Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click the image to learn more or sign up.
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I can’t imagine what it’s like to buy a home for the first time and the thought of it gives me the willies. I thought I was doing something pretty special a few years back when I bought a .com domain name for my blog, but that was just kid stuff. I’ve recently made the move to self-hosting and I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. In the cyber world and blogosphere, self-hosting is like buying a home on the web and realizing the upkeep and maintenance that comes with that.
I put it off for as long as I could, but I knew I was limiting myself by not going to self-hosting. It’s not essential to self-host in order to be a great blogger, but for my specific blog needs, self-hosting was my only option and now I’m faced with a whole new reality.
- The financial investment. Many people may think that the few dollars a month it costs to host a website these days isn’t a big deal, but when funds are tight, everything little bit matters. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I’m not poor or struggling to get by, but my family of two lives on a very strict budget and this move to self-hosting has been felt.
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The learning curve. I have some many things to learn and unlearn to be able to run my site smoothly. I’m a quick learner, but my execution is a bit slow. I only hope I get a good grasps on thing before I ending doing something damaging in the long run.
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Deadlines. I knew I had to make this move and was smart enough to do while I’m on vacation, but my vacation is coming to an end. I want to have a clear handle on things before I go back to work so I don’t become overwhelmed and get backed up.
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Editing and coding. I used to love coding, I even studied it in college, but then I quickly lost the thrill. Guess what, I’m back to coding and I’m not sure if I like it or hate it, but I know I’m not going to be stuck in the middle. Like it or not, it’s part of the package. I guess I need to add this to my learning curve and pick up a refresher book on HTML and Java.
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All in all, after getting over the initial terror and anxiety, I’m actually excited to see where this will all lead. If I manage things well, perhaps I’ll even be able to find more time to write…in the end that’s what this all boils down to anyway. I’m an author and this is my blog, whether self-hosted or not.
Do any of you self-host? Did you start out that way or was it a transition? I’d seriously love to know.
After listening to me whine, here’s something that you may or may not be interested in and that may put a smile on your face. I’m putting my indie published, sci-fi novella, Legend of the Boy, on sale as an Amazon countdown deal. See my side panel for details. Summer’s coming to an end. Live it up while you can.
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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts: Sarah Foster, Joylene Nowell Butler, Lily Eva, and Rhonda Albom!
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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #155).
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
14 replies on “#IWSG August 2014: Buyer’s Remorse”
That’s better! I understand the challenge of setting up your own site. I work on websites at my job and decided I didn’t want the hassle with my own site. Using Blogger was just easier.
Yes, I agree Blogger is easier in a lot of ways, but I was initially drawn to the community aspect of WordPress, which I feel is important. If I worked with websites at my job, I might have gone in another direction.
I find using Blogger is much easier for me. My fiance has a website and he has even less technical knowledge than I do, so I’m often trying to help him figure it out, but I don’t even understand half of it. I’d rather keep it simple.
Sarah Foster
August IWSG Co-host
It helps that I do have a bit of a back ground in coding and website development, but it can be overhelming. I think we all do the best we can and that’s all we can do.
Wow! I’m somewhat technology challenged so I am thoroughly impressed by what you’re doing. Good luck with everything! 🙂
Madeline @ The Shellshank Redemption
Thanks for the encouragement; I need it. Also, thanks for stopping by.
I use Weebly for my main site, and tie it back to my WordPress.com blog. I’ve altered a bit of HTML code on my site to get it to do what I want, but basically, I go with the templates.
Yeah, a lot of what I’ve lost over the years is coming back to me, but you’re right, the templates and widgets do help a lot. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi, Toi,
Eventually, you won’t regret the investment in self hosting. Gives you a more professional look as a writer. Every time I make an investment, I think about whether it is worth the money I’m spending. Usually, it is. I hope the sale is going well and that you’ll find more time to write.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for the encouragement. I know I made did the right thing. It’ll just take some time to feel completely confortable with the choice.
I recently moved my website and two domain names. Part of it was for a better platform and part for the cost. It does add up.
Thanks for stopping by. I would have responded sooner if my notifications hadn’t gone away. At least I can say this hole experience will never be boring.
I also bought a co.za domain (to be honest, I don’t know much about HTML etc. and that’s why I pay someone to host it for me) and yes, hosting fees ARE pricey, but I’m looking at the bigger picture and the long term benefits.
I’m also in the process of ‘polishing up’ my site, and the social media platforms as well.
A professional image is important.
Writer In Transit
I agreee. I’m bit a bit slow, but I hope to get a handle in this soon and be able to present myself at higher standard. I want to act and look professional, and this is all part of that.