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WordPress.com in 2026: Debunking the “Restricted” Myth Once and For All

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend tools that provide genuine value to my readers.

If you’ve been in the website-building world for more than a few years, you likely have a specific image of WordPress.com in your head. You might remember it as the “simpler, restricted sibling” of the self-hosted WordPress software—a place where you could blog for free, but where the “real” power was locked away unless you were a developer.

For a long time, the advice was simple: “If you want to use plugins, you have to host it yourself or pay for the most expensive plan.”

As of April 2026, that advice is officially obsolete.

WordPress.com has undergone its most significant transformation yet, opening up its most powerful features to every single paid plan. Today, we’re breaking down the four biggest myths that are still keeping people from experiencing the most robust managed hosting environment on the market.

Myth #1: “I can’t use my favorite plugins on lower-tier plans.”

The Reality: This was once the biggest point of friction, but it is now a thing of the past. Every paid WordPress.com plan now includes access to the full library of 50,000+ plugins.

Whether you are on a Starter, Explorer, or Creator plan, you can now install the tools you actually need.

Want to use Yoast SEO to rank your hobby blog? Go ahead.
Need WPForms to collect leads on a basic business site? It’s included.
Looking to add a specialized gallery or a security firewall? The door is wide open.

You no longer have to “upgrade to unlock” basic functionality. You choose your plan based on your traffic and storage needs, not based on whether you’re “allowed” to use software.

Myth #2: “I’m stuck with a limited selection of themes.”

The Reality: Many users believed that WordPress.com limited you to a small “walled garden” of approved themes. While the platform does offer a curated set of high-performance themes, you are no longer restricted to them.

On any paid plan, you can now upload and install any custom theme you’ve purchased or developed. This includes:

Industry-specific themes from marketplaces.
Custom-built themes from your own designers.
Complete design freedom through Global Styles and CSS customization, which are now standard across the board.

If you can imagine it, you can build it. The “template trap” has been dismantled.

Myth #3: “Managed hosting is just ‘paying extra’ for things I can do myself.”

The Reality: This myth persists among DIY enthusiasts who think that managing a server is “free.” In reality, when you host your own site, you are the Chief Security Officer, the Chief Performance Officer, and the Chief IT Support.

WordPress.com isn’t just a place to store your files; it’s a high-performance engine. By opting for a managed environment, you are getting:

The Global Edge Cache: Your site is automatically mirrored across a global network of servers, meaning it loads instantly in London, Singapore, or New York.
Hands-Free Security: The team at Automattic mitigates brute-force attacks and monitors for vulnerabilities before they ever touch your site.
Automatic Backups: Real-time backups mean you never have to worry about a “bad update” destroying your work.

When you factor in the cost of separate security plugins, backup services, and CDN subscriptions, the “all-in-one” value of a WordPress.com paid plan is actually significantly cheaper than a DIY stack.

Myth #4: “It’s not for ‘serious’ developers.”

The Reality: There was a time when developers felt they lacked the “under-the-hood” access needed for complex builds. Today, WordPress.com has leaned into professional workflows.

With access to SFTP, database management, and GitHub integration on higher tiers—combined with the fact that even basic plans now support CSS customization and font uploads—the platform has become a favorite for developers who want to focus on building rather than maintaining.

WordPress.com vs. The “Old Way” (2026 Comparison)

The Old Perception	The 2026 Reality
“I have to pay $25/mo to use Yoast.”	Use any SEO plugin on any paid plan.
“I can’t change the font on a basic plan.”	Custom font uploads are now standard.
“I have to use their themes.”	Upload any theme you want.
“It’s only for simple blogs.”	It’s a full-scale app and business platform.

Why Now is the Time to Reconsider

The web is getting more complex, but building for it shouldn’t be. The “Myth of Restriction” was built on the limitations of the past. By opening up the ecosystem, WordPress.com has effectively combined the power of self-hosting with the simplicity of managed services.

If you left the platform years ago because you felt limited, it’s time to come back and see what has changed. You might find that the “invisible walls” you remember have been replaced by a wide-open playground for your ideas.

Scale Without the Spend: Why WordPress.com is the Ultimate 2026 Small Business Growth Kit

For a small business owner, a website isn’t a hobby—it’s an employee. It needs to work 24/7 to find leads, book appointments, and sell products.

