The site is monetized through clearly disclosed affiliate links to themes and Ghost hosting providers — something I mention openly in the footer, in plain sight. There’s nothing hidden or misleading.

What I’m trying to build with Theme My Blog is value, not spam. For instance, I’ve added feature-based filters so users can search for Ghost themes based on specific criteria — like price range, use case, or whether a theme includes features like a table of contents. That kind of discovery tool doesn’t exist in one place right now.

Still, when new members like me share something they’ve built, it’s discouraging to be met with suspicion rather than encouragement. I understand the need to keep the community clean and valuable, but I also think it’s important to foster a culture where new contributors feel welcome — especially when they’re genuinely trying to contribute something useful.

Also, just to reiterate:

  • This forum uses noopener nofollow ugc attributes on all links, so there’s no SEO value or “link juice” I gain from posting here.
  • I posted in the Share & Showcase category, which is exactly where community members are encouraged to share what they’re working on.

Thanks again

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