diff --git a/config.py b/config.py
index 1066fb0..bbb20e4 100644
--- a/config.py
+++ b/config.py
@@ -78,9 +78,10 @@ def init():
     USER.datadir.mkdir(mode=0o755, exist_ok=True)
 
     if not USER.settingsfile.is_file():
-        with open(USER.settingsfile, 'w+') as the_file:
-            the_file.write("[User Status]\nlastlogin = 0.0\n\n[User Settings]\nbrowser = lynx")
-
+        with open(USER.settingsfile, "w+") as the_file:
+            the_file.write(
+                "[User Status]\nlastlogin = 0.0\n\n[User Settings]\nbrowser = lynx"
+            )
 
     if not is_readable(USER.datadir.stat().st_mode):
         print(
diff --git a/data.py b/data.py
index f336c5b..ace7728 100644
--- a/data.py
+++ b/data.py
@@ -158,7 +158,13 @@ class LinkData:
 
         new_post_id = -1
         if record.category:
-            new_post_id = max([record[0] for record in self.link_data if record[0]]) + 1
+            if self.link_data:
+                new_post_id = (
+                    max([record[0] if record[0] else 0 for record in self.link_data])
+                    + 1
+                )
+            else:
+                new_post_id = 1
             record = record._replace(ID_if_parent=new_post_id)
             self.link_data.insert(0, list(record))
             self.generate_category_data()
@@ -190,7 +196,11 @@ class LinkData:
         if keyword == "":
             raise ValueError("a search keyword must be specified")
 
-        query = (record for record in self.link_data if keyword.lower() in str(record).lower())
+        query = (
+            record
+            for record in self.link_data
+            if keyword.lower() in str(record).lower()
+        )
 
         if query:
             search_results: set = set()
diff --git a/linkulator.py b/linkulator.py
index ce41ce1..77f03cc 100755
--- a/linkulator.py
+++ b/linkulator.py
@@ -24,18 +24,23 @@ categories: list = LinkData.categories
 
 def print_categories():
     """Prints the list of categories with an indicator for new activity"""
-    print("\n{:>4s}  New  {:<25s}".format("ID#", "Category"))
+    header = "\n{:>4s}  New  {:<25s}".format("ID#", "Category")
 
+    out = ""
     for i, record in enumerate(categories):
-        print(
-            "{:4d}   {}   {} ({})".format(
-                i + 1,
-                "x" if record["last_updated"] >= config.USER.lastlogin else " ",
-                record["name"],
-                record["count"],
-            )
+        out += "{:4d}   {}   {} ({})\n".format(
+            i + 1,
+            "x" if record["last_updated"] >= config.USER.lastlogin else " ",
+            record["name"],
+            record["count"],
         )
 
+    if len(out) > 0:
+        print(header)
+        print(out)
+    else:
+        print("\n There are no posts yet - enter p to post a new link\n")
+
 
 def print_category_details(view_cat):
     """produces category detail data, prints it to the console. returns dict
@@ -90,7 +95,9 @@ def print_thread_details(post_id) -> tuple:
         raise ValueError("Sorry, no thread found with that ID.")
 
     # get replies data
-    replies = sorted([line for line in link_data if line[3] == parent_id], key=lambda x: x[2])
+    replies = sorted(
+        [line for line in link_data if line[3] == parent_id], key=lambda x: x[2]
+    )
 
     # post detail view
     print("\n\n{:<17}: {}".format(style_text("Title", "bold"), post_title))
@@ -173,6 +180,7 @@ def search():
                 # Catch a Post ID that is not in the thread list or is not a number
                 print("\n{}\n".format(style_text("Invalid entry", "bold")))
 
+
 def view_link_in_browser(url):
     """Attempts to view the specified URL in the configured browser"""
     if which(config.USER.browser) is None:
@@ -443,7 +451,12 @@ def main():
     py_ver = str(sys.version_info[0]) + "." + str(sys.version_info[1])
     py_ver = float(py_ver)
     if py_ver < low_py_ver:
-        raise Exception("Must be using Python " + str(low_py_ver) + " or higher.  Instead you're using " + str(py_ver))
+        raise Exception(
+            "Must be using Python "
+            + str(low_py_ver)
+            + " or higher.  Instead you're using "
+            + str(py_ver)
+        )
 
     signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, signal_handler)
     args = sys.argv[1:]
diff --git a/tests/data_test.py b/tests/data_test.py
index f9c5854..1cb586f 100644
--- a/tests/data_test.py
+++ b/tests/data_test.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 """unit tests for the data module"""
 import unittest
 import unittest.mock
+from unittest.mock import mock_open
 from time import time
 import data
 
@@ -214,5 +215,45 @@ class TestLinkDataSearch(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(link_data.search("keyword"), test_results)
 
 
+class TestAddLink(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Tests Add method of LinkData class"""
+
+    @unittest.mock.patch.object(data.LinkData, "get")
+    def test_add_to_empty_db(self, mock_get):
+        """Tests adding to an empty db as per issue #76"""
+        link_data = data.LinkData()
+        mock_get.assert_called()
+
+        link_data.link_data = []
+        test_record = data.LinkDataRecord(
+            username="testuser",
+            timestamp="1000",
+            category="test_category",
+            link_URL="test_url",
+            link_title_or_comment="test_title",
+        )
+
+        with unittest.mock.patch("builtins.open", mock_open()) as mock_file:
+
+            result = link_data.add(test_record)
+
+            mock_file.assert_called()
+            self.assertEqual(1, result)
+            self.assertListEqual(
+                link_data.link_data,
+                [
+                    [
+                        1,
+                        "testuser",
+                        "1000",
+                        "",
+                        "test_category",
+                        "test_url",
+                        "test_title",
+                    ]
+                ],
+            )
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()