It’s no secret that today’s media is very image driven. The most popular content creators make videos and share their daily lives as well as their interests and skills.
I don’t have a TikTok or YouTube account, and I rarely show my face on social media. So, for my little book blog to be heading into its seventh year not only surviving but thriving in this simple and tradition format using only my printed words and very amateur photography is very mind boggling to me.
2024 was a very successful year on Laura’s Books and Blogs. My views skyrocketed, I participated in very exciting collaborations, and, as always, I helped to give indie authors a free and professional platform to promote their own work.
Below is my blogging recap for the past year. All links will open in a new tab. So, please check out some of the older content that I’ve shared, and help support indie authors, other bloggers, and myself by reading, liking, sharing, and commenting, and I hope to see you back in 2025!
Books
Thanks to a combination of free review site postings and word of mouth, I never have to beg for book reviews. In fact, I always get more than I can take on. So, what you see throughout the year are the books I had a good feeling about and delivered on that feeling.
You probably saw a lot of returning authors’ works on my blog this year. As much as I try to leave space for a variety of authors, I also am always curious to read sequels to books that I originally reviewed. I like to reward good writing with more attention. So, you know that if you see multiple reviews for the same author, they are one of my favorites.
The requests for reviews were so large this year that many authors took me up on my offer to feature them in either an author interview or a guest post. The author interviews are usually the preferred choice, and I got so many that I had to start opening up more Friday slots.
My schedule is so full that I do plan to post at least twice a week in 2025, and many of those early spots are already full. Luckily, authors are always accommodating when I tell them that their post probably won’t be published for another two to three months. Others even request a later date to coincide with a book launch. So, that has meant a great deal to me.
Traffic
Traffic skyrocketed this year, and I nearly doubled my traffic from 2023. The year started out normally, and then out of nowhere, my numbers began shooting up.
Incidentally, this came as many bloggers were complaining about a change in Google’s algorithm which dramatically lowered their traffic. So, whatever was hurting them was helping me.
My traffic hit its peak in October. This is likely due to all of the fall and horror/Halloween-themed blog posts that I have published throughout the years.
Then, traffic began to drop again in the final two months of the year. That was discouraging, but I’ve come to find that, aside from writing quality posts and keeping consistent, the rest is in the hands of unknown forces that draw traffic to your site.
Though measly compared to Google, my Pinterest traffic was my second largest draw to my site. Pinterest can feel like a chore to keep up with, and there are no guarantees that it will lead to clicks.
I create my pins as a I create and schedule my posts. I initially create five pins for each post, and in my free time, I create additional pins for older posts or just general calls to visit my homepage, sign up for my newsletter, or check out one of my affiliate links.
Then, every month, I go through and schedule one pin per day for as far out as Pinterest will allow. This keeps my Pinterest account active and the pins flowing. I’ll then go through and pin other creators’ pins to my board every so often.
In the past, the advice was that if you didn’t pin at least 25 pins daily, you’d never see a change in your traffic, but I haven’t noticed a change at all since I stopped doing that. So, this is the least time consuming process to keep using Pinterest without feeling like it’s taking away from my blogging time.
My pin designs have also drastically improved over the years. And, like my blog traffic, it’s always surprising to see which pins take off. It’s rarely the ones you’d think, but I’m grateful for any site that diverts readers to my blog.
My top posts viewed in 2024
Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult Book Review
Still going strong, Jodi Picoult’s romance novel set during the Covid-19 pandemic is consistently my top post of the week, and it’s showing me that I need to write more romance novel reviews because that’s what readers want.
The Only One Left by Riley Sager Book Review
The Only One Left kicked off a new trend of selecting a mainstream horror novel to read and review every Halloween season. I’m hoping that my review of Home is Where The Bodies Are will pick up traction next year, though Sager’s book is much better.
What It Was Like to Be a Teenager in the 2002s Part 2
An old favorite. I’m still trying to come up with a similar nostalgic post that will bring in as many consistent readers as this one does.
10 Types of Books that 90s Kids Loved to Read
A post that I was hoping would get this kind of love, it’s a list post that features famous genres of kids’ books rather than specific titles, and I think that is less likely to anger readers, who are easily angered on the internet, and just presents them with the nostalgia of those books that even non-readers didn’t mind flipping through during library time at school.
10 Simple Microsoft Word Tools for Basic Users Wanting to Learn More
A rare technical post from me. After learning several new skills related to Microsoft Word at an old job, I decided to share this knowledge with others who could benefit from some of these seemingly hidden features that help with day to day word processing.
Top posts read that were published in 2024
Funny Characters in Children’s Literature
I love writing about children’s books as much as I love reading them. So, I’m glad this post resonated with others. It’s also a positive post with positive characters, and it reminds you that reading should be entertaining and bring up a range of emotions, not just the negative ones.
