Big news!!
Because of the Smart Bitches After Dark community, I’ve been able to turn off ALL of the external ads on SBTB.
You’ll still see ads in the sidebar, or between content if you’re on mobile but that adserver is in-house – meaning I manage, administer, and control it.
Which also means that you won’t run into ads for things that are offensive or anathema to the community values here at SBTB, such as banners for pregnancy “crisis” centers, concealed carry options, right-wing candidates or referendums, or *shudder* ICE.
I won’t get into the long story of trying to play whack-a-mole with advertisers who may not always represent their businesses accurately, but I can say that over the past few months, trying to stay ahead of ads that are harmful or appalling has been a job. I have categories I approve of, and categories I requested be blocked, but that doesn’t mean that the ad itself is coded correctly by the advertiser. One hypothetical example: homeland security is not “home and garden.”
You may have noticed the proliferation of ICE ads and other DHS blather freaking everywhere, and many outlets have been covering how Spotify, HBO, and other streaming services are replete with these ads.
I’ve been dealing with a similar challenge with the podcast – a listener let me know a dynamic ad for ICE recruitment had run prior to the show, and as a result they would no longer be listening. To be clear: I don’t blame them. I am eternally grateful that they let me know what was happening, and grateful to the podcast community for helping me turn off those external ads, too.
Basically, not to dwell on this though I think and rant about it A LOT, it’s lucrative to run right wing ads. Right wing grift is abhorrently well-funded, and being complacent and letting ads like those run means more passive money for the creator (me) and for the platform that serves the ads.
Ad spend for these spots tops $20 billion dollars, and comes with higher percentages of revenue for creators than non-political campaigns. In other words, they’re more profitable than your average ad, and businesses like podcast platforms, streaming services, and internet ad brokers want to run them.
They make SO much freaking money.
Your support through After Dark membership means I can remove all of them for everyone who visits.
Your support has made the site better for all the readers who come to hang out here. Thank you.
Other upgrades that aren’t as visible include a server upgrade (woo!) and a caching options that should make the site load much faster, plus some improved functions coming in 2026.
One example: I’ll be moving the SBTB Daily newsletter and the Books on Sale newsletter from MailChimp to an in-house newsletter manager (as soon as I, um, teach myself how to use it) and SBTB will be able to offer weekly digest options and a newsletter of just After Dark content for community members!
And as I mentioned earlier in October, we’ve got plans for fun stuff:
- A quarterly romance book club
- Live streaming of video games
- Old Skool recaps of whatever truly off the wall romances I can find*
- Remember those Judith Krantz and Danielle Steel tv adaptations? Oh, yeah. Those.
- A video series “From the Romancelandia Older Folks Home”
- Exclusive coupons for books, candles, and more
*I procured some truly opulent old skool romances and will be sharing pics and requesting direction on which one to read and review first.
And I’ll be continuing with the monthly Crafty Zoom Zoomy Craft hangouts, plus Tarot After Dark, After Dark at the Movies, our in-depth commentary and analysis about romance and publishing trends, and everything else you’ve been enjoying.
But most of all:
Your support has helped make us even more
independent as a site and a community.
I am having trouble finding the right words to explain how much that means.
In the past 20 years, everything about the internet has changed, and very few people are doing what we do here at Smart Bitches. I take your trust in us very seriously, and I don’t take for granted that we’re part of your digital routine when you visit.
We’re turning 21 in January, and I’m really looking forward to celebrating another year with all of you.
If you’re not a member of After Dark, and would like to join, we would LOVE to have you.
Because if our community is important to you, we need your help to keep our doors open to everyone who wants to connect with romance readers around the world to discuss the books we love to read.
Also – if all these gifs are making you think about how much you want to watch Robin Hood: Men in Tights, here are your streaming options!
This is such great news!