Growing Your Audience

This is a subject many have brought up. I guess… the first thing people do, when they visit my blog, is check out the subscriber count. And a four-digit number is pretty big for most blogs. However, that number doesn’t actually equate to active readers. Having gained a following over time, I cannot confidently say that everyone reads. People come, people go – some stay and lurk – and I don’t have control over my audience. But, I can most certainly grow it. How? Well…

#1 Know Your Audience

The first thing you have to ask yourself is ‘who’ – who’s your audience? Is your audience children, potterheads, Japanese, fitness junkies – who are the people you want reading your blog? This is one of the most important questions you’ll have to ask. Establishing your target audience is of top priority, whether you’re running a blog or writing a book. It’s crucial, because the people who read matter as much as the content you publish. If one is without the other, your blog will just be your blog.

#2 Find Your Audience

Now that you know your audience, the next step is to find them. When I first started this blog, I went on a hunt for readers. Since my initial target audience was potterheads, I scoured the internet for Harry Potter related blogposts. Once found, I’d read them and leave an opinion in the comment section. Doing so helped me build an initial following of Harry Potter fans, who read and supported my fan fictions.

This isn’t something I do anymore – with the amount of writing I need to get done, I don’t have the time to go on a manhunt. However, I can safely say that this is the quickest way to grow your audience. You have to first go to people, before people come to you.

#3 Study Your Audience

Do you know your audience? Yes. Have you found them? Some. Great! Now study them.

Your blog will evolve over time, and along with it… your audience. As mentioned above, you have no control over who reads your blog. You cannot beg readers to stay, nor can you shoo them away (even if you wanted to). They have their own desires – their own needs and wants. So how do you keep them engaged? You study them.

Head over to your stats page and you’ll know where your readers are coming from, and which post grabs their attention. Put two and two together, and you’ll learn what your readers are looking for – you’ll discover what piques their interest. But of course, we don’t just blog for our readers. We blog for our own personal reasons too. And with that said, we’re not obligated to accommodate to their wants. However, knowing what they want, will help you find a middle ground – where you can meet your need, while meeting theirs.

Growing your audience takes time – some people take longer, some people take shorter. So build your empire at your own pace. You’re not in a competition with that other blog. You don’t need a million subscribers by midnight. Racing against a non-existent clock will only result in a burnout. And you don’t want to risk your passion for a follower count that isn’t constant. Just do what you can, while focusing on what’s important: your craft.

At the end of the day, your craft is more powerful than your comment on Draco Malfoy’s hair. Your craft is what keeps people reading. Your craft is you. And the worst thing you can do, is lose yourself in your quest for numbers.

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Vlogless 4k

I usually shoot a vlog every time I gain one thousand new subscribers, but this round I decided to scrape the idea. Mainly because I know most of you rather read than watch… at least I think you do, base on the view count on my previous vlogs. That being said, a vlogless 4k ‘thank you’ post does not make this any less special 🙂

I first started this blog mid-end of 2011. I did not have a goal of sharing my works on my blog and I can’t even remember why I started it. I never thought it could grow and I’m rather surprised at my consistency. It’s safe to say I’ve published a post every Thursday without fail (except for when I was on vacation), and I always try my best to deliver because I know there will be someone reading… you.

You. The person I’ve never met. The person I’ve spoken to only through the internet. The person who saw me as time worthy. The person I want to say thank you to.

So thank you. Thank you for the mornings you read my stories, for the afternoons you wrote comments, for the evenings you liked my posts, and for the nights you faithfully stuck around. Thank you for the days you left me encouragements, and for the months you gave my books a shot. Thank you for simply being here.

I am very blessed to have you!

For all those who are new or have been blogging for years, I just want to encourage you to keep going. Keep going and be proud of your little space on the world wide web. Don’t ever compare your followers, but imagine them in a room ready to listen to your words. That should make you smile 🙂

There will always be blogs bigger than yours in the blogosphere, I’ve come across many who are newer yet bigger than mine too. But when I imagine four thousand people in a single room… it blows my mind. I’ve been imagining since I hit fifty subscribers, and back then it blew my mind too!

Blogs will always come in different shapes and sizes, and with each shape and size is a platform to inspire and touch lives. I hope I have inspired you and I hope you inspire others. Let’s continue to do this together!

To keep this ‘thank you’ post short and sweet, I shall end with a quote.

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. ~Anatole France

Have a great weekend, you!

7 Things About Me

Hip hip hooray for 2,400 subscribers!

I just want to thank all of you, both old and new, for your readership. I can’t say it enough, and at the same time I’ve probably over said it. But you know what, there’s no overdose with gratitude. So thanks guys!

Recently I’ve been getting a few blog award nominations, and since my last ‘get-to-know-me’ post was when I hit 1,111 subscribers, I thought I should do another.

So here are 7 things about me (none repeated, of course):

#1 I have a brother, he’s 5 years younger than me. I’m glad that our age gap made us close. I’m also glad he has outgrown his angst-y years, cause we don’t fight anymore, yay!

#2 I secretly wish I could draw. Then I could paint my fictional characters and worlds as close to my imagination as possible. I also wouldn’t need to ask for favours all the time.

#3 I recently discovered Running Man and I love it. HaHa is my favourite! Now I want to learn Korean 🙂

#4 Apparently I’m allergic to a particular sunblock. And here I was thinking I’m not allergic to anything.

#5 I hate horror films; horror in terms of ghostly women with long hair and white robes that either crawl or contort. Let’s not forget their faces… after all, that’s the mission of horror films; horror at first sight.

#6 That being said, I don’t believe in ghosts. Demons yes, ghosts no.

