Blog Update: Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going Next…
We’re back from Japan and gearing up for a big year. In this post, I want to run through a variety of topics looking back at last year and forward to this year, covering where the blog is going next. Mostly, I want to “think aloud” a bit, tossing around some ideas, explaining my rationale, and hopefully getting some feedback from you in the process.
We’ll start by looking back. Last year, I think this blog started to find its groove. We had approximately 150 new posts, doubling the combined content of the previous four years (see them all in reverse-chronological order in our Latest Posts section). We also had a site redesign, launched the free newsletter/free 101 Things to Do in Southern California eBook, and wrote several posts offering deeper dives into places.
Looking forward, I’m hoping that we’ll have even more new posts this year–and more that offer broad planning, like itineraries and city guides. I also want to do top 10 lists; praising or criticizing a particular point of interest is useful, but ranking it offers comparative context. (And everyone loves lists!) If there are other types of posts you enjoy or dislike, we’d love feedback on that.
It might seem like things are starting slowly given that we’ve only had two post thus far this year, but I’ve written over 10. The big challenge is culling through the tens of thousands of photos I took in Japan, and starting to get those edited.
Japan is going to be an obvious focus for the blog this year, as is California. Travel-wise, we’ll also be in both locations this year. After a slow year on the U.S. National Parks front last year, I’d also like to get more serious about starting to check new parks off my list.
Other places are on the agenda, both in terms of posts and travel. The difficult part with the latter is narrowing down our list of potential places. We want to go back to Scandinavia, but also see more of Europe. Alaska has also been a dream destination for a while, as has Quebec City at Christmas.
Presently, the vast majority of my time is being spent writing about Kyoto. On our last trip, we visited over 100 temples in Kyoto. In most cases, I have a vivid memory of our experiences at each and also took meticulous notes while we visited these temples.
Other temples were (frankly) forgettable, and my notes aren’t nearly as thorough. (For one, the extent of my notes is just: “nice/modern restrooms; W/ SOAP! I wouldn’t recommend bc”. I’m thinking I forgot to finish the rest of that second sentence, as normally nice restrooms with soap are a strong basis for me to recommend something.)
The point is that time is of the essence for writing posts for some of the more underwhelming temples, as my memory of the forgettable ones will undoubtedly fade. There’s no way I’ll do full posts for every single temple we visited, as some simply are not worth the effort.
Since I don’t want this blog to be all Kyoto, all the time, my plan is to write drafts of around 30 temple posts and slowly post them over the course of several months, interspersed with other content. A few of those will come in the next two weeks, as I want those done before my “Kyoto Top 10” post.
The one thing with which I’ve still struggled is finding a thread to tie this all together–to pique your curiosity about places you may never visit. In part, I’ve realized this is a fool’s errand. Even Disney Tourist Blog, which has an obvious thread, doesn’t maintain reader interest when it comes to parks outside of the United States. I think it does a better job, though.
That’s probably because there, we’ve found the right balance of straightforward and anecdotal. Going through old posts here, I found several (probably most, if I’m being honest) temple posts that were all over the place. They featured some amount of history, tips, and thoughts on our experiences, but often lacking organization.
When it comes to travel planning, it seems like most resources read like ‘Wikipedia for Travel’. A facts-forward style without much color commentary–and what commentary is offered seems to be more like an aggregation of the consensus, rather than anyone’s actual opinion. Given the success and prevalence of this style, it’s probably what most people favor. Planning is difficult, and why digest and distill info from a 2,000-word post when you could get the same factual info in 500 words?
Personally, my favorite blogs are the ones with a distinct voice; ones that paint a vivid picture of what their experience was like. Even when I get the impression I might disagree with the opinions, I find this style more fascinating, helpful, and authentic.
I have little use for basics like admission fees (half the time those are wrong, anyway) or transit info (that feels antiquated in the age of Google Maps). History of places can be fascinating, but usually that’s not what makes my decision to visit a place, and it’s so much easier for me to retain history when reading about it at the actual place.