However, many entrepreneurs have historically felt “trapped” between two extremes. On one hand, you had simple website builders that were easy to use but lacked deep functionality. On the other, you had powerful platforms that required expensive monthly “Business” or “Enterprise” tiers just to install a single piece of custom software.

As of April 2026, that dilemma has been solved. WordPress.com has unlocked themes and plugins for every paid plan. This means you can now build a high-performance business site on a budget that makes sense for a growing company.

1. Professionalism on a Budget: The “All-In-One” Advantage

The biggest hurdle for local businesses—cafes, consultants, landscapers, and boutique retailers—has always been the “functionality tax.” If you wanted a professional booking system or an advanced SEO suite, you usually had to upgrade to a plan that cost three or four times more than the basic version.

By removing this barrier, WordPress.com allows you to keep your overhead low while your capabilities stay high. You can start on an affordable tier and still have access to the 50,000+ plugins that turn a simple blog into a robust business engine.

2. Converting Visitors into Customers

A website that just looks pretty doesn’t pay the bills. To grow, you need tools that drive action. Because plugins are now available on every paid plan, you can implement high-conversion tools immediately:

Essential Business Plugins Now Within Reach:

Booking and Scheduling: Plugins like Amelia or Bookly allow clients to schedule consultations or service calls directly on your site, syncing automatically with your Google Calendar.
Advanced Contact Forms: Use WPForms to create detailed quote request forms, allowing you to qualify leads before you ever pick up the phone.
Customer Reviews: Install TrustIndex or WP Business Reviews to pull in your 5-star ratings from Google and Yelp, building instant social proof for new visitors.
Live Chat: Integrate Tidio or HubSpot to answer customer questions in real-time, significantly reducing bounce rates.

3. SEO: Getting Found in Local Search

For a small business, being on the second page of Google is the same as being invisible. While WordPress.com has excellent built-in SEO, the ability to install dedicated SEO plugins on any paid plan is a game-changer.

You can now use tools like Yoast SEO or Rank Math to:

Optimize for Local Keywords: Ensure your business shows up when people search for “services near me.”
Manage Schema Markup: This tells Google exactly what your business is, your hours of operation, and your price range, allowing for “Rich Snippets” in search results.
Content Analysis: Get real-time feedback on your blog posts and service pages to ensure they are readable and keyword-optimized.

4. The Safety Net: Security and Reliability

Small business owners don’t have time to be webmasters. One of the biggest risks of “DIY” website building is the fear of the site breaking or getting hacked.

By building on WordPress.com’s managed infrastructure, you get the best of both worlds:

Automatic Updates: The platform handles the core WordPress updates and ensures your plugins are running smoothly.
Built-in Backups: If you make a mistake while editing your site, you can “wind back the clock” to a previous version in seconds.
Top-Tier Security: You are protected by the same security team that guards some of the largest websites in the world, meaning you can focus on your customers instead of your firewall.

5. Comparison: How the “New” WordPress.com Saves You Money

Let’s look at the ROI. In the past, a business owner might have paid for a top-tier plan just to get one or two specific features.

Feature	The “Old” Way	The 2026 WordPress.com Way
Plugin Access	Only on “Business” plans ($25+/mo)	Available on ALL paid plans
Premium Themes	Limited or extra cost	Included / Upload your own
Custom Fonts	High-tier only	Available for everyone
SEO Tools	Basic only	Full Plugin support (Yoast/RankMath)

By opting for a mid-range plan and utilizing the now-unlocked plugin library, a small business can save hundreds of dollars a year—money that is better spent on local advertising or inventory.

Conclusion: A Platform That Grows With You

The most successful businesses are the ones that stay agile. WordPress.com has finally created a platform that mirrors that agility. You are no longer penalized for wanting a “smart” website.

Whether you are just starting out or looking to migrate from a restrictive builder, there has never been a better time to professionalize your digital presence.

The WordPress.com Revolution: Why Every Paid Plan is Now a Powerhouse

For years, there was a clear “invisible wall” in the world of managed hosting. If you wanted a simple blog, you chose a starter plan. But the moment you wanted to add a specific feature—be it a custom contact form, an SEO optimizer, or a unique gallery—you were told you had to “go Pro” or upgrade to a high-tier Business plan.

That wall has officially come down.

