1. I generally write an end of the year review. It's not been a bad year. When people ask me how I'm doing I often say, "Better than I deserve." What have I done this year? Man, let me do a little research and get back with you.
I did write some books. I sense that my reputation has declined because I have turned so vigorously into self-publishing. I suppose I should get something published with a real publisher just to remind everyone I'm a scholar.
I have been going through a little bit of scholarly withdrawal. I didn't make SBL this year. I missed an opportunity to submit a piece for a Festschrift. I'll do a New Year's Goals post tomorrow, and no doubt these feelings will show themselves there.
2. I think I am getting better and better at self-publishing. I think I could almost start a publishing company. I have a good sense of making covers now. I know how to create ebooks. I know how to work with Kindle Direct Publishing (and Lulu). AI is as good or better at finding spelling mistakes and improving style as a human editor. Kindle will convert to audiobook if you format the ebook properly.
I took a course three years ago that helped me grow in marketing and sales phenomenally. I went through a revised version of the course this year too. Although I am not bringing in the millions, I think I may be doing better than breaking even. :-) For example, I used market testing to help me with book titles, cover images, ad images, etc.
I somber discovery is that you probably won't be very successful if you just write about what you find interesting and give your books titles you like. If you want to sell books, unless you get very lucky, you have to do market testing. And you just don't know what's going to get people to click on your stuff unless you test them.
Two of the books I published were re-titled versions of previous books. I felt like the earlier titles weren't as marketable or at least that I could reach a different market with these titles.
After helping create Steve Deneff's holiness course on Wesleyan Learn as well as Chris Bounds' Theology of Holiness course, I thought I would capture my thoughts on the topic. Although I promoted it, I was frankly unsatisfied with the recent book on the subject. This is one that perhaps I should have sought out a real publisher because it is actually a good piece of biblical-theological scholarship. It won't be engaged as a self-published book, but it ranks among other books on the subject, I think. Like many, I am deeply disturbed by the situation America is currently in. I sense there was a turning point about a month ago. It's like America is done with the current administration and is just waiting for it to end.- The United States versus Whatever This Is
- The Devil's Apprentice (a C. S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters type look at America right now)
You'll find a deal on a bundle of these either in ebook or paperback format here.
3. As far as sales, I sold 1406 copies of my book on Women in Ministry on Amazon (not including the ebook versions I sold on Shopify). Although it only came out about a month ago, I've sold 70 copies of The Devil's Apprentice on Amazon.
The most viewed blog post I had this year was The Wesleyan Church 2035. It was a pot-stirrer in honor of Keith Drury. It had over 1500 views. A post on Romans 16 was second with over 1200 views.
My Udemy course on learning Hebrew by working through the book of Jonah. I've had over 500 students take it during the life of the course, and some 1800 people at least looked at the course this past year.
On YouTube, I'm at over 13,000 subscribers. Over 100,000 views this year (down from the previous year -- I need to up my game). My main views were on a GFCI "how to" video I did a few years back (2800). Other than that, a few Greek and Hebrew videos had around 2000 views.
4. I've developed a blogging schedule that has resulted in a lot more posting than a year ago. These will eventually be books of some sort.
- Sundays I have been shifting my commentary approach. Few want to buy verse by verse commentary. I keep debating what form might generate interest. I'm currently playing with a storied approach to the books.
- Mondays I've been writing on my life story focusing on my thinking -- "Notes Along the Way"
- Tuesday I've worked some on a book I may try to find a conventional publisher for -- Science and Scripture. But I also think a more popular version might be more helpful for the church.
- Thursday has been philosophy posts. I've taken several runs at this from different angles. The current one parallels the class I teach regularly.
- Saturdays I've been writing on a chemistry novel I started almost twenty years ago. Some interesting angles on this.
I taught a lot this year. I think I graded over 1600 individual pieces of work this fall. I taught for about 8 colleges.
With over 1000 students and so many constituencies, my job as Provost includes a lot of the challenges that a Provost of a college has. Good experiences.
6. On a personal level, Angie and I were on our way to Iceland and Belgium when she suddenly felt very bad and I soon followed. We weren't able to go, which was very disappointing. Perhaps we can make a couple trips this coming year.
We have about 100 chickens and 2 goats, which frankly has made it difficult for us both to go somewhere together. We have three good coops and several crappy ones I built. I suppose one goal for the new year is for us to figure out how to manage this farm.
That gives a fair sense of this past year for me. I am on a common family journey with my sugar. It clouds my mind. It dulls my brain. We shall overcome. Such is life.
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