#7 I love coffee and tea. I love them differently and I can’t choose one over the other. Don’t make me!

There you have it! Now you know me a little better 🙂

If you would like to support me further, check out the bookshop, follow me on twitter and like me on facebook! I would thoroughly appreciate it!

Thanks once again guys, I hope you have been enjoying my stories as much as I have been writing them 🙂

*Current blog post schedule: A post every Thursday alternating between an original short story and a Harry Potter fan fiction. On a side note, my picture storybook is almost done! Free download soon enough.

The 20th TQ Post

*This post is 4 days delayed. Nevertheless, here we go!

Hands down, this is the fastest subbing rate ever. 107 new subs in 13 days! That’s 7-8 new subs a day! That’s mind blowing! That’s just plain AMAZING! That makes me happy 😀

Thank you so much to all who have subscribed. I won’t be writing much for this post because I shot a special video for it! Yay! (The reason why this post is late.)

So, for this special 2,000 subscribers ‘thank you’ post, watch the video below!

**I apologize if the video is not well shot and edited. I was really rushing to get it done, so hopefully it is not too bad.

If you are interested in participating in the ‘What If…’ Project, click HERE to visit the page! I’m looking forward to reading all your stories, so be sure to post your blog links in this blog post or email them to jeynagrace@gmail.com.

Also, do like me on  Facebook and follow me Twitter 🙂 It can really help me out!

Thanks again guys! You all rock!

1111 on 1101

I was never good with binary numbers, so I had to google to find out that 1111 is 15 in binary code. Yes, I never liked maths (which we commonly pronounced in my country as Mets. And I have no idea why).

Anyways, I would like to thank all my 1111 followers 🙂 I hope all of you would stick around till I hit 2222!

Thank you for reading, spending your time, and your kindness for giving my works a shot.

Now that I’m moving more towards originals, I somewhat have a fear that you won’t enjoy it. Because posting up originals means unfamiliarity to you guys, and it feels like a risky move. So if you are still around, reading my latest original series, I really want to thank you for it 🙂

There is no doubt that have I garnered most of my followers from my fan fictions, but like I said before, a writer always have to move forward. I won’t be stopping with fan fics, don’t worry, because I still believe it is a perfect platform to practice my writing.

So… you’re probably wondering why I pointed out that 1111 = 15, well, I have been nominated for different awards since I started my blog, but I never took on any because I wanted my blog to be professional instead of personal. Since I have the chance now, I might as well give you guys 15 random things about myself to make up for it 🙂

(I would have done a video for this, but I was too lazy to shoot and edit it. It takes a couple of hours for the whole process and I have my second novel prioritized right now.)

Here goes the 15!

1. I’m a lazy reader. I like reading but SOMETIMES I rather stare at my wallpaper than read.

2. I occasionally host for my church’s weekly broadcast. My mom suggested I apply a job as a newscaster, but I still don’t know if I should. I’ll link a video of my latest hosting on my twitter page this weekend, so do check it out and let me know what you think.

3. I like playing computer games. My favourite game ‘type’ is first person shooter. I play CS, SA, Halo, L4D/2 with cheat codes embedded in my brain, and COD when given the chance. Surprising huh?

4. I just turned 22 last December, I’m from Malaysia and I’m Chinese. I did not want to reveal my age, country and race before because I was trying to escape the stereotype. It’s hard to compete in a world where most famous authors are not Asians, and I did not want my readers to assume before they read my works.

5. I can speak English, and ‘city’ Malay that incorporates English. No, I can’t speak Chinese. If I ever attempted, it will be a mix of three dialects and I would sound ridikulus.

6. I enjoy Hong Kong TVB dramas. It teaches me Cantonese, and its predictably entertaining.

7. My favourite colours are yellow and green. My shortest colour pencils are always the yellow ones.

8. I used to write in British English, like I am right now, but the red lines underneath the words bothered me so I converted.

9. I’m in Slytherin. I always knew I was.

10. I’m good in poker, when it does not involve real money. And I’m also really good in Bluff, which explains why I’m in Slytherin.

11. Since we’re on the Harry Potter topic, my favourite HP book is Goblet of Fire. I just love the thought of other Wizarding schools.

12. I have visited many countries around the world (Venice, Germany, France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, to name a few) when I was around the age of two. I remember nothing.

13. In high school, I wrote more poems than stories. Two of my poems were published in the local newspaper, and I believe it was because it had a depressing theme. The titles were ‘Death’ and ‘If’.

14. R. L Stine was the only author I used to read every book I can find. And Owl City is the only musician/singer I enjoy every song released.

15. I completed my first TV series pilot script in 2008. And I hope to be able to produce it, as well as turn my novels into films one day.

Well, that’s all 15!

Thanks once again for your support! If you have any questions you would like me to answer in video, ask with the hashtag #askjeynagrace on twitter. If there are quite a number of questions, I’ll do a video 🙂

Last but not least, follow me on twitter and like me on facebook for random daily updates!

Have an awesome day 🙂

400 The Record Breaker

From December 10, 2011, to January 8, 2012, I have garnered 100+ subscribers.

In less than a month, I have gotten 100+ new subscribers! I think I just broke my own record!

And this would not have happened without my new subscribers, who decided that my blog is worth their time, and my older subscribers, who still thinks my blog is worth their time.

Do you know that every time I see a new subscriber, I am encouraged to write more. If ever, one day, I become a successful writer, I have you guys to thank for, for your support 🙂

So to all you 400++ awesome readers, thank you so much!

Also, I would like to hear more from you guys. So do leave comments on what you would like to see more in this blog. It’s a new year, so I might try some new things!

At last, I end this very short post, wishing you all a blessed new year!