Hi again, y’all! It’s time for the Smart Bitches Business Update, a monthly feature wherein I talk about some of the shenanigans inside the nerdy depths of Smart Bitches HQ.
We’ve done some reader surveys in the past few months, and by request, I have drafted a few more, and in this update, I’m going to ask for your input! Plus, I have some news and information to share.
Let’s start with the info!
First: Weekly Advertisement Options! By request, I’ve added options to purchase advertisement spaces on a weekly basis.
Instead of buying a cycle of four weeks, interested advertisers can book a one- or two-week spot in many of our spaces.
This option is ideal for a limited-time discount, a boxed set promotion, or a focused campaign for a new book.
Here are the details:
- Advertisements will run from Sunday to Saturday based on availability.
- Booking will open four weeks prior to the start date of the advertisement. So, for example, to book for March 26 through April 1, the spots would become available February 29.
- Availability is not guaranteed until four weeks prior to start date.
- Available options include both the desktop and mobile ad spaces for maximum exposure and reach.
If you have any questions or would like to book a space, please email me for available options and our rate schedule!
Second: if you were looking for news on that strangely-named romance novel bracket tournament, alas, The DABWAHA tournament has come to an end. Last year was the final run for the, uh, finals. It is a tremendous amount of moving pieces and work, the DABWAHA, not to mention trying to figure out how to properly say it, and, alas, it’s not possible to run the tournament any longer.
I’m sorry if you’re disappointed! If you’re looking for past tournament results, you can visit DABWAHA.com, where the finalists for the past nine tournaments are still available. Just hold your mouse over “Tourney Site” in the menu, and select a year. A submenu will appear, including “Tournament Results.” I know many people use the site to discover recommended reads, so don’t worry – they’re all there.
And lastly! As I mentioned, I’m going to be building two more surveys based on your feedback and curiosity. I know you’d like to know the popularity of different sub-genres in romance among our community, and I know that some of you are interested in which social media platforms are most used by the fine and excellent members of the Bitchery. I’d also like to know what countries you’re in, and what languages you read in – though that’s my nosy nerdery in action.
Are there any other questions you are curious about? Any pieces of data you’d like to learn about the community? I can’t promise to use all of them, but you are some very smart people with very smart brains, and I’m curious to know, well, what you’re curious about!
And, since this is a shorter update, here’s some fun random data from the past 30 days!
Our top fifteen countries from which visitors came by in the past month:
- US
- Canada (eh?)
- UK
- Australia
- India
- Germany
- Philippines
- Russia
- New Zealand
- Sweden
- South Africa
- Finland
- Netherlands
- Ireland
- France
Aw, man, Norway, what did I do? I’m sorry!
And the country that spent the longest amount of time on the site? Well, it was one visitor, so I hope I’m not creeping anyone out, but after 40+ minutes of reading, I want to say a big hello to our friend from St. Helena! I hope you found some good books to read!
Wait. It’s not Napoleon, is it? Plotting a post-mortem comeback by analyzing Regency and historical romance? Nah, couldn’t be.
(I hope not.)
Can’t say how sorry I am about DABWAHA, but I understand that there were probably a lot of factors underlying that decision. It was fun seeing the diversity of opinions, often strong opinions. Haha. I know there were times when I really wondered who were these people who didn’t love a book I was very invested in! 😀 Alas, all good things must come to an end. Thanks for all the fun while it lasted.
Aww, I was wondering about Dabwaha. Totally understand the decision, but can’t say I’m not a bit bummed.
I am sad about DABWAHA too – I never did very well, but it was always fun. I never could figure out whether to pick only the books I liked, or just the books I thought would be more popular, and I always ended up with a mix that didn’t score well. I did find books to read and fun authors to follow on Twitter though. Thanks for running it all the years that you did.
I’m sorry, too, about DABWAHA, but not surprised. It was great fun–and anxiety–while it lasted.
I was just thinking that with March Madness time coming up, so would DABWAHA. Now I have to pay attention to March Madness for my bracket fix 🙁 [NO. Go to Fug Madness instead, idiot.]
While you can count me among the bummed, thanks so much to everyone involved – it was a blast.
I’m so bummed about DABWAHA! Thanks for making it fun while it lasted and for everyone who made it run while it did!
Count me among the disappointed at the end of DABWAHA (and friendly trash talking between authors). I found many new to me authors that are now on my auto buy once they trounced my favourite in the tourney. However I expect family and friends won’t miss the occasional plea to go and vote and shore up a pick. Thanks for the many years of fun
Is there any way to donate to the website without buying the books advertise? I usually do not buy paperbacks or many of the books that are on the site.
I do not listen to podcast but I am supporting that one.
I could totally see spending hours on SBTB if I just discovered the site! When people used to do online journals, back before they were blogs-when I found someone whose writing I liked, I would read their whole archive in a sitting! I wonder if I freaked anyone out by doing that-to me it was like a book I needed to read from start to finish, i.e. present day!
I was never able to understand DABWAHA – okay – never sufficiently patient to understand DABWAHA so I look forward to new SBTB features.
SBSarah, how do you know when someone is actively reading the site rather than having abandoned their computer without closing the site?
Color me nostalgic and a little relieved. DABWAHA was fun but exhausting for participants, I can’t even imagine what it was like from the organisational side… And I don’t see how anyone would have the brain capacity for it in 2017. Just saying.
DABWAHA 🙁 🙁 🙁 I mean, I get it but… Thank you so much for the years you invested into it.
Noooo! Say it ain’t so. Though I always sucked at my picks I am sad to see it go.
I know it was a lot of hard work for you all and greatly appreciate it!!
That moment when you’ve literally been following SBTB since 2008, the year the DABWAHA was first a thing…and now it’s over.
FEELS ARE WEIRD BUT TIME IS WEIRDER!
But I can totally understand and respect why DABWAHA had to say bye bye because that thing was a BEAST!
I know I for sure read SBTB for way more than 40mn back in November, so I feel you, St. Helena person!
Also I hadn’t heard about DABWAHA before and just… trying to understand it… made my head hurt. Still, it’s great to see it was so loved!
Have you considered getting volunteers to run DABWAHA?
@Kathryn:
I have, but given the amount of server uploading and access required, it wasn’t feasible. I’m sorry.