“Ada” Short Film Review and Filmmaker Interviews
I’m always excited when a filmmaker reaches out to me for a film review, and I try to make it worth their while by heavily promoting their work. Check this one out if you haven’t already. It’s well made, well acted, and will give you a history lesson about a largely forgotten individual who made a big difference to our modern day world.
What Happens in Montana by Kim McCollum Book Review and Author Interview
As a book blog, I want my book reviews to do well. So, I’m happy to feature three book reviews as making my top 5 posts of the year. The most popular was Kim McCollum’s paranormal thriller about the haunted history of a resort where a group of old friends are staying to reconnect on a weekend trip.
Katharine’s Remarkable Road Trip by Gail Ward Olmsted Book Review and Author Interview
I’m a big fan of Olmsted’s work, and this story was a fast and fascinating road trip read from the perspective of an elderly woman from a bygone era who didn’t play by the rules. I’m an old soul who can relate a lot to Katharine, and I hope I’m as brave and determined as she was when I’m her age.
Catastrophe in the City by Stephen and Arlo Baer Book Review and Author Interview
I’ve reviewed a lot of picture books this year, and this was one of the best. A cat goes out for a night on the town and ends up unintentionally wreaking havoc wherever he goes. It’s a short, fun read that will delight young readers who love backyard adventure stories.
Book reviews published in 2024
60 Songs That Explain the 90s by Rob Harvilla – nonfiction, music.
A fun trip down memory lane of some of the most influential songs of the decade.
A Bird Alone by Ericka Clay – adult fiction, family, drama.
A poignant tearjerker about the choices we make early in life that shape our later years.
Dickie the Dinosaur by James D. Robinson – picture book, dinosaur book.
A story about the friendship between two dinosaurs and how they work together to get their herd to safety during a treacherous journey.
Fashionably Fit, Fatally Flawed by Sharon Kay – adult fiction, mystery.
A college journalist investigates a mysterious death at her friend’s mom’s gym over her Christmas break.
Miranda Fights by Gail Ward Olmsted – adult fiction, legal drama.
A legal aid teams up with the daughter of her ex-best friend to investigate potential human trafficking at the group home where she volunteers as a counselor for at-risk teens.
Shelby and the First Ride by Marty Kay Jones – middle grade, animal books.
A young girl moves from the big city to the country and fulfills her dream of learning to ride a horse.
Sophia and Sinclair Get Lost by Colleen Olle – picture book, animal books.
A rabbit and turtle get lost in a maze, and, after briefly parting ways, the two team up to find their way out.
The Black Magician by Kaycee Jones – adult fiction, historical fiction.
An enslaved man and his grandmother form and execute a plan to get the enslaved group of people who work on their plantation to freedom.
The Cat Who Chased Ghosts by Nic Minnella – middle grade, paranormal.
A young boy and his new friends utilize the protection of a mysterious cat to investigate paranormal activity in the boy’s new home.
The Decision: A Novel of Germany by Karen A. Wyle – adult fiction, historical fiction.
A young boy grows up in Germany throughout the two world wars, and his morality is constantly tested by the influence of the adults around them and his own personal experiences.
The Demon Secret by Dan Gindlesperger – adult fiction, religious horror.
A priest investigates a church secret around performing exorcisms and finds himself on the run from those intent on guarding that secret.
The Way You View the World by Tasneem Dairywala – picture book.
A rhyming book about different settings throughout the world told through the perspectives of children from various cultures.
WECU Inc. by Rick Stevens – middle grade, mystery.
A group of kids team up to investigate and solve mysteries in a high rise apartment building.
What’s So Special About a Tree? by Susan Polk Van Dusen – picture book.
A gentle book about different types of trees and how they look in different areas at different times of the year.
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins – adult fiction.
A mother and her young son flee to the US from Mexico after most of their family is gunned down during a family party.
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins – murder mystery.
Several disappearances and mysterious deaths in a small English town appear to be linked to a drowning pool that overlooks a cliff.
I Don’t Want to Eat That Thing! By R.K. Vetter – picture book.
A picky young boy is forced to try new foods while staying at this grandma’s house.
Coco The Mooing Horse by Leila Summers – picture book.
A horse enters a talent show despite jeers from his fellow barnyard animals that he can’t sing.
Going Home by Marci Wilson and Haven Saunders – adult fiction, romance.
A successful photographer returns to his hometown and reconnects with his old flame who is now a divorced mother and local police officer.
