La la la la la la . . .
A little bit of housecleaning today.
Straightened up the blog a bit.
Got rid of some stuff that I no longer needed. Funny how after you stare at something every day for almost a year, you stop really seeing what’s in front of you. Hopefully, I didn’t take anything off of the Home Page to which you were particularly attached.
Let me know if you are all heartbroken that the Facebook link is smaller.
Or that the Twitter feed is gone.
Probably won’t put those things back, but if I have made you sad? I apologize.
Not done moving stuff around yet. It’s a little messy at the moment.
The biggest change you may notice is that I have added a second right-hand column.
You know what’s coming, right?
Pretty sure you know what I am going to say.
I have been writing this blog for almost a year.
I love this blog.
I love writing.
I love Pretty All True.
If I am to continue writing on Pretty All True?
I need to make some money writing on Pretty All True.
And as much as I love the pennies I can now jingle thanks to my Amazon Associate status? As much as I love the monthly cup of coffee my Kindle subscription sales will now buy me? As grateful and deeply appreciative as I am to those of you who have made a donation through my Buy Me a Beer! campaign?
I need the blog itself to earn some money.
Which means advertising.
I know.
I don’t actually want to sell advertising space here on Pretty All True.
It makes me feel icky.
I would so much prefer that someone with a shitload of cash show up at my door and reward me for my writing awesomeness.
Yeah.
That is not actually happening.
Yeah.
And as much as I would like to ask your permission before I start soliciting ads?
As much as I would like to involve you in this decision?
It boils down to this . . .
I love Pretty All True.
But if I am to continue writing on Pretty All True?
I need to monetize this fucker.
I am in the early stages of this process.
Bear with me, please.
Love you.
Kris
First?
Wow! It’s true!
As for the ads Kris – no worries here. I want you to be rich! (I want us ALL to be rich!)
But keep that nice pint of beer at the top please. It makes me relax when I see it. I need that calm beer vibe.
Keeping the pint of beer.
I love that my readers occasionally buy me a beer. I love that. I love the logo at the top of my blog. And I love the notion that one day? A fabulously wealthy person will visit my blog, laugh or cry at something I have written . . .
And then donate millions of dollars!
Yay!
That could so happen.
I love that my readers support me.
But as I said? I need the blog itself to do some earning.
We’ll see how this plays out.
Thanks, lovely first you!
God, I wish I could be the person that gives you a million dollars. There would be strings attached, of course! I would demand you write at my beck and call. Don’t worry though, my tastes are right up your alley.
“Today Kris, I want a story about finger nail polish remover!” Snort!
Snort!
Silly you.
I am not so much about doing people’s bidding.
At all.
Now about this soup thing . . .
Really?
Soup?
I am all giggly.
I’d really rather you be forced to write a book for millions rather than you receiving a donation of millions.
That way we’d SO benefit. Hello! A Pretty All True book?! Yessssssssssssss!
Well . . . duh!
That would be fabulous!
No one seems that interested in making that happen except me.
And again . . . Mark would like to point out that if I had a plan . . .
Mark needs to hush.
I see nothing wrong with a little blog advertising. I object to pop-ups I have to close, videos that crash my browser and the like. But as for a column of ads? My only comment is what took you so long. Monetize the crap out of this thing.
I have a deep hatred of pop-ups, ads that move, things that require closing, or anything with a video link.
None of that.
Not ever.
But a column of ads?
Assuming I can find people who would like to buy those spots?
Yes, I am going to make myself OK with that column.
Thanks, you.
Thank you very much.
I hesitate to think who might be the ad targets. Let’s see: cosmetics, no. Costco, no. IPA, yes.
Hee hee!
I have no idea who might want to advertise on this blog.
Maybe no one at all.
We’ll see.
It’s really not that noticeable to me. Of course all I ever see are your words. I have to really look to notice the archive or featured blogger links. Which I look for sometimes. Like when you tell me too. Or sometimes, I have to look for that button that makes you come. Hehe.
The point is I don’t care what package it comes in, I just love your blog.
Brandi -
I love you.
Thank you so much for that.
Happy sighs.
Kris
I’m right there with you, need to do some bloggy housekeeping sometime soon, too.
And also, the $$ thing.
It would be nice if we all had trust funds and could just write away to our heart’s content just for the beauty of writing.
