Poets are a little misunderstood in the modern world. Most people would rather watch the latest episode of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” than read thought provoking poetry nowadays. Nevertheless, poets should have a way to express themselves and share their thoughts with the world. Luckily, they can do so on the web. If you have been looking for a way to get your poetry out there, you may want to create a poetry blog devoted to your work. This is easy to do, and it won’t cost much money at all. Here is a quick guide to creating your own poetry blog so you can get your words out in the open.
Buying a Domain
If you want to have your own legitimate blog, you need to buy your own domain name. The domain name for this blog is CreativityIWrite.com. It is the name that someone has to type into the address bar to get here. You have to come up with a domain name that you can use to reflect your poetry. Note that buying your own domain name isn’t a requirement. You can create a blog for free on WordPress.com, Blogspot, Yola, Tumblr, etc., but those will have long, funky names. If you can spare the money for an actual domain, you will be much better off in the end.
I always use GoDaddy for my blogs because it has the cheapest domains I can find. You can usually look for a coupon code online to get you a domain for $7.49. The exact domain you want may not be available, so you need to have a few fall back options. Look around until you find an option that you like.
Setting Up Hosting
Getting a domain name is only part of getting a website. You also need to set up a hosting account for your domain name. Hosting basically reserves your spot on the web. It is the difference between having a name tag for an event and having an invitation and a table reservation. If you plan on making more than one blog in the future, I would recommend getting a deluxe hosting plan. That will allow you to host as many sites as you want for free as long as you keep up with your yearly payments. Hosting prices will vary based on timeframes and conditions, so you will just have to look around to see what you can find.
Uploading WordPress
WordPress is the easiest blogging platform to use online, and it is really easy to install. If you used GoDaddy for your hosting and domain registration, you can just click on an option to have WordPress downloaded to your site. If you don’t have Godaddy, you will need to refer to the Famous 5 Minute Installation for suggestions on how to get WordPress on your site. Then you will have an administration panel that you can use to upload posts, change site features, approve comments, and more.
Choosing a Theme
Once you have the foundation for your poetry blog in place, you can choose a theme to use for your site. If you have a lot of money to spare, you could invest in a custom theme all your own. Otherwise, you may just want to look at the free themes that WordPress has to offer. There thousands of these to choose from online, so surely you can find one that will work for what you need. Whether your poetry is about the love of your life or about the FBI lifestyle, you should be able to find a theme that works for you.