June was a good month, one in which I put the pedal to the metal.
I could do this because I had each 24-hour period to myself. That allowed me to write 104,447 words, putting me up to 634,531 for the year. I was also able to put up 42 blog posts.
In this post we’ll look back at the month and look forward to what’s coming in July.
I could do this because I had each 24-hour period to myself. That allowed me to write 104,447 words, putting me up to 634,531 for the year. I was also able to put up 42 blog posts.
In this post we’ll look back at the month and look forward to what’s coming in July.
Judiciousness
I’m calling June ‘judicious’ because I got a lot done, a sign I used good judgment. I was very organized and driven and results-oriented. That’s why I was able to double the length of my 5th Montana history book, from around 50,000 words to 100,000 words. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it’s getting there.
I managed to get some good work done for others this month as well, though not much. I kinda scraped by this month, which was extra tough because my wife was out of town and all the food expenses fell to me.
But I got through it, and did a lot of work each day to maintain myself. Yeah, I like doing this stuff, so I’m not bored staying home each day and pounding away on the keys to make stuff that you may or may not buy, or read.
I managed to get some good work done for others this month as well, though not much. I kinda scraped by this month, which was extra tough because my wife was out of town and all the food expenses fell to me.
But I got through it, and did a lot of work each day to maintain myself. Yeah, I like doing this stuff, so I’m not bored staying home each day and pounding away on the keys to make stuff that you may or may not buy, or read.
Stats Mess-Up
I was royally pissed earlier this month when my website analytics went to hell. I wrote about this in a rambling post called Stats, Spats, and History Chats. In the end it took 13 days for the problem to get resolved. During that time I had no idea how many people were visiting my site or reading my articles.
That’s extremely frustrating. One of the ways you can tell what’s working and what’s not is by looking at your analytics report. So for nearly two weeks, I didn’t have that, and it was driving me crazy. I mean, it was telling me a new article was getting just a couple views, even a week after putting it up.
That’s extremely frustrating. One of the ways you can tell what’s working and what’s not is by looking at your analytics report. So for nearly two weeks, I didn’t have that, and it was driving me crazy. I mean, it was telling me a new article was getting just a couple views, even a week after putting it up.
Weebly June 2015 Analytics & Stats Meltdown
I knew that wasn’t right, but what could you do? Thankfully it’s working again, but during that time I got to thinking more of my stats, and who visits this site. I want to know that, because I want to know what to write on this site moving forward.
What to Write on this Site?
Are people interested in the content that I’m producing? I’m not sure, to be completely honest. But my doubts aren’t really good to go off of. Instead let’s take a gander at my website stats.
I can look at Google Analytics and get a really good idea of where people are coming from and what they’re looking at. This is what I know:
So right there, that’s about 55% of my audience, or the traffic to this site. They’re interested in how to get their book cover looking good and which famous people are in Montana. Some of them probably wander in from Google by mistake and quickly hit back. So that’s my site.
I can look at Google Analytics and get a really good idea of where people are coming from and what they’re looking at. This is what I know:
- 25% of my traffic is because of famous Montana celebrities;
- 10% of my traffic is due to eBook covers;
- 20% of my visitors hit the homepage and don’t go anywhere else;
So right there, that’s about 55% of my audience, or the traffic to this site. They’re interested in how to get their book cover looking good and which famous people are in Montana. Some of them probably wander in from Google by mistake and quickly hit back. So that’s my site.
What else do I know?
Cool stuff. And boy…guess most of the political writing I do is a complete waste of time, huh? I pretty much knew that months ago when I ended the 2014 Montana Election Blog. I kept at it, however, and have absolutely nothing to show for my results. From a business standpoint, it’s been both a waste of time and money.
- 68% of my audience is in America;
- 18% of my audience is from Montana;
- 7.6% of my traffic comes from Missoula.
Cool stuff. And boy…guess most of the political writing I do is a complete waste of time, huh? I pretty much knew that months ago when I ended the 2014 Montana Election Blog. I kept at it, however, and have absolutely nothing to show for my results. From a business standpoint, it’s been both a waste of time and money.
Social Media Politics
I put out a new book this month. It’s called Social Media Politics: Using the Internet to Get Elected. I figure it could sell pretty well or flop horrendously.
It didn’t do too well right out of the gate on Friday when I released it, picking up a sale and return, one after the other. Ba-boom – how d’ya like them apples!
After that it picked up another sale. So it’s been bloodied in battle and come back for more, and done well as a result. In acknowledgement of its struggles, the book achieved a rank of #187,503 on Amazon, with a Top 100 genre rank of #36 in Campaigns & Elections. That put me right up there with the Gipper, quite an accomplishment if there ever was one.
