by Rogenna Brewer
This being the last post of the year (if you don't count the writing tip and winners yet to come), I thought I'd keep it short and sweet. Last year about this time we were rolling out the red carpet for what would become Superromance Authors Blog. As 2011 comes to a close I'd like to share a few fun facts with you:
This is our 318th blog post for 2011.
Brought to you by 37 Harlequin Superromance authors
and 3 Harlequin Superromance editors.
Bestselling author Tara Taylor Quinn was our first blogger.
We've given away 2 amazonkindle (keypads).
Countless books, gift cards and other prizes.
With 98,874 page views as I write this it wouldn't surprise me if we hit 100,000
before the clock strikes midnight December 31st.
The Top Ten Countries in which our is blog is read:
United States
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
United Kingdom
Germany
Ukraine
Netherlands
China
Russia
(w/France, India, Iran, Brazil, Indonesia and
the Philippines rounding out our audience).
By now you have us bookmarked as a favorite, right?
But new readers have found us through google, author websites,
twitter, facebook and eharlequin.
With special thanks to a writers rush, noveltalk and dearauthor
for sending readers our way.
Those using search engines might be surprised to find
Sonny Bill, schnauzer doodle, pretty boys (of pro sports), wake up clip art,
looking forward to Christmas, reindeer and friendship quilts
as well as super authors (in various forms) have lead to our site.
Our Top Ten Blog Posts of 2011:
A Wardrobe Malfunction...
And No One Complained
by Karina Bliss 9.14.11
What is a Superromance?
by Wanda Ottewell 1.4.11
Singed by Author: The Pen is Sloppier
by Vicki Essex 6.9.11
Room with a So So View
by Victoria Curran 1.31.11
The Opposite of What I Like
by Wanda Ottewell 3.1.11
Forgetting, Confronting and Choices
by Wanda Ottewell 2.1.11
To Feed the Muse:
4557 Miles in a Car
by Mary Brady 1.25.11
Questionable Family Heirlooms
by Jeannie Watt 8.9.11
Super Super-Editor
by Zana Bell 3.30.11
It's Time for the Talk
by Wanda Ottewell 4.5.11
Not surprising 5 of the Top Ten Posts were written by our editors at Harlequin.
More surprising is a soccer (er...rugby) player brought us 3x
as many hits as any other topic.
I've not had a crush like this since Patrick Roy goal-tended for the Avs.
I'm guessing we have a lot of rugby fans who read romance?
Or maybe just fans of men with their shirts off?
Just remember this is a PG rated forum (my mom checks in on us here ;).
Don't you forget to check out the sidebar for our Top Ten Monthly posts,
archives and label cloud.
archives and label cloud.
As I put the finishing touches on this redesign for 2012,
look for new search and subscribe features.
look for new search and subscribe features.
So what were some of your favorite posts this year?
I'm giving away an advance copy of my February 2012 release Marry Me, Marine to one commenter.
32 comments:
Wow, great stas Rogenna. And yes, I bookmarked this site on the first day. Haven't missed reading a blog yet, though some may have been read a few days late!
Congratulations and big Mahalo to all who participate including the commenters :)
I bookmarked this site right from the first. I have enjoyed all of the posts even though I may not leave a comment.
Thanks for lots of fun topics and to the editors for the inside story of editing. What would I do with myself if I couldn't get romances to read.
I visit each day. I have found some amazing authors & books to read. Always appreciated.
I've enjoyed all the posts, but the ones that stick in my mind most (aside from the shirtless soccer player) are the pieces that made me laugh out loud. Most frequently, I think, those are written by Ellen Hartman. She just has such a great sense of humor.
I was shocked to see China listed as one of the top countries where the blog is read. Perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised, though. Romance and love are universal.
Like Snookie, I think I've read most all of the blogs. (I'm working my way backward over the ones from the last couple of weeks. Too busy with family stuff, the holidays, and a crazy-busy time at work to read them as they were posted.)
Good morning, All!
Snookie, Kaelee and Marybelle, thank you for bookmarking our page and dropping in each day, whether you comment everyday or not, know that your visits are appreciated.
JV, thanks for popping in and I agree Ellen has a great sense of humor.
Oh, and, yes, the site is definitely bookmarked!
What a wonderful year this blog has had and yes I bookmarked it the first day it came to life. I have enjoyed so many of the topics I can't pick just one.
AS usual don't enter me in the book drawing as I have Mitzi's Marine and gave it four stars....I admire you for tackling that particular subject.
I like the isight I get from the editors' post.
I visit this blog first thing every morning as I sip my coffee. It's not only bookmarked, it's located on my favorites bar.
It's hard to pick a particular blog, as they all give me something to think about and remind me of why I love Super Romance as a reader and hopeful writer.
I'm looking forward to another great year with the Super Authors.
Yes this site is in my book marks because I visit every day. I really enjoy the post here and I don't have a favorite. There are some really great authors here and looking forward to another year of great post.
Love the stat breakdown. Very interesting!
I have to thank all the Super authors and editors for taking the time to share both their wisdom and humor. This truly is a fantastic blog. Even when I don't have time to comment, I try to stop by and read. It's such a warm, fun and informative group...I never want to miss out!
Thanks and an early Happy New Year to all!
I can't even begin to name my favorite posts. I like the ones from Super authors that live outside the US and I like Ellen Hartman's humor and Jeannie Watt's interesting topics and....
I may have not have posted to every blog but I have read them and hope the blog continues into 2012.
Supers Rock!!
Marcie - again too lazy to log in
I love this blog and was one of those very lucky winners this year...
