How to load a post:
- Go to http://www.writerunboxed.com/wp-admin/. Log in.
- You are now in the Dashboard. At the top-left is a tab labeled Posts. Hover over it, then choose Add New. You are now on the Add New Post interface. It defaults to Visual editor, but if you are more comfortable working in HTML, there is a tab that allows that option (top right of input box).
- Type or paste your text (from a Word doc) into the blank input box. Hover the cursor over the icons above the input box to give you options like embedding links and photos.
- Think about where a good break might be in your text, following an enticing intro to your essay (aim for 400-500 words before you make a break). The fifth box from the right above your input box is a code, Insert More Tag, that will insert the “read more” break into your text, visible once your post is published: .
- On the right, choose any applicable categories to label your post. “Craft,” “Business” and “Real World” are the three most commonly used categories. Add relevant tags.
- Save your draft.
- At the top right is a Publish box. Within that box is a calendar alongside the words Publish immediately. Click the Edit link to the right of that, and use the features there to properly date and time-stamp your post. Please use a time-stamp of 0700 for your posting day. Click OK; your post is now time-stamped. (We highly recommend that you load your essay at least 24 hours before your posting day.)
- Hit the Schedule button, then click View Post to make sure everything is kosher. That’s it!
We love imagery on WU. To load a photo:
- Find a photo that captures the vibe of your post, your brand and/or is eye candy. We recommend Flickr’s Creative Commons community, which requires only that an attribution be given. TIP: You’ll have the best luck finding an “artsy” WU shot by doing the following:
- Starting on the advanced search page at http://www.flickr.com/search/advanced/, enter some terms you think relate to your photo, then select the box at the bottom of the page that says, “Only search within Creative Commons-licensed content.” Click SEARCH.
- Scads of photos will likely show up on the next page. They’re automatically sorted by relevance, however, you can change that if nothing catches your eye and sort instead by the photos level of interest (gauged by Flickr users). This will help you to home in on the most visually intriguing photos. To make the switch from sorting by relevancy to interest, look for this at the top-left of your search results page: Sort:Relevant Recent Interesting. Choose Interesting, and you’re good!
- Click on your chosen photo. In the lower right corner in the gray screen surrounding your photo, you’ll see an arrow pushed against a line; this is the download symbol. Click that to view all sizes, then choose the size whose first number is closest to 500. Dowload to your computer, but don’t yet close the photo. You’ll need the photographer’s name/credit for your post.
- Back in your post, click on Add Media. Drag the picture file onto the screen from your computer, or upload it conventionally.
- While still on the media screen, add your details. In the “caption” space add “photo by” and add the name of the Flickr photographer. Where it says “link to” choose “custom URL,” and add the URL of your Flickr photo.
- If your picture is a portrait-style shot (taller than it is wide), please size it to about 300p wide (the first number will be 300), then align it on the opposite side of the previous post’s image. If your picture is a landscape-style shot (wider than it is tall), size it to about 500 p wide, then center the shot. Now click “Insert into post” at the bottom of the page.
- Last step: Below the category and tags selections on the right-hand side of your post, please select, “Set feature image.” You’ll once again see your photo in the media library. Click it. (This is the image that our mobile-device users will see when viewing the main page of Writer Unboxed via their phones.)
- Back on the dashboard for your post, click update. You should be good to go!
Add Tiny Coffee:
If you’d like to participate in the Tiny Coffee program, which enables visitors who read your post to leave you a ‘coffee tip,’ if so inclined, please be sure to leave the Tiny Coffee code at the bottom of your post. Here’s how you do that: simply surround the word coffee (all lowercase) with brackets at the end of your post. When you do, the following will appear.
Wish you could buy this author a cup of joe?
Now, thanks to tinyCoffee and PayPal, you can!
It’s that easy.