Blog Stats for 2020

 Even though I didn't do much blogging in 2020, my blog still received a respectable amount of traffic this year. I chalk that up to the fact that I have enough of a "backlist" to keep people interested, and I'm impressed.

Herewith, then, some interesting figures about the people who visited my blog in 2020, what they visited, and where they came from. I ran the report from 1 December 2019 to 30 November 2020, because December isn't over yet; I'll include December 2020 in next year's post.

Top Countries

1. South Africa
2. United States
3. United Kingdom
4. India
5. Canada

There were almost twice as many visitors from South Africa as there were from the United States. I'm pleased with this because I am, after all, a South African author. A few years ago, the US dominated; I'm glad we SAffers are getting more Internet-savvy.

Top Browsers

1. Chrome
2. Safari
3. Internet Explorer
4. Android Webview
5. Firefox

As a technical person, stats on browsers and operating systems really interest me. It's not much of a surprise to see Chrome still doing so well, with almost twice as many users as Safari. I'm surprised that Internet Explorer still features, though, and that Edge isn't even in the top 10!

Top Operating Systems

1. Android
2. Windows
3. iOS
4. Macintosh
5. Linux

It's not that surprising that Android is on top. We've been getting told for many years now that Mobile is King. What is a bit surprising is how close Windows is. And it makes me kind of glad, because personally, I'm a desktop person and do the majority of my web surfing that way. It's nice to know that I'm attracting people who are similar to myself.

I also enjoy Linux, which is yet more evidence of that (iOS and Macintosh are the obligatory anomalies).

Top Search Queries

Now these are interesting! These are the exact queries people typed into Google (and other search engines), which led them to a page on my blog. It really gives you an insight into how people think.

1. exclusive books ebooks
2. 24symbols vs kindle unlimited
3. amazon
4. best fantasy books available on scribd
5. can you get a Gauteng library card if you are not in Gauteng

Click on one of those terms to search for it on Google.

Most Viewed Posts

And here's what you've been waiting for! See how these correlate to the top search queries above. Click on one to view the original post.

1. Overdrive Libraries in South Africa
2. The Most Discussed Fantasy Books on Reddit... On Scribd
3. Featured South African Indie Authors
4. Borrowing Books from the Gauteng E-Library
5. Alternatives to Kindle Unlimited

Okay, so number three is an anomaly, but that's because I share that particular post every month on my social media, so more people find it that way than through search. All the others match up with one or more search terms, though.

Overall, I'm happy with these results, especially in light of the pandemic and lockdown. I hope you've found them as interesting as I have, and they've shown you a little more about me and my audience.

Do You Review Books on Your Mobile Device?

In case you didn’t know, many ereaders and ereading apps offer you the chance to write a review of the book you’ve just finished, right there on the device.

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day, and she said this was actually one of her favourite features of ebooks.

My response was that I didn’t think anyone actually did that. I always skip that screen so I can get to my full-size desktop PC with a full-size monitor and full-size keyboard, and write a proper review. The idea of writing anything decent on a tiny touch-screen keyboard just makes me groan.

She said that if she had to wait until she got to her PC to write the review, it’d never happen because she prefers to use a computer as little as possible.

This led to a much longer discussion about how I prefer a PC to a mobile device for most things (except reading books, which I prefer to do on a tablet), and I always prefer a full-size keyboard and monitor to a built-in laptop one.

Other friends started chiming in, and it turned out that many actually prefer typing on a phone or tablet to a PC, and when they have to use a PC, they would rather work on a laptop/notebook than an external keyboard and monitor.

I was pretty gob smacked, because I have gigantic hands and poor eyesight, and given the choice, I’d rather use my PC for anything; I even tweet and Facebook from my computer!

Where do you stand, dear reader? Do you make use of these ereading apps that offer you the chance to review books? What about other things?

Do you prefer mobility and convenience over comfort and performance?

For Facebook and Twitter, at least, most of you do, based on the countless studies showing how most people use social networks from their phones. But surely not for serious, long-form writing. Surely?

Do Kids Still Want Colouring Books?

 When I was a kid, every time we went to our local Pick 'n Pay, I'd insist on walking down the toy aisle. One of the things they always had in the toy aisle was a pile full of colouring books. Some of them were themed to whatever the latest craze was at the time (Masters of the Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spiderman, Batman, etc), and some were just themed to a particular thing (Animals, Cars, whatever).

Often, I'd nag my parents to buy me one, and then I'd take it home and spend hours on the floor with it and my box of crayons.

The books were really cheap, printed on recycled toilet paper or some such, ugly brown paper with tore if you pressed too hard, and where the colour bled through.

Do kids still do this?

If you have (or know) small children who like colouring in, take a look at these gorgeous colouring books my wife and I put together a few years ago.

Each one's filled with 64 themed colouring pages, printed on premium, high-grade paper (not that recycled toilet paper you get at the grocery shop).

Click on the image above to see all the places where you can buy the books. You can get them literally anywhere in the world, from the United States, to the UK, to South Africa, and others.

Depending on where you are in the world, I can't promise you'll have them by Christmas, but the sooner you order, the better your chances.

Your Favourite Book of All Time (2020 - Open Call)

It's been a while since I blogged about anything. Not since 7 April 2020, in fact. What can I say? Lockdowns have been hard, and it's been tough to get in the mood, much less think of something to write about.

And what better way to re-enter the blogging world, than to announce the (if I'm not mistaken) third annual "Favourite Book of All Time"?

So here we go — I’ll keep the voting open for about a month, until Tuesday, 22 December 2020. Until then, please fill in the following form and write in your favourite book of all time. Don’t forget to share this post with all your friends, and ask them to vote, too.

