2020 In Review / Looking Ahead To 2021

Happy New Year everyone! 2020 has been one that I’m sure many of us want to forget, for various reasons. But it’s 2021 now, so here’s to things getting better!

The Year In Review

It’s time for my annual look-back at how the site has been doing. it has been an up and down year in terms of content. I posted a little over half the amount that I did in 2019. Comments were slightly down as a result, but likes were up. The reason for this, of course, is that a lot went on this year that caused me to post a lot less. Then, towards the end of the year. I switched up how I was doing things. That switch up worked well and a mass of extra traffic has meant that I topped last year for both views and visitors. I am so unbelievably happy about that. That anybody cares enough to come read my thoughts on this stuff amazes me, and I am so grateful to all of you! So, here’s a massive thank you to everyone that has, and continues, to visit the site.

Another thing I’m really happy to see is that I’m getting quoted here and there too. I’m listed as a source on a Wikipedia article about the Samura Pizza Cats, and I have a few mentions in YouTube videos too. Oh, and this is technically a 2019 release, but it only really hit me this year. If you head to the Amazon listing IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 4, you can see my review right there in the editorial reviews. Honestly, that made me a smile a lot, because I absolutely love the franchise.

Now, when it comes to what content was popular, it’s a good mix of stuff. These were the top 10 pots:

1 – A&H Club Volume 1 by Rick Griffin [Graphic Novel Review – Furry / Lesbian / Drama]

2 – Joe Martinez Demon Photo [Fact or Fiction?]

3 – My Friend Dahmer [Film Review]

4 – Magical Sempai Episode 1 [Anime Episode Review]

5 – Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin [Manga vs. Anime]

6 – Dogman [Fact or Fiction?]

7 – Ash Coyote [Fursday Spotlight]

8 – Top 3 Scary Things To Come Out Of The Sonic Franchise

9 – Beastars Episode 1 [Anime Episode Review]

10 – Murenase! Seton Gakuen Episode 4 [Anime Episode Review] + Sonic The Hedgehog Issue 24 [Comic Review]

So, a bit of everything. Anime, comics, cryptids, films, furries. It’s all there. It’s a good mix of old and new posts too, which is cool to see. The interesting thing is, the top 5 search terms that people used to find the site are less varied:

Top Search Terms

1 – seron academy join the pack ep 5 plot review

2 – furry lesbian comic

3 – ash coyote

4 – senko san barber

5 – guilmon bread

Basically, people mostly seem to find me when searching for anime and furries, but stick around for more than that. That’s pretty cool in my book.

Moving Into 2021

Looking forward, I’m pushing ahead with the set posting pattern. It works well for me and allows me to focus on writing about things that I really want to write about. The one exception to this is the second week of January when I already had some book posts arranged for Monday. On that week, Monday and Tuesday’s content will switch around. Normally though, the site will continue to look like this:

MON – Top 5 or Poll

TUE – Books

WED – Anime

THU – Random

FRI – Comics

Overall, I think that works as a posting pattern. The response has been positive, and I’m writing about a variety of stuff, so I’m happy with it.

My main goal is to continue to grow. I want to increase traffic again this year, and hopefully increase engagement too. Don’t get me wrong, I love views, and I love likes. Getting a few more comments in there would be nice too though. To keep myself on track, I’m also instigating an enforced week-long break at four points in the year. This way, I can hopefully avoid burnout.

2020 – 2021: Outside The Site

Moving on, I’m going to get a little personal. 2020 has had some ups and downs. Obviously, COVID-19 has been a big one, but when the first UK lockdown came in, I already working from home, so it made little difference to lifestyle for me. What it did affect was my business. I was primarily working freelance, but the clients I wrote for really relied on being able to open their businesses. Lockdown stopped them doing that, and in turn, my income became inconsistent. I also didn’t fit the criteria for the Government support scheme. The result was that my freelance work became less viable. Now, while it’s sad to step away from it – I love writing, after all – there are bonuses. After a lot of searching, I was able to find a new, full-time job. I actually start that next week. Honestly, I’m looking forward to it. Getting back into an office working environment will be good for me. Where it’s part of the local healthcare system, I’ll actually be helping people too. So, yay!

Unfortunately, my freelance work was not the only thing to come to an end in 2020. The end of the year also saw the end of a 14.5-year relationship. I won’t go into detail because there’s not really any detail to go into. There was no big drama, we simply drifted apart over time. To say that I was sad would be an understatement. This one doesn’t really have a happy ending like the work stuff. What can you do though? I’d love to think it’ll be a case of new year = new love, but we shall see. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that life has a tendency of throwing stuff at you. I’m rolling with it the best I can, and continue to push forward. That’s about all I can do.

My personal creative projects on the other hand are on a high. I have at least one book coming out later this year and may work towards a collection of my published short stories too. I’m in a cyberpunk anthology that’s coming out in a few months as well, and will absolutely submit to other anthologies too. Meanwhile, I’m hard at work on a new horror video game, this time a 2D isometric one. The enemy AI is taking a while, because… well… I want it to work properly. The monster is always live on the map, so the last thing I want is for it to constantly glitch out. So, keep an eye out for updates on all of the above.

 

And… that’s my 2020, and my look ahead to 2021. Honestly, I cannot reiterate enough how appreciative I am of everyone who visits the site or grabs something I’ve worked on. You’re all awesome, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the equally awesome stuff you put out too. So, here’s to 2021.