I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. I haven’t in a long time. I’ve pretty much kept the last resolution I ever made: to never eat green peppers again. Green peppers are filler in bad Chinese food (that is “bad bad” Chinese food and “bad good” Chinese food and not “good bad” Chinese food) and gum up an otherwise perfect set of toppings on a pizza. I will eat and enjoy red and yellow and orange peppers, but not green. I made that resolution 15 years ago. I haven’t made one since.
The New Year is a time for reflection, sure (I can’t believe I just wrote that – I feel like I’m channeling some holiday movie starring Fred MacMurray – not that there’s anything wrong with Fred MacMurray), but I’m not much for nostalgia. By now, a shitload of “The Year That Was” crap has been published and I’m not here to add to that. So instead I thought I’d take a look at some numbers. About this website.
No really. Hang on. I’m going to look at where you’re from (or were, we’re looking back remember), and how you got here. That’s it.
Where You’re From
The top 10 countries:
US
Canada
UK
India
Australia
Germany
Malaysia
Netherlands
Denmark
Pakistan.
I had one visitor each from (this is a sample) Bosnia, Cambodia, Oman and Zimbabwe.
Visits from the US represent about 37% of total visits. A little more than 26% of the visits came from Canada.
In terms of cities, the top 5 were Montreal (hometown discount!), Toronto, New York, London and Mumbai. People from 2,032 different cities visited my site. From separate cities. Including suburbs. (yes, I read ALL the cities on the list: I’m a geography nerd, too, and if you are as well, read this book).
I don’t know why I just told you that. I love stats? Wait. That’s not a question. I love stats. I do. I don’t like numbers, really, but stats, I like stats. I like maps too, but given my love of geography my map love makes sense.
How You Found Me
Do you know how many ways you can spell my name and still find me? I didn’t know either, but it’s a lot. (Yes “a lot” is a number, it is it is it is) So I’m not going to include the variations here.
These are my favorite search terms that led people to my site. In no particular order. Except the last one. That’s my favorite.
kissing sisters
male vampires
venus williams butt
franzen basu (this one gives me nightmares I’m going to admit it now)
serena williams butt
sucker for punishment
joanie loves chachi (this is not my favorite, but perhaps the one that makes me the most proud)
when did steve jobs died (this was close, it really was)
does kraft dinner cause constipation
If Kraft Dinner didn’t cause the person searching for that answer before, it might have when they landed on my site.
What You Read (the Most)
These are the blog and news posts that were most read this past year. A lot of these posts are about the publishing industry and my long and arduous road to a publishing deal and about my feelings about the industry in general and what’s happening to it (you know what’s happening to it? Neither does anyone else no matter what they tell you.) but some are about nothing really, about what I’m thinking, which is interesting some times, if, you know, you’re interested in bad puns about the “transit of Venus” that involve the Williams sisters and their backsides.
Think Before You Press Send
Two Very Different Books, One Recommendation
The Male Writer Conundrum
This is What Busy Looks Like
Don’t Cry for Publishers (though you are free to shake your head)
The Endless Road to Publishing
Two Weeks of Nothing: Random Thoughts After Two Weeks of Vacation
Random Thoughts
Another Drunken Paper Puts Me on a List Made Up of People Who Tweet
Kingdom of Noise (posted in 2011 but still in the Top 10 – it’s like my personal Dark Side of the Moon)
And finally, thanks. For reading this (hey, you made it this far! Congratulations!) and, more importantly, for visiting from time to time. And if you’re a repeat visitor (come back! I won’t bite!), then thanks a lot. Remember: “a lot” is a big number. And it tastes better than green pepper.
(No that doesn’t make sense – it’s called closure)
