Flavia Guarino

Well…

It has been a very long couple of months. My website has crashed miserably and is now just floating on back ups. I can’t touch it and apparently neither can the tech support team who are meant to be helping. So lots of dilemas later including rather expensive internet accounts later I am off to see a web developer. However, lots of valuable lessons learned through my own ventures and the new site will be up at the end of July and still should be running to all the usual links.

So far I have learned:
1. Do not use a template to create a website unless the website is extremely simple. The template I used was on an out-dated program where only parts of the program were purchased by a bigger company. So…when I reached a dead end with the functions in creating a site, it was more often than not that I was informed that I was at the limit of the program and that if the parts that I needed existed they had not been purchased.
2. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking that large web hosting companies are more reliable, up-to-date or user friendly just because they’re big.
3. When all else fails it’s okay to shed a few tears.
4. Technical help by phone is most difficult to come by. Some help has been brilliant but at other times I was left out on a limb by myself.
5. Best do the job right and get a web savvy web developer to put a site together from the bottom up. Especially if you are technologically challenged…I count myself in that category.

The book publishing has come a long way though and after a few initial set backs I have viewed several proofs and I believe that the last has been finalised!!! So I am planning the first print run very early in August. Didn’t realise how much to-ing and fro-ing there was to be done to polish a children’s book.

It is still very exciting and although my enthusiasm has waned here and there knowing that I am on the home stretch is rather exciting.

Post Note:
Well it’s now October and I have completed the first run of books earlier this month…it has all come together finally…