Writers in the Storm

Last Fall we started the WriterStrong series to delve deeply into the strengths writers must have for strong careers.

Social media and internet savvy is part of the job requirement for today's authors.  Today's post gets to the nitty-gritty on one important aspect of your author website or blog.

Jami's two-part series of how-to tips will help make you "TechStrong" (plus we've got a great deal for WITS readers at the bottom of this post!). Part 1 is here today, Part 2 is at her place tomorrow.

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Tech Talk: What’s a Hosting Company and Why Are They Important?
by Jami Gold

“Writers should have a website and blog.” If you’ve been around agents, editors, or other writers online, you’ve probably heard that advice. We need to have an online home, get our name out there, and start building a marketing platform. Great, but where do we start?

Many writers start with blogging platforms they’ve heard of from others: Google’s Blogger (also known as Blogspot) or WordPress.com. Both are free and relatively easy to set up.

They also come with strings, as any free service does. (Note the recent announcement that Google Reader is going away July 1st.) When a service is free, you’re the product, not the customer.

Author, Meet Hosting Company

Some writers decide they’d rather have more control over their site. They want to “own” their site, they want to use plugins for more functionality, they want to sell things, or they want more customization. In those cases, I recommend using the WordPress.org platform (as opposed to the free WordPress.com platform—.org versus .com—yes, it’s confusing *sigh*) on a self-hosted site.

Self-hosted? Does that mean we’re running our site from a server in the corner of our office? Nope. This is where hosting companies come in.

Unlike the basic Blogger or WordPress.com options, self-hosted sites aren’t free because we have to pay a hosting company to store the data for our site.

The hosting company keeps their servers in an internet data center, hopefully with heavy-duty air conditioning, power, and internet connectivity, so our site won’t go down every time someone sneezes.

Think of the Blogger and WordPress.com sites as renting an apartment where you have to follow the landlord’s rules. In contrast, self-hosted sites are like owning a home, with all the freedom and responsibility that comes with that situation.

It’s Our Responsibility to Pick a Good Hosting Company

The freedom of the self-hosted route means we can run into all kinds of trouble. Unlike Blogger or WordPress.com, where they don’t allow any customizations that could threaten security, self-hosted sites have no limits.

A bad plugin could crash our site. Hackers can look for vulnerabilities because the WordPress.org software is not only free but “open source”—that is, freely available to anyone.

As with anything, freedom comes with responsibility.

• We should check the ratings and comments of plugins before we install them.
• We should use strong passwords.
• And perhaps most importantly, we should choose a hosting company that’s worthy of our business.

Remember, this post is Part One of my explanation about hosting companies.

Part Two will be on my blog tomorrow (Thursday, March 28^th), where my tech guy will share a list of things hosting companies can (and probably should) do to keep their servers—and thus your site—secure.

My tech guy is a certified “white hat hacker,” and part of his job is to think the way bad guys do so he can fix server-wide problems before they occur. That expertise is just one of the reasons I chose TechSurgeons.com as my hosting company.

Note: Super-duper Tech Guy is also teaching a class on Internet Privacy and Security for Authors tomorrow night that I think every writer would benefit from. Details here.

How Do I Know What to Look for in a Hosting Company?

Other things we can look for include:

• Do they install the WordPress software for you? This is the difference between your hosting company emailing you with a link to your site along with your user ID and temporary password versus having to download the software, unzip the file, create a database, rename files, edit files, upload files, and run the installation script yourself. Um, yeah, I’ll take option number one, thanks.
• Do they do at least daily backups? Backups of your site are essential. They keep hacking attempts, us accidentally blowing up our site (*raises hand* been there, done that), or any hosting company server issues from becoming a major problem.
• Can they help you register your domain (the yourname.com web address) with “Whois shielding”? All information you provide when registering your domain name—including your home address—becomes public information unless you have Whois (i.e., who is) shielding.
• Do they offer URL forwarding? If you want to forward visitors from an old domain name to a new domain name, your hosting company might be able to help.
• Do they offer email accounts? Want your email to be yourname@yourname.com? If your hosting company offers email, this is easy.
• Can they help you move your site from Blogger or WordPress.com? Depending on the hosting company and the situation, they might be able to move the old database for you, give you tips or support on the move, and/or help with URL forwarding so your old blog now points to your new one. Every situation is different, so no hosting company can guarantee a certain level of service for every customer.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been blogging about whether we need a website and a blog, why I recommend WordPress over Blogger, and what elements we should have on our website.

In addition to tomorrow’s post about security at hosting companies, stop by my blog over the next couple of weeks for insight into when we should stick with the free WordPress.com option or when we should invest the money for a WordPress.org self-hosted site.

If you’re considering setting up a website or blog for the first time, I’m offering two workshops at the end of April. Registration is currently open for these two workshops designed for those with no knowledge of WordPress, websites, or blogs. Interested?

Writers In The Storm readers can use Promo Code “jamisave” to save $5 on registration. Here are the details about each of the workshops:

• For a free website/blog (WordPress.com): “Develop a Free Author Website in 60 Minutes (or Less!)”
• To set up a website/blog you own (WordPress.org): “A Newbie’s Guide to Building a Self-Hosted Blog or Website.”

