Dear Ether,

Ahhhhh.  The joys of literature.  Of a good book.  I’m a self-confessed bibliophile.  I’m always caught with my nose in some sort of bound beauty that takes me away from the mundane drudgery of everyday life.  In the future I want to write a few reviews of some of my favorite titles that have stolen my heart (and breath). I’d also love to talk about the authors who have shown me the true art of being a writer.

However, today is about judging a book by its cover.  I wanted to recommend a beautiful set of books by Penguin Classics that have hit the shelves and revamped some of the most famous pieces of fiction in history.  These are amazing presents to give for the upcoming holiday. Not only are they great for collectors of books, but they’re a neat way to jazz up a tired bookshelf.  They’re also a fun way to get a novice reader excited about literature and maybe not see these great tales as just dusty, old relics.

Coralie Bickford-Smith, acclaimed designer, created splendid foil patterns stamped on linen cases with colored endpapers and a lovely touch of a ribbon marker. You’d think these would cost a lot of dosh, but they’re only $20 a piece and worth every cent.  The eight classics are: Cranford, by Elizabeth Gaskell, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.  My favorite covers are The Picture of Dorian Gray, with white peacock feathers adorning its delicious cover (the dandy author would be chuffed, I reckon!) and the ultra-feminine Sense and Sensibility in pink and blue with girlish flowers climbing all over the cover.

Now tell me you wouldn't mind flipping through these beauties?

Give all eight to a fellow book fiend.  Or, give a carefully chosen title and get a hungry collector started.  With me, I’m chomping at the bit to buy The Picture of Dorian Gray.  Even though I own several copies already, it’s one of my favorite novels of all time, and I couldn’t imagine not owning this oh-so-special edition.  The books are available EVERYWHERE and so easy to grab.  Hassle-free shopping!

Thanks for hanging out at my literary corner and instead of giving ANOTHER crummy holiday jumper or thoughtless gift certificate, give this a shot.  I promise you, it’ll make quite a statement and won’t cost you a bundle.

Dedicatedly yours,

—One of 365

Now THIS makes an impact. Everyone wants to go to The Ritz! Now, let's be real. My humble blog will never be as mighty as this legend, but I'd certainly like it to be as welcoming and for people to want to come inside. Please help me figure out how I can get a diamond slightly as big as the Ritz

Dear Ether, 

I was having a very interesting debate about blogs the other night with a fellow astronaut in the sphere.  He also happens to be a marketing strategist so he thinks in a way that I most certainly do not.  His insight into this world is fascinating.  

I know blogging isn’t about statistics, but c’mon, we all take a gander at them.  Not to be competitive and get book deals with Penguin, but to see if anyone out there is reading us.  After five months my blog stats have remained the same and this has concerned me.  I don’t understand why I’m not getting more hits and why my hit rates aren’t steadily rising (I post every day and I try and choose lovely photos!).  Is my site unsightly?  Are my pictures ugly?  Are my titles/captions bad?  My content rubbish?  I’m worried.  Well, marketing maestro asked me a very interesting question.  What was my bounce rate?  Well, quite high actually.  This, he said, was key.  He said people were clicking on my site and then leaving before they had a chance to read my content. Those who read my work probably liked it. This proved the consistency of my solid number I could count on every day. But most other people never got that far.  Here’s the analogy he thought best:  It’s like having a restaurant. You’ve got great food, an amazing chef and a great interior with lovely staff.  Hey, even the toilets are nice with Molton Brown hand soap.  But, the awning is rubbish, the sign is torn, you haven’t swept the sidewalk and your curb appeal is just awful.  No one is going to walk in and open the door to see the innards because they think the outside is a reflection of the inside.  

But is this so?  Is that what’s going on?  Or, is the market simply too saturated with blogs? OR people can’t be asked to read anything longer than a blurb or two and my posts are too lengthy so when they see my post they find it too daunting? All these questions and more are what make up my blog post today.  For those of you who’ve “stepped into my restaurant,” who’ve actually made it this far into my content, I’d love your advice.  I want more people to read my writing and readership to grow, but something is wrong and I can’t put my finger on it.  So, today I’m asking for suggestions.   Think of it as me doing a bit of blog market research.  I’m going to put being humble aside for a moment.  I think my content is really decent.  But again, people aren’t getting that far.  

I am not looking for a pat on the back.  PLEASE.  Don’t toot my horn or try to be nice.  Honesty is what I’m looking for.  When I set out to write One of 365 I wanted it to be read by a lot of people so I could connect with the world and grow.  I don’t want to be another blog statistic.  I could really use your advice.  Hey, if you think I’m wrong and think my content is shit, fuck it—let me know.  Speak your mind.  I want my restaurant to flourish and you guys are the people I want to come in and enjoy a meal with.

I also think this will be an interesting case study for other bloggers out there to think about how this might aid you as well if you have the same concerns.  

On that note……I appreciate your feedback and wait in haste for thoughts.  My ripped awning is waiting to be fixed.  

Dedicatedly yours, 

—One of 365