roissy // Jan 27, 2009 at 10:56 pm

i’m working on self-hosting, partly thanks to your advice. it’s kind of a pain in the arse.

Hang in there. Make sure your host has one-click installs and other goodies (I use Dreamhost, and they have been good to me). Feel free to email me for help if you’re frustrated — I’m committed to supporting good writers however I can.

Eventually, it’s rewarding. Especially if you have the brains to take advantage of the benefits, which I’m sure you do.

Also, if you want to sell anything online, it’s a huge advantage. For example, I wish I’d thought of something like that Obama little blue book — I’d be making a tidy profit from it off my own blog.

PS be sure to take advantage of WordPress.org’s import features. There are tons of services that ease these transitions.

Good writers are left to fend for themselves, and all too often they have neither the time nor know-how to effectively promote themselves online.

Anyone interested ought to simply get in touch through the contact form, but I don’t see this endeavor so much as a business as a public service — there’s a lot more profit to be made from the waste treatment type of writing/editing at this point. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying to make the web a better place for readers.

Another thing: all these failures we see around us give me hope. The fact that people are actually trying says that there is something worthwhile out there.

Talented writers foundering on the rocks of mediocrity… vivid image. I see plenty of mediocrity out there that I wish would begin foundering on the rocks of talent!!!