As of April 2026, WordPress.com has fundamentally changed the value proposition of its platform. Now, every single paid plan supports the installation of themes and plugins. Whether you are on the Starter, Explorer, or Creator plan, you now have access to the same library of 50,000+ plugins that were once reserved for top-tier users.

This is a massive shift for value seekers, hobbyists, and small business owners. Here is why this change matters and how you can leverage it without breaking your budget.

1. The Democratization of the Plugin Library

In the past, the decision to upgrade was often forced by a single requirement. You didn’t necessarily need more storage or “priority support,” but you did need a specific plugin to run your business.

By unlocking plugins for all paid tiers, WordPress.com has shifted the focus from “what you’re allowed to do” to “what you want to build.”

What can you do now on a Starter plan?

Install Advanced SEO Tools: You no longer have to rely on basic settings. You can install heavy hitters like Yoast SEO or Rank Math to fine-tune your metadata and schema.
Build Complex Forms: Need a logic-based booking form or a detailed survey? Plugins like WPForms or Gravity Forms are now fair game.
Enhance Security: While WordPress.com has incredible built-in security, you can now add specific layers like Wordfence or Akismet for hyper-granular control over your site’s perimeter.

2. Breaking the “Upgrade Gate”

For the budget-conscious creator, the “Upgrade Gate” was always a point of friction. Many users felt stuck: their site was growing, but it wasn’t yet generating enough revenue to justify a leap to a $25–$30/month plan.

By providing plugin access on lower-cost tiers, WordPress.com allows your site’s functionality to grow ahead of your revenue. You can build a professional-grade site first, using the tools you need to attract an audience, and only upgrade your hosting plan when your traffic (not your feature list) requires it.

3. Design Freedom: Beyond the Standard Theme

It’s not just about plugins; it’s about Themes and Global Styles. Previously, deep design customization often required a higher-tier commitment. Now, with Global Styles, font uploads, and CSS customization available across paid plans, the “look and feel” of your site is entirely in your hands.

If you’ve ever found the perfect niche theme on a marketplace like ThemeForest, you can now upload and activate it on your WordPress.com site regardless of your plan level. This allows for:

Brand Consistency: Uploading your own brand fonts.
Custom CSS: Tweaking the padding, colors, and margins of any element to get that “pixel-perfect” finish.
Professional Templates: Using industry-specific themes for real estate, portfolios, or restaurants.

4. Five Essential Plugins to Install Today

If you are moving to a paid WordPress.com plan to take advantage of this new freedom, here are five plugins that will immediately elevate your site’s value:

Plugin Category	Recommendation	Why You Need It
SEO	Yoast SEO	Helps you rank higher on Google with real-time content analysis.
Performance	Jetpack	Already integrated, but now you can toggle advanced modular features for speed.
Analytics	MonsterInsights	See exactly how people find and use your website without leaving your dashboard.
Marketing	HubSpot	Manage contacts, email marketing, and live chat to turn visitors into leads.
Design	Elementor	A drag-and-drop builder that lets you create stunning layouts without coding.

5. Managed Excellence vs. The “DIY” Headache

You might wonder: “If I can get plugins on any plan, why shouldn’t I just host it myself on a cheap server?”

The answer lies in Managed Infrastructure. When you use WordPress.com, you aren’t just paying for the software; you’re paying for the peace of mind that comes with Automattic’s ecosystem.

Automatic Backups: You don’t have to worry about a plugin update breaking your site; the system handles the safety net.
Global Edge Cache: Your site is served from data centers around the world, ensuring fast load times for every visitor.
Pre-configured Security: The platform filters out the vast majority of brute-force attacks before they even reach your site.

Final Thoughts: The Best Time to Start

The “Value Seeker” no longer has to compromise. By opening up the plugin and theme ecosystem to every paid plan, WordPress.com has become the most versatile platform for anyone looking to build a professional web presence without a professional-level budget.

If you’ve been waiting for a reason to move your hobby blog to a professional domain, or if you’ve been feeling restricted by your current plan’s limitations, the wait is over.

Building a Website With the WordPress.com AI Website Builder in Under an Hour

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you sign up through my link, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

If you’ve been putting off building a website because it feels too technical, too time-consuming, or just plain overwhelming, you’re not alone. A lot of people know they need a website, but the idea of starting from a blank page is enough to make them postpone it for months.

That’s why I wanted to try the WordPress.com AI Website Builder for myself.