In writing, my approach has basically been to write for myself, which often results in rambling, stream of consciousness text. (This post being Exhibit A.) I’ve begun to realize others have different priorities when travel planning, making my style less than ideal.
While I have no interest in trying to appease everyone, I think better organization makes sense. Accordingly, in the new posts I’ve already drafted for temples we visited on our Japan trip, I’ve implemented a new format. This breaks things down into three distinct sections after the introduction: Info & Tips, History, and Our Experience/Review.
The first post like this will be posted tomorrow, and I’d love feedback on how the style works for you. I think it makes the post easier to revisit if you want whatever info & tips we shared, and also skip the color commentary at the end completely if you don’t really care about our experience at whatever the place.
With regard to Kyoto, this will all culminate in an ‘Ultimate Guide’ to the city akin to our Ultimate Guide to Los Angeles or our Paris Travel Guide. The “problem” I’m already having as I start to draft random paragraphs of that, is that there’s so much I want to cover. I’m guessing it’ll be over 10,000 words, which borders on too long for a blog post.
This has led to me throwing around the idea of a Kyoto eBook. This idea has led to me debating whether to do another free one, like our 101 Things to Do in Southern California eBook, or do something more comprehensive, and charge for it. Charging for anything gives me pause–I much prefer the indirect, ad-supported model.
However, doing a paid eBook would help me fund further research in Kyoto. There were a variety of things we skipped because we didn’t feel they’d be worth the money to us, or because we had already spent a lot of money doing other things. Ad revenue on this blog doesn’t even come close to offsetting the expenses of what we write about, which is normally fine since personal enjoyment justifies most of it. A paid eBook would bridge the gap and help justify further research.
The big question is, does anyone really care? The SoCal eBook was relatively popular, but it had two things going for it: 1) California is a popular destination among English-speaking readers of this blog, and; 2) it was free. If I put 40 hours into a free Kyoto eBook and only 7 people downloaded it, that’d be a bummer. If I put 200 hours into a $10 version and only 5 people bought it–putting the value of my time at approximately $0.25/hour before we even think about expenses–that’d be downright depressing.
To that end, I’d love to hear from you whether this is something that interests you, and if so, whether you’d prefer a free or paid version. Please be honest: a truthful “no” is better than a spare-his-feelings “maybe.” Ultimately, I’ll have to make an educated guess based upon regular readers and those ‘passing through,’ but your feedback is helpful as an early gauge.
Finally, we’d like to underscore the request for feedback. It really is helpful to us. What is the blog doing well and poorly? What would you like to see more/less coverage of? What kind of content do you like? We’re genuinely interested in constructive criticism here, and I know that is something people hesitate to give because most people don’t take well to it.
Oh, and as always, we love it when you comment on posts, as it lets us know not just that people are reading, but are engaged by or enjoying the content. (Unless your comment is that the posts sucks and wasn’t engaging, I guess.) I put a ton of effort into editing photos and writing these posts, and it’s always satisfying to hear that they were helpful or fun to read. Likewise, anytime you share a post on social media or with your friends, it’s greatly appreciated.
I’ve been reading DTB and this blog for about 3 years now. Yours are some of the few blogs I will read immediately and thoroughly when I see a new post–no matter the topic. My big travel goal is to visit each of the Disney Parks, and before you this is was a silly pipe dream–your blog has helped me solidify a plan and make this dream feel not only achievable but encouraged me that maybe I need to think bigger 🙂
I’ve long been hoping you’ll come out with a paid product so I can support you! I don’t enjoy ads or sponsorship posts as much as products–I’d much rather support you directly.