Anyone want to fund me? No? No takers? No coffers falling out of the sky and landing in my living room?
Damn!
Better find a way to make money offa this shit, then.
How did the surgery go, Varda?
You are back and commenting awfully quickly!
That must be good!
Yay!
As for the other?
I do so wish a coffer would land in my living room.
Happy sighs at that lovely thought!
But yeah . . . as that does not seem to be in the offing?
Plan B.
Thank you!
Yes. I have found a way to turn the computer around on the desk and sit on the sofa like a lox and noodle around the internet a bit, visiting friends and even leaving comments, it’s a good distractingy distraction. It works in those golden two hours when the painkillers ares still working so I’m not in pain, but I haven’t taken them so recently that I’m all woozy and sleepy. And also? Incredibly loopy. I made the mistake of leaving a comment for someone in that state and um, I hope I didn’t sound completely psycho. I might have used the word “love” more than once.
So if in the next few days I leave you a comment that’s a little too, ahem, affectionate? Um, pat me on the head and ignore it. I’ll be off the painkillers within a week (recovery is going well).
I am so looking forward to loopy loving comments!
Yay!
Feel better soon, babe.
I’m glad recovery is going so well.
If I had 2 shit loads of money?
I’d show up at your door and give one to you for writing this blog.
But since I don’t, I agree with Amy.
Thank you.
I love the idea of you with TWO shitloads of money.
One for me and one for you.
Swoon!
Thank you!
I love that idea, too.
Sigh.
Don’t be sad, babe.
We’ll just each work to make a single shitload.
Yes!
That will so work!
Love you.
I have the silly google adsense on mine. I don’t think I have made any money. But I get a giggle out of seeing what ads happen according to what silliness I’ve written.
I hope you have better luck.
Google adsense is not a huge moneymaker as it requires clicks for cash.
Hoping to go a different route.
I will keep you posted.
Love you, babe.
I think there are about four people that read my blog so I don’t think monetizing would do any good for me!
I would not be annoyed by ads at all. And because you are awesome? I will click them sometimes!
I don’t know that I will make a lot of money.
Or much at all.
But I have managed (with my readers’ help) to get to a place where I might be able to make a small amount of advertising money.
Thanks for your support, babe.
That means the world to me.
Monetize the he’ll put of this puppy! Hey maybe they would make a sit com out of it! Now…who would play Maj and Kallan???
Love you so very much!
And on the off-chance that you are the one who can put me in contact with the men with the bushels of money?
Pass those contacts along!
I would be happy to sell myself out on a larger whorish scale!
Ahem.
Well I so live in So Cal, I did work for TIME Inc. Let me see who I can find in the SitCom industry.
And a whorish scale….does this mean painted nails more often?
Ummm . . . I was thinking action figures of my family.
And perhaps blow-jobs.
But yes.
I would wear fingernail polish if that’s what it takes to make the rainmakers rain.
I so would.
Hee hee!
Don’t you just LOVE auto spell correct? This was supposed to say Monetize the HELL OUT of this puppy!
Silly you.
I knew that!
Snort!
Please don’t feel guilty/bad/weirdness over selling ad space.
Your blog makes people happy. You should be rewarded for that.
You’re not prostituting yourself.
Although, if there is prostitution involved? Your loyal readers won’t judge you. It’s a tough economy.
I am all issued up over money.
I always have been.
I am so much more comfortable volunteering and working for free than I am trying to make a living at something.
What’s up with that?
So thanks for your lovely words.
Thank you very much.
I am seriously the same way, which is why I felt compelled to comment.
When I was a kid, my dad would not allow me to take money from anyone. Like, when a family friend wanted to give me a dollar as a gift? I was not allowed to take it or there would be hell to pay.
Now I have issues.
So many issues where money is concerned.
So many.
Thank you, lovely you.
Thank you for reaching out to reassure me.
Happy sighs that you would do that.
Happy sighs.
Good. Leverage it until your book gets published and the movie is completed. ….you’d still keep doing this, right?
It turns out that more is required to do books and movies than just the intention to do those things.
Snort!
Who knew?
And yes . . . I will keep doing this.
I love this.
I so fucking do.
YES YES I have thought for a long time you should be bagging up the bucks for this blog. I support you 100% …wait…I mean I support your idea 100% I cannot afford to support you, although I have enjoyed buying you the occassional beer and will continue that when I can.
