Q: What is My Writing Network?
A: My Writing Network was created by author William Kowalski in order to give writers of all types and backgrounds a way to begin establishing an online platform and promote their work for free. My Writing Network aims to give writers all the tools they need to create a fully-functional website. Democratizing the web is the value that drives us. We share the belief that anyone who wants a website should be able to have one, for free.
Q: How do I actually create a site?
A: After you visit our signup page and go through the very short signup process, you will be the owner of a website that uses the WordPress content management system (CMS). What happens next is up to you. You will provide all the content of your site, and you can also design it to look like whatever you want. You have many free themes to choose from, and several more are available in our Professional package upgrade. If you don’t know how to use WordPress, there are many instructional videos provided for you, free of charge, accessible through your dashboard. Because WordPress is such a popular CMS, there are also hundreds of thousands of videos available on YouTube for pretty much any question you might have about it. If you need additional help, you might also want to take advantage of our Flat Rate Starter Package, which will get you up and running for about a hundred dollars.
Q: But I’m not a programmer or a web designer, and I don’t know the first thing about WordPress. Is this really a good fit for me?
A: If you can surf the internet, use email, and use a word processor, you already possess all the fundamental skills you need to use a WordPress site. It’s just a question of building on those skills little by little until you can accomplish the things you want to do. We’re here to help, and there is a massive WordPress community on the internet, too. They’re nice people, and they love to help.
Q:There are lots of free website providers out there. What makes My Writing Network special?
A: My Writing Network offers a huge value to writers at no cost. It’s a free platform designed to help writers promote their work online as easily as possible. In keeping with the philosophy of democratizing the web, we believe that no one should have to pay to make their voice heard or to take advantage of all the internet offers. In addition, we are in the process of creating a global creative community, where writers can help each other get their words out, teach each other about self-promotion, and offer encouragement, among other things. We give you the tools you need and the support you need to use them. You take it from there.
Q: How many sites can I have?
A: In theory, you can have as many sites as you can manage. We have stringent anti-splog (spam blog) settings in place, so there are limitations on how many new sites can be created. But if you need more than one site for your own purposes, you are more than welcome to have them.
Q: Can I use my site to make money?
A: Absolutely. That’s one of the primary reasons My Writing Network was created. MWN takes no cut of anything you earn.
Q: Do I have to be a writer to have a site?
A: What is a writer, anyway? In our opinion, it’s anyone who has an interest in writing. That’s it. Love to write? Here, have a site.
Q: Can I move an existing website here?
A: It depends on what kind, but probably. Check out Tools–>Import in the Dashboard. There you can import the content you’ve already exported from your old site. If you need help, let us know.
Q: Will I ever have to pay for this site?
A: No. Your website at MyWriting.Network will always be free, and the features you have at signup will always be free, too. We offer various upgrade packages to our members, but they are completely optional. Your site will function just fine without them.
Q: Will my information remain confidential? Are you going to spam me if I sign up?
A: My Writing Network doesn’t actually have any of your information, beyond the email address you provided when you signed up. We will not use that address to send you spam. When we need to communicate with you, we will likely do so through the dashboard of your site. We don’t know anything about you other than your username, your email address, and what you choose put on your website.
Q: Who owns the things I put on this site?
A: You do. You have to abide by the same copyright laws as the rest of us, of course, but the real point is, My Writing Network never assumes any ownership of your content. Your work is your own, and so is your content, unless you stole it from someone else, in which case you’d better watch your back. If you have more questions about this, please be sure to read our Terms of Service.
Q: Will my site ever disappear?
A: Barring a zombie apocalypse, an electromagnetic pulse in the atmosphere, or a Trump presidency, no, it will not disappear. Of course, like all earthly things, it’s temporary in the broader, cosmic sense. In a million years, it probably won’t be here, for reasons we cannot predict. But then neither will we, so let’s not worry about that. Your site is permanent and will not be removed for any reason, unless you violate the Terms of Service.