I think a website is the best "sandbox" to store, share, and build your output on beads. I'm not quite sure how these canned websites like GoDaddy and WordPress work, but as far as preserving what is there, you have a copy of every text document and every photo you put up there in your computer, so just be sure to make backups of this and other important digital documents on a thumb drive, and keep that somewhere safe - like with your beads, or with your will. Beyond this, everyone who collects things should have a set of instructions, filed with their will, on how to dispose of the material items - and what to do with digital things - to guide heirs who may be more interested in cash.

You are probably making use of only a few features you are paying a monthly fee for - look around for a tutorial on maintaining your own website. Should cost only $100-150/year to register and host a domain.

BUT, I suspect there IS or will be something put together soon. In the coin hobby, some chat boards like BCN have a catalog component which is essentially photos uploaded by members, with their descriptions, and an overworked cadre of volunteer moderators who try to keep these entries uniform, accurate, and organized. . Each entry can host a thread where site members comment, and an algorithmic search ties the threads together. For an example on the fringes (Asian coins, as done by Western collectors & researches) see www.zeno.ru, which was built by a Russian IT professional, initially to showcase his interest in Chinese metal charms - but it grew. There are other sites like this with a more general focus, such as https://colnect.com/en/categories.

At some point you will have enough articles, enough illustrations, and enough focus to produce your Opus, and then you can look around, see how others are getting their bead books published, and perhaps find an academic or commercial underwriter - or look into print-on-demand, another topic entirely.

An interim idea - hook up with a commercial site such as Picard, who already his significant Informational content and good reputation - there's mutual benefit to such an arrangement, as well as pitfalls.