Four Million Pageviews - and naming a newsletter

2025 has got off to a flying start, as earlier today this blog clocked up its four millionth pageview. There have been over 3,700 posts and more than 45,000 comments (not all of them from me, by any means!) As I've said quite a few times before, the feedback I've had from readers of 'Do You Write Under Your Own Name?' has far exceeded my expectations, and in the most delightful way. In my first post, way back on 13 October 2007 (yep, I was very young at the time...), I said this: 'The aim is to share my enthusiasm for crime fiction, and the craft of writing. From childhood, I dreamed of becoming a crime novelist - and I love being part of a fascinating world.' And that remains true to this day.

The following day, I explained how the blog got its name and again I think that the general points I made still hold good - and no, I've still not had any screen versions of my stories made, even though various agreements are currently in place. In recent years, I've been very fortunate to find supportive editors, both in Britain and the US, and if you'd told me back in 2007 that I'd receive eighteen awards in the next seventeen years, I'd have thought you were crazy. But it actually happened, so you can see why I strongly believe that a key part of the writing life is having the will and desire to keep on keeping on. And also to strive continually to improve as a writer. You never know what lies ahead.

I'm someone who likes to set himself challenges and this year I'm finally getting round to something that has been in my mind for years. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm starting a newsletter. My daughter Catherine deserves credit for encouraging me to get going with this and at her suggestion, I've signed up with Substack. My cunning plan (perhaps not all that cunning, to be honest) is that, by mentioning the newsletter here and on other social media platforms, some of my loyal readers will sign up to receive it, and therefore I'll feel morally obliged to get going with it. My guess is that, as so often, it's making the first step that is the hardest. Especially for someone with my level of technofear.

As with this blog, there will be a mix of ingredients in the newsletter and I imagine that in the early days I'll experiment a bit and I'll be very interested in all feedback, including any constructive suggestions for improvement. In fact, if you have any comments right now about what you'd like to see in the newsletter, please do let me know. Just as I read the reviews of my books (including the bad ones, including the ones that give one star because the book was delivered to the wrong address), so I like to see what I can learn from others in writing blog posts, articles, or now pieces for the newsletter. While there will be some of my personal news and a few exclusive snippets, I'll aim to cover a wide range of books, films, writers, and so on. So you won't be bombarded with stuff about me, me, me. Just every now and then 😀 

So I look forward to taking the plunge and hope that more and more of you will feel tempted to subscribe. In the meantime, one pressing question is what to call the newsletter. Life of Crime is one option, probably my favourite right now, and Mysterious Pleasures is another (I edited an anthology with that title, but maybe it doesn't give the right impression for a newsletter?) All thoughts welcome...