I would not only support the Kyoto Guide (I would highly recommend naming it something other than “e-book,” most people think of Kindle when they hear that and want a slammin’ deal, which might force you to slash the price to compete) but I would hope and pray that it was just the beginning of Tom Bricker’s Travel Guides! I come to your blogs not just to learn about destinations, but to learn about destinations through your own lens: I can trust that you’ll tell me what’s worth a splurge or where I can save money, or what dishes I should get at what restaurant, because you tried them all 😉
A couple things to think about (full disclosure: I work for a company that supports bloggers in online marketing): If you make 5 sales at the launch of your Kyoto Guide, that shouldn’t determine it’s success–it will be available on your website now going forward, and people can purchase long after the launch date. The launch should only be the beginning–you could give it ad space on your blog, for example.
You could also sell it on your email list. If you create an automated series of emails that lead from your free Southern California Guide to the Kyoto Guide (truthfully this may be a hard lead in–but if you had other guides there may be a better destination fit), then you’re pitching new email subscribers that have already expressed interest in one travel guide.
This is your blog, so if you prefer the ad-supported model, please continue–I will still be here, reading everything you post! I think it says a lot about your values and respect for your readers that you would ask our opinion. And I think that’s a big reason why I think so many of us would want to support your work.
Thanks for asking for feedback!
Thanks not only for the feedback, but for the tips (and kind words!). I’m taking the long-term sales into account, but that also means long-term work, as I’d also have to revisit the eBook and edit it.
If more of the traffic on the Kyoto posts came from Google, I’d probably be more inclined to gamble on an eBook without regular reader support. Maybe that’ll be the case someday, and I’ll revisit the idea!
First off, thanks to both you and Sarah for the efforts you put into these posts and over at DTB – they are very helpful to me. Even when you discuss places I’ll probably never go, I find your style engaging and your photos always lovely. In fact, I get frustrated sometimes when I’m thinking about a new travel destination for us and you DON’T have anything to say about it!
As far as specifics: Japan is definitely on our radar (in fact, my husband just sent me a link to something called Sushi University!), probably sometime soonish after the 2020 Olympics, so a Kyoto ebook would be interesting to us. I would be willing to pay, but probably no more than say $10.
Also I’d be very interested in anything National Park related.
Happy 2018!
“In fact, I get frustrated sometimes when I’m thinking about a new travel destination for us and you DON’T have anything to say about it!”
Good news! TravelCaffeine.com is always looking for generous benefactors. And with an investment of “only” a few thousand dollars, we’re happy to visit, research, and write about any destination you might want to visit (except Arkansas…there’s not enough money in the world). 😉
We should crowdfund a way yo get you to Scotland. given how much you have liked Switzerland and Norway, I suspect you would enjoy Scotland. (Bonus, it’s cheaper than those 2 countries and the language is easier for Americans!)
I started reading your blog after finding DTB & enjoying your “voice” there. (You are my go to resource for reviews of hotels near DL.) I have loved following along on your adventures, & I look forward to reading more.
As for the eBook, I cannot see myself purchasing a Kyoto guide, simply because I am not planning to visit there. (It has never been on my radar, but after all your amazing photos – who knows.) If it were a place that I knew I would be visiting, I would be willing to pay $5-$10 for the information. Mainly because I have found your DL & WDW information to be spot on, (and have a similar touring style.) Thanks for taking us along for the ride.
I’m looking forward to all the new posts and, in particular, the new style as I appreciate a lot of your coherent rambling on your own thoughts about that area. Probably one of the reasons I had read, and enjoyed, a lot of your reports back on disboards many years ago now and continue to read any new content you provide. And yes, everyone loves lists, so more top 10’s!
As much as I enjoy reading the posts on a lot of the areas in Japan it’s just not somewhere I see myself visiting in the immediate future. I enjoy the history of it and I never really realized just how beautiful a lot of the areas are over there until I had read a lot of your posts so thank you for sharing! I’d like to, but living on the east coast it’s much easier (i.e. less time/more convenient) to get to many areas in Europe first that I find fascinating, as well as many places still here in the U.S. That’s a poor excuse I know! If I lived on the west coast, I bet I’d feel the same about Asia instead. So as far a paid ebook, I probably wouldn’t buy one until I found myself planning to actually go there sometime. I would be interested though if you had one on say Paris (and the surrounding area) or the National Park’s.