On 22 December, I’ll publish a new form with all the write-ins collated, and we can pick an ultimate winner from there.

Please only vote for individual books, though. Not the entire series. I won’t accept “Harry Potter”; please tell me which specific book in the series is your favourite. Ditto for “Lord of the Rings” (which is a trilogy, in case you didn’t know).

Sound good? Cool. Well, let’s go!

Lockdown is hard on some people

In case you didn't know, South Africa (along with most of the world) is currently in lockdown to help flatten the curve and curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At the time of this writing, the lockdown is slated to end on 16 April 2020.

For the most part, I’ve been enjoying lockdown immensely. 

I’ve always been an introverted loner at heart, so the prospect of not being ALLOWED to go out and interact with people, even if I wanted to, has been strangely comforting to me. It’s renewed my soul, recharged my batteries, and is rekindling passions which have dwindled to little more than embers in recent months and years. 

But I’m also acutely aware that I have friends and family members who aren’t like me, and for whom lockdown feels like the worst punishment.

These are friends who thrive on physical human interaction, for whom video just isn’t enough. Friends who maybe even live alone—I can imagine just how terrible that must be. 

Or friends who, unlike me, aren’t lucky enough to live in free-standing houses with private outdoor areas that they can spend time in in seclusion, and still be more than a safe distance from their neighbours. 

Or divorced friends who are used to seeing their kids every second weekend and now aren’t sure when they’ll have physical contact again (bearing in mind that it’s entirely possible they’ll extend our lockdown way past 16 April). 

Or who’ve had loved ones pass away in other provinces or countries, and can’t attend funerals, or even be there to comfort and be comforted by their families. 

Or what about people who have to live with people who drive them crazy? Maybe it’s housemates... but maybe it’s even family; we love our spouses, children, and parents, but sometimes we can only handle them in small doses! 

Or (God forbid) friends who’ve either been diagnosed with the virus, or know people who have, and now find themselves scared and alone, with no idea what to expect. 

To all those friends and family who, for whatever reason, are having a terrible experience under lockdown, I need to tell you that I’m sorry for my selfishness.

And if you have any friends or family like that, please reach out to them. We introverts, we natural hermits, can often forget just how difficult it is for our extroverted friends. Pick up the phone (however much you may hate talking on the phone. I know I do.), give them a call. Find out if they're all right.

I promise you, they'll thank you for it!

Who's Going to Win the March Ebook Voucher?

In case you missed it, allow me to announce the February winner of my monthly ebook voucher competition: For the second month in a row, the winner is... the wonderful, amazing, beautiful Joni Mielke!

Honestly, what more can I say about Joni that I haven't already said? Her dedication to authors is matchless and unprecedented, and it's not possible to articulate just how important she is to us.

Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to best her. It can be done, people! It can be done. Why not throw your hat in the ring for March? You never know. ;-)

How Do I Enter?

Every month I give away either a $5 ebook voucher to the store of your choice, or $5 in PayPal credit. Basically, all you have to do is write a review of one of my books.

Okay, so there's a little more to it than that.

First, you need to be a member of my email list, so if you're not already, click here, pick your free book (did I mention you get a free book?), and enter your email address.

Once I've confirmed your subscription, join our secret Facebook group, here. You'll need to enter the email address you used to subscribe to my emails.

If you've entered the right email address, and I can match you to my subscribers live, I'll approve your request. Then, visit the group again and read the "Announcement" at the top.

Follow the instructions you find there, and you might just see your name in this blog next month....

Loads of books on sale for Smashwords Read an Ebook Week

Around this time every year, indie ebook retailer Smashwords runs a week-long promotion called Read an Ebook Week.

Now in its eleventh year, the 2020 is now on, and runs all the way to Friday 7 March 2020.

This year, I have two books enrolled in the sale, so if you hurry, you'll be able to get either Memoirs of a Guardian Angel or A Petition to Magic (or both) at 50% off. Click below for details.

Memoirs of a Guardian Angel

Do you believe in Guardian Angels?

Have you thanked your Guardian Angel today?

I never did... now I wish I had.

Now I understand the hard work and difficult situations they face every day. That car that veered off course, the knife that slipped or even the close call when you nearly tumbled from a tree.

It wasn't good luck that saved you, it was me.

My name is Adam and I'm a guardian angel.

[ Buy the Book for $0.99 ]

A Petition to Magic

Queen Celeste rose to the throne of Virdura a month ago, after the sudden death of her mother.

Desperate to prove herself, she agrees to hear the case of a simple farmer who claims a neighbour stole his cow.

To help her in this task, she orders her chief advisor, the royal wizard Solon, to cast a spell and divine the truth for her. Solon, however, is keeping a terrible secret.

[ Buy the Book for $0.99 ]

Got a Kindle?

If you have a physical Kindle, don't worry: all of my Smashwords titles are 100% compatible with your device.

After you've purchased, when asked which format you'd like to download, make sure you select the mobi (Kindle) option.

Then, take a look at this handy blog post for instructions on how to get the book onto your ereader and start reading.

If you don't have a physical Kindle, feel free to download the epub format instead.

Other Books on Sale

Mine aren't the only books on sale at Smashwords this week. Hundreds of authors have discounted hundreds of thousands of their books to anywhere from 25% to 100% off!

Click the button below to see all the books enrolled in the sale this week, and find a new favourite indie author.

Note: although my books are all available in mobi format, many Smashwords titles may not be. If you have a physical Kindle device, make sure the book you're about to buy is available to download in mobi (Kindle) format before you click that Buy button (if you don't have a physical Kindle, you can just get the epub version).

[ Take Me to the Sale! ]