Maybe it's because I used GoDaddy. I used to purchase my domains through Google directly, but that option no longer exists (Google sold its domain service). Another I bought through NameCheap. It never induced headaches.
I mistakenly purchased a domain for my latest author iteration. The book is a one-off and I'll most likely never write another book under that pen name. Still, on the off-chance that someone buys the book, I wanted to direct them to my website. I created the usual site using Blogger, which is free. So far, so good. In my "About The Author" section in my book I listed my website. After all, I'd already purchased the domain. It was just a matter of connecting it to my pre-prepared site. Blogger gave me the usual error when I entered my custom domain name and provided me with the two CNAME addresses I would need to enter into the DNS section on GoDaddy. No problem.
I copied and pasted the sequences. Then I waited. I knew from past experience that there would be a lag, up to 72 hours. It rarely takes that long, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. But even before the three days elapsed, I intuited there was a problem. On the fourth day, I initiated a chat with GoDaddy.
They're fun...
The first tech I chatted with was on his way to assisting me, but the chat inadvertently disconnected.
I immediately re-initiated and was connected to someone different. Fine. I explained what had happened, knowing that every customer service department maintains records of past interactions. Still, Sinja (or whoever) asked me for my same identifying info, which I supplied. Sinja immediately wanted to up-sell me unnecessary services, but I emphasized that I wanted to solve my problem before I considered those. He took a look at my DNS entries and assured me he would fix whatever was wrong (nothing was wrong). But I was desperate to believe him, so I thanked him profusely and went on my way.
Another three days elapsed. Still, my website was not found. Thus, I swallowed my frustration and contacted GoDaddy again. This time I was connected with a woman (I think). She informed me that my trial subscription would end in one day. Could she help me enroll? What trial subscription, I asked? Apparently the "trial" included a website builder, which was extremely non-intuitive (I'd played around with it when it was first presented to me.) I said, no, could I just get my issue resolved? Ah, yes! she said. No problem. "I'll fix that for you!"
I'd been down this road before, so I asked that if it didn't work this time, could I choose another hosting site and transfer my domain to that? "Oh, definitely, but this will work. Believe me!"
I didn't actually "believe" her, but I thought, hey, it could happen!
It didn't.
So now I'm at an impasse. I couldn't believe my copying and pasting could have possibly gone wrong, but perhaps there was a one per cent chance that something had gotten magically changed between Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. I scoured the internet for a way to retrieve the CNAMES Google had given me, eventually found a way to retrieve them, and it turned out they were exactly the same as the ones I'd pasted into GoDaddy's DNS editor. Still, I re-pasted them.
It's not working.
At this point, I know it's GoDaddy; not me, not Google. And I'm stuck with a useless domain. Could I create a different domain name and use a different domain provider? Well, that wouldn't match what I listed in my book, would it? I suppose I could edit my book contents and insert a different website that I would purchase from someone other than GoDaddy, but the domain I bought is exactly the same as my author name, and now I'm supposed to change that?
Bottom line is, DON'T USE GODADDY. Nothing works and its tech support is useless. I deliberately applied GoDaddy to this post's tags in the hope that someone from the company stumbles upon it, so they will understand the shitty "service" they provide. What galls me is that the two tech people I managed to converse with both ASSURED me that my issue was fixed, when all along they simply wanted to send me on my way and be done with me.
An author site is a lifeline. I don't have a big publishing house backing me. I only have ME.
Just chalk this up to another fucking roadblock in my meager effort to sell books.
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