Thanks again for all the time and effort that goes into these posts all year round. They’ve provided countless great ideas on various trips as well as many hours of time consumed reading on down time at work and home. Happy New Year to both you and Sarah, and happy travels!
Hi Tom,
I love your blogs and have found them invaluable for planning trips to multiple Disney parks, Kyoto, and for thoughts on future trips! I love the dense information content, beautiful photos, and personal voice that you bring to them! I have never found your entries too long or disorganized, because they are so well written and entertaining. Your specific point of view has also confirmed to me that I can “trust” your and Sarah’s recommendations, since we seem to have a similar approach to traveling, which has also kept me a loyal reader!
As for an e-book, I wish you the best, but to be honest, I don’t think I would pay for something like that. I prefer to work with info in smaller chunks that I can pick and choose when planning, so I find blog posts more helpful. Also, even if I were planning another trip to Kyoto, it would (sadly) not be for as long as you and Sarah were able to stay. Therefore, I would be more likely to focus on more well known destinations and probably wouldn’t have much time for a “deep dive” into lesser known temples or “hidden gems” etc., much as I might love to! There may well be an audience for something like that, but it probably wouldn’t be me; I would be inclined to stick with your blog entries, which have plenty of great information already!
Thanks again for your contributions to Disney and world travel–and if you have questions on traveling in Europe, feel free to DM; I have some experience in that area. Cheers!
Tom, I’m/we’re coming from a different perspective than most, probably. I’ve been to Japan twice, once in the 1970s with my former spouse and about 10 years ago with my current one.
As we get further into our “senior years” it’s unlikely we’ll go again. We read your Japan trip posts because they allow us to re-live our experiences, plus tempt us with things we didn’t do (Hello Kitty Land!! What could be more Japanese?).
We’d probably download and read your proposed e-book if we could get the download to work. (Took several days to get the MVMCP one to show up available for download after we signed up with you. This is not a complaint- after all it’s a free e-book on a free site. I’m just grateful that you and several other bloggers put in incredible hours to provide useful content.)
If you produced an e-book at a nominal price, we’d probably buy it, in part as a thank you for all the other content you produce, plus your photos, especially the night ones, are drop-dead stunningly gorgeous. Bluntly, pricing would be an issue. $5- sure, $10-maybe, $20- I’d have to think a while about the value I’ve received overall from you – don’t think I’d pay $20 just for a book about somewhere we probably won’t travel to again.
Great update!! I have really enjoyed following along with your Japan updates – even though it’ll probably be some time until I get there, your posts over the last few years have motivated me to eventually visit (perhaps when I finally graduate and have some time!). I would definitely download a free e-book for Kyoto, but I would be unlikely to purchase one just because I’m not actively planning a trip…even though I’m sure it would be great, it would be hard to justify since it wouldn’t be immediately useful hah. 🙂
I really enjoy all your anecdotes and stories from your trips, which is one of the reasons I’ve been following both of your blogs for so long! I think your comments on a new organization style may be helpful, because if someone is on the go they can quickly reference pertinent info, but for readers like me who are exploring vicariously, we’ll still be able to enjoy the details and personal experiences.
Also, if you make it to Quebec for Christmas (which you should totally do – old Quebec City is beautiful!!), you should make the drive to Ottawa to skate on the Rideau Canal and eat Beaver Tails in the location that they originated. Ottawa is another Canadian city that is great at Christmas.
Thanks for all of your hard work here, and on Disney Tourist Blog! I really appreciate all of the planning resources you have written, and love reading through your posts often.
