Who are the people in the neighborhood, the people in the sidebar each day? They’re the advertisers, and I’m starting a new feature where each month I give you a round up of who is supporting the site this month. The advertisers in the neighborhood help me run contests, pay for international postage, do some conference travel, pay for postage, cover fees and web hosting, assist in bribery of the Esosoft technical support staff when we Google bomb Amazon on Easter Sunday, underwrite postage and cover other expenses like postage. (Guess which is the largest item in my budget?)
So who are the people hanging out in the friendly neighborhood of advertisers? Let’s have a look – and big thank yous to those fine folks who advertised here at Bitchery HQ this month.
Darlene Marshall was one of our first advertisers, and has been commenting on the site since almost the beginning. Candy reviewed her books Smuggler’s Bride (B-) and Pirate’s Price (C+) shortly after the site began in 2005.
Janet Mullany’s new book A Most Lamentable Comedy is about two people can keep up the best of appearances on a shoestring budget, but must marry for money.
Belgrave House is a giant collection of digital books (in 10 formats, holy smoke) including many out of print oldies-but-goodies set in the Regency and Georgian periods.
Jill Sorenson’s new book Set the Dark on Fire is a romantic suspense novel that takes place in the hot, desolate, southwest California desert, and features a sheriff who is new to town, and a wildlife expert who has to help him solve a crime that looks like a mountain lion attack.
Anne Calhoun’s Liberating Lacey features an older, savvy, sexy but sheltered heroine and a younger man. What starts out as a hookup turns into something entirely different.
Annette McCleave’s book, Drawn into Darkness is a 2008 Golden Heart winner, and features a mortal heroine with a troubled daughter, and a Soul Gatherer hero who falls for her- but can’t tell her of his next mission.
Susan Saville is the author of Dance Macabre, a “sort of Dexter meets Jane Eyre” novel – as she says, and a calendar for cat lovers.
Christine Feehan‘s new novel is the latest in the Carpathian series. Ivory is a female Carpathian, and as such is exceptionally over protected. When she frees a Carpathian enemy, Razvan, she has to stand up to her people and her enemies to protect him.
Sweet Seduction is Maya Banks’ new novel. This one is an erotic romance about two people who wait until it’s almost too late to take a chance on each other.
Tracy Wolff’s new book, Tie Me Down is a gritty erotic romance between a tough female police officer and the guy who shows her there are other ways to submit without losing pride.
If you haven’t downloaded your free romances from Harlequin to celebrate their 60th anniversary, what are you waiting for?!
Cobblestone Press has an upcoming Octoberfest event for all things “that go bump in the night.” Heh heh. Bump in the night.
Samhain Publishing (distant cousin to Sam Bucca, unrelated to Sam Adams) is highlighting some erotic romance this month from Lora Leigh, Maya Banks, and Shiloh Walker.
Dreamspinner press publishes m/m romance novels, novellas, and anthologies – and offers them in paperback, audio and DRM-free ebook formats. One of their books, Caught Running(B+) by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux, was a favorite of mine last year.
Want to read chapter one of Jennifer Rardin’s Once Bitten Twice Shy? Or read my B+ review from 2007 about the kickass heroine, Jaz?
Sharon McClellan’s new Silhouette Romantic Suspense is titled Mercenary’s Promise and features a wilderness guide trying to con a mercenary into helping her save her sister in Colombia.
Have you met the MamaWriters? “Raising kids, writing romance, it’s all about the love.” Holy smoke their logo is adorable.
Elissa Wilds’ book Darkness Rising features a coven of witches, one of whom has caught the attention of a god. Piece of cake, right? Right.
Louisa Edwards’ debut novel, Can’t Stand the Heat comes out this month, and features a smoking hot chef and a food critic who gets under his skin – and won’t get out of his kitchen.
I really like the MamaWriters site, and I never would have found them if I hadn’t seen their had here at the SB’s!
Wow, I feel like I just got extra value for my ad dollar! Thanks for the shout-out. I’m going to be updating my long running ad soon to promote my December ‘09 release, The Bride and the Buccaneer.
I’ve bought quite a few books from Belgrave House and I got Janet Mullaney’s book via the Book Depository’s new US site.
Can you give me some insight as to why you posted this? I mean, there are ads on blogs, I get that. But they didn’t pay you do put ads in the actual posts, I’m assuming, from what Darlene posted above. But you’re planning to make this a regular feature?
I don’t know. Maybe there’s a really good reason you’re doing this (even if you’re just trying to raise more ad money). Which would be okay, as long as you’re upfront about it. Basically, I trusted SB to keep the paid content on the right and the independent content on the left, and with this blurring of lines, I’m feeling kind of spammed.
I agree with what MamaNice said—coincidentally, we were talking about mummy blogs at work and I was able to share a link. Agree with their production values: so bright and cheery 🙂
Having won a book here—the only thing I ever won except a wheel barrel full of booze AND I don’t drink so that really didn’t count—- I appreciate the sponsors that allow the contests that allow the laughs that allow the shipping.
I also really like to see ads here for books from authors that are not auto-buys for me. It keeps me aware of new and authors that I’ve not yet discovered.
Looking at my comments I think I need an editor but the gist is that whatever keeps your site moving forward works for me.
I actually like this feature, since it clarifies (somewhat) some of the ads. I don’t generally click the ads on blogs, but a lot of the ones here I do, because they introduce me to new authors…new authors that I’m assuming SBTB is behind, considering what I’ve read here about the ads and SBTB review of them.
