Money, Money, Money · 19 March 2011
My readers (mostly imaginary) ask me all the time why I have affiliates and ads on my websites. They wonder why I would sully my otherwise pristine place of wordsmithing with such obvious commercialism. At least my imaginary readers do. So this is to give them (and any real readers who might wonder) the two reasons I have affiliates and place ads on my websites.
I hope you are ready for the first reason. I want to make money.
It is a simple explanation. Unfortunately, I cannot just put that simple explanation on my website without further explanation. I cannot let people believe that I have sold out and will begin writing pieces with names of products in my blogs and hope people click through to buy stuff. I cannot let people believe that I am a money grubber with no scruples. I cannot let people believe I have put the clearly not almighty dollar above all else.
While I would like to make a little money with my writing, it is not the reason I write. Actually, that is a lie. I would like to make a lot of money with my writing. Truthfully though, money is definitely not the reason I write. If it was, I would have quit long ago. After all, accumulating ten dollars of ad revenue in my account over more than four years is not very cost effective. Hopefully, that longevity with little payoff is proof enough that I write because I love to write. Proof that I write because I love to tell stories. Proof that I love being MediocreMan™.
The second and perhaps more important reason that I have affiliates and put ads on my websites is because I would love to prove my wife, The Mindboggling Mrs. Miyoshi, wrong. She says that most writers live in obscurity and become famous only after they die. Or at least writers of great literature seem to follow that pattern. Fortunately for me, I have never claimed to be a writer of great literature or even a great writer, so maybe I have a chance to make some money at writing. Maybe, by getting a sponsor or two and more affiliates whose products I believe in, I can monetize my writing. Maybe, I can prove The Mindboggling Mrs. Miyoshi wrong. Only time will tell.
Still, if I never accumulate any more ad money in my account. If I never find any more sponsors or affiliates who I believe in. If I never make any money on my products including my book. If I never prove my wife wrong. I will still be happy. I will be happy that I put my writing out to the world just to see what sticks. Just to see if I could be part of the cream rising to the top. Just to see if I can write anything worthwhile. I may never be rich or famous or notorious due to my writing, but I can always say that I am a success. After all, I do not just talk about writing some day. I am doing it. Every single week.
So far, I have not proven The Mindboggling Mrs. Miyoshi wrong. I have not secured book deals or speaking engagements, nor am I making boatloads of money with my writing. At least not yet. Still, one day, that may change. In the meantime, I want to make sure that all my readers (both real and imaginary) know I would not knowingly affiliate myself with products I do not believe in. So if you see an ad on my pages that makes you question that statement, contact me. Some of the ads try to match themselves with my content, but I can supposedly keep anything questionable out of them. Let me know if that is true.
I am also an Amazon affiliate so I must put this affiliate notification on my websites:
MediocreMan™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Hopefully, that suffices.
I know that my websites are not really pristine places of wordsmithing like I said at the start. Still, I hope that I have satisfactorily answered all the questions about why I have affiliates and put advertising on my websites. I hope that you, dear reader, know that I would not sacrifice my writing quality (as poor as it may be) for filthy lucre. Mostly, I hope that I prove The Mindboggling Mrs. Miyoshi wrong. It would be nice to make a boatload of money writing. Before I am dead.
© 2011 Michael T. Miyoshi
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