I like the idea of the new format. Cost /location would definitely impact whether I visit a place. So having they info easily available would be very helpful. I would not pay for a Kyoto ebook. I love looking at your picture, but honestly, it’s probably a place I will never get to.
I can’t wait for more NP posts. Visiting national parks is something I love so seeing your pictures and planning tips are what I’m most interested in.
I’ve been a frequent reader of DTB for the last few years when I first discovered it and just this past year have really started reading your Travel Caffine posts consistently. Honestly your posts are incredibly refreshing because of your humourous anecdotes and the credibility of your recommendations. I’ve followed many of your suggestions on DTB and they have all turned out great, sometimes even being the best moment/experience/event of the trip! I’m excited for this new organization style as it only seems like it could plus your posts. Also, I love your trip reports and the stories you share in them as they remind me, and probably many readers, that no matter how much planning occurs, things could still get messed up. It provides a sense of realism and personality to your posts, something not found frequently in other travel blogs. In regards to a Kyoto e-book, I currently have no plans to visit Japan or Kyoto so I wouldn’t really pay for an e-book. But if you did one for a Disney Park, I’d be jumping on it. As always, keep up the great work and best of luck to you and Sarah in the future!
I’ve been a casual reader of your blogs over the past couple of years since becoming a Disney Parks fan and planning trips to DLR and now Japan and HK. I think I’m drawn to them over other sites because of the humour in your posts (of course coupled with fab pics and writing) and while more headings and sections would be helpful for research reading, please don’t reduce the humorous anecdotes/opinions! I wouldn’t buy an ebook (on a city/country – I probably would buy one from you on a Disney Park though) as I always tend to buy Lonely Planet as my foundation resource and build on that with blogs, trip reports, etc from sites like yours. PS despite becoming a serious DL Parks fan after visits to DLR and DLP I didn’t even know TDR existed until I read your raves about it!!
As someone with no plans to visit Japan in the next few years, I would be unlikely to purchase a guide to Kyoto. However, I still read all the blogs and trip reports because I enjoy following your adventures to places with which I am not familiar and your writing style. As an amateur photographer, I particularly enjoy the photos (and originally found you through ISO5571).
My wife and I love to travel, are Disney fans with no kids and are beginning to check off National Parks. We both look forward to reading more about your upcoming NP visits. We have developed a mild addiction to Alaska and will be heading back for the fourth time this summer with at least one new NP scheduled (Lake Clark for bear photography).
As much as you enjoyed Norway, I am sure that Alaska would be worth an extended visit. Keep up the good work and safe travels!
Hi Tom, I’m another long time reader of both your blogs. I enjoy your photos, and appreciate that you talk very specifically about your experience in addition to giving an overview. It really helps me imagine what a visit to any of these places would be like. For all that I have been enjoying reading the Kyoto posts, I personally would not be interested in an e-book. I am unlikely to go to Kyoto in the next few years, so I don’t really need the information all in one place. Honestly, getting the posts one every day or two has been the right pace for me to actually get in there and read them! I’d consider buying something like that just to support your work, but I’m unlikely to read it 🙁 Hopefully there will be other readers who will be able to use a Kyoto e-book.
Thanks for all of your hard work putting your experiences and photos on your blog. I used your posts to plan and tour some of the temples and places you visited in Kyoto and I hope another trip is in my future (I also love your trip reports and posts about the park overseas).
I would buy an eBook – if not for planning and daydreaming, then just to help support your endeavors. Looking forward to more of your travels!
I really enjoyed the higher amount of content on this blog int he past year. I think the format idea for new posts sounds great. I enjoy reading the rambling-style as entertainment, but if I’m using the post for “research” (e.g. I revisited several of your Paris posts prior to a trip there) having them segmented would be helpful.
I wonder if that plays into your popularity stats on DTB – people enjoy the foreign park content just as much, but they re-visit the local park content as a trip-planning resource.
