I asked, you answered. The 2016 survey results are here!

Writing

2016-survey-results

The first thing I have to say is, wow. I got 22 results last time I held a blog survey, and this time that quadrupled with 80 respondents total! I tried to keep the survey short and sweet but I know you have a lot on your plate every day, and I’m so glad you took some of your time to help me figure things out over here. According to Google Analytics, between 400 and 500 people read Otaku Journalist every day, so we’re looking at a full 5% of the audience. That may not sound like much, but when you consider that marketers are happy with 4% engagement, I’m thrilled.

I was never planning to keep it all to myself, so let’s take a look at the breakdown before I announce the giveaway winner.

The first question was, “How did you find Otaku Journalist?” and I’m not surprised to see that 24 respondents, more than a quarter of everyone who filled out the survey, said some form of Twitter. For better or worse, Twitter is where I spend most of my online hours, even after I tapered back my involvement after this experiment. I have 5,600 followers and Twitter says my tweets get 200,000 impressions a month, so I can see how that might lead people here.

My second question was about what people like to read on Otaku Journalist:

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This was a mandatory question, so this pie chart is out of 80. The biggest chunk is “Personal fandom essays” with 37.5% of the vote. “Geek career advice” and “writing advice” weren’t far behind. Honestly, I thought one of those latter two would end up with the biggest piece of the pie, because I assume you want to read blog posts that apply to you—complete with advice that you can implement to make your life better. But there’s another reason blogs are still around, and it’s that we all are hungry to connect. I thought my personal essays—anecdotal, geeky stories about my life—might be egocentric. What I was missing was that when my audience shares my interests, these stories aren’t so self-centered after all. Advice, well, I was already planning to write more of that. But stories? Now I’m wondering which ones I can dig up for you.

Also: why did I give people the ability to pick “Other” without clarifying what they meant???

The third question asked you to “check all topics that apply,” instead of just picking your favorite topic on Otaku Journalist, and it wasn’t all that helpful because it was VERY similar to the pie chart breakdown.

Fourth, I asked you about a course.

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Out of 80, this means that 57 people (71.3%) said yes. I’m impressed it was even that many, when I gave so little information about what a course might entail. Also, I totally said I was going to create a course already and never did, because my post about it got exactly one comment and I wasn’t confident anyone cared. Well, I guess people care!

By the way, here’s what you said you wanted to learn about:

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Ethics and bias in fandom reporting has a really bad reputation on our post-GamerGate web, so I wonder if my wording here is why that in particular was so unpopular. But the things you wanted to learn about the most were a three-way tie. It’s time to dust off my old course outline, and make these three items some of the most prominent.

Also, I probably should have asked something about the course STRUCTURE. Like, do people want videos? Workbooks? Other? (I’m never letting people choose “other” again.)

The final question was optional: anonymous comments or critique about Otaku Journalist. Now, usually this would be terrifying. If I asked my Forbes readers how I could improve and gave them an anonymous forum, I’d probably be ripped to shreds. But of course, readers here are the absolute best and the vast majority of critique was “I like what you’re doing, so do more of it more often.”

Here’s some critique that stood out:

  • A few people asked to hear about my life as a web developer. OK! I can contrast that with being a journalist. Or tell you about how I can just reference anime to other developers and they instantly get it. And one day I want to tell you about the sexual harassment thing I dealt with at my job, but not until I’ve had a little more time to get past it.
  • More people asked me to write more often. When I started this blog, I used to write three posts a week. Then, it was two posts and a link round-up. Then, one post and a link round-up. Now I also miss weeks entirely! I can’t promise going back to three a week, but knowing people are looking out for that Monday post is motivating.
  • One person suggested I post my freelancing output, and I loved this idea. I blog about how you can make money blogging, but you don’t really get to see how I personally do that. I occasionally post this stuff in Otaku Links, but a monthly breakdown of what I did to get by as a geek entrepreneur might be pretty useful and cool.

Finally, it’s time to announce the winner of the survey drawing. Twenty-three people entered by commenting on the post. I assumed the first commenter to be “Submission 1” and the last to be “Submission 23.” With that in mind I went to Random.org and…

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Congrats to Jenny, commenter #18! I’ve already contacted her about claiming her prize.

Thanks to everyone for entering and participating. This was a super enlightening exercise and I feel renewed energy to work on new stuff for you, which seems to be what everyone wants anyway!

Photo by Martin Fisch.

Otaku Links: Looking ahead

Otaku Links

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Weeks like this, there’s nothing to do except keep busy and not think too much. I’ve been nonstop booked—attending a women’s only coding night, meeting my entire family for happy hour (yes, we all live in happy hour distance still), planting a garden, donating my delicious O+ blood—and only passing out a little—and taking on a cool new project for Anime News Network.

And of course, I’ve been skimming the early replies to the Otaku Journalist survey and feeling closer to you than usual. Thanks to the 50+ people who have already filled it out! It means so much to me to know you’re reading and responding. I’ll share some infographic stats on Monday, but for now: links.

  • I’ve been watching a LOT of Gundam lately. Last week I linked my Gundam X and Gundam ZZ reviews; yesterday I just turned in my Gundam X part 2 review, now I’m zipping through the rest of ZZ and oh yeah, I just noticed my review of the Zeta Gundam compilation movies is out.
  • How to write a book. Not anime related, but Ryan Holiday’s commitment to making Greek and Roman philosophy not only palatable, but relevant to modern day readers is very much in line with the Otaku Journalist manifesto.

