Short answer, it was very successful.
If Dead End Follies found its shape in 2010, it found its readership in 2011. I had 800readers in 2009, over 18 000 in 2010 and in 2011, I will end the year with close to 60 000. It's about a 300% growth. This is math I can totally get behind.
When I closed last year, I knew the site had wind in its back and I had set for objective a 190% growth. I was on target for those numbers when I had the greatest idea ever last April, TEN RULES TO WRITE NOIR. A series of ten guest posts by noir writers about how to write their genres. Starting this project was the best idea I could ever had for Dead End Follies. The posts are still as of today, some of the most popular in the site's history.
A collateral of Ten Rules, I got in contact with the crime fiction community and started receiving review requests. Since the first who trusted me with a review copy was the very respected Anthony Neil Smith, I didn't have to claw my way into a reviewer status, I started receiving copies right away. A little at first, but more and more as months went by. I eventually acquired a Kindle to be able to manage all the requests and I have already mounted an impressive queue. I have about a month or two of Kindle reading ahead, about fifteen titles.
Oh and I don't even mention the friendships I formed with fellow writers in the process. That's the best part, but you hear about this everyday.
The year is once again closing strong (looking forward for December to be my best month), so I have big plans for 2012. You already know about the book club and the reading challenge, but I also intend to start doing interviews. Now before you start spamming my mailbox with interview requests, let me tell you it's not an open platform. I make the interview requests. You might not understand at first, but it will start making sense and be profitable for everybody. I hope to be able to post one a month, starting in January.
Numbers expectations? Let's go for 100 000 visitors. You might think that I'm aiming low, considering the phenomenal growth Dead End Follies had in 2011, but experience has taught me that the better you get at something, the harder it gets to refine your skills and get even better at what you do. It's all about fine tuning. That's the motto for 2011...fine tuning.