Blogging is very easy – once you get the hang of it. It’s important that everyone involved in this project has the same general skills so that each post maintains a high visual standard. I will try and breakdown every element of blogging from adding images, to videos, to understanding the toolbar and even dealing with random kinks. If you have any questions about blogging, comment on the bottom and I will add that info. This page will be updated frequently so keep checking and make sure to bookmark it as a reference point. Thanks so much and hopefully this helps, whether you’re a beginner or advanced blogger.

When you log in (if you do not have a log in please e-mail info@laidthebook.com) You will see “Posts” Add new on the left. Once you click that your posting homepage will pop up. Below is the toolbar for all the tools you’ll need to make your post unique, interesting and attractive.

BEFORE YOU POST ASK YOURSELF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1. Does my post contain a video or image? This is a MUST. Some kinda visual element must be added to your post please.

2. Does my post have uneccessary spaces? Make your spacing consistent, it looks sloppy when you’ve got no white space or too much. To double space in your post, press enter. To single space press shift + enter.

3. Does my post contatin spelling errors? There’s a spellcheck in your toolbar so no excuses here peeps.

4. Did I include any tags in the right sidebar? Tags are a MUST - that’s how you get people to find your post. Add as many tags as possible but please at least one per post. (a tag tells the internet what your post is about so when someone types in “Madonna” sites that have tagged the word “Madonna” show up in the search list)

5. Did I choose a good category? Under the tag section it asks you to choose a category – click all that apply. If there isn’t a category listed that you want e-mail it to me and I’ll add it immediately.

5. Did I add my signature to the post? At the bottom of your post please add your name/ alias. Then highlight your name and link your own site or link the contributor’s page on the blog (http://laidthebook.com/blog/contributors/). If you’re going to link the contributor’s page please make sure the name you signed with matches the name you used in your bio.

6. Did I use all of the toolbar options applicable? There are cool options on the toolbar to spice up your post.

From top to bottom and left to right

Welcome to Blogging : this is the title of your post
Permalink : this is the link name of your post (leave this as is)
Upload / Insert : this is where you add an image/ a video from your computer/ music from your computer
B : Bold Text
I : Italics text
abc : this is where you can use the strikeout tool (I find this tool only comes in handy when I’m trying to be sarcastic, e.g. I’m so not sorry)
•– : bullet list tab
1– : numbered list tab
” : if you want to quote something this indents on either end so your quote will stand out
the three indentation options (we all know these)
the links : the linked chain means add a link and the unlinked chain means break the link you created
: this is a GREAT tool. If your post is super long add this and it will give the reader a “read more option.” This way your post can be as long as you want without it taking up too much space. Use this if you’re posting  a long article/ story/ or a lot of pictures
ABC : this is spellcheck
Small Coloured boxes: this makes your toolbar smaller/ larger
Paragraph: Click this and it gives you options for different font sizes
U : underline your text
- : another indentation option (justify. p.s. don’t use this)
A : text colour
Two clipborads : when you are going to paste text from the web or word do not simply paste it into the body hit one of these buttons. It formats the text for the blog, if you paste text directly from an outside source it will not match the rest of the blog’s font
Eraser tool: another option. Paste foreign text into the body, highlight it and then press the eraser tool. That will format it for this blog
Film Strip: Add media (music/ images/ video)
Upside down horseshoe: add cool characters like ? or ? or ? to your post
? : indent left
? : indent right
swooping arrow to right : undo
swooping arrow to left : redo

Adding Images to your post

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You should try and add an image or a visual component to every post you create. Because of the nature of the blog layout your images should not be wider than:
6.5 inches aka 468 pixels. (your images should be no bigger than ?)

If you do not have an image editing program or anyway to shrink your image that is okay! When you’re adding an image just click LARGE (that is formatted to shrink and image to 6.5 in width).

You also do not have to always add an image from your computer. You can take it right from another website.

1. Right click on the desired image
2. Press Properties at the bottom
3. Copy the website address from “location” (it should end with .jpg)
4. Go to add image in your post tool bar
5. Click “From Url”
6. Paste the address into “Image Url
7. Hit “Insert into Post”

Adding Videos to your post from Youtube or Vimeo

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I know that you can add original videos from your computer but please don’t. It takes up too much server space and slows the blog down. Just upload the video to youtube or vimeo then embed the video onto your post. How do you embed? Great question!

1. When you go to youtube on the left grey sidebar, copy the code beside the word “embed”
2. Then click customize and choose a border colour (choose red). Then choose the size (if you are posting a video of yourself choose 445 width and 364 height
   if you are reposting someone elses’s video 340 width and 285 height)

3. Then go to the blog, create new post and paste the code into html. After pasting the code go back to “visual” and you should see your video there. DO NOT PUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN CODES INTO THE HTML section it will mess up the entire blog. All text and visuals must be plugged into “Visual”  

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