Your Help Is Needed || Including Blogging Life Decisions, WordPress, Wattpad, and Names

This post terrifies me in ginormous quantities. 

Believe me, I’m shaking in my socks as I write. I am an over-thinker, so I have stewed over these things (which I have not yet mentioned, but you’re seriously curious about now) for copious amounts of time. I SAY NONE OF THIS LIGHTLY.

But what is “it”, you ask? Oh, oh blogglings, I need to talk to you seriously.

You may pause here, collect coffee, perhaps fudge or cake and prepare yourselves.

I propose great changes to come to Notebook Sisters.

Don’t freak out! NOT JUST YET. I know change sucks, and I (for one) am usually entirely opposed. And I’m not saying I will change anything. I actually just want your opinions first because I’m not good at making decisions and to be honest, stewing over these Terrifying Ideas Of Change is stressing me out.

I need input.

That is your job.

I have been thinking about three things:

1. If I should launch into wattpad.
2. If I should move from blogger to wordpress.
3. If I should change my blog name.

I am a writer.

Most of you probably already know I have an agent and we’re editing a book ready to go onto submissions to major publishing houses (cue screaming and flailing here because this is my dream). But. I also write a lot. I mean A LOT. And I also write books that won’t necessarily sell. (Like Peter Pan retellings and lengthy fantasy series.)

I’m considering cautiously venturing onto Wattpad to a) meet and chat with other writers something I don’t get to do very much b) get feedback and input into my writing, c) share a few pages or chapters of stories that tentatively won’t be going anywhere otherwise. I don’t feel like I’d post whole books there at this stage. Just bits and pieces.

But of course: risks. I don’t want my writing to be stolen (which is why I wouldn’t put whole books on there) and I’m terrified of showing anyone my ideas. IT IS SCARY A BUSINESS.

If any of you have experiences (good or bad) with Wattpad, I wish to hear your voices. Like, now.

I would like to blog, probably, forever.

I know lots of established, large, and awesome bloggers are on wordpress. It seems the more “professional” way to go. And I have a brother-in-law who a) does web-designing, b) would do all the change over things for me, c) would launch me into self-hosted-wordpress. I babysit his kids a lot, so he owes me.

(I would also have a url direct.)

Things I Would (Awesomely) Achieve By Moving:
– Standard, easy and awesome commenting platform. That should not freak anyone out.
– I would take all my old posts with me, no worries.
– I would be able to style the posts better (spoiler tags, drop menus inside the actual post, cleaner look with less glitches).
– Professional and sleeker looking site not owned by ANYONE. Just owned by me!

Things I Am (Currently) Freaking About At The Prospect Of Moving:
– Losing my email followers and GFC followers (I would keep the bloglovin’ ones)
– The difficulties of a new blogging interface behind-the-scenes.
– Possible drop in page-views, comments, followers, FABULOUSNESS. Moving would risk everything.

I’m sure there’s more good (and bad) reasons.

Which is why I would dearly love your advice, especially if you a) have moved from blogger to wordpress and you’re experience, and b) if you have sage wisdom about wordpress I should know.

LOWER YOUR PITCHFORKS, MY FRIENDS.

Let me explain, okay? Obviously no I do not hate our current name of “Notebook Sisters”. People know us for this name! (We’re even in the back of Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, in a list of blogs being thanked. Yes! It’s awesome! Fame!) I have successfully branded myself as “Notebook Sisters” literally everywhere.

But.

You might have noticed…there is pretty much no Mime anymore. Things change! She’s very fabulous with school and music exams and socialisation. Ugh. Her life is only going to get more busy, as she goes to university and gets rich and very famous. She doesn’t have time to read. She doesn’t have time to blog. We have discussed it and…look, it’s kind of obvious, but it’s the Notebook Sister these days.

I can’t blog under “sisters” when there’s just me. And let’s face it: you aren’t losing me anytime soon. This is my platform for being a published bestselling, duh, author! Blogging is my favourite.

Name changing will suck. I’ll url redirect so you won’t be going to a new blog…but…BUT IT WILL SUCK. Thinking up a new name? Even harder. Although this is why I have proposed a move to WordPress at the same time. To me, it’s marginally logical. But still doesn’t mean I HAVE to do both.

I also can’t think up a new name.

Here is what I’ve come up with so far:

– Oh Cleverness (as in the Peter Pan who I greatly admire because he never grows up…a life goal of mine quote “Oh the cleverness of me!” I’m dryly sarcastic. This title would be a small joke.)
– Jabberwock (I’ve always loved Alice in Wonderland)
– Lemony (as in Lemony Snicket, perhaps my favourite author of all time, and also a nod in the direction of all things obscure, odd, bitter, and a little bit tangy)
– Muchness (again with an Alice in Wonderland direction)

I’m not sold on any in particular (I like them equally but not overly). But all this deliberation? IT IS WORRYING ME.

Like I said, I too am not fond of change. Getting a new name is the only thing I am 87% positive I will do.

I am 92% worried that changing things will destroy my blog and make me lose you fabulous readers. What? I’m a mild worrier and also dramatic. Writer. Duh. I am 99.84% sure I can’t blog under “sisters” WHEN IT’S JUST ME!

I will not being doing anything too soon (but probably before the end of the year). I have made no definite decisions and I really truly honestly want your input in the comments. Talk to me, peoples. I am ready to collapse with worrisome decisions and curl into a ball and ignore reality for a while. I do not do stress. I do fun. So I would like to get this sorted.

Cait has always struggled naming things. For instance, her first book was titled “The Book” (unfortunately not joking) and she has a book titled “Six” (how’s that for generic?). Naming things like blogs is impossibly harder. She would refer to herself as “Hey you” but it’s already taken. Currently she’s reading STATE OF GRACE and drawing zentangle patterns in her new notebook.