According to Google analytics I’ve had 1,966 visits with more than 4,200 page views (hits) since I went live a month ago. The nook giveaway is winding down (tomorrow at 11:59 pm marks the deadline) with several hundred individual entries and counting. If you haven’t registered yet, please see the giveaway contest widget to the right. I received the following email from Barnes & Noble this week:
This is to confirm that your nook will be shipping this week. Although your shipment has been slightly delayed, we’ve upgraded you to overnight shipping to ensure you’ll receive your nook by December 16.
I’m pretty sure this means that the winner will receive the prize nook by Christmas (but still, don’t count your chickens and all that).
The picture on this post is an actual nook from the Barnes & Noble store at the Mall of Georgia taken Tuesday. It feels really cool, feels solid. It is thin, incredibly thin. I didn’t get much of a chance to play with it, but it is very readable and I can’t wait to get one myself at some point. Of course, Christmas time’s a comin’…
I’d also like to let you know that I’ve added three stores on the site and a lot of information on my “About” page. All of these are found just above the main content on the same bar with “Subscribe.” The Mall is being geared toward things that are typically of interest to men, The FeMall is being geared toward ladies and the Social Store will feature companies who are trying to make a positive impact in people’s lives. I currently feature Tom’s Shoes, but hope to be adding other soon.
Why monetize?
If you’ve been to other sites I’ve done before (sbcoutpost.com, iemissional.com), then you will recognize a specific change here: advertising. That’s because I’m trying to make some money, so, shop some! In all seriousness, the stores represented here, including Amazon.com, pay me commissions (sometimes called referral fees) for promoting them. Anything you purchase from a link here costs you exactly the same as if you were to go to their site directly, yet puts a little money in my pocket. So, when you are going to purchase from Amazon.com, just start here. You can use any of the search areas to find anything carried there; searching Amazon.com here works just like searching the main site. Thanks for the 12 orders that have already been placed through my affiliates at martyduren.com!
The other links take you directly to the advertised site, many of which currently feature Christmas deals, especially free shipping, so take advantage. I hope to open the Outdoor Store soon, with links to REI, Sierra Trading Post and others. I’ll let you know when that happens.
Thanks so much for your help in this time of job transition for me. You may not think it’s much, but every little bit helps. Thanks.
Big Announcement
Sometime in January be looking for a multi-part interview with Douglas Blackmon, whose book, Slavery by Another Name, won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.
Also, be looking forward to another new website launch in the next couple of days. This one will be dealing with issues regarding business management.
