Publishing, and sending
Ghost runs the site; newsletters need a sending provider, because bulk email from a fresh server IP lands in spam folders no matter how well the server is configured.
Why self-host a publication
The list is yours
Members and their email addresses live in your database, exportable whenever you want.
No revenue share
Payments go from your readers to your processor. Nothing sits in between.
It stays cheap as it grows
The invoice is the server, not the number of subscribers on it.
A publication is light
Ghost serves cached pages and is comfortable on the entry tier. Images are what grow, so watch the disk rather than the CPU.
From order to a working Ghost
Pick Ghost as the image
In the configurator, next to the plan and the region.
Point your domain
The certificate is issued once DNS resolves.
Create the owner account
On first visit to /ghost.
Connect a sending provider
Before you send the first newsletter.
Straight answers before you deploy
Technically yes, practically no. A new server IP has no sending reputation and bulk mail from it is filtered. Use a sending provider.
ghost-cli handles them. Take a snapshot first and a bad upgrade costs you a click.
Ready when you are.
Configure a server now. Your account is created right before payment, with the configuration saved.