THANK YOU!!!
From the bottom of my heart, I just wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone who comes to read this blog…whether you’re one of my “regulars” or you just visit every so often or even if you’ve never been here before. It means more to me than you can know.
Last month, for the first time ever, the total visits to this blog site ticked up over 100,000! Now, I realize that’s probably just a temporary blip, as the previous two months were closer to 25K (although the month before that was at 85K—it’s a crazy place this Internet!). And I also understand that some of that traffic is likely web crawling Internet “bots” hitting my blog site for search engine purposes. But hey, that doesn’t much matter.
I’m just excited that, after nearly two years of writing Fan Film blogs for this site, people are still coming to read them!!! And quite a few people, at that! My daily web traffic is between a few hundred and a few thousand. And that translates into ad dollars that sometimes get as high as $1 or $2 a day! Yeah, I’m not really doing it for the money, folks.
So why am I doing it?
It’s actually quite a bit of work. I research, write up, and edit (you only see the typos I don’t catch). I reach out to fan film producers to conduct interviews, try to keep track of the latest goings on in the Trek fan film community, hunt down little-known Trek fan productions from years ago to write about, and look for active crowd-funding campaigns….and all of this while trying to stay just a few days (or maybe a week if I’m lucky) ahead of publishing deadlines. I don’t want this blog site to get stale if I can help it!
If you’re curious how Jonathan puts this blog together, here’s an idea of what I’m working on at any given moment…
Right now I’ve just completed an audio interview with Marc Zicree of Space Command. I’m also transcribing another interview I just had with new Axanar co-writer Paul Jenkins. I’m working with Nick Cook on a history of Star Trek: Intrepid. I’m finishing up the last two History of Star Trek Continues blog entries. I’ll probably write a Wednesday editorial review of the latest Star Trek: Discovery this week, as well, since folks seem to enjoy those. I’m in early research prep for a blog on Star Trek: Deception I and II, and I have an audio interview with Craig Sheeler of Star Trek: Secret Voyage that is taking me forever to trim down from its original 2 and a half hours. (I am so sorry, Craig!)
I’m also waiting for any more news from the Starbase Studios folks, and I’ve been talking to both sides for the past two weeks waiting for clearance to share details and updates. For the moment, everything I’ve been told is completely off the record, so I can’t print it. Likewise on news about who will be directing Axanar. Anyone who says that I can’t keep a secret has no frickin’ clue!
And that’s just what’s going on this week. During “slower” weeks, I try to catch up and update the “LIST OF FAN FILMS” page guides on this site—currently fresh up through September. I’m also doing my best to approve and respond to comment postings, keep the Fan Film Factor Twitter feed current, hang out a bit in the Fan Film Forum Facebook group, and pop in on some of the other Trek fan film groups.
All for a buck or two a day. And why did I say I do this again?
I do this because I love Star Trek fan films, and I love the people who make them. I admire their dedication, resourcefulness, creativity, and perseverance. Sure, these productions might not all be cinematic masterpieces, but they each have something to say in a chorus of fan support for this wonderful thing called Star Trek that we all love.
To me, Star Trek fan films should be all about celebration…about building up rather than tearing down. That’s why I’m so heartened when I see 100K visits to this blog site in a month…even if websites like TrekMovie.com get 20 times that. I don’t need numbers in the millions. I’m just happy to know that positive sites like mine remain far, far ahead of the negative sites that tear down rather than build up…
At least for now—and hopefully long into the future—love triumphs over hate, optimism over cynicism. And really, that’s what fan films are all about.
It’s why I’m here. I hope it’s why you’re here, too. Thank you for sharing this adventure, this TREK, with me…
I have no idea how representative I might be of your regular readership, but I suspect many others would be following your “columns” for reasons similar to mine. And the things that stimulate the support you continue to receive are that we see and recognise those very reasons you have given for writing your blogs.
From all your research and background work, you keep your readers informed. Informed about new fan films that are in production. Informed about “behind the scenes” activity with the various groups and individuals that produce the fan films. Informed about how various fan films are made. Informed about problems and issues that emerge along with the resolution or other outcomes of “issues” and conflicts. Informed about individuals and events that are, or may become, damaging to the sphere of fan films. Informed about, oh so much!
Also you delight us with trivia, things that may be trivial but never trite.
All of this is presented in a well-written prose style which is direct, lucid, warm, enthusiastic, as free of bias as I think any human could realistically manage to be, and intelligent but never precious. You communicate your love of Star Trek fandom and fan films in a manner which resonates with the range of similar feelings held by your readers. As a bonus, at times you share aspects of your personal life and your life with Jayden. From that, you are not just an anonymous writer — you become a real person, someone we feel we know and can relate to.
So Jonathon, you shouldn’t be thanking us; it is we who should be thanking you.
Wow, that is TOTALLY going up on my wall! Thank you, Bryan–even if you say you should be thanking me, I still want to thank YOU. You made my week!
I have to say, I agree wholeheartedly with Brian’s sentiments. I try to get here several times a week, but when I do, I get caught up, and time permitting, hit the facebook group too. Aside from Hero’s and Icons TV running ALL the series in order, this is my other fix for all things Trek.
At some point Jonathan, you might consider ways to help yourself and be compensated for all the hard work. God knows you’ve earned it. I recommend adding a PayPal donate button somewhere on the website, because it’s relatively easy for you to do, and even easier for us to hit the tip jar.
I talked to Wendy about setting up a Patreon to do just that, but she felt it was unnecessary. Also, I’d probably get a lot of detractors trying to sabotage it…and who needs the hassle, right?
Congrats!!!! Jonathan, for reaching that milestone!!!!
Yes, that’s why I’m here, Jonathan. Keep up the superb work!
Will do, Scott!
Congrats on all the attention for this site, Jonathan – It’s DEFINITELY well deserved!!!!… P 🙂
Thanks, Amil. It makes all the long hours worth it! 🙂