THE 4TH ANNUAL REPORT

Has it really been 4 years of Fates on Fire? Yes, indeed, it has! Who would have thought when I published my first article all those years ago, that I’d make it this far? Not me, if I’m being honest, but here I am and here we are celebrating Fate’s forth birthday.

If you’ve read any of the prior annual reports, you know that it’s de rigueur for me to eschew flaunting my site stats, posting sexy charts rife with “data-tude” or otherwise pimping my Google Analytics badassery. As stated on many prior occasions, I don’t really (ever) log into G.A. to get any level of specificity on key metrics for Fates. Rather, I prefer to keep it somewhat loose by popping into the Jetpack Stats dashboard on my phone every couple of weeks.

But this year, I actually did a deep dive (anyone keeping track of the corporate “non-words” I’ve been breadcrumbing) on G.A. to see what was what over the past 4 years of writing. To be fair, there is a shit-ton of killer data in there where one can lose oneself in multiple rabbit holes of quantitative, dork-a-licious goodness.

I’d like to report that my online spelunking led me to some magnificent epiphany on my writing, readership, and whatnot, but it simply confirmed what I already, and mostly intuitively, knew. In summary, readers really, really love my (hopefully) witty and erudite excoriations of popular & consumer culture. Seeing this on a chart, completely brought this point home and has informed my future topics.

I also learned that readers are not particularly fond of (or certainly don’t lust for) articles about rock music or books. And while I knew this, it did leave me a tad crestfallen as those are the two topics I really enjoy writing about. This is precisely why I ended up writing a book of rock music essays completely outside of Fates on Fire.

As pertains to reading? I read almost 200 books a year and publish my winners at the Fates on Fire Book Awards. While these awards do get some decent traction, generally outside of the FI community, they don’t seem to be embraced as much as other topics. However, because I always get a few nice emails from folks who discovered a book or author they like, it makes it all worth the while. So I’ll keep doing those.

Lastly, while cat memes rule the Internet, written pieces about them do not. Just sayin’.

So, all that said, let’s take a look at what article’s dominated for you (and me) in 2022!

THE BEST OF 2022

MOST READ ARTICLE:

A NATION OF JUNKIES – Like my Brand Whores: The Curious Case of Consumer Loyalty article in 2021, this got picked up not only by the FI community, but by a ton of other mainstream online sites & aggregators and took on a life of its own. It’s the undisputed juggernaut of 2022. If you enjoyed this, wait ’til you see what 2023 has in store. Special thanks to everyone who promoted and shared this article!

MY PERSONAL FAVORITE(S):

WHEN THE WORD IS THE DRUG – I’d argue that this piece is, likely, the best written article of 2022. However, the very true story contained within it is transcendent. Two men, from vastly different backgrounds and personal circumstances, unwittingly, come together outside the L.A. Public Library on an early Sunday morning. It was such an indescribably powerful chance meeting that proved both the beauty and power of the written word. It embodies a moment of my life that I will never forget.

THE ISSUE WITH CONTENT CREATORS – So, you may be asking, “Is the is the one where he references the insertion of a gigantic, raw, turkey leg in to someone’s rectum to make a point?” Yes, this is the one! Admittedly, I was a bit fiery when composing this and, I’ll still assert, it’s relatively well written, but the biggest reason why I love this article? It was the first time ever I got “hate mail.” To be honest, it wasn’t really “hate-y,” per se, but a few people got their feathers severely ruffled by the “bird in the bum.” This is when (finally) I knew I made it!

ON WRITING

Perhaps the most notable event for Fates on Fire in 2022 was the decrease in publishing frequency, which was down by about 30% (including the unpublished/by request only “Big Time Part 3”). As I stated in my July “What’s Up With Fates?” article, I was in a fevered frenzy trying to corral and complete the “Rock N’ Roll Zero” (RNR0) book, which I can say of this writing is finally done. Until such time as a publisher (hopefully) becomes interested which will then, invariably, result in hundreds of more hours of re-writes under the direction of a seasoned editor.

Astute readers will remember in last year’s “3^rd Annual Report” I announced a category called “I’m Single, Let’s Mingle” that centered on my post-divorce dating adventures. I very quickly realized I, likely, had a great idea on my hands and, intentionally, did not move forward with it. I was positive I’d figure out how to re-deploy the idea in a more meaningful, effective fashion and then mentally filed it away.

After bandying the idea around as a possible book, I found a fellow conspirator and officially teamed up with a female co-author from Southern California late last year and we’ve begun earnest work on a humorous, yet legitimately helpful book on middle-aged dating. Because the endeavor is saleable, it has become a substantial demand on my time and will dominate most of my writing in 2023.

Because too much of a good thing is the perfect amount for me, after completing RNR0, I started work on a novelette with the working title of “Vancouver Blown Fuse” that details some of my misadventures last year. Since pretty much no one cares about novelettes, I’ll likely self-publish this as a single on Amazon under a pseudonym. However, I am convinced it would make for a brilliant graphic novel. Alas, as I have zero proclivity for, or facility with art, I’m at an impasse. If any of you know comic artists, established or aspiring, please send them my way.

All this said, many of you probably know that any writing that’s been previously published, including on websites with low readership like Fates, will not be considered by 3^rd parties. This proved a major headache for RNR0 with over 10K+ words completely atomized for the project. That was a sorrowful, hard-earned lesson and one I will never repeat.

Thus, the question remains, with such limited time, do I pursue writing that may, perhaps, be published or continue to spend the same energy writing here for free?

WHAT’S NEXT?

As a direct result of the above, I can confirm that Fates’ publishing frequency will drop further in 2023. I’ll be moving to 1 article per month (posted on the last Wednesday of each month). While the regularity may diminish, I promise the quality will be a return to form from 2022!

Most reading this know that many other FI writers have done the same, most recently my dude, Dave, over at AccidentalFire. He makes a compelling argument for “non-negotiable priority” where one’s 168 allotted hours of weekly existence are channeled into those things that matter and mean the most. I couldn’t agree more.

I will not lie. I toyed with the idea of killing Fates on Fire next year on its 5^th birthday and at 100 articles. One would have to agree, it’s a totally majestic, poetic way to conclude a project. Kinda like Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ 5 year lifespan to save the world, but not nearly as cool.

Those in the know would say I’d not do it because I’ve prepaid Bluehost until the end of 2024 and I’d never squander money like that, but they’d be wrong. While my life has changed somewhat from Valentine’s Day of 2019, I am, still proudly and gratefully, in some small, tangential way, a part of this community. One I cherish, and where I’ve made legitimate friendships both online and off. So, that said, I don’t think my fanciful idea of going out in a blaze of glory will ever be realized, All of this is just too much fun, so I imagine we’re stuck together for a while longer.

As the self-proclaimed “Nick Cave of the FI/RE space,” I’m keenly aware I am a total fringe commodity. As such, a zillion thanks to everyone who has read, continues to read, leaves comments, shares or engages in any way with Fates on Fire. I appreciate it so much! In particular, thanks to my “Blog Gang!” I love you kids and I’m so delighted to be electronically entwined! Keep up your great writing, insightful ideas and continuing to make us all think a bit more sharply.

See you all next year for the big, half decade birthday blowout!

P.S. Happy Birthday, Dad. There’s a reason Fates on Fire launched on your birthday. I love you!