Blogging Platform

[Finchbearer]

Hi all, do any of you run a blog? What platform do you use? What plan do you pay for (if any)? I need something that allows for a simple layout, images, text and potentially video links. I’d look to possibly monetise the site.

 

[Aldarion]

I use Wordpress.com's free plan:

War Fantasy

Warfare in Fantasy, History and Science Fiction

warfantasy.wordpress.com

Fantasy View

Blog on fantasy and media

fantasyview.wordpress.com

It allows for monetization, but you have to pay for that. Or you can run affiliate ads.

 

[Gabe Dunston Draws!]

Wordpress free is the typical place to start. Get a paid and hosted Wordpress once you are comfortable, ready, or already making a bit of money. After you get to that point, you'll be wiser and in a better position to know what you want.

I did the Wordpress thing for my comics and blogs back in the day. I did the free, then I did the paid. Learned a lot. Now I am on squarespace. It has all the functionality that I need and the customizability that I wanted.

 

[Prince of Spires]

I've also got a Wordpress site, but I've got my own domain and hosting. It's not too expensive, and you've got a distinct URL. I can move it around as I see fit, without having to worry about having to change the URL if I change where I host the site. I can also do whatever I want with it, without having to worry if I have to pay to get monetization up and running for instance.

Though it should be noted that I haven't updated in a while...

In general though, Wordpress is more or less the default content management system for hosting a blog. It's easy, requires only little technical knowledge, and it's adaptable enough to fit most needs.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

WordPress here, too, with BlueHost hosting. We've had a blog running since 2013, not as regularly as I'd like but still there, and over the years it's calved off several, synced, blogs with followers and everything. We've been trying to close and mothball the oldest one, but it won't die. People keep subscribing so it lives!

So, this is just for comparison. They mostly look alike, with evidence of fiddling here and there. And they all either have the same name or a pun on the name. They're all Terribad Blogs.

The Original - This Blog is Terribad

This Blog is Terribad

The Musings of A. E. Lowan

aelowan.wordpress.com

Tumblr
www.tumblr.com/aelowan

Our Webpage

This Blog is Terribad - A. E. Lowan

This is the official blog for A. E. Lowan, the author of the dark urban fantasy series, The Books of Binding.

www.aelowan.com

Facebook

A. E. Lowan

A. E. Lowan. 245 likes · 10 talking about this. This is the official FB page for A. E. Lowan, Urban Fantasy collaboration. Now available on Amazon.

www.facebook.com

Not one of the Terribad Blogs, per se, but great googly moogly do I talk a lot!

Twitter
Not anymore

TikTok
Spent 7 hours trying to upload a 5 second video of my geriatric Japanese Chin scratching his back and making totally pervy noises. Not going to work on this connection.

 

[Finchbearer]

Thanks all. I opened a Wordpress account just from prior knowledge of the platform, but it’s much changed, and blogging has also changed since the days of Blogger. (Anyone remember those days!) I think I might go straight into a paid subscription and get do my own domain and hosting. A domain comes with the subscription with WP, but there might be a cheaper option out there. Depends if I go for .co.uk or .com too.

Plan is to link the blog on an Instagram page if just to drive traffic. I don’t really want to get back into Instagram, but it will increase views. If I only follow and engage with my own niche then it limits going down the rabbit hole.

I used Squarespace back when it first came out really post-grad but found it too expensive for what I making for my self employed work, and it only ran in USD, so pretty useless for me.

 

[Rexenm]

I went through a blogging faze. It was easier back then, with blogger - then they changed the interface. I never really got that invulved, but with the look, there was a good community of like-minds at that stage. It was about famous statues. I had a cool one of Lucifer, on the banner.

 

[Finchbearer]

Yes the old days of blogging definitely felt like a community. This was all before Facebook and Instagram.

 

[Jennifer Luke]

Hi all, do any of you run a blog? What platform do you use? What plan do you pay for (if any)? I need something that allows for a simple layout, images, text and potentially video links. I’d look to possibly monetise the site.

Hey! Yeah, I've worked with bloggers before. For a simple layout with images, text, and video links, I'd recommend WordPress or Wix. Both are user-friendly and have a range of customizable templates.

If you're looking to monetize your site, you'll want to consider a paid plan. WordPress offers a free plan, but you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan (starting at $4/month) to remove ads and get more features. Wix has a free plan too, but its paid plans (starting at $14/month) offer more storage, bandwidth, and e-commerce features.

If you're not tech-savvy, Wix might be a better option since it has a drag-and-drop editor. But if you're comfortable with coding or want more flexibility, WordPress is a great choice.

 

[pmmg]

I have Wix. Its expensive and I am sure I can find one cheaper that will do the same. But...I am lazy about it. I think wordpress is probably the most suitable for not spending and getting something basic going.

PS: I would not call Wix my 'blog', but I could blog on it if I wanted.