Ads on Zythophile

Readers will notice something different about this blog: it is now carrying advertising.

There’s a very good reason for this change in policy – money. I’d like to make some, as recompense for the very considerable amount of time I have spent amassing probably three quarters of a million words on this site. I certainly won’t be making a lot: it may not even amount to four figures a year. But I’ve been writing this blog for 11 years, and while I managed to get a book published in 2015 that was based on some 28 or so of the better historical posts, the sums that book, Strange Tales of Ale, brought in were certainly pretty nonsensical when set against the time taken to research and write those posts (and that includes the prize money for winning Book of the Year at the Guild of British Beer Writer awards). Even some money is better by far than a poke with a sharp stick.

Other bloggers have gone for setting up Patreon accounts: I never fancied that, because I don’t post to this blog that frequently and I didn’t want to ask people to give money for something that might, as has happened very recently, have a gap of several months between posts. Similarly, while some beer bloggers have signed sponsorship deals, I didn;t want to feel beholden to a sponsor – and in addition, I like to feel I can be rude about anyone. Being sponsored is a restriction on that liberty.

In the end I was approached by the company that is arranging the sale of the ads that will be appearing on this blog, and I could think of no good reasons to turn down the offer. The agreement I have allows me to block individual advertisers, and even whole sectors, if I want to.

Please comment below on any issues you feel arise from this decision: if you feel there are too many ads, they are too intrusive and/or they don’t belong on what is meant to be an independent platform for one man’s rantings and musings, say so, and if at any time you feel advertisers are appearing who clash with the values you believe the Zythophile blog stands for, or should stand for, do let me know.

Martyn Cornell

19 thoughts on “Ads on Zythophile

  1. Martyn, if I had to crawl through the proverbial barbed wire and mud to read your blog, I would. Advertise away. We appreciate the time and effort you put into your illuminating and erudite posts and nobody I’m sure would resent a few commercials. Indeed, I would pay a quid a time to read your blog, should you consider a subscription model. You’re a gem 🙂

  2. Dear Martyn : Go for it ! … your books and articles are more than a pleasure to read and l heartily recommend your works to all + sundry ..

  3. Teething problems: Could just be me but it appears that the first ad is not a link and the second ad’s link is broken.

    Loved “Amber, Gold & Black” – most enlightening.

  4. I can quite understand this and in any case, as far as I can recall, you have always had ads for your own publications anyway. I tend to think that most writing is done out of enthusiasm for the subject given that the financial returns are usually meagre (unless your name is, say, Archer). A friend of mine is a published author and usually seems to have a new project ‘on the go’ but I think makes most of his return from contract research.

    What I find amusing is the ads that are put on your site by the agency (or whatever is the correct term). When I first looked at the page this morning it was full of ads for a Muslim charity yet I doubt if many Muslims are active readers of beer blogs. Coming back to it later I see that ‘hassle free accounting software’ is now favoured but the ads don’t look very serious to me and in any case I would ask my accountant’s advice if I wanted to change software and not buy on the basis of a picture of a man holding a mobile phone. But please continue to take these people’s money as long as they are throwing it at you.

    Personally I would like to see more ‘proper’ books on beer rather than using the ephemeral internet, but perhaps I’m from the wrong generation.

    Ian

  5. Quick update on the ads. Asia Charm..this is not a typical dating site. Girls will make the first move.

    BTW I have no problem with the ads ,your work deserves a far higher pay.

    cheers

    Ben

  6. Please do whatever it takes for you to be able to carry on. I read your posts avidly and save each and every email to a special folder!
    Your posts are fascinating and enlightening.
    I even ranted at a couple of Americans about you in the pub the other night!
    Please do keep up the good work.
    All the best.
    Ruth

  7. Martyn — this makes perfect sense. There’s no perfect option, you have to choose the one that works for you.

    Other posters — the ads you see *might* be determined by cookies on your machine indicating what you’ve previously been viewing so maybe be a *bit* careful before announcing what’s showing up for you…

    1. [Ha ha! Good point on the trigger for ad selection.]

      I have no quibble on ads at all. Stonch and I had a bit of a racket going on a decade ago doing a tag team from time to time on advertisers and actually made a tidy sum each – until Google started sending emails to our advertisers saying that they would delist the sources of “irregular ads” from their search process. You may find this is still is the case, dunno.

      Oddly, my advertisers were mainly UK insurance law firms. I don’t know what that says about my web habits according to Ray’s Rule above.

  8. The post have been excellent have greatly helped in correcting many inaccuracies & dogmas floating around in beer.
    I personally value Martyn is doing and would support any actions to help finance the work, It is often a thankless task often for no reward
    Tim O’Rourke

      1. No. A lot of people use apps/services that collate different feeds into one place – much easier to manage things that way. Maybe it still counts as a ‘hit’ for you, I haven’t got a clue. Either way, ads don’t appear, which is great.

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