1,000 WordPress Followers and Giveaway!

Photo Credit: HoneyBearz Designs

I have a letter for you all today. And you can read it as if it were written directly to you, because it is.

Dear any one of my 1,000 WordPress followers,

I started this blog in June of last year. I figured that since I had no idea how to go about tackling the task of writing a book that I might as well give myself an outlet for my thoughts on the matter. I gained a relatively small following during the months it took me to write my first book. I think on its release day I had maybe 60 followers. But that didn’t really matter, right? Because I’d already gone crazy for this whole blogging thing. I didn’t care about getting new followers. I didn’t care if I wrote posts that got no views on the day they were published. I also didn’t care if I went weeks without any interaction from other bloggers. I wasn’t doing it for anyone but me, and I loved sitting down to write a blog post. Which back then would have always been about my writing.

Let’s fast forward. In the first couple of months of 2014 I decided a change was in order. I wanted this blog to be all about books and not just my writing. This was done because my posts about my writing had become more sporadic, but also because I felt there were a lot of topics related to books that I could discuss. Then you all happened. It took nine months for me to reach my first 100 followers and now less than three months later we’re at 1,000.

I just said up there that I don’t blog for anyone but me. Well that’s now changed. I post because the topics I write about are interesting to me, but also because I’m near certain that I’ll get a great response from a few or a great many of you. I now get to talk to some really great people just about everyday, and what could be better than that? I’m trying to decide whether or not to name any of you, BUT what the heck.

Amy, or Writerly Amy as I call her, comments on just about every one of my posts. Amy, you and I both know my posts aren’t THAT interesting, so I’m starting to think you’re a little crazy. 😉 But really, it’s great knowing that I’ll have someone at least read everything I write on here. And guys, she knows SO much about writing. And when she’s not threatening me with violence she’s so nice about motivating me to write and to be proud of what I write. Amy, you’re pretty great. And writerly.

Mahrukh. She’s about to finish grad school, so she doesn’t come around these parts as often as she used to, but we still talk just about everyday. And I don’t think I’ve ever had any single person believe in me the way she does. I honestly can’t even describe it now. If you all could see what she’s told me then you’d know. But you can’t because that’s between the two of us. Mahrukh, I’m not going to tell you that you’re this or that because I’ve already told you before and will in the future.

I swear there are many more of you I enjoy interacting with, but those two ladies stand out from everyone. So if you are one of those people who comments once on a post and then leaves it, that’s perfectly fine, but if you’re like one of these two I mentioned above who will literally comment throughout an entire day, well I think I like you just a little more.

Last thing, I don’t want to bore you guys to death. I have a giveaway for you all! You have to actually be one of my WordPress followers in order to be entered, but you also must Like and comment on THIS post. You’ll be getting a signed copy of my first book! I’m not going to sit here and act like it’s the greatest book ever written, but it’s mine and it’ll be signed. Just Like and comment! Sorry, only US people can win because international shipping is insane.

And I get to cross this off my Bookish Bucket List!

All in all, you guys make blogging the enjoyable experience that it is. So I sincerely thank you.

-John