I’d love to visit Kyoto/Japan sometime (my boss and another person we know were both there over Christmas and highly recommended it). But I really wouldn’t be all that interested in an e-book. I’m not sure why – perhaps it’s just the time commitment to reading ti vs. a blog post (or series of posts)? I downloaded the SoCal ebook, but it took me a long time to get around to reading it.
One last comment/questions, as this started largely as a photography blog – I really like the picture of the river snaking into the mountains at sunset in this post. Where was that taken?
I’m interested in the new post format, I think that will be a good improvement. You’re already on solid ground by writing actual posts. What frustrates me when researching a place is that the top 20 search results often are a copy/paste if each other.
I was very happy with the regular posting last year, even though I often got behind and would have a few pages of posts to catch up on. Thank you for all the effort. It’s hard to appreciate how much work goes into a single post, but I do thanks to my trail of never written blog ideas.
I would not pay for an ebook, simply because I have no plans. Truthfully, I wouldn’t download the free one either since I have no plans. But it always seems like other people post saying they used your tips in Kyoto, so obviously other people are getting around more than I am!
“What frustrates me when researching a place is that the top 20 search results often are a copy/paste if each other.”
Well, you’ll appreciate my rant in the next installment of our Kyoto trip report, then. A copy/paste piece of incorrect information cost me a lot of time and was one of the things that motivated me to get more serious about better Kyoto content!
I have loved the posts since I discovered the disney one’s and have been reading the Japan posts again as planning on going this year.
I’d probably not pay for a location specific ebook BUT i do often buy (when on 99p deals) ebooks which consist mostly of “couple travel round place x and have interesting tales to write about” – they are good value/interesting to read on the commute to work. Much easier to read on a kindle rather than via a blog format (for me). So “essays of places we visited” ebook would be a seller for me.
Thanks for the feedback on the eBook. Perhaps Dumb Things the Brickers Have Done While Traveling should be our next title. Unfortunately, it’d be so voluminous that I’d have to break it down into a 10-part saga! 😉
I agree that I like travel blogs with a distinct voice – an opinion – rather than specifics. I can look details up on my own. I enjoy not only your travel voice but also, obviously, your photos. Looking forward to your posts for this year. As for Kyoto, I have no plans to go – I was there 3 years ago – and have Europe on my itinerary this year. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like reading about it from your perspective and saving it for a return trip.Hoping you make it to Scandinavia and Quebec City at Christmas – two dream destinations of mine.
Thanks for the feedback–more Europe is definitely in the cards here, mostly because I haven’t posted everything from our trips last year!
To begin with, anything you write is fairly interesting. I’m the sort of reader that just wanders along with you, not having a specific agenda as to where you go, what you do and how you report it. I love the fact that the pictures really help to illustrate the story and you’re not making trip reports that are blocks of words.
Your personal thoughts and honest experiences are also very interesting. I think that’s what makes your reports so different and so much better then the rest of the people doing travel blogs. I suppose in the end, on any given location, the usual information will have to be emphasized (what, where, when and how). It’s those personal experiences/ opinions that make the difference and they make your’s and Sarah’s blog worth reading.
As for the ebooks I find them more valuable if I was planning a trip and wanted everything in one spot. For a trip like this where there’s not a high chance that I would travel to Japan, I find it valuable when the information comes in and drips and drops rather than have to slog through an ebook.
Again, I am the kind of reader that likes to wander around in your blog, coming and going when I please and engaging it as needed (wanted would be the best term). The discipline required for me to slog through an ebook would probably not be something that I’d wish to undertake for an area in which I’m not going to be traveling.
So the answer to the ebook would be no. Keep the Japan posts on the blog where you would get some revenue from the ads that appear. You could also post them whenever you’d like and in whatever order you like. The reader would have to do the work of assembling the information if they were planning a trip but that’s on them anyway.