Please God? I ask you to let this comment post as not to repeat my stupidity of yesterday’s three post idiotic spectacle.
I replied to it with profanity. I apologize in advance—
Bagging up the bucks for this blog?
Snort!
That is not going to happen.
But thank you for that lovely image.
And your comment posted on the first time!
Yay!
Ads make me sad. Especially as you don’t get control if what’s there. Fir example the iPhone version of your site has recently had an annoying ad fir winning an iPad. I hate it because it uses poor language that is not in keeping with your writing. You would never ask “wanna win an iPad?” why can’t they use proper grammar in their advertising. I suggest a different tactic similar to wikipedia. Work out how much money the advertising could bring, then set it as a target for a fundraiser (complete with thermometer) this will give readers a chance to fund blog without ads.
Ben,
Sigh, lovely you. Sigh.
Ads make me sad as well. Sigh.
And because you are someone who has supported me generously through my Donation Button? I am going to offer you some explanations.
1) The mobile ads are annoying. I have asked Mark to move the ads to the bottom of each post so they are less obtrusive. Those ads are not reliant on click-throughs, and so I am credited each time someone reads a post to which that ad is tied. As long as the ad can go to the bottom of each post? You should be much less aware of those stupidly worded ads. Those ads on the mobile version of Pretty All True make just a tiny amount of money, so I am happy to move them to the bottom of the posts and out of your view.
2) I put up the Donation button, and I have received quite a few smallish donations. Most on the order of $2.00-$5.00. Most of my readers are not in a position to support my blog with significant donations. I had a single generous one-time donation of $150.00 from a reader I will not identify here. And I had your donations, which I will not list here, but which have been very generous indeed. I cannot rely on you to support me, Ben. As lovely a plan as that sounds? That’s just not reasonable.
3) And so I believe that your notion of a fundraiser will not work. Most readers are accustomed to being provided all things internetty for free. There are a lot of blogs out there deserving of support. They are not supported financially on an ongoing basis by their readers. They just aren’t. And even if I could manage to make a fundraiser work? It would need to be an annual event . . . an annual begging for money from my readers. Ack.
4) People are very accustomed to seeing advertisements on blogs. A fundraiser designed to “save my readers from ads?” That’s just not going to fly, Ben.
5) I considered trying to move Pretty All True to a subscription-based readership. I floated this idea past perhaps 10 people whose opinion I respect and value, and I was told that I might as well just shut the blog down. No one pays for blog content . . . that was the UNANIMOUS opinion. And so as much as I would like to believe that everyone who reads Pretty All True would be willing to pay $25.00 a year for that privilege? I am told that is ABSOLUTELY not that case.
6) As for the ads that may show up here on Pretty All True? You may not like the ads that show up, but the ads that show up will be approved by me.
Ben?
I value your friendship and your support and your wisdom.
I do.
Kris
I have another idea, sponsorship. I take this idea from the zoo. Where they have a board of sponsors listed. They have different tiers of sponsors. This might work?
I have no idea in the amounts involved in web advertising, what is a ball park figure of a realistic amount to receive per month?
Ben,
I do not see the difference between a sponsor and an advertiser . . . a sponsor is someone who pays to have an identifying link put on my blog.
An advertiser is someone who pays to put up an identifying link on my blog.
I will be approving the ads that appear. They will not be randomly generated.
Babe?
You are the only reader I can imagine who might sponsor me.
Seriously.
Kris
Sponsorship sounds more classy than advertising :)
Oh, Ben.
I seriously adore you.
I seriously do.
kris
Totally offended and don’t think I can ever return.
Oh wait.
What’s an advertisement again?
Well, I like cussing a lot, so I will get past it.
I hope you make some fucking money!!!!!
Hell Yeah, Bitches!!! You’re awesome!
Snort!
Thank you, babe.
Nothing about my writing will change.
Nothing.
So there may not be any advertisers willing to take that risk.
Who knows who I will piss off next?
Snort!
Thanks, you.
Very much.
Much like Brandi, I’m here for the words, and sometimes I forget to notice the stuff I’m meant to notice (even, gasp! when it’s been my button there), so what’s a colum of ads between friends?
Bring on the income!
Thank you so much for that, Cameron.
Although the word “income” makes me giggle.
I would be happy with “car payment.”
Or “lunch money.”
Snort!