Backup, backup, backup!

I was tempted to resort to using only paper
and pen after losing three years of blogging.
Instead, I'll start from scratch and backup,
backup, backup! Photo | EKHumphrey

As I look back on my year in writing, I have one regret. Consider this post is a small public service announcement for you to learn from my mistake. 

In September, I put my plans in action to upgrade to my blog. I’ve had a blog since at least 2008, but had rarely changed it up. (The last time was in 2011, which, yes, I know is ancient in terms of a blog!) I like to do these things myself. I learned how to make some tweaks to a WordPress theme and had been troubleshooting my site for years with very few problems. But because things were running so well, I was complacent.

In my upgrade plans, I was going to finally start the email list I had mapped out. I was finally going to follow an editorial plan I have been working on since the spring. But when I went into upgrade my site to a new theme, I did something wrong and wiped out my content.

Every. Post. Is. Gone.

Yes, I had a backup running. But as a DIYer, I had it backing up the technical elements of my blog, not my content. To me, it was the technical elements of the blog that I feared losing as it was (at the time) the part of my blog I feared losing most. Well, until I actually lost the content the same week that I decided I didn’t need the guts of my blog anymore.

I’ve spent several months cursing myself and rebuilding the site. Needless to say, but I’ve learned a valuable lesson: No matter what platform you are using, you should be backing up your content as well as your blog’s database.

Moving forward I will make sure I do both and here’s what I’ve been looking adding into my blogging process:

1. Create each post in Word before adding it to my blog. (I do this for The Muffin posts, but never thought to use the same system for my personal blog.) In this way, I’d also have all my posts in Word, which is an added bonus.
2.  Use an Internet service to automatically save my content. 
3.  Export my blog by hand each time I update the blog (which sounds painful, but I’m sure less painful than losing everything).
4. Continue to automate the backup of the guts, especially with my newly created theme and design I’m still tweaking.
5. Every couple weeks (to a month) schedule maintenance on my blog—and my writing—to make sure that I have all the systems in place so I don’t lose a word.

Did you have any painful writing lesson you learned from 2013? If so, what did you learn that you can share with others moving into 2014?

Elizabeth King Humphrey writes and edits in coastal North Carolina. She wishes you a very Happy New Year filled with your writing dreams—all backed up!

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2 comments backup files, Data Back-Ups, data backup, Elizabeth King Humphrey

Still Time to Set Resolutions

by LuAnn Schindler

We're not quite half way into the first month of the new year, so if you haven't taken time yet to develop a list of writing goals, don't worry. There's still time. But instead of procrastinating (do writers do that?), take a good look at what you accomplished last year and where you want to direct your energies this year.

Unsure where to start? Here are a few ideas I implemented last year and a couple I plan to complete in 2010. Consider it a productivity map.

1. Submission / Time Tracker: I used to keep track of submissions and queries by creating a folder in the document section on my computer. Sure, it showed who I sent it to, but I wanted to be able to use a tracking system so I could list experts and interviewees, possible publications for submissions, type of submission (feature, how-to, FOB), time spent on research and writing, and publication and payment info. I revamped a query tracker previously posted on Premium Green (WOW!'s premium subscription newsletter) and it makes my life so much easier! I've used the system to come up with new article ideas based on information from experts, which increases the bottom line. It's a win-win! How do you keep track of submissions and amount of time spent on each article or work?
2. Data Backup: I need to work on this one. Do you? I have CDs filled with photos and flash drives loaded with documents. Now, I need to get it all in one place. Thanks to the data backup program that came with my laptop, I will now be able to keep all my files safe and accessible. What do you use to backup photos and writing files?
3. Project Deadlines: Do you have a large project that seems like you'll never complete? Don't worry. You're not alone. Unless we writers set a deadline for major projects, we'll likely let them continue throughout the year. That's not healthy for a writer's bottom line. Set deadlines, whether it's writing a set amount of words per day, a certain number of pages, or a certain amount of time. Use a planner or calendar to mark the deadlines. The brain makes a stronger connection and gives a stronger sense of urgency to those tasks we note as being important. How do you track deadlines?
4. Network: Establishing relationships with other writers and editors is important. It's also important to continue to make new contacts. I plan to send three queries to new markets every week in 2010. I also plan to step up my social networking campaign. How will you build or increase your network?
5. Website: Do you have a web presence? About four years ago, I started a website, but I wasn't happy with the design and eventually, I quit adding material to it. And then, I got married and I never updated the site to include my new last name. In 2010, I will create a new website and keep it updated. I'll keep my blogs updated, too. Do you have a website to promote your skills and expertise? If so, what's one new element you can add to market your skills and reach new audiences/clients?
6. Skills: As a teacher, I have to update my repertoire of skills and learn new methods to reach students. As a writer, I have to update my repertoire of skills and learn new methods to reach editors and readers. I'm enrolling in a one-hour credit class for web design and animation. I'm also teaching a writer's workshop for a local community college. How will you improve your skills?
7. Fresh Ideas: Ever feel like all your articles/blog posts/storylines are the same? Challenge yourself by tackling a new subject, writing from a different perspective, or trying a different genre. I've already written a piece and submitted it to a market I never would have considered before. But, once I saw the potential for earning money, I decided to try. And guess what. I enjoyed it! How will you challenge yourself in 2010?

Having a road map for the new year will keep you on the "write" track, push you to try new ventures, and make you accountable for your successes and failures. Set goals for a productive 2010.

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2 comments building new website, data backup, deadlines, goals, LuAnn Schindler, networking, query tracker, setting goals, social networking for writers, time management, writing skills