The promise is simple: instead of starting with an empty template and figuring everything out on your own, you describe the site you want in natural language, and the AI helps generate pages, layouts, and copy to get you moving quickly. You still control the final result, but you skip a lot of the friction that usually slows people down in the beginning.

I tested it to see what the experience was actually like, how fast it felt, and whether it could genuinely help someone go from idea to live site without getting stuck.

Here’s how it went.

Why I Tried the WordPress.com AI Website Builder

There are two big problems most people run into when building a website:

They don’t know where to start.
They don’t want to spend days figuring out design, structure, and wording before anything is even live.

That early-stage friction is where a lot of good ideas stall out. You may know you want a site for your business, personal brand, services, blog, or portfolio, but turning that idea into an actual website can feel like a bigger project than it needs to be.

The WordPress.com AI Website Builder is designed to make that first step easier. Instead of forcing you to make every decision up front, it helps you build momentum quickly. You tell it what kind of site you want, what you do, who it’s for, and the tone you want to communicate. From there, it generates a starting point you can refine.

That “starting point” matters more than people realize. Once you can see pages, headlines, sections, and a visual structure in front of you, it’s much easier to edit and improve than it is to create everything from scratch.

If you want to check it out yourself, you can start here: http://wordpress.com/ai-website-builder

My Goal for the Test Site

For this walkthrough, I imagined a simple website for a freelance consultant. I chose that because it’s a common real-world use case: someone who needs an online presence, wants to explain what they do, share a bit of credibility, and make it easy for people to get in touch.

I kept the brief straightforward:

a clean, professional site
a homepage
an about section
a services section
a contact page
clear, friendly language
a modern look without feeling overdesigned

In other words, the kind of site a lot of people need, but often delay building.

Step 1: Describing the Website in Plain Language

The first thing I noticed was how approachable the process felt.

Instead of being thrown into a complicated setup flow, I was able to describe the kind of website I wanted in plain English. That’s one of the biggest advantages here. You don’t need to think like a developer or designer. You just need to explain your idea clearly.

I entered a prompt along the lines of:

I want a professional website for a freelance marketing consultant. It should feel modern, clear, and trustworthy. Include sections for services, about, and contact. The tone should be friendly and confident.

That’s it.

No code. No wrestling with page structures. No staring at a blank editor wondering what headline to write first.

This is where the speed benefit becomes obvious. The AI helps translate your rough idea into a real site structure you can work with.

Step 2: Watching the Site Take Shape

Once I submitted the prompt, the builder generated a website draft with pages, design direction, and text already in place.

What stood out to me was that this wasn’t just random filler slapped onto a template. It was a usable starting point. The site had a clear layout, sections that made sense, and messaging that matched the business type I described.

It felt less like “the AI did everything for me” and more like “the AI helped me get through the hardest part faster.”

That’s an important distinction.

The tool doesn’t remove you from the process. It gives you momentum. You still review the content, adjust the structure, rewrite what doesn’t sound like you, and make the final decisions. But you’re doing that from a built foundation rather than from zero.

For most people, that’s the difference between launching something and endlessly procrastinating.

Step 3: Reviewing the Generated Pages

The draft site included the kinds of pages I’d expect a basic service website to need.

Homepage

The homepage had a hero section, short supporting text, and calls to action. It gave the site an immediate sense of direction instead of forcing me to think through layout hierarchy from scratch.

About section

There was space to explain who the business owner was, what they do, and why they do it. This is one of those sections many people struggle to write, so having a first draft was genuinely helpful.

Services section

The builder created a structure for presenting services in a clean and readable way. Again, it wasn’t final copy I’d publish untouched, but it gave me a strong framework to edit.

Contact page

This is simple, but important. A lot of websites fail because they don’t make the next step obvious. Having a contact page already built into the structure keeps the site practical.

Overall, the generated content was a solid first pass. I’d still want to customize the wording and make sure the details accurately reflect the real business, but that’s exactly how this should work. The AI gets you moving; you shape the final version.

Step 4: Editing and Refining the Content

This was the part I was most curious about, because a fast start only matters if you can actually take control afterward.

The good news: you can.

I went through the generated pages and tightened up the copy, adjusted headings, and simplified a few phrases so they sounded more natural. I also made small structural changes to better fit the kind of consultant site I had in mind.