Guest posts published in 2024
3 iPad Apps to Plan Your Next Novel by Tristan Stocker
YA and MG Book Recommendations for 10 Fantasy Genres by S. Labrecque
A 73-Year-Old Expat Author’s Promotion Adventures by Robert W. Norris
Has Anyone Else Had Their Characters Dictate Their Story? by Elaine Franklin
Heroes and Villains: Crafting Compelling Characters by Dante
How My Life Shaped Luna’s Saga by ACWstories
Playing God in the Digital Age by Catherine Conmy
Working With an Illustrator by Karen A. Wyle of Oblique Angles Press
Writing a Mystery Series by Mike Martin
Author interviews published in 2024
Buzz Desjarlais – promoting his novel, Surviving KC.
Carolyn Jean Nicholson – promoting her middle grade fantasy novel, The Last Witch on Skye.
Christine Calabrese – promoting her Catholic chapter book, The Donkeys Jesus Chose.
Christopher Tait – promoting his YA novel, Three Days in West Chester.
Karen Menezes – promoting her YA fantasy novel, Safe Passage.
Lorna Selley – promoting her mystery thriller novel, A Glimmer in the Hollows.
Michelle Pillow – promoting her YA novel, Merely Mortal.
Mick Heyman – promoting his nonfiction book, Mellow Your Money.
Richard Becker – promoting his YA novel, Third Wheel.
Audrey Sauble – promoting her counting picture book, Acorn Party.
D.M. Batten – promoting her memoir, The Heart Wants What It Wants.
Dan Granger – promoting his picture book, Why is Sam So Sad?
Deborah-Zenha Adams – promoting her anthology, Patchwork.
Don Butler – promoting his thriller novel, Norman’s Conquest.
Jo Szewczyk – promoting his memoir, Surviving Gen X.
Laura Stegman – promoting her middle grade sci-fi novel, The Chambered Nautilus.
Lucille Guarino – promoting her women’s fiction novel, Elizabeth’s Mountain.
Matt Overs – promoting his YA novel, Downbeach.
Stephanie Brick – promoting her middle grade fantasy novel, The Secret Doors of Cannondale.
Terry Evers – promoting his memoir, Fifteen Seasons, about fishing with his father.
Scott Ryan – promoting his nonfiction book, The Last Decade of Cinema.
Stacia Moffett – promoting her middle grade novels, The Missing Girl and Jessa is Back.
Affiliates
My exiting affiliate programs have been going strong this year. I’m always delighted to earn a new sale, no matter how small, and I try not to push my sales too hard so as not to bombard my readers with advertisements and begging for money. However, I do want to support the businesses that support my blog and offer readers discounts on their products.
In continuing my collaboration with The Whistling Kettle, I got to try their winter tea flavors, and I paired them with winter scenes in three classic books. In the summer months, I joined their book club where they paired a contemporary novel with one of their summer flavors, and they held a social media discussion about the book at the end of each month (see book and tea reviews above). Use my code LAURASBOOKSANDBLOGS2025 to get 10% off your first order at The Whistling Kettle.
In October, I picked up a new affiliate, US Ghost Adventures. Getting an invite to their local ghost tour in my hometown was surreal, and I couldn’t wait to share my post with my readers. I’m waiting for the day when I get some feedback from a reader who has taken the tour as well, and I’m hoping to take more tours from them in different cities in the future in order to freshen up the travel section of my blog.
Still going strong is A Self Guru, a site that sells legal pages for bloggers. The pages are easy to purchase, and the templates are easy to customize and add to your new or existing blog. Several bloggers have taken advantage of their sales and purchased their pages through my affiliate links, and it alone helps cover the modest annual costs of running a blog.
And one I always like to promote is Bookshop.org. This site not only sells books at prices on par with Amazon, but they also donate a portion of the proceeds of each sale to an independent bookstore. So, I always try to include links to any books that I’m featuring on the site that are for sale on Bookshop.org. You can check out my shop on the site where I share my book recommendations in multiple genres.
Goals for 2025
My goals for 2025 are, as always, to bring in more traffic than I did in 2024. Like I said, I’ve continually scratched my head over what posts bring in traffic and how that traffic fluctuates. However, I want to come up with some similar posts to those that bring in the most traffic and keep my readers entertained.
I’d also like to figure out how to use social media to bring traffic to my blog. These days, that means becoming some kind of influencer or video content creator. I prefer to remain behind my computer screen, and I don’t like the use of those robotic AI voices that you hear in videos. Maybe one day I can hire a marketing person to help on that front.
I’m very proud of what I’ve attained with just old-fashioned writing and a few images. There is a large reading community out there, and I’m glad to be a part of it. I just want to figure out how to be more relevant without sacrificing my own personal comfort and the integrity of my site.
I also want to write more film reviews and review some more books outside my typical genres, including graphic novels, coffee table books, and maybe even book and writing-related merchandise. Mixing it up is the best way to stay fresh, and, as always, I want to bring attention to the work that needs and deserves it the most.
What are your writing, blogging, and reading goals for 2025? Leave your answers in the comments below!
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