I just love that it gets me in touch with a group of woman that I have admired so over the many number of years I have been reading Harlequin Romance Books.. I cannot tell you the countless hours of joy reading all the SuperRomance books has given me and I am looking forward to many many more hours of reading pleasure...Happy New Year.
A teeny correction, Rogenna. Sonny Bill is a rugby player, not a soccer player. Up until this year I struggled with the difference myself, so I understand your confusion. :)
Behind the scenes, you and Sarah Mayberry have made the blog the success it is. Thank you!
Ro, interesting stats and what a great way to round off the year. I can't believe it's been that long already! Thanks to you and Sarah for all your hard work keeping the blog going.
I've loved meeting and interacting with everyone who visits, especially our regulars. You gals are great! I've also really enjoyed getting to know my sister Super authors better through their posts. What's so fun and interesting about this blog is the great variety of style and subject matter -- kind of like our books. :)
Happy New Year, everyone!
Just got home from working 7 to 7. Will fix myself something to eat and be right back to read the posts :)
Joan, I agree. The variety is what makes this blog so special.
Karina you caught me I don't know the difference between Soccer and Rugby. Maybe Sonny Bill could teach me, hmm?
Kathleen, that's really nice of you to say so. Thank you and to all our devoted readers.
Marcie, it's okay if your too lazy to log in We just love having you here. Are you the earlier Anonymous, too?
I've learned a lot from our intercontinental authors (hope I used that term correctly). I'm used to the military terms INCONUS and OUTCONUS. Inside the Continental US or Outside the Continental US for those of you unfamiliar with my world.
Just yesterday I learned about Christmas Crackers from Sarah's post. And in those early days of the blog when updates would take me into the wee hours of the night I could always count on Sarah and Karina being awake to keep me company :)
Thank you, Ellen. I love seeing your smiling face every morning (or pretty close to every morning). Thank you, it was kind of tough tackling an amputee hero.
FYI I'm giving away Marry Me, Marine. Which is an early copy of my February release. I won't count you out unless you already have that too
Hi all,
I've been vacationing at my mom's house. I purposely don't ask for the Wi-Fi password while I'm there so I can pretend the Internet is off-limits. ;-)
What a great year end post. My technical writer brain loves a good statistical round-up. I'm tickled that my posts have brought some smiles this year. I do love stopping by the blog and talking to everyone. I'm enjoying the feeling that we're all getting more closely connected. I agree with Joan that it's also been great fun getting to know the other Super authors better.
Huge thanks to Ro and Sarah who keep us up to date and refreshed here behind the blog scenes. More huge thanks to the folks who've put time into blogging all year. And most enormous thanks to everyone who's taken the time to comment. What a great first year.
:-)
Kristina,
First of all you might want to check out tomorrow's critique winner...um, you didn't hear that from me.
I believe in the power of positive thinking. Every author here has been where you are right now. Sometimes we even wish we could go back (not really, but you'll see).
This blog lets us share our ups and downs and even our new author "call" stories. So how about a writing assignment? Remind us what it's like to be a hopeful, as yet unpublished writer.
I'll even post it as a guest blog, if you're interested.
I was bookseller before I was a published writer and one year my mom and I met Christina Skye at an RT Convention. As she was signing a book to me, she commented on the unusual spelling of my name. So I told her the story behind it.
She got out a pad of sticky notes and proceeded to write my name down, saying she was going to use it in a book. That a NYT Bestseller wanted to name a character after me was a huge honor, but I screamed...NO!
Then went on to explain I'd lived with the unusual spelling of my name for so long (couldn't get anything preprinted as a kid) that I didn't want to see it in print until I put it there.
Pretty brassy of me. But she graciously said she completely understood. And she did.
A few years later I was starting to regret that decision, I was working hard and didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Then I got the call. Got published. Saw my name on the cover of a book for the first time...and what I'd always believed came true. It just was never as easy as I thought it should be
Keep plugging away, girlfriend.
Ellen, who needs wifi! Hope you had a nice visit with your family.
Anybody notice that I'm answering comments out of order? Just trying to keep it interesting.
It would be hard to pick a favorite, Virginia. Maybe that was an unfair question. Because it's the comments that make a blog, just as much as the post.
In fact, I challenge all you lurkers (and I know you're out there because I have access to the stats :) to introduce yourself in the new year.
You might even win a book for just saying, hi!
Hi Rula!
For anyone who doesn't know, Rula has a blog called A Writer's Rush. http://awritersrush.blogspot.com/.
She's a huge supporter of this blog, its authors and romance authors in general. She writes, and I believe is still unpublished.
I'd like to extend the same invitation to you, Rula, that I made to Kristina. If you want to write a guest blog about your prepublished journey, let me know.
Okay, folks. Don't think I missed anyone.
I have got to get to bed, 5am comes early.
Oh, and in case you're the curious type. As of this minute we have 99,336 pageviews :?
Goodnight!
And this really is my last post for the night.
The popularity with visitors from Ukraine surprises me!
I'm trying to remember if I visited the blog from Ukraine when I was there for a few months this year.
Rogenna I just received Marry Me Marine from eHar yesterday. I have a subscription for Supers so I get the books early. Soooooo don't enter me.
Wow, those are impressive stats. Congratulations on a successful year. Thanks to all of you for a great year of stories. Happy New Year.
I just read the comments and I really like what all of you have said.
Have to admit I am fairly new to this site,but like so many others it is on my favorites list and will bookmark it also as it does inspire me everyday.
Thank you so much,and wishing all of you a very Happy New Year!
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