That’s one of the key strengths of this experience: you stay in control .

The AI doesn’t lock you into its suggestions. It helps you get a working draft live faster, and then you can refine the site however you want. That makes it useful for people who want guidance without giving up ownership of the final result.

This is especially valuable for small business owners, freelancers, creators, and first-time site builders. You may not want to design every section manually, but you probably do want your website to reflect your voice and goals. This setup supports that.

What I Liked Most About the Experience

After going through the process, a few things stood out.

1. It removes blank-page paralysis

Starting is often the hardest part of building a website. The AI builder makes that first step much easier by turning an idea into a draft site quickly.

2. It feels accessible

You don’t need technical skills to begin. If you can describe your site in normal language, you can get started.

3. It’s built on real WordPress.com

This isn’t just a disposable mockup. You’re building a real website on WordPress.com, with the platform handling hosting, security, and updates. That matters because it means you’re not just experimenting — you’re creating something you can actually grow.

4. It saves time

Going from concept to a site structure in a short amount of time is a real advantage, especially if your biggest obstacle is getting started.

5. It’s collaborative, not hands-off

I appreciated that the experience still leaves room for your judgment. The AI helps build with you, not instead of you.

A Few Honest Notes

No tool should be treated like magic, and I don’t think that’s the right expectation here either.

You’ll still want to:

review the wording carefully
make sure the messaging reflects your real offer
personalize your pages
add your own images, details, and brand voice
refine any areas that feel too generic

That’s normal.

The real value of the WordPress.com AI Website Builder is not that it instantly creates a perfect website with no effort. It’s that it dramatically lowers the effort required to get a quality first version in place.

For many people, that’s exactly what they need.

Who I Think This Is Best For

Based on this test, I think the WordPress.com AI Website Builder makes the most sense for people who want a website but don’t want the usual friction of building one from scratch.

That includes:

freelancers
consultants
service providers
creators
bloggers
personal brands
small business owners
anyone who has been delaying launching a site

It’s particularly useful if you already know the general purpose of your site but need help turning that idea into pages, structure, and copy.

Final Verdict

My takeaway is simple: the WordPress.com AI Website Builder makes it easier to go from idea to website without getting overwhelmed.

What I liked most was the combination of speed and control. The AI helps you generate a site draft quickly, but you’re still building a real WordPress.com website that you can edit, shape, and grow. That makes it practical, not just impressive.

If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to build your website, this kind of tool can help remove a lot of the hesitation. You don’t need to have every word or every design detail figured out before you start. You just need a clear idea of what you want to create.

From there, the builder helps you get moving.

WordPress New Editor Review

WordPress has released a new editor called “Gutenberg”. While WordPress should definitely be applauded for its new innovation, personally I find it more convenient to just use the Classic editor instead. Perhaps it is just a matter of habit. Basically, I find the learning curve not justified for basic blog posts. I would need to see a truly impressive application of the “blocks” in order to switch over to the new editor.

WordPress New Editor Disable

If you search on Google, one of the most popular search terms is actually “wordpress new editor disable”! This shows that many people are actually trying to disable the new WordPress editor completely! Personally, what I do is I first create a new post (by default it is the new editor), save post, and then edit it using the Classic Editor.

Do vote in the poll above and it would be interesting to see the results!

WordPress Twenty Ten Theme Replacement

WordPress Twenty Ten Theme Retired

The WordPress Twenty Ten Theme was my favorite for a long time. However, it is now retired, meaning that it is no longer updated or supported by WordPress. Hence, it is recommended to switch to a newer theme.

WordPress Theme similar to Twenty Ten

I find that the Twenty Sixteen theme is quite similar to Twenty Ten in terms of layout. It has the signature top header as well as right sidebar classic layout. After much consideration and testing out other themes, I decided to switch to the Twenty Sixteen theme!

It does take some time to get used to the theme. The theme has a very clean and minimalistic look. In fact, the only downside I would say is that the 2016 WordPress theme is a bit too minimalistic, there is not enough colors other than white.

How to turn your blog into a book

This is something quite interesting. Possibly a very good idea for many bloggers — kill two birds with one stone (write a book while developing a blog).

Source: How to turn your blog into a book (WordPress)

We know many of you love your blogs, and gleefully publish photos and posts without thoughts to reuse your work in other forms. But we know some wonder: could this be a book? Recently we wrote about how a WordPress.com blogger scored a book deal for You Are Not So Smart. But what if you want to do it all yourself?

