Going Self-Hosted Very Soon

[Yes, I am aware that today is Friday, which means an FF. But because of my extremely busy schedule, I have not had the chance to plan out what to post, and I only want to write quality content. Expect one next week!]

I am going to be going self-hosted.

It’s happening! Very soon, probably in the next couple of weeks. I am guessing you have some questions, so here are a few I thought of.

What host are you using?

I am using Book Host, which is about twelve dollars per month and the product I’m buying comes with these features:

• It is completely free if you get the hosting package [what I’m doing]
• All the posts, comments, pages, menus, and widgets are transferred–which means I don’t have to!
• Free guide on how to transfer subscribers

Pretty awesome, right?

What will your name be?

I am changing it to The Book Hugger. My focus has changed since I started blogging, and my current name just doesn’t work any more. My URL will be thebookhugger.com, unless it is taken already.

Will there be virtual cake?

Glad *you* asked! The first fifteen people to comment on my first post on my new blog will receive:

1. Virtual cake
2. A shoutout on Twitter and my blog
3. A personal, handwritten thank-you note from me, personalized and lovely.

So be sure to comment right away and try to be one of the first fifteen! It will be open for 48 hours ONLY.

Will there be a party/anything special that we can participate in?

Well of course there will be a party…complete with virtual cupcakes, chocolate, and fondue. [Fondue is really cool and fun to eat, am I right?!] And awesome printable party hats that you can take pictures of and share on Twitter with the hashtag #thebookhuggerparty and I will favorite ALL of zem.

I will also make a blog hop [if that’s what it’s called…] that you can participate in! Yay!!!

Along with this fabulous party and blog hop, I will be sharing my past of blogging. Because, believe it or not, I had a few blogs when I was younger. They were horrendous and I never kept up with them, but they seem like something you’d want to see. I will also be sharing a snippet of my hero’s quest novel for school that is very exclusive!

Be on the lookout for that wonderful party, my minions.

Are you excited as I am? I hope so! Share your experiences with self-hosting and any questions in the comments below.

Some Tips and Tricks for WordPress Bloggers

I don’t know about you, but I recently learned that WordPress has many more features I didn’t know about that are [kind of] obvious.

Okay. So the first one is the feature that changes the color and size of the text in a post. I know, I know, you’re thinking, What the heck, Chloe? You didn’t know that? Yeah. I didn’t know that. I thought it came with an upgrade or something. So imagine my surprise when Precious @ Clockwork Desires and Cait @ Notebook Sisters are just like, “It’s the toolbar toggle thingy.”

MIND BLOWN.

The second mind-blowingly ridiculously simple feature is the parent category option for a page. I wanted to clean up my blog a bit [I had A LOT of pages] and remembered seeing on another WordPress blog a drop-down list of sub-categories. I used this, and now my blog is much more organized and clean.

This next feature I’ve known about for a little, but I thought I’d mention it just because.

On many websites, there is a little icon next to the URL/name of the tab that is their blog’s symbol. For example, the Pinterest symbol is a cursive P surrounded by a rec circle, the NaNoWriMo symbol is a red N in a blue block [for YWP], and the Google symbol a lowercase G in white surrounded by blue. You can do this for your WordPress blog, too, for free! It’s really simple. Just go to “Settings.” On that bar, click “General.” At the right of this page, you have the option to upload an image as your blog’s icon. Upload, crop, and voila! You have your own, professional-looking icon.

Next, here is a hack anyone can use.

Many blogs have a button, a symbol with code that can be pasted onto a post or page to advertise that blog. I am not a coder; I know virtually nothing about coding. I looked into some options like paying an experienced coder to do it for you, or just learn it myself. But I wanted something that was free and easy. [God, I sound like a commercial right now. XD] I searched something like “free blog button” and found a blog post that gave a link to a code generator. This code generator is a gem. [Just to let you know, it didn’t work for me once. BUT I AM PAST THAT. IT IS BAE NOW.]

The code generator is pretty self-explanatory, but I decided I’d walk you through the process of designing a blog button and how to put it on your blog, for WordPress users.

Step 1: Find an image creator/editor to design your button.

I use PicMonkey. Many of the features are free and it’s really user-friendly. You can use Photoshop, Photo Director [what came on my computer], or if you have a Mac you probably have something fancy. Paint, which comes on PCs, could work, too. You can also download a free app onto your phone/tablet and email it to yourself later.

Step 2: Decide on the design.

Your button should have your blog’s name. That’s the only requirement. [Or at least, what I think is.] But that would be…boring. So add an image! On PicMonkey, they have several “stickers” you can put on your button. Consider using these! If you want to add a different picture, make sure it isn’t copyrighted. [To be honest, copyright issues aren’t something I prioritize, but you might.] On my blog button, I have six little people reading a book and reacting differently. These are my own images I made using FaceQ, an app I have on my phone. It’s free and really fun to use, so you could consider that!

Step 3: Upload it to the internet.

The code generator needs a link to your image, so you need to upload it somewhere that will give you a link. I use Pinterest, but some other ideas are your blog, Facebook, or Flickr. When I uploaded my buttons to Pinterest, people were actually really interest in them! If you use social media like this, you can publicize your blog. :)

Step 4: Use the Code Generator.

Follow the directions on the generator. You will need your blog’s name, blog’s URL, and the image URL. The second part after that easy information does not need to be changed. Unless you know exactly what you are doing, do not mess with it. There is, however, one exception: the Container Type. This is the first bit. If you are on WordPress, check the box marked “Pre” because WordPress is special.

Step 5: Get your code and paste it into your blog.

Once you have filled out the form, click “Preview” and then “Get Code.” Copy the code. [Highlight it and right-click then select “copy” or highlight and press Ctrl and C at the same time.]

To WordPress users: Go to your blog’s dashboard. Click Appearance, and then Widgets. Scroll through the widgets and select Text. Add it to a footer or sidebar. Paste the text into the text box and click save.

You’re done! :)

I hope this post helped. Otherwise, you can laugh at me. :P JUST KIDDING. Love you and have a fantabulous day/night/whatever!