Did you learn something new about hosting companies? Do you use one? If so, have you had any issues you'd like to share? Does your hosting company offer other services not listed above? Were you aware of issues (like your personal information being visible) when you register a domain?

Jami will be hanging out in the comments section to answer your questions, and she might be able to convince Jay Donovan, her tech guy, to stop by too. :-)

About Jami

After triggering the vampire/werewolf feud with an errant typo, Jami Gold moved to Arizona and decided to become a writer, where she could put her talent for making up stuff to good use.  Fortunately, her muse, an arrogant male who delights in making her sound as insane as possible, rewards her with unique and rich story ideas.

Fueled by chocolate, she writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy tales that range from dark to humorous, but one thing remains the same:  Normal need not apply.  Just ask her family—and zombie cat.

Find Jami at her blog, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

by Jenny Hansen

There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.
~W. Somerset Maugham

Novel writing isn't for sissies.

I know we've talked about this before. I've even brought you people like Margie Lawson, Susan Mallery and Stephen J. Cannell who know way more than I do on the subject.

However, since this is Spring, it felt right to step out of my happy little pre-published cozy zone and share my "3 Writing Commandments."

We'll see if y'all agree (or disagree) that these three babies will help you keep your sanity while you go through the long, often lonely process of penning your stories. Just so there's no ambiguity, I even put them in my order of importance. *drumroll please*

Commandment #1 ~ Thou shalt not quit.

"The only way to guarantee failure is to stop trying."

Susan Mallery was the one who really brought this home to me in the talk I linked to above (just click her name). She freely admitted to being "an OK writer who didn't give up until she became a good writer."

Note: In my humble opinion, she's a damn good romance writer at least 95% of the time and I don't think you can ask for more than that in this business.

All the writers I know, except a few tentative ones who worked hard on their craft before they put their babies books out there, were rejected for years...

• By agents and editors they really, really wanted
• In contests they wanted to place in
• By critique groups
• By family members and friends who pooh-poohed their dreams

Did they give up?? No they did not.

They kept learning and working until the doors that were previously closed inched open. Maybe those doors only opened a teensy little crack but, like the prisoner who digs for freedom one spoonful of dirt at a time, these writers kept writing.

Our own Laura Drake went through 13 years of rejections before her door opened. Here's her post on the subject: 5 Things I Wish I'd Believed Before I Sold.

Commandment #2 ~ Thou shalt not adopt nonsensical rules.

The only rules that matter are the ones that work for you. Really. Truly. I promise.

I'm not saying you don't need to have great Craft and good structure. I believe you do. A novel without structure is a paper brick you'll end up heaving under the bed with your dustbunnies.

Those of you who've been at this for a while probably shake your head over your early work. This is what beta readers and critique partners are for, so you don't throw that brick onto Amazon before you know better.

The point of this commandment is you must write your stories in a way that allows you to finish them. Period.

It doesn't matter if you're surrounded by linear, plotting writers. If YOU aren't linear in your process, nothing -- not rivers of chocolate or jiggy dancing tunes -- is going to lure you to The End of that book.

No magic potion will help you zoom straight through to the end using "someone else's methods" because you can't. Your brain doesn't work that way. It works your way.

Learn good craft, but above all learn your own process! Part of why I'm unpublished is it took me so damn long to figure out I'm a scene writer. I don't write straight through a book. I simply can't do it.

And -- important side note here -- I was hung up on that silly, stupid, stopping "S" word: Should. *boo-hiss. throws virtual tomatoes*

I HATE that freaking word. It has wasted a boatload of my time.

What I can do is build a basic structure to work in, even though I write my scenes out of order. (I know all you organized linear peeps just got the heebie-jeebies over that last sentence.)

Here's how it works for me:

• I lay out some character sketches - often in the form of short stories.
• My critique group helps me hash out the basic 3-act structure and turning points.
• I scribble up a list of all the scenes I know (sometimes this takes a few sessions).
• I write those scenes as they come to me, with an approximate idea of what comes before and after each one.
• I stitch it all together later.

Diana Gabaldon and Lorna Landvik write like this too, which makes me feel better since I love their books.

Writing like my linear pantser friends gave me nothing but frustration and bad self-esteem.

Using other peoples' processes ensured that somewhere between page sixty and one hundred, I'd start moaning to the Writing Gods about what a failure I was. My old ways guaranteed that I'd grow bored with my books because I never progressed past the beginning of the second act.

My way lets me see pages pile up and allows me to participate in challenges like ROW80 and Fast Draft. Plus, now that I've figured out "my system," I've got about 9 books to finish. Sweet!!

This leads me to my third point, and the one I'm working madly at right now...

Commandment #3 ~ Thou shalt finish thy books.

I wrote a post called The Most Important Writing Lesson I Ever Learned about a conversation I had with my pal, Natalie Hartford.

Quick excerpt:

No one has a masterpiece on the first run. The key is to start writing. Remember, done is better than good, my friend. You can make your “done” into “very good” MUCH easier than you can make a little bit of good stuff into a finished novel.

