The Book Lantern: Blog Discussion discussion

That wouldn't be bad. I'm familiar with CSS and HTML, but not with the Blogger layout. I'm better with Wordpress but I wanted to learn how Blogspot works.

Anyone here an artist? I'm a sucky artist. If no-one else wants to draw the banner, I could do it. I have a wacom tablet.

The lanterns instead of stars might be a bit hokey, but I think it's cute in a way.

Also, on the bottom of their respective posts, does anyone want to leave a picture and their real name with a link to their personal website like they do on graphic design blogs?

Huh, I recognise the individual words, but I have NO idea what you're saying! I know how to post on Blogger, but that's the sum total of my technological expertise. Please tell me whatever you think I need to know in Blogging For Dummies format. Thank you. :)

P.S. I think Blogger lets you host your own url without using the blogspot domain, but I don't know if this is a free service. As in, we could host on blogger, but just be thebooklantern.com

Vinaya wrote: "Huh, I recognise the individual words, but I have NO idea what you're saying! I know how to post on Blogger, but that's the sum total of my technological expertise. Please tell me whatever you thin..."

Ah, it's not really important until we buy a domain--if we buy a domain. That's when you need knowledge of that sort of thing.

If we ever get to the point of needed our own domain, I've done that sort of thing before. My dad used to build websites and stuff. I picked up some of it from him. But we won't need it unless we become popular.

If we want to pay someone for a custom job I'm willing to contribute up to $100 via paypal. Otherwise I'm useless on this subject. Coding is not Lucy's friend. I'm good with some types of graphics, but mostly merging an manips :( It would be sort of cool if we found a deviant artist who would let us use some YA fanart for it, of course crediting and linking to them. They'd get a fair bit of traffic out of it and it would ground the blog in the atmosphere of real YA fans.

Lucy wrote: "If we want to pay someone for a custom job I'm willing to contribute up to $100 via paypal. Otherwise I'm useless on this subject. Coding is not Lucy's friend. I'm good with some types of graphics,..."

I've got a devianart account, blifaloo.deviantart.com

I'd also like to be webmaster. From my experience, FatCow is the best hosting site, much better than GoDaddy. They cost $78 a year for pretty much everything.

I have exactly $0, but I can make up for that with doing the web work. It might even be possible to get money back from this with google adwords. That's up to you though. I'm good for designing and coding, other than that...

Mel is a pretty good artist. And I think a lot of people on deviantart would be willing to let us use their stuff. People love the coverage.

Just give the money a couple of days to clear and tell me what email address to transfer it to. I haz no trust issues.

Huh, the dollar is not Vinaya's friend, thanks to the ruinous exchange rate, but I should be able to pitch in some money by next month or so, once my paycheque clears. I hope that's okay! If there is any non-technological, non-art (apart from stick figures, which I am VERY good at!) way I can pitch in, please let me know.

That's very cool. Another option, if anyone's interested, is buying the domain itself and just redirecting the blog to it. Of course, you run into other issues like domain registration, monthly fees, and the possibility that someone might buy the domain if it gets popular and you miss a day, blah, tech speak, blah.

Anyway, I have no paypal, or online accounts at all, but I'll see if I can use my dad's or set one up myself.

Ideally, what we should do is just stick with the Blogger account for now, until we've generated enough traffic/followers to justify moving to our own domain. I think this is what almost all of the big bloggers I know have done. I suggest we pretty up our site as much as we can within the confines of Blogger, and get started on the actual content. Once we've gotten enough people aware and following us, we can move our website, and see if we can generate revenue for the move via ads, etc.

Also, if we want to start off with just a custom domain on Blogger, as I was suggesting, that only costs about $10. So we'll be www.thebooklantern.com instead of booklantern.blogspot.com I think buying that domain gives us access to some extra stuff, but that's all techno-speak and unintelligible to moi. Cory, you'll have to look into it. If you log onto blogger, go to settings, click on publishing, and hit the link that says 'switch to custom domain', it'll tell you what else is available along with the domain.

Vinaya wrote: "Ideally, what we should do is just stick with the Blogger account for now, until we've generated enough traffic/followers to justify moving to our own domain. I think this is what almost all of the..."

