A press for novices
Idea. Publishing for a novice, on files they own.
Contents
Why§
I built this site on Zola: plain files, one stylesheet, no server. It took me months. Ghost, Publii and WordPress are easier, but they put the writing inside their own system. A novice deserves the easy path and the ownership together.
A first shape§
Zolapress. A small local app that writes Markdown files with the front matter already filled in, previews the page, and builds the site with Zola. The files stay in a folder the writer owns. Any text editor can open them in ten years.
Open§
- File over app is the principle. What business model holds it up in 2026 to 2030: a one-time price, patronage, a cooperative?
- Where does a novice get stuck first: writing, structure or publishing?
- How small can the app stay?