diff --git a/examples/ssb-client.rs b/examples/ssb-client.rs
index 3c832e4..9df337f 100644
--- a/examples/ssb-client.rs
+++ b/examples/ssb-client.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ async fn run() -> Result<(), GolgiError> {
     let post_msg_ref = sbot_client.publish(post).await?;
     println!("{}", post_msg_ref);
 
+    let post_msg_ref = sbot_client.publish_description("this is a description").await?;
+    println!("description: {}", post_msg_ref);
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
diff --git a/src/sbot.rs b/src/sbot.rs
index 151071d..738fc7b 100644
--- a/src/sbot.rs
+++ b/src/sbot.rs
@@ -39,19 +39,18 @@ impl Sbot {
     /// for the sbot, then retrieve the public key, private key (secret) and identity from the
     /// `.ssb-go/secret` file. Open a TCP stream to the sbot and perform the secret handshake. If successful, create a box stream and split it into a writer and reader. Return RPC handles to the sbot as part of the `struct` output.
     pub async fn init(ip_port: Option<String>, net_id: Option<String>) -> Result<Sbot, GolgiError> {
-        let address;
-        if ip_port.is_none() {
-            address = "127.0.0.1:8008".to_string();
-        } else {
-            address = ip_port.unwrap();
-        }
 
-        let network_id;
-        if net_id.is_none() {
-            network_id = discovery::ssb_net_id();
+        let address = if ip_port.is_none() {
+            "127.0.0.1:8008".to_string()
         } else {
-            network_id = auth::Key::from_slice(&hex::decode(net_id.unwrap()).unwrap()).unwrap();
-        }
+            ip_port.unwrap()
+        };
+
+        let network_id = if net_id.is_none() {
+            discovery::ssb_net_id()
+        } else {
+            auth::Key::from_slice(&hex::decode(net_id.unwrap()).unwrap()).unwrap()
+        };
 
         let OwnedIdentity { pk, sk, id } = keystore::from_gosbot_local()
             .await
@@ -113,6 +112,36 @@ impl Sbot {
         utils::get_async(&mut self.rpc_reader, req_id, utils::publish_res_parse).await
     }
 
+    /// Wrapper for publish which constructs and publishes a post message appropriately from a string.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    ///
+    /// * `text` - A reference to a string slice which represents the text to be published in the post
+    pub async fn publish_post(&mut self, text: &str) -> Result<String, GolgiError> {
+        let msg = TypedMessage::Post{ text: text.to_string(), mentions: None};
+        self.publish(msg).await
+    }
+
+
+    /// Wrapper for publish which constructs and publishes an about description message appropriately from a string.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    ///
+    /// * `description` - A reference to a string slice which represents the text to be published as an about description.
+    pub async fn publish_description(&mut self, description: &str) -> Result<String, GolgiError> {
+        let msg = TypedMessage::About {
+            about: self.id.to_string(),
+            name: None,
+            title: None,
+            branch: None,
+            image: None,
+            description: Some(description.to_string()),
+            location: None,
+            start_datetime: None,
+        };
+        self.publish(msg).await
+    }
+
     /*
     pub async fn publish_post(&mut self, post: Post) -> Result<String, GolgiError> {
         let req_id = self.client.publish_req_send(post).await?;
diff --git a/src/utils.rs b/src/utils.rs
index ba3d65b..70c75e6 100644
--- a/src/utils.rs
+++ b/src/utils.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use std::fmt::Debug;
 
 use async_std::io::Read;
 
-use kuska_ssb::api::dto::{PublishOut, WhoAmIOut};
+use kuska_ssb::api::dto::{WhoAmIOut};
 use kuska_ssb::feed::Feed;
 use kuska_ssb::rpc::{RecvMsg, RequestNo, RpcReader};