We went on a bit longer, but basically this conversation was about fear. Like all writers, Natalie was floundering out of the gate because she felt like she had to get some “BIG IDEA” to run with.

There’s only like six story ideas on the planet so we all need to chill and just write. And never, ever forget that “done is better than good.”

If you’re staring at your blank screen and need brainstorming ideas, you might also enjoy this post.

One last thought:

Part of the writing pain that led to Commandment #2 was good old fashioned fear. It's hard to make rational decisions about your story when you're scared.

The best post I've ever read on dealing with this kind of fear is called Talking Back To Your Brain. Susan and Harry Squires wrote it here at WITS. I'm not going to say too much more because you really need to click that link but here's an example:

We’re not asking questions like: How can I make this a better book? Too big, too vague, and way too scary.

We’re not asking negative questions such as, “Why isn’t my heroine likable? A really long list of answers will just be depressing.

Keep it small (one scene, even one paragraph, one character, one action, etc.). Then let your brain work.

That's the kind of advice that helps me stay sane during this crazy writing process.

Do you have some hard and fast "writing commandments?" What are they? What's guaranteed to take you in the other direction and hold up your forward progress? What's your position on the "S" word?

Jenny

About Jenny Hansen

Jenny fills her nights with humor: writing memoir, women’s fiction, chick lit, short stories (and chasing after the newly walking Baby Girl). By day, she provides training and social media marketing for an accounting firm. After 15 years as a corporate software trainer, she’s digging this sit down and write thing.

When she’s not at her blog, More Cowbell, Jenny can be found on Twitter at JennyHansenCA and here at Writers In The Storm. Every Saturday, she writes the Risky Baby Business posts at More Cowbell, a series that focuses on babies, new parents and high-risk pregnancy.

As the March blog mistress here at WITS, I'm taking a page out of my personal blog's playbook and marking the beginning of Spring with a celebration of you.

You're going to get the chance to come out and play in the comments section today.

[Hey! I saw all you introverts go diving under your desks. You can come out now.]

Let me explain...

We're doing what I call "Pimp & Promote." We try to do this once every few months at More Cowbell and it's a habit I originally picked up from Chuck Wendig.

Note: if Chuck's name is unfamiliar, you are seriously missing out.

For those who are new at this…Pimp and Promote means you go down to the comments section and:

1. Promote: share one thing that you’re proud of (i.e. a new book, an idea, a blog).

2. Pimp: Do the same for someone else whose work has lit you on fire this week.

I'll get this party started with a quick PROMOTE of Susan Spann, one of our monthly contributors here at WITS. Susan has been sharing her experience as a legal expert in intellectual property, business and publishing contracts with all of us here at WITS for several months and we are grateful.

Not only is Susan the author of the Shinobi mystery novel, Claws of the Cat, coming in July from St. Martin's Press, she is also a literary attorney and a strong champion of author rights.

I've learned a ton from both her Author Business Plan series and her Publishing Decisions series. Plus, I attended her seminars on author contracts at last month's WANACon. When I need to have a publishing contract of any type looked at, Susan will be my go-to gal.

For my PIMP, I'm going to give a shout out to 4 amazing bloggers and one writing contest that have made me happy this week.

Below is a post from each of these rockstars:

• Cate Russell-Cole - Writing Rocket Fuel: Writer's Markets
• Marcy Kennedy - 3 Things Writers Need To Understand About Designing EBooks
• Kristen Lamb - How Being Tired Can Make You a Better Writer (Oh, thank God!!)
• Gene Lempp - Gene's Writing Resources make me want to genuflect every Saturday
• The Judy Blume Voices competition from the West Coast Posse

A note about the Judy Blume Voices competition:

The Judy Blume Project aims to become an anthology of moments and memories of the many people on whom Judy Blume had an impact growing up.  Good or bad, touching or funny:  WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICES!!

Write about what Judy Blume meant to you, either when you were navigating the turbulence of adolescence, or stories about your own kids (catch any of them reading Forever??).  Don't be shy, and please don't feel like you have to be a writer to submit.

WITS wouldn't be what it is without all of you and this post is our small way of letting you know how much we appreciate your readership. Y'all rock our world.

Now it's your turn to try this "Pimp and Promote" business!

Feeling a little woozy at the idea of putting yourself out there? Here...take one more sniff of your flowers...

Don't be shy if you're new at this. We'll hold your hand...and approve your comments. You are encouraged to oooh and aaaah over each other's links and then pimp a little more. :-)

On your mark: You, comments, go...Pimp and Promote!

Happy Friday,
Jenny

About Jenny Hansen

Jenny fills her nights with humor: writing memoir, women’s fiction, chick lit, short stories (and chasing after the newly walking Baby Girl). By day, she provides training and social media marketing for an accounting firm. After 15 years as a corporate software trainer, she’s digging this sit down and write thing.

When she’s not at her blog, More Cowbell, Jenny can be found on Twitter at jhansenwrites and here at Writers In The Storm. Every Saturday, she writes the Risky Baby Business posts at More Cowbell, a series that focuses on babies, new parents and high-risk pregnancy.