As a blogger who has authored several successful books with publishers, and who works on WordPress.com, I recently self-published a book based entirely on posts from my blog. I wanted to see what I could learn, and I’m here to share it all with you.

The book I self-published is called Mindfire: Big Ideas for Curious Minds. It’s a collection of my best essays from my WordPress blog at scottberkun.com, where I write about ideas, creativity and leadership. The book has done well, and has often been in the top 100 books on philosophy and other categories on amazon since it was published.

There are four questions I often get asked by other bloggers.

1. How do you shape a blog into a book?

This is the wrong way to start. A book is a different reading experience than a blog, and to “shape” a blog into a book assumes words are like clay, where you can shove them into any shape you like. A book is a longer reading experience, and every chapter, or every page, needs to line up in a readable way with the others. It will take some effort to rework material written for a blog to fit well together as a book. Don’t start with the assumption you’ll include every single post on your blog, or keep them in the chronological order they were written.

The first step is to make two lists: possible posts and possible concepts. You might discover a book concept that’s strong, but you only have 10 or 12 posts that fit. That’s ok. You can always choose to write more. Of course the theme of your entire blog could be the theme for a book, but consider other concepts too.

I went back to the beginning and made a list of posts that might be good enough to include. I made a separate list of possible book concepts. One concept I saw in some of my posts was intelligent provocation: asking big questions and offering intelligent and entertaining answers. I filtered the list based on that concept, and arrived at 45 possible posts. Then I hired an editor to help refine the list, and the result was 30 posts that, while all written independently, fit together into an excellent read.

There are services like Blurb or Blog2print that will take your WordPress.com blog and build a book from it. If your WordPress blog is self-hosted, and not on WordPress.com, you might take a look at Anthologize, a plugin that automates the process of converting your blog into an e-book. But these services do nothing to shape your work into a great read. No software can do this for you. There is an enormous distance between a ‘book’ and a ‘book someone will enjoy reading’ and that distance is closed only by your hard work.

Plan to take a draft version of your book and ask people to read it. Ask for feedback on improving the order of posts, or which posts don’t fit. You’ll notice people expect tighter and more careful writing in a book, compared to reading posts online. It’s acting on this feedback that makes the difference between a book that feels like a book, and a book that feels like a bunch of random posts thrown together. Revise posts, or write new material, to develop the book into a singular strong narrative. I asked for volunteers on my blog for people to give feedback on the drafts and their input was a key part of making the book so strong.

2. How do you actually (self) publish a book?

To go the traditional route, you’ll need to reach out to publishers or agents and try to find one that’s interested. This takes significant effort beyond writing the book itself. In all cases, traditional or self-published, the hardest part is writing and editing an excellent book. If you’re dedicated to your book, self-publishing can allow you to focus your energy on making the book better, rather than in searching for someone to give you a chance you can give yourself.

If you already have a well edited manuscript, you are most of the way there: the technical parts of self-publishing are surprisingly easy. You take your complete manuscript, after it has been copyedited and reviewed by an editor, and convert it to a PDF. With a PDF in hand, there are many services that will convert your PDF to a print or digital book for you.

For Mindfire, I used Lightning Source for the print edition, and a service called BookBaby to manage the digital editions. These services list the book on amazon.com, and it can be purchased like any other book on amazon.com, including Kindle, iBook and other digital versions. It doesn’t cost much: maybe a few hundred dollars. If you choose to only produce a digital version, it can be much cheaper.

The more work you do, the cheaper the services are. If you are willing to hire your own editor and cover designer, or do those tasks yourself, and take care of details like getting an ISBN number, you can user services like Lightning Source or CreateSpace to simply print and distribute he book. But if you want to hire people to help you, services like CreateSpace and Lulu.com let you pay them to take care of many steps on your behalf.

3. Why would people buy a book if the content is free on the blog?

The rise of the iPad and Kindle have proven the demand for longer reading experiences, experiences longer than what the web provides. A compilation of your work offers a deeper experience than what people get through your blog alone. Blogs are fantastic for small to medium length reading experiences, but to consume 40 or 50 posts without interruption, posts that are chosen to fit together on a specific theme, you need something else. A book is a better experience for this kind of continuous reading.

