Welcome (back) to the New and Improved PoetryBooksYA!

So… Hi There!

I know I’ve been away for awhile, and for a good reason. I crossed over from Blogger/Google to WordPress, a fully self-hosted website!

It’s been a long 2 month process, and I’ve cried, screamed, had breakdowns, and gained a lot of advice from a few fellow bloggers. I’m proud to re-launch PoetryBooksYA as my own creative writing website.

How I Went from Blogger to WordPress

I worked with WP Beginner for them to setup the initial blog content from Blogger to WordPress, a 2-week process. At first, I was caught a little off-guard because I had to pay for the domain and web hosting, but it made sense because I own that property. Then, I allowed WP Beginner access to my WordPress dashboard to add the finishing touches to the website.

I got caught off-guard again when I realized I had to do the bulk of the website rebranding myself. It was a challenge to put it all together. Luckily, I had the amazing and super-sweet Sophia from Bookwyrming Thoughts guide me on some of my decisions.

Being on Blogger for six years brought me some of the greatest moments of my life that I’ll never forget. I’ve enjoyed my time there as a way to focus on books, reading, my writing journey, and making blogging friends. But as I’m coming into my seventh year, I decided to change it up and take a leap of faith. WordPress is a better platform for me because it’s easier to work with, more people know that than Blogger. And I think I’ll get more out of it. Thanks to the internships I had a few years back, I know how to use some of the WordPress features. I’ll miss Blogger, but it’s time to move on, which is exactly what I did.

My Content: What Will Change and Stay the Same

Most of my content will stay the same. I’ll still write about books and reading, but I also some other things you might not know about me. Like how I’m a huge fan of BTS; I’m basically an ARMY member for the past 3 years! (V is my bias, by the way. RM and Suga are my bias wreckers.)

I also want to talk about my career transition from retail for four years, to a local library for the past 2 months. I think this job perfectly ties into my love for books and reading, with my skills in customer service and communication. Considering that I got it in the middle of a pandemic, I’m grateful that I get to start over in a smooth transition.

The Patreon

I also started a Patreon page! It’s the same name as this blog, and I treat it like an extension of my website. I share my poetry, snippets of short stories I’m currently working on, and provide editing services. I launched in January, and I needed to have this as an area to expand my craft.

If you haven’t read my Patreon introduction or want to read it again, visit HERE for more details.

Thanks for your support: John Reid

Mental Health Journey

I also want to talk more about my mental health journey, and how it’s been doing. Especially since this corona-BS is going on. I started therapy back in November 2020, and it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions and self-awareness. Another post I’d written last year was about the 17 books and music that helped my mental health. It was the first of many moments that I knew my mental health was an ally, instead of a monster I needed to run away from. Granted, I still have bad days where I’m anxious as shit, but I’m grateful for my therapist and family for always being there.

Where Do We Go from Here?

I’m so excited for this new journey to take place. I have a few upcoming posts coming up that I’m happy to write about. Hopefully, you all are coming along with me on my transition too.

Thanks for reading!