Blogging Lessons of 2016

Ah, the learning process.  ‘Tis fun.  2016 was basically year two of the blog.  The sequel if you will.  So what was 2016 like for this little pocket of internet?  Well, that’s a weird question, but content is awesome so here’s an answer!

The Blog:

In 2016, the blog saw about 320 new posts (down from 2015, but I also went to bed at 8:00pm way more often in 2016.  Toddlers, man).  Interestingly, only three posts written in 2016 made the top ten most read for the year.

The site experienced somewhat of a viral hit in “Steampunk Airship Name Generator” after a Steampunk convention’s Facebook page shared it.  That traffic bled into the persona generator, which held enough interest for most to lead to the top post originating in 2016: The Steampunk Villain Generator.

I have a habit it seems.  I’m thinking this year’s generators will include monsters and housing in a steampunk vibe.

Lesson learned: People like fun things that don’t take too much time.  This post is not one of those things.

The truly bizarre hit for the year was a post I wrote in March, 2015; “Chili and Cinnamon Rolls“.  Now, I love the combo of chili and cinnamon rolls and will insist on the combo as often as possible.  However, I did not know why my late night rambling about good food combo came to be viewed every single day of 2016.  Turns out, there’s into the history of the combo.  The interest comes almost exclusively from people using Bing as their search engine and usually typing “chili and cinnamon rolls tradition”.  Google search will take you to recipes and actual historical discussion of the culinary tradition.

Lessons learned: Wow, SEO is a weird creature and Bing will not get you to what you want.

As for 2016’s most read, written that year, not a generator; “I Know a Bad Idea when I have one” So thanks for reading all about the joys of making poor parenting decisions.

Most read bit of fiction: “Behind the Menu” and that amuses me greatly.

2017 will have more jokes, more parenting tales and more calls for seizing the means of production. 🙂  And improved SEO.

Books:

2016 saw the release of His Grandfather’s Ring and Frayed Strings on Barnes and Noble.  Two short stories turned into ebooks and put out for free.  A couple hundred copies of both have been downloaded to date which blows my mind.  Big thanks to all those who read those and shared the tales.

Lesson learned: Write what’s fun.

The goal for 2017 is to get a full length book out and a bunch of smaller stories e-reader ready.

New Stuff:

Hey! I have a shop page. https://shawncowling.wordpress.com/shop/  <—Right there.  My current sales technique is “put a link up and hope nobody is annoyed”.  But! You can follow that link to a other places to buy my books, buy funny coffee mugs, commission writing and…that’s it for now.  For now.

Lesson learned: The internet destroyed cost based barriers to entry for (very) small bussines.  Ecommerce is incredibly easy to get into, but sales is a skill that takes so, so much time to develop.  Maybe I’ll turn a profit by 2021.

2017

What is in store?  Well, beyond books and jokes and class war (even more humorous following a link to cottage industry capitalism), I plan on using more video, more interactive stuff, more non-fiction and a return to serials.  Plans are one thing though.  Execution another.

 

Thank you, dear reader, for sticking with the site through another year.  While I pretend to be good with words, it is hard to describe what your readership means to me.  Narlpof.  Had to make a word up to express the feeling.  Thank you for helping me experience narlpof.  Now onward, to 2017! (Even though we’re already in it. I know, I know.  Time management has not been my thing of late).