The Genesis
“This is it. This is the beginning of everything. Don’t mess it up,” I thought as I typed furiously.
But questions in my mind had yet to be answered. What does one do for their first blog post? How exactly does one keep from messing it up?
So, I decided to do the smart thing and ask my friends what I should write about. I encountered something odd while creating this site, so my lovely friend recommended I share that anecdote with you as my first post. From the title, you may be pondering a single question.
Who is Johan Smih?
I wondered the same thing myself as I built this website.
I was using a template because I am no coder or graphic designer (at least, not yet), and I discovered a header in the premade template that contained the text “Hi, My Name Johan Smih” with nothing else (aside from a sub-header that boldly claimed he was a “New York Times & International Bestselling Author”).
I wondered for a moment if it was the name of a real author or merely a misspelling of John Smith by the ones who made the template. Regardless, it didn’t matter to me as long as I got his name removed from my website.
This is where my problem began.
Discovering My New Enemy
Johan appeared like this on my page, and whenever I hit edit, he would vanish without a trace. I’m new to using WordPress, so for the life of me, I could not find where this Johan Smih page came from.
For a while, he was my homepage, and I could not rid myself of him. I tried flipping through every option I had available to no avail. Johan Smih was a ghost haunting my site.
I was able to fix my homepage, but then he made his way around to my other pages (namely, my blog and my works). However, I was able to get rid of Johan once and for all.
Or so I thought.
An edit to my blog page brought Johan Smih back with a fiery vengeance. I could not fathom where he was coming from. I didn’t know what I did wrong.
Finally, I found his source. I could terminate Johan’s hold over my page forevermore.
So, I did it without hesitation. In this post, that feels like maybe half an hour’s worth of work. In real time, it took me all day to get rid of Johan’s name.
Johan Smih is the apparition who haunts me. Indie authors, hire a graphic designer or invest in a site builder. It will save you so much time and frustration.
The Moral of the Story
I understand marketing on a budget is hard, especially as a writer, but boy, how I wish I paid someone else to do all my site work for me as I was encountering Johan Smih. I was close to pulling out my hair over this.
However, I didn’t give up. I am stubborn and hard-headed, and I always endure. So, in a way, this anecdote is about overcoming challenges. Even if it feels like a mountain is in your way, with a little faith, trust, and pixie dust, you’ll find your way to the peak.
Never give up!
With all of that said, I think it’s time I finally got down to business and introduced myself and this blog.
Welcome to Cosmic Courier!
You may call me Lumine Starr, and if it weren’t already obvious, I am a writer. I am also a performer. I love to voice act, and I have a passion for video game and anime voice acting. I also love editorial work, so I currently work as a freelance editor. You can learn more about me on my about page.
After a lot of research, I finally decided I was going to start my own blog. “But why?” You wonder, since there are already a million indie authors with a writer’s blog.
That’s exactly the reason! As one of those indie authors, I am constantly looking for marketing on a budget. If I can do it by myself, then I will! Thus, I am starting my own blog to put my writing out into the world and advertise my other work as I do it.
Primarily, I want to use this blog to post lists and reviews for anime, video games, and books that I’m consuming to build a relationship with my readers. I also want this to serve as place where I can post about my thoughts behind my characters and even share character playlists eventually.
Finally, I think running a writer’s blog would be a good way for me to connect with other writers. Friends call me LinkedIn Guy because I love networking, so why would I evade an opportunity to network? It was a no-brainer for me.
So, if you’re interested in anime, games, folklore, faeries, and more? Then, the Cosmic Courier has a delivery just for you!
(Spoiler Alert: It’s more of my yapping.)
Thank you for coming on this silly little journey with me, and I hope you can defeat the Johan Smih of your life too.