Sounds good to me. If anyone wants a prettier theme than the one I have up, just say the word. I don't think it's ugly, but I can do a few custom things to it. I'd have to look into making a custom blogger theme. I don't know how much different it is from making a Wordpress theme.

I'm not that familiar with PHP, but I think blogger is easier to use than Wordpress. If anyone wants to design a header, I can put it up. If not, I can do one. Or we can leave it be.

I've used blogger and wordpress; blogger is a lot easier to use, hands down.

Uh... if you guys want I could make the background for our blogger group. But you'll have to give me suggestions for the theme. Are we going with Spirited away, just like out display picture?

Or Cory could do it, she makes some damn good pictures and clearly has more photoshop experience.

Mel wrote: "Or Cory could do it, she makes some damn good pictures and clearly has more photoshop experience."

I dunno, you're a better artist than I am. The theme I uploaded doesn't require much customization. I think we just need a good logo. The lantern in spirited away was quite cute.

Just one problem.

I haven't the slightest clue how to work blogger, so that will also take some time.

Can you upload pictures for the background or can you only choose and customize the default backgrounds?

Mel wrote: "Just one problem.

I haven't the slightest clue how to work blogger, so that will also take some time.

Can you upload pictures for the background or can you only choose and customize the default b..."

WAIT! I have the blog set up pretty specific and any meddling with it will mess something up if you're sure you don't know how to work blogger. On this theme, I can't upload a custom background. I can however, add pictures to the side bar and I think I can add a custom header.

Cory wrote: "Mel wrote: "Just one problem.

I haven't the slightest clue how to work blogger, so that will also take some time.

Can you upload pictures for the background or can you only choose and customize t..."

...............maybe you should make the blog design lol. I don't want to fuck anything up.

It isn't that serious, I'd just have to re-arrange a few things. But I'd appreciate it if you made the logo. I'd want a huge header done, but I don't think it's necessary.

Hmmm... how big would you like the logo? Any ideas for it you would like to add?

Maybe 500px by 500px. I don't have any strong ideas on the visuals though.

Okay, I tried but I just ended up creating crap. NYAAAAGAGHRIANALSneedideas. Gimmeideas. Pleaseplease.

Try something similar to the Green Lantern insignia. Only orange, and maybe illuminating a book.

Cory wrote: "Try something similar to the Green Lantern insignia. Only orange, and maybe illuminating a book."

............. I'll try.

Look at this, it's so CUTE!

Vinaya wrote: "Look at this, it's so CUTE!

"

That is... perfect. Can I use it???

Maybe change it around a little so the book's branding is not so visible and obvious? Otherwise, I guess you can use it, it's a free pic, I think :) The Book Lantern - Home to great reviews! LOL!

Earlier, I was thinking that we needed to start tagging our posts. I'm going to do it so all of them will show up under the same tag, but if someone objects, let me know before I start.

I made us a header picture thingy. I hope no one minds if I screw around with the designs a bit. I promise to try and fix stuff I mix up.

Oooh, I like the header design! I'm not so sure about the font, though. Also it (header font) clashes horribly with the blog font, so one of them has got to be changed, I'm thinking!

I'm gonna change it anyway, because it doesn't work with my background idea.

Hey can I make the background an image of books we hate falling into a fire?

I'm loving the header and the font. I'll change the blog font to match. I think the background should remain plain for now though, unless it's something abstract like bokeh. I was messing around with the design a few days ago, and I couldn't get a decent background image for this theme because the background image will remain fixed.

But one again, the header is pretty awesome. What's the font? Cambria or Georgia?

Cory wrote: "I'm loving the header and the font. I'll change the blog font to match. I think the background should remain plain for now though, unless it's something abstract like bokeh. I was messing around wi..."

Uhm... I forgot. It's neither of them, it's a different font.

Jillian -always aspiring- wrote: "The Duck wrote: "I made us a header picture thingy. I hope no one minds if I screw around with the designs a bit. I promise to try and fix stuff I mix up."

:D

I have no words. I'm just grinning ..."

Lol I'm glad it brings the grins. XD