Overview
In 2010, I launched (and continue to run it to this day) The Digital Reader as a blog, and built it into a publication that regularly breaks industry news, while at the same time I taught myself all the tech skills required to maintain, protect, and update the blog.
What I care about
The first thing you should know about me is that I have Asperger’s. This is why I miss a lot of social cues that most understand intuitively, but it also means that I tend to be obsessively interested in certain topics. I started this blog because I have a special interest in helping people find useful information, and I continue to write things like how-to articles because I want to help solve problems - all kinds of problems ...
What do you get when you work with me?
You’ll get someone who has encountered the same web problems you have, and who has helped lots of people find solutions to their tech headaches. And more importantly, you’ll get the level of tech support you want and need. Do you just want to point me at a problem, and tell me to deal with it? I can do that. Or do you want to pick my brain so you can solve the problem yourself? That works for me too.
If you would like us to work together, please feel free to reach out.
Now, I’m here to help you with my tech skills and experiences: ...What Are My Tech Skills?
My skills are varied, and I tend to pick up new ones all the time as I new projects. My main focus is tech support and fixing existing websites. Some of the things I have done for my clients include:
* moving a client's site to a new host
* taking care of the technical settings for their G Suite email
* setting up BookFunnel integration
* SSL/HTTPS
* speed optimization
* resolving Google search console error messages
* regular plugin and core updates (I also anticipated Gutenberg and added the Classic Editor)
* adding custom buy buttons to book listings
If I can do something to help you, feel free to contact me ...
Services
Fiction
Works with
Work experience
Self-employed
In 2010, I launched (and continue to run it to this day) a leading digital publishing news blog, and built it into a publication that regularly breaks industry news, while at the same time I taught myself all the tech skills required to maintain, protect, and update the blog. Any time something broke, I either learned how to fix it on my own, or by looking over the shoulder of someone I hired. And when I wasn’t learning new tech skills, I was teaching myself how to explain complex technical topics to readers.
In 2016 I took stock of my industry: falling ad revenues, competitors shutting down, and a general sense that my niche had gone stale.
I concluded that I could only continue to run the blog by stuffing it with more ad units, accepting sponsored stories, and generally making my blog an unpleasant place to visit. I didn’t like that idea, so instead I decided to take the tech skills I had mastered during my years running this blog and pivot from reporting the news to providing technical services to authors and small publishers.
Projects
Lisa Lilly
Lilly is an author and writing consultant. She is a client of my website concierge service, where I keep her websites up and running.
Angela Booth
Booth has several websites but not the time or technical skills to maintain them As part of my website concierge service, I upgraded her sites to HTTPS, optimized them for better performance, and continue to provide ongoing tech support including content updates, regularly scheduled security checks, and blog and theme doftware updates.
Prelinger Library
The Prelinger Library is a private archive of early 20th century books and ephemera. I am their volunteer webmaster, and provide ongoing support for their website.
They are a pro bono client of my website concierge service, where I have edited the site's pages so they displayed better, resolved technical issues, and updated the site's decade-old theme.
Johanna Rothman
Rothman is a management consultant with several websites. As part of my website concierge service, I handled moving her sites from WPEngine to Peopleshost, and I also provide ongoing tech support and updates.
Lateral Action
Lateral Action is the site of author, poet, and business coach Mark McGuinness.
I helped Mark update a decade-old site, and then move it to a new hosting company. First we switched it to HTTPS, and then I identified and replaced outdated plugins, tech that modern web browsers no longer support (Flash video, for example), and page elements that could look better (outdated signup forms).
And then at a later time I ported Mark's two sites to WPEngine, increasing the reliability and performance.
Mark is currently a client of my website concierge service. I take care of his website security, updates, and answer any technical questions related to his websites.
Andrew Watts
Andrew has a site built in Divi. I didn't build it originally, but I did upgrade the site with a couple new pages, twaek the formatting and linkage, and fix several performance issues.
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Professionalism
Quality
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DS Q.
Apr, 2019