Gundam ZZ screenshot by me. If you want a clean version, here you go!

Take the Otaku Journalist survey and win a book

Careers, Journalism

survey-2016

Honestly, my heart is not in a place to be writing blog posts. In the US where I live, it’s typical to briefly acknowledge gun violence and move on like things are normal again. It seems callous, and it’s harder this time than usual, but I know I have to return to my routine for my own sanity. So here I am. It’s Monday, and on Mondays I post on Otaku Journalist.

Here’s what’s up: every now and then, I have a lack of confidence about this blog. Are the articles I’m putting up really the things you want to read? And am I putting up enough of it? Google Analytics can only tell me so much.

When that happens, I like to post a reader survey. The last time I conducted one was in 2014, and it was a good time. I used the findings to write a new book, Build Your Anime Blog, and one lucky survey respondent won a copy of Otaku Journalism.

You get where I am going with this: it’s survey time.

This survey is very short, with just 4 required questions and two optional ones. And just like with my previous survey, filling it out will get you in the running to win one of my books—your pick.

Since I want the survey to be anonymous, the drawing is on honor system. After you fill out the survey, leave a comment on this post to let me know and enter the drawing. I’ll reveal the winner 7 days from now, next Monday 6/20.

Thanks so much in advance. I’m looking forward to hearing from you. And in the meantime, keep yourself safe and sane. You’ve done something for me and I am grateful. Now, do something for yourself.

Photo via Alberto G.

Otaku Links: How to become a manga translator

Otaku Links

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  • Speaking of new anime, the summer 2016 season looks amazing! Things I’m most excited to check out: Orange (loved the manga), Cheer Danshi (boys cheerleading!) and the latest from the creator of One Punch Man: Mob Psycho 100.
  • Dr. Stephen Reysen does research on pop culture and anime, and his latest fan poll is up. Help some scholars study anime fandom while being entered to win an Amazon gift card. HT Steven Savage.

Screenshot via Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ.

Why you should get started even if it’s hard.

Careers

get-started

On Sunday, I ran my first ever 10k race. That’s 6.2 miles for my fellow Americans. While I felt like I might pass out around mile four, I managed to reach the finish line with style.

It’s just the latest in a series of really, really hard things I have been doing with my life. I got a job as a web developer, even though my degree is in English. I started studying Japanese, and took (and passed) the three-hour N5 Japanese language competency exam. I decided to blog every day while I was in Japan—and I almost made it, too. I launched a new business inspired by my fandom, and though it’s recently had a major setback, I’m keeping it afloat.

All of this has been exhausting. My developer job is forcing me to learn quickly and I’ve grown enormously since I began, but personal growth is really hard. Even weekends are rough—right now, my brain hurts from my latest Japanese homework essay, plus I can’t feel my legs. I’m sure you can tell that I’ve been slipping as a writer, too. I haven’t been sticking with my blogging schedule as faithfully. I’ve cut back my Anime News Network weekly reviews to two shows instead of three. I haven’t blogged at Forbes since April.

Sometimes I fantasize about how easy it would be to just stop. Just let the blog lapse, stop turning in articles, turn in my notice at work, take a hiatus from Japanese, stay home and eat some donuts instead of run. But that’s when I think about the Month of Battlestar Galactica.

Let me take you back five years. John and I had just moved in together to a studio apartment that wasn’t big enough for both of us. I was working a 9 to 5 desk job that I didn’t love. But I kept it because we had just weathered the Great Recession, and I felt lucky to have anything. John was just starting his career at entry level, having to slowly work his way up. That first winter was awful. Bitterly cold but no snow, so we had to keep slogging to work. We were living in a cramped space with each other for the first time, so we stepped on each other’s toes a lot.

But there was one solitary highlight that February, and that was Battlestar Galactica. We’d come home from work, settle in front of the TV, and watch as many episodes as possible before falling asleep on the couch. Not to knock Battlestar Galactica or anything. It’s a gripping show. But I’ve never felt so empty as I did that month. Battlestar Galactica was a great escape, but eventually, I had to go back to my own, unfulfilling life.

It got better. The weather got warmer. We moved into a bigger apartment. John and I got really into eating healthy and working out, and actually spent time together not staring at a screen. I applied to the Daily Dot to write for a living, got the job, and put in my notice at work.

Of course it hasn’t all been perfect since then. I want to do all the things, put too much on my plate, and get stressed out. I picked a job and hobbies I’m not great at. It’s hard!

But then I remember what easy is like. Easy is sticking with a 9 to 5 you hate because you don’t think you deserve anything better. Easy is eating takeout and barely talking to your significant other, because cooking and relationships both take effort. Easy is running away to the fantasy world of Battlestar Galactica, and waking up each morning feeling empty.

I get it. I love keeping up with my weekly anime shows or marathoning an old gem. But I want to advise you (and remind myself) against getting too comfortable. All of the coolest things I’ve done this year have been outside of my comfort zone—crossing the finish line, solving a difficult programming bug without asking for help, reading manga in its original Japanese. Getting to the point where I could do these things sometimes sucked. But even if it’s not as fun or easy as watching a space opera, it’s real. It doesn’t disappear as soon as I turn off the TV.

What have you been putting off? Today’s a great day to take the first step.

Photo by Pete on Flickr