Lets get to some numbery-maths for the year. I’m still at the point where I genuinely have a lot of fun breaking my blogging year down in stats. If you’re interested the 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017 breakdowns are linked.

Just as a note: I’ve spent zero pennies on marketing of any kind since I started this blog in November 2016. Instead, I’ve focused on blog-hops and building relationships. That means super slow growth and also super low stress levels. (If slow is not the way you would want to grow your website, then these will not be very helpful posts for you.)

Image: Me, excited about statistics

Visitors in 2022: We broke the 4K mark with 4,012 visitors in 2021. And guess what, 2022 did not disappoint either! 4,947 unique visitors in 2022, making this yet again the best year ever for traffic.

Top 5 Posts from 2022:

To my complete lack of surprise, the number one post this year was Book Tropes: The Grovel in the Novel. This little beauty was responsible for 1,441 views all by itself. EVERYONE loves a good groveling scene, and this includes me. Authors, take note.

2. Book Tropes: I Can’t Argue With You When You’re Sick! came in second with 818 views.

3. Still holding strong in third, one of my earliest ever posts. 15 Gorgeous Literary Tattoos clung to its spot with 597 views.

4. Book Tropes: I Hate Everyone. Who Isn’t You continued to prove that readers love a good enemies/lovers plot with 530 views.

and at number 5, a surprise contender: Author Life: Creating a Cover Reveal with Canva jumped in with 356 views. Apparently indie author guides to media are a good bet for your website, if you’re looking for content ideas.

Here is your Gritty gif, as a reward for making it this far.

Favourite post I wrote in 2022:

Because I liked the conversations which got started and the comments were so much fun, my favorite post from this year was an Insecure Writer’s Support Group post about the Epoch of Belief. It’s not every day I get to work both Star Wars and The Princess Bride gifs into a post. Ahhh. That’s a good day.

Post I wish had gotten a little more love in 2022:

Another book trope post, which didn’t quite make it into the Top 5 list 🙁 Book Tropes: I’m Definitely Not Seducing You! Everyone loves some good saucy **banter** and a healthy splash of denial, but up against a rec list with groveling? This one definitely got left behind.

Top three searches that led users right to me in 2022:

  1. injury as a romance trope (Slightly concerning wording, but we all know you meant hurt/comfort, or grovel. Just type those next time.)
  2. romancebooks with dansel in distress (Yep, tropes are a classic for a reason.)
  3. And I am very happy to report that shower organizer pole super white made a comeback this year! (For the first three [very small traffic] years of this blog, shower organizer sent most of my traffic to me and I am actually, genuinely happy to see it come back. This probably says a lot about me as a person, and what it says is true.)

Top five countries my readers came from this year:

  1. United States
  2. United Kingdom
  3. India
  4. Canada
  5. Australia

Reasons my readers continue to be the Actual Best™:

Still here for highbrow, very literary posts (see: SE’s Recommendations Get a Little Hot, packed full of incredibly smutty alien romance books)

You still comment on the actual article content at the bottom of the post in question, a rare and precious treasure in the explosive Fireswamp which is internet comment sections. I adore you all for this and hope I bring something to your comment sections as well.

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