A book gives you an object demonstrating your talents to potential clients, business partners or anyone in the world you wish to impress. Since a book is often perceived as being a greater accomplishment than having a blog, it can be a stronger invitation to a new reader to give your work a try. It also allows your fans and friends to buy copies of your book to give to their friends as gifts: it helps them help you spread word of your work.

4. How can I use my blog to help the book succeed with the book?

If you involve your readers as your produce the book, they will naturally help spread word when it’s done. Using polls I asked my readers to help pick the title, to give feedback on several rounds of cover designs, and many other decisions. This attracted new readers curious about how books are made, and allowed me to collaborate with my readers on the book, increasing their interest in seeing it finished and released.

It’s counterintuitive, but giving the book away for free for a time helps a new book, and your blog, tremendously.

First it rewards your regular readers – who deserves a free copy more than your regular readers? The free give-away helps enlist them to reach out to their networks to bring more people to your blog for the first time. I gave Mindfire away for free for 48 hours, and had over 10,000 people download the book. It’s true my blog is popular, but many of those downloads were by people who had never heard of me before. My great fans on my site helped spread word on twitter and Facebook of my free offer, spreading my reach for future blog posts and books. I still give 1/3rd of the book away for free as a preview for anyone who wants to give it a try.

5. What’s the first step to take?

You’re a blogger: start by blogging about it. Ask your readers if they’re interested in helping you work on a book. Post your list of book concepts and see what they think. Perhaps there’s an author, editor or designer who reads your work that can lend their expertise. Take a careful look at the work you’ve already written and start thinking about what concepts might match.

Pinterest RSS Feed

Just testing my Pinterest RSS Feed. Set up a Pinterest account long ago but did not use it. Apparently Pinterest is useful for SEO, even more useful than Instagram which is mainly for branding. This is because Pinterest has backlinks pointing back to your original website.

Pinterest URL: https://www.pinterest.com/mathtuition88/

For testing, I will just upload this logo created using a free logo maker (https://www.freelogodesign.org/).

Mathtuition88 Logo

Connect RSS feeds to your Pinterest business account and automatically create Pins from the content on your website. When you update your RSS feed, your content will be added to your boards as Pins within 24 hours.

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Maths Tuition Blog

We have revamped our Maths Tuition Blog at: https://mathtuition88.blogspot.com/.

It now features a “sticky” Home Page that showcases some useful JavaScript Apps. We have also increased the font size for easier reading.

For instance, our most popular App is the App to calculate JC Ranking Points: https://mathtuition88.blogspot.com/2015/03/calculate-uas-points.html.

Half a Million views

Mathtuition88.com has hit half a million views! 505,224 views to be exact.

Thanks for all the support by the readers and subscribers!

“latex path not specified” WordPress LaTeX Bug

Recently, there is a “latex path not specified” WordPress LaTeX bug, it is very weird. Some LaTeX expressions will get rendered and some will not. Will have to postpone my math blogging till it is fixed. Worst case scenario is I have to abandon this blog and move to Blogger (http://mathtuition88.blogspot.com) if the issue remains unfixed.

Testing: $x$ , $y$ , $z$ , $e^{i\pi}+1=0$ .

Hope this bug gets fixed soon. If anyone knows the solution to solve this bug, please inform me in the comments below!

Note: Thanks to Professor Terence Tao who has replied in the comments below and shown us a link where there is ongoing discussion about the highly mysterious “latex path not specified” issue.

The Mystery of the Sine of Nines, and a Math Olympiad question whose answer is 2015

Here are some of the latest updates back on http://mathtuition88.blogspot.com.

These two are highly recommended to view: The Mystery of the Sine of Nines, and a Math Olympiad question whose answer is 2015.

By the way, if you are looking for a good iPhone 6 case, do consider the iPhone 6 Case, Spigen Slim Armor Case for iPhone 6 (4.7-Inch) – Metal Slate (SGP11169). I just purchased it from Amazon, and it is working well. Looks quite good quality too. By the way, buying from Amazon is much faster than buying from the Spigen Singapore website. (see the reviews of the Spigen SG Website at Hardwarezone) Amazon delivery is always fast and reliable, even when shipping from a faraway place like the US.

iPhone 6 Case, Spigen Slim Armor Case for iPhone 6 (4.7-Inch) – Metal Slate (SGP11169)