My latest book is The One Who Swam With The Fishes.

"A mesmerizing account of the well-known story of Matsyagandha ... and her transformation from fisherman’s daughter to Satyavati, Santanu’s royal consort and the Mother/Progenitor of the Kuru clan." - Hindustan Times

"Themes of fate, morality and power overlay a subtle and essential feminism to make this lyrical book a must-read. If this is Madhavan’s first book in the Girls from the Mahabharata series, there is much to look forward to in the months to come." - Open Magazine

"A gleeful dollop of Blytonian magic ... Reddy Madhavan is also able to tackle some fairly sensitive subjects such as identity, the love of and karmic ties with parents, adoption, the first sexual encounter, loneliness, and my favourite, feminist rage." - Scroll



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8 August 2013

On considering advertising

For as long as this blog has existed, I've made about $200 from it. These are all Google ads, and since I never laid them out in any particular order, I got random hits, and even more random things showing up. It was never a money making enterprise, I blog from the love of the blog, while people around me make enough to keep themselves afloat.

The fact of the matter is that in India, advertising alone will not drive a website. I've worked on the web as a professional, and heard rumours about how badly e-commerce sites are doing. Every week, something else is shut down, or people are rethinking how to make money from the internet. It can't be ads, not here, so it's usually events or investors. It is a little frustrating, sure, when you have an audience and you know that other really good websites have audiences, so why not tap into that, advertisers, as opposed to pushing all your money into print? Print is dying, but the digital age is entering its golden period, and so it seems to me that this is the best place to make money.

Recently, however, a few people have approached me to put up sponsored posts on this blog, and after giving it some consideration, I've decided to go for it. It'll be totally subtle and totally still in my style, readers, but it'll just mean that I can make some money and do all the fabulous things that I can then turn into blog posts. Win-win! Well, kinda.

I'm not even sure that this will work out, and I do have a day job and a book to write and all sorts of other things going on, but if this little enterprise could pay for my drinks at PCO on a Saturday night, then why not, eh?

You guys have been around for all the major decisions that I've made on this blog, and I'd like you to weigh in on this one as well. Is it okay for blogs to have sponsored posts? Would you? If it was carefully curated content, would you be interested in reading about it? Hate the idea and think I'm selling out? Love the idea and want to sponsor your own post? Tell me about it in the comments.

More on the subject of money-making: I've decided to restart my creative writing classes, that I had in Bombay briefly. I'm aiming at September or October to begin, and so if you'd like to sign up, let me know. Email me at meenakshimadhavanATgmailDOTcom with thoughts, or what you'd like to learn.

It's all very nascent now, so I'm excited to see what we can come up with. 

12 comments:

  1. I would not want to read sponsored posts. Why dont you start another blog where you can make money?

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  2. As a blogger - getting paid for blogging - wow! Blogger's paradise...
    But as a reader the idea somehow does not seem appealing at all - Total sell out and on top of that no matter even if it is 100 percent authentic it still seems doctored and that takes away even from a well written post...

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  3. Don't mind sponsored posts on stuff like makeup. Your space. Your stuff.
    -Aashica

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  4. If I find something amazing on your blog - I don't care if it is sponsored. But if I'm reading something sponsored and don't like it then that's a lot of credibility lost in one shot.

    So... like any other business it is a risk. So go for it! :)

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  5. As a reader, I'm not in favour of sponsored posts.

    But then I guess this is too good an opportunity for you to turn down.

    So as long as you mention at the beginning that it's a sponsored post, I guess the readers should be fine with it.

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  6. I don't really mind, but I would like to know that it was a sponsored post so maybe you could mention that at the end? Like if you were at a restaurant or a fancy event that "EM was at the event as a guest of whoever the sponsor is"

    Other then that, I have no real problems with it. Like someone said above. Your blog, your choice.

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  7. Like most folks said already: your blog, your decision! If you're going to keep it subtle, and in your style, though, we'd like to know that it's a sponsored post. Preferably at the beginning of the post, or as a tag, so that readers can choose whether to read that post or move on to another one :)

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  8. Instead of adsense ads, you could approach companies directly, particularly online Indian businesses like say, shaadi.com or flipkart and make a deal with them. If you are still interested in ads, I'd like to make an offer.

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  9. I think it's nice of you to ask your readers when you didn't really need to. However, I think it'd be selfish of me as a reader to dictate what I want to see on your blog, especially if it's something (sponsored posts) that I don't mind seeing on other blogs that I love and read regularly (BPB, HHC, etc). You have talent, there's no reason why it shouldn't help you make some money. Ultimately, I come here for the love of your writing and would lap up whatever you dish out (I KNOW it'll be honest and 'carefully curated'). Go for it, I say!

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  10. Food for thought :- You earned more than $200 from your blog. You got to write your first book due to this blog :)

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  11. Your place...your rules.As readers we would just be interested in your posts.As for the commercial part...you call the shots !

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  12. What's bad about getting paid for what you love doing? The art lies in placing the ad banners smartly - at locations that don't disturb your readers. If a sponsored post does catch a reader's fancy, he/she will go click on it and there, you have your money! I don't see why you should even think about it - just go ahead and have it!

    ReplyDelete

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