Adsense Success!

[Andy]

A long, long time ago, we started allowing Google ads on YWO (http://www.youngwritersonline.net/showthread.php?t=597).

That was about 5 months ago. We know the ads aren't exactly attractive. However, I want to thank you all for tolerating them.

Google does not allow us to reveal specific information on our earnings. But we can safely say that in 5 months, we've raised almost enough money to pay for 6 months of keeping the site online (hosting and other costs)! :approve: We're a little short, but once we add the earnings from our Amazon store, we're able to cover the costs completely.

Things are likely to get better. We still have one month to earn money beyond what 6 months require. And as the number of members here grows, the earnings are likely to grow as well. Thanks for helping this site pay for itself! And don't forget to use our store. ;)

We can't yet afford giving away money in contests, but based on our earnings, that day may not be far away.

[Carraka]

Hooray!

That reminds me. I have to tell my friends to stop giving me BORDERS gift certificates.

Free books < books bought through the YWO aStore

[Shaun]

Your friends can give you you gift certificates from Amazon, you know.

Also, as soon as Borders initiates their affiliate program we'll become affiliated so people can use them. We're planning on doing that with Barnes & Noble, and if there are other stores that may carry things of interest to our members that we should try to affiliate with (and have a program), we'd be happy to.

We also are planning on having YWO merchandise soon. That all depends on how fast people give me logos for the contest. I think we have...two. I don't feel comfortable doing a poll for only two logos. I want lots of options! Once we have a logo, we're set for merchandise and then we can even have funny shirts and stuff with neat little sayings on them. That might help fuel things for our earnings so we can actually have a real contest with a monetary thing to it.