Normally I do an open thread on Wednesdays, but with the start of 2017, I want to talk a little about the site, where we’re going in the future and what you can do to help support it. 2016 was definitely rough, but it was also a year of amazing growth and progress. We all had our disappointments and lost people we admired. But even in times that can feel dark, there can be light. Not only did I launch my newest book It’s Dangerous To Go Alone: A Relationship Survival Guide and brought back the PDNL podcast, but I met many of you in person at conventions and speaking engagements across the country. I got to see you all in Baltimore, in Boston, in Charlotte, in Chicago and more. It’s been quite the tour…
Recently I’ve had a number of people who’ve asked how they can help out with the site, which I always appreciate. Fortunately, there’re a number of ways to do that.
Follow Paging Dr. NerdLove on Facebook and Twitter
If you’re on social media, one of the best things you can do is to follow me on Facebook and on Twitter… I even have an Instagram account these days (that’s mostly pictures of my cats). These are the best ways to not only keep up with the latest from Paging Dr. NerdLove but also find out about upcoming events, news and the occasional random “What’s Doc think about Doctor Who” rant. And if you do give the page a like, make sure you set it up so that Facebook lets you know when the page gets updated. Facebook’s algorithms play merry hell about what does and doesn’t get shown in your newsfeed or notifications and so content you may want to see can get lost. To make sure that you get the updates you want – like, say, from me – after you click on “Like” on the page, click the little arrow on the side to bring down the options menu.
Click on “Posts In News Feed” and pick “See First”. This will make sure that when the I do update the page, you’ll see it in your News Feed. Don’t worry, I don’t spam you with updates; I tend to update twice a day at most. You’ll just be getting the latest news and articles from me, along with some favorite columns from the archives and occasional noteworthy articles from other great sites that I think is worth talking about.
And if you want to suggest to a convention, podcast, radio show or your college that you think I’d make an interesting guest for a panel or valuable speaker? Well hell, I’m not gonna say no.1
And while you’re doing that…
Share My Articles on Social Media
One thing that really helps me out is when people share my posts with their friends. If you like something I’ve written or think you have a friend who really needs to see it, then please don’t hesitate to share it. Retweets, posting a link on Facebook, sharing posts from the DNL Facebook page, quoting and linking on Tumblr, even posting links on Reddit – these all help immensely. There’s a side-bar on all my articles to make it even easier to share them… even if you’re the one person left on Google +.
And if you come to my articles on the Facebook page, be sure to “like” them there as well; that also helps maintain the visibility of the page in your newsfeed thanks to Facebook’s algorithms.
Next, it helps to:
Become a Dr. NerdLove Patron
This was also the year I started a Patreon. Patrons get early access to my column and podcast, exclusive goodies, first crack at upcoming specials and even a patron-only Ask Dr. NerdLove. They also get articles and behind-the-scenes information that nobody else does. My patrons are, quite literally, helping to keep the site up and running, the podcast going and the lights on. Even one dollar a month is a huge help.
Buy My Books
Obviously, one of the best ways you can help out is to buy my books.
Simplified Dating is your troubleshooting manual for when you’re starting to stall out and need to do some quick refinements to your dating game. When It Clicks teaches you everything you’ll want to know about mastering online dating. New Game Plus is the big one, my start-to-finish guide to rebuilding yourself from the ground up and turbocharging your dating life for 2017 and It’s Dangerous To Go Alone is all about how to make your relationship absolutely amazing.
All of these are available as ebooks or print editions for those of you who appreciate the physicality of books. If you know somebody who needs a little help, they make a great gift. And they’re just pretty damn cool in general.
And if you don’t want my book (or already have a copy), there’s also the Paging Dr. NerdLove Affiliate Store with a number of amazing books that were critical to my journey of self-improvement and can help you with yours.
Plus, whether you buy my book or one of the others2 or not, buying something else from Amazon vial those links still helps out the site through the magic of affiliate marketing. So it’s win/win all around!
And if you have bought my books…
Leave A Rating and Review On Amazon and Goodreads
I can’t stress how much ratings and reviews help authors. Not only does it boost our fragile egos (writers are sensitive creatures) but ratings and reviews help immensely when it comes to spreading the word about our books. In fact, once a book goes beyond a certain threshold, Amazon starts to recommend it automatically to more people.
So if you’ve read and enjoyed my books and if they’ve helped you, then taking a couple of minutes to leave a rating and review on Amazon and Goodreads is immense. It takes so very little to do but the benefits are profound, and it helps me out immensely and I always, always appreciate it.
I want to thank each and every one of you for how much you’ve helped me already. It’s been an exciting journey already and with your help, 2017 is going to be huge. There are going to be some really big announcements and changes coming soon, so be sure to stick around.