Do you know what your website’s analytics say about you? Do you know what kind of web traffic you’re getting and which articles or stories are your most popular? Reading and understanding your website’s analytics is not that difficult. You just have to know where to look and what to look for. The problem is that Google Analytics analyzes so much stuff that you easily be overwhelmed by everything. So instead, just focus on a few statistics that will give … Read More »

Do you know what people find when they Google your name? Do they find you? Do they find out that deep, dark secret you’ve tried to keep hidden all those years? (We know what you did; we still love you.) Or do they find someone with a similar name to yours? Maybe they’re in the same line of work, maybe they’re well-known in their own field, or maybe they’ve got their own deep, dark secret they’ve been trying to keep … Read More »

Here’s something for the nonfiction writers and people who aren’t just posting short stories and poems to their blog. When you get down to it, blog posts are one of the easiest pieces you could ever write. You just flop your fingers on the keyboard for a while, and whatever you come up with, you publish. (That’s what I’ve been doing on here for nearly a year. And if I can fool these guys, then you can surely do this!) … Read More »

I’m spoiled as a writer. I’m so plugged into my technology that I never pay attention to it unless it stops working. That’s a situation I’m facing now, as the T, R, 5, and -(dash) key have all stopped working on my laptop. That probably means a $500 – $600 repair on a laptop that’s about six months from its “best by” date anyway, so I bought a rechargeable Bluetooth keyboard instead. That inspired me to take a look at … Read More »

If you love technology and gadgets, it’s rather frustrating as a writer, because there’s not much to help us do our jobs better. Photographers have apps that help with lighting issues and improving their photos. Visual artists can sketch and draw on their phones and tablets. Even musicians have apps to help them record, mix, and share their music. Meanwhile, writers have word processors and, well, more word processors. There are things to help us be writers, but not much … Read More »

It was twenty years ago when I learned there was another Erik Deckers in the world. He was a real estate agent in Belgium, and he seemed a little perplexed when I first emailed him. But we chatted back and forth a few times, and he seemed like a decent guy. Fast forward to four years ago, when I learned there are four other Erik Deckers in the world, and they’re all from Belgium and The Netherlands. My dad’s from … Read More »