I would love more insight into some of them, though, like the “Dexter meets Jane Eyre” reference…because I’m not clear where that’s going, and I can’t get to that site from work.
I totally agree with JoanneL about the book/author ads. I’ve actually discovered several favorite new authors as well as authors I want to check out in the future. Most of them I’d never have found otherwise.
Ref: “If you haven’t downloaded Harlequin’s 60th anniversary free ebooks, what are you waiting for?”
I wrote to the big H to ask where the free download button for a Red Dress Ink title was. They wrote back to say the line was discontinued. *sigh*
Well I use AdBlock Plus on Firefox, and see absolutely no ads (good or bad) so this actually got me to click a few links.
I got a new link with Belgrave House. I hadn’t checked it out before but you can believe I will be now!
I like this feature. I especially like your links to reviews you’ve done of the books.
I have a question, though, RStewie said
. So what is the connection between the adds and SBTB endorsement? I’d always figured, hey, they’re adds, they’re paid for, they are NOT endorsements.
Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever clicked on a link, because I just figured it was a random sort of thing, and I didn’t trust it. Obviously they match the theme of the site, but if I understand it right, there are ad agencies that websites sign up for and then get paid money, perhaps without even knowing who will be advertising on their site.
Now I’m wondering where on the unknown advertiser to recommended author/book spectrum do the ads fall?
I don’t automatically click, so this kind of shout-out blurb is nice. There’s a few I’m clicking now. Thanks. ^_^
I’m willing to support any author who’s willing to support SBTB. I’ve bought three books that I never would have even come across because they advertised here, and I bought Ann Aguirre specifically because I enjoy her participation here. And the book was good.
I don’t mind the shout-out in addition to the ads. I subscribe to my public radio station (ckua.com, best radio station in the world), and they have ads. I’m willing to support small businesses who support them.
I guess I’m sufficiently a hippie that, if I’m willing to boycott Walmart for asshattery (which I am), I’m willing to spend my money with people and businesses whose philosophical stances are congruent with mine. A little extra reminder here and there is okay with me.
Also, there are frequently posts here that don’t interest me and I skim over them. If I don’t like the shout-out, I can skip it. It’s not like you’re e-mailing me with e-posters to buy from your sponsors, which would be spam, and offensive.
I totally appreciate the bonus of being mentioned—thanks! To be honest, I have little $$ to advertise so I am careful where I put it. So I figure—why not spend it here. I like this blog. Love the people. And if it helps keep SBTB in business—bonus!
Sharron
Thanks for the extra shout out for our Mama Writers site! We have been really pleased with the great response from all the SB readers!
Renee
One of the Mama Writers
I’m glad so many of you liked the feature about our advertisers. But to be clear, both here and on the ad page itself: advertisements do not constitute an endorsement on the part of Smart Bitches. So while Candy or I have reviewed several of the books or authors featured, advertisements are not endorsements.
Good Lord, I’d never get anything done that way.
But if we emailed you e-posters with GIANT TWILIGHT FLOWERS or LOLPORN all over them, you’d be ALL OVER THAT. RIGHT? RIIIGHT?!!
I’m with Tallyho on this one. I dislike ads – on blogs and elsewhere – and try to avoid them if possible.
On the other hand, transparency is always good, and I guess this new feature can be said to represent that.
Karen Scott blogged about one of your advertisements a while back and there was some discussion at her blog about whether an advert constituted endorsement.
IIRC some people thought that a site such as this, which carries a lot of adverts, couldn’t be expected to know everthing about everyone who bought an ad. That an advert was just an advert and not an endorsement.
If the site had displayed an advert from an author who had plagiarised, say – it’s reasonable that SBTB might not have known her history. But if you run a piece saying ‘Anna Plagiarist’s new book is a Regency romance about the Bunnett sisters and the brooding Lord Darsy…’ I would feel differently about that – that in taking the people off the side bar and putting them centre stage as ‘fine folk’, the site takes on some responsibility to check out their work.
Still not quite an endorsement: but a slightly different kettle of fish. (Who has kettles of fish? It’d make the tea taste funny…)
Oddly this is about the only site on the entire internet where I actually click on a lot of the ads, and there’s been enough times that I’ve browsed away and then never found the ad I remembered again because of the way they rotated, or a new month’s ads have turned up and I’ve not been able remember who the link or the author was other than ‘it was an ad on smartbitches that month’, that I’m forced to give you a big thumbs up for this feature 🙂
Could we get a category tag specifically for this so we can find the each list again easily?
Wow, thanks for the extra mention! I advertise on the site because I visit here on a regular basis—and I’ve discovered several new authors here. 🙂
Want to give my thumbs-up on this feature. I’ve clicked through some of the ads and have been pleased to find new books and authors and websites. Thanks!
I’m actually a much better employee since the advertising increased on the site, because most of the ads feature cover art, and well, I can’t have that on the computer screen at my workplace, even at lunchtime.
So oddly, the advertising has decreased my visits to the blog. I check on the weekends and some evenings, but I’ve usually missed a contest or opportunity to vote on Twilighted covers and such [big pout and *whine*].
Is that weird? I also never took the advertisements to be endorsed by the blog, any more than I think Hugh Laurie must use Crest if it’s in a commercial during House. And yet, I’m with tally on the line-blurring here once the advertisements cross to the “left” side. Hmmm. Hmmmmmmmm. I hope more people discuss this.
Heh. Maybe if it was Twilight LOLporn… Urk. Maybe not.