Thanks to you and Sarah for taking the time to share your thoughts, photos and experiences concerning all of your travels. We each have gifts that we can share with the world that can help people and make the world a better place. Your efforts with your travel blogs definitely make the world a nicer and more fun place. So, with that in mind, please understand that any way you wish to package your experiences will work just fine for your readers. We love all of it!
Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate the honesty, and I’m guessing your description of your browsing habits here reflects those of many others, as well.
Just to clarify, the eBook wouldn’t be in place of posts here–it would be to (hopefully) subsidize costs of doing things we otherwise wouldn’t and that probably wouldn’t have mass appeal. Of course it would offer something of added value, but I’d try to make that content that would appeal to those planning a trip to Kyoto, but would not appeal to regular readers here who are just along for the ride. (That’s a tough needle to thread, but I’m thinking obscure/under-the-radar-itineraries, restaurant reviews, hotel info, hidden gems, etc.)
The new format for posts sounds great, but I hope the first two sections won’t lose the voice you currently write with throughout your posts. I think reading how this specific tip or piece of information affected your trip can be helpful, especially when talking about a place I’ve never been.
I personally would prefer a free e-book, but that’s mostly because I don’t currently have a trip planned for this area and would just be curious to read it. I also think that with all the information available for free just by using Google, it can sometimes be hard to justify paying for an e-book, no matter how helpful it would be.
I don’t think my writing could lose its voice if I tried. (In fact, when I write in a professional capacity, my writing has often had to be ‘toned down’ by colleagues.)
Thanks for the feedback on the eBook. I think what you’re saying will be true for a lot of people.
Great update. I’m looking forward to reading about your Kyoto experiences, even though I’m not sure when the next time we’ll visit will be. Regarding the voice / thread conundrum, I find the way your posts are already written somewhat refreshing. I can find out basic facts and figures (and admission costs) elsewhere, and I have. I come to your posts for three things, mainly: a) recommendations on what sites to see and how/when; b) your personal reflections and perspective; and c) photography recommendations and inspiration. To be honest, photography is what helped me find Disney Tourist Blog in the first place, and while that on its own has not been my only or even primary purpose in continuing to read both that site and Travel Caffeine, it still factors highly in my own reading here.
I appreciate your effort to organize your posts. Your new approach or any reversion to your regular style won’t be a deal-breaker either way for me, though. Again, I appreciate your voice as unique, and for me, your regular style of writing is part of that voice. But organization will probably help newer readers or people looking for specific information.
As for a guide to Kyoto, I would say go for it. Your recommendations among your other posts leading up to our visit to Kyoto in 2016 were invaluable, and helped me formulate a reasonable itinerary that allowed us an idea of what we were interested in before we showed up. The resulting trip is and will remain a highlight of our time living in Asia. So from my perspective, your guides are exceedingly helpful. And were I planning a trip someplace, I would personally pay money for a guide. I don’t know how big your larger market will be from those who haven’t used your advice before, but since we’ve had such success in multiple locations based on your experience, I would find it valuable and well worth spending a few bucks.
This has ended up being a much longer comment than I had expected to leave, but thanks for all of your hard work here and on DTB. It’s sincerely appreciated and enjoyed.
The long comment is very much appreciated, so thank you!
Personally, I think there’s only upside to the new format I’m going to introduce for posts. It’ll make it easy for you to skip the sections on history and basic info, and get straight to the anecdotes and photos. For others, it makes skipping the anecdotes easier.
For me, it makes it easier to justify long and rambling text about our experience that is probably more in the style of a trip report, and may not appeal to someone coming from Google. In the past, when I’ve gotten to the 1,000 word mark on a temple post, I’ve tried to wrap it up, as I know that means I’m starting to ramble, and potentially losing a good portion of the audience. Now, it’s easier to keep that rambling, knowing I already provided the info they wanted in section 1 and/or 2.
That may not make sense, but hopefully it will be more apparent when you see it in an actual post.