Thursday
Potential New Website Ahead!
Just a quick journal entry. I am exploring a new option for my website. It will not have all the bells and whistles…not even a place for blogging. However, the simplicity and low-techiness of it appeals to me, and I can point my domain to it.
The cool thing about it is, the platform, Novlr, is also a writing “studio” something like Scrivener, where writers can plan and write their books. There are editing capabilities, as well. The most interesting part is that the users of the platform can become part-owners of the platform, like a cooperative. These owner-users can be influential in the structure and offerings of the platform.
If you know me, you already understand how intrigued I am by cooperative business models. Ownership of our own platforms and employment could be a way to build resiliency in our communities and personal lives. Of course I need to look at any fine print. Early explorations show that the owner-users are not liable in case of any legal issues…but this is something I really need to investigate.
However, regardless of whether I choose to participate in the owner-user program, with a lifetime membership of $500, I will have a website plus a writing studio platform rolled into one. On the current GoDaddy hosted plan, I’ll reach $450 spent in 3 years or less (because prices always go up!)
As long as the platform holds up for 3.5 years, I will break even with my current system.
There are other perks. The chance to write blog posts for the platform on writing topics. Discord group chats. A community.
All this reminds me a bit of my Wattpad experience before they got rid of the community branch of the biz. I really enjoyed that aspect and found some good writer colleagues there.
If I were making bank on my writing, I’d probably be a little more spendy and hire a web developer to debug and manage my little site; however, I’m still spending more than I’m making. I want to concentrate on writing. The Novlr websites are so basic, they don’t include individual blogging capabilities, but I can create another “writing journal blog” on Substack or Tumblr or Blogger or WordPress with a link from my new site.
I just need to make sure, if I do this, that I can redirect my old home page to the new site so I don’t end up with broken links and tanked SEO.
This creative life and writing life is full of unique challenges. We need a web presence, and because of that, we end up paying out before we even make enough every month to buy a cup of coffee, let alone make a living. The alternative is to forgo being pro and remain or return to hobbyist status, writing for the love of the craft in relative obscurity.
Part of me finds that appealing, as well. Part of me would like to write by hand in a notebook and give up on publishing altogether. But for now, I remain on the field, limping along on my tired feet, sucking air, and hoping to score one of these days.
If, one day, readers come to ShelleyBurbank.com and it looks very pared down…hopefully they’ll have read this and know what happened.