It didn’t do too well right out of the gate on Friday when I released it, picking up a sale and return, one after the other. Ba-boom – how d’ya like them apples!
After that it picked up another sale. So it’s been bloodied in battle and come back for more, and done well as a result. In acknowledgement of its struggles, the book achieved a rank of #187,503 on Amazon, with a Top 100 genre rank of #36 in Campaigns & Elections. That put me right up there with the Gipper, quite an accomplishment if there ever was one.
Reviews
I don’t write much about reviews, mainly because I have so few. I did get a real humdinger this past week, however, and I thought I’d share it:
Ouch! I feel a little better knowing they didn’t read the book, Colter’s Winter.
I’ve gotten some bad reviews before. I won’t go into the various books, but I will pull a few highlights off of Amazon:
I’ve gotten some bad reviews before. I won’t go into the various books, but I will pull a few highlights off of Amazon:
Yuck. Strictly a youth book, adults stay away.
Do not waste your time on this mixed up, cliche ridden mess. There is no plot,
It reads as if it were a writing assignment where the author is to use every bad cop cliche, every swear word, and describe in great detail various ways in which a person can die. There is no plot, no character development, and no story development at all.
Unfortunately, this book is nothing but complaints from start to finish.
I normally read a lot before bed but recently have just been going straight to bed because this book is so damn boring it's not even worth me staying awake for.
I found the writing to be clumsy, repetitive and clichéd. The story did not grab my interest.
In several chapters you drone on and on bitching about silly things…gets really tiring after awhile
was really long, boring, and full of inconsequential unimportant details that don't add anything to the story.
So that’s a look at some ‘bad’ reviews. There are only 9 there and I have 108 reviews in total. If you’d like to make that 109, please do – I can take it.
Word Counts
I’m actually getting rid of some of those old word count meters that have been on my site forever. It started with Social Media Politics, a book that was effectively done for the last six months, but which I kept sitting and collecting dust.
I don’t know why – you do this sometimes. Often you’ll get a good draft done and then let it sit. Sometimes it sits a long time. In this case I just needed to go through it, add some images, do some editing, and get a cover made. I did all that in a few days.
Why? I was looking at its folder one day and decided, “let’s get this done.” I mean…why not? Sure, I might not get any sales on it, but it’s another book on the shelf. Besides, it’s a fun book. I was really surprised when I went through it, just at how good it was, how laugh-out-loud fun at times.
I don’t know why – you do this sometimes. Often you’ll get a good draft done and then let it sit. Sometimes it sits a long time. In this case I just needed to go through it, add some images, do some editing, and get a cover made. I did all that in a few days.
Why? I was looking at its folder one day and decided, “let’s get this done.” I mean…why not? Sure, I might not get any sales on it, but it’s another book on the shelf. Besides, it’s a fun book. I was really surprised when I went through it, just at how good it was, how laugh-out-loud fun at times.
I’m glad the book is done, and those word count meters kept me on track. By tracking word counts, I have another motivator.
I need to take the same approach to the other books on the word count meters. SEO 2016 will not be put out until December, I’ll tell you that right now, but the Self-Publishing book will probably be put out at the end of summer. And Flight 370 will be put out soon, as well as my Montana book. Yep, I’m moving again.
I need to take the same approach to the other books on the word count meters. SEO 2016 will not be put out until December, I’ll tell you that right now, but the Self-Publishing book will probably be put out at the end of summer. And Flight 370 will be put out soon, as well as my Montana book. Yep, I’m moving again.
July Outlook
So what am I going to be doing for July?
I think it’s time to finish Flight 370, and I mean that this time. After that, why not finish up Feds and Farmers and push that out the door?
When those two things are done, I think I can do another Sanders McGee Adventure as well as a new book for authors.
Those are much further down the road, as are Dulce Base 2 and Colter’s Hell. If I’m lucky I might get another Sanders McGee in there – we are getting into global warming, so their might be a market for those – and then possibly another fiction book before SEO 2016 and the new year.
So that’s looking ahead. Thanks for reading!
I think it’s time to finish Flight 370, and I mean that this time. After that, why not finish up Feds and Farmers and push that out the door?
When those two things are done, I think I can do another Sanders McGee Adventure as well as a new book for authors.
Those are much further down the road, as are Dulce Base 2 and Colter’s Hell. If I’m lucky I might get another Sanders McGee in there – we are getting into global warming, so their might be a market for those – and then possibly another fiction book before SEO 2016 and the new year.
So that’s looking ahead. Thanks for reading!
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How Word Counts Helped Me Write a Million Words in Less than a Year (October 2013)
Social Media Politics is Now Available (June 2015)
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How Word Counts Helped Me Write a Million